Home on the Range: My Australian Diary, part 1

After an epic 24 hour journey from the other side of the globe, I am finally back in Australia! It's been a full year since I've been home, so it's unreal to be back with my family and friends. Plus, not to mention the SUNSHINE! It has been raining since Christmas in Galway so it feels good to be soaking up some rays! 

(Being greeted at the airport by my sister, Tyler and my mum, Sheryl)

(Back in the bush: enjoying the sunshine out on our verandah) 

Thankfully I was able to sleep on the flight home, because there was no rest for the wicked with St Patrick's Day looming. As an Irish dancer, Paddy's Day is generally our busiest day of the year so there was no time for jet lag, it was straight into my costume and into the pub for a few sets! It was a great day in Gilhooley's with the gang, plus I got my obligatory Guinness so I was happy :)

(The Watkins Academy Irish Dancers on Paddy's Day: Tyler, Laura, Anthony, Cat and myself) 

I was delighted as I successfully made the journey home using only 21 of my 30 kilo baggage allowance, leaving plenty of room for shopping! I wasted no time in hitting the shops (hello Indooroopilly Shopping Town!) so here's my purchases so far:

Colette 

(www.colettehayman.com.au)

Lovisa 

(www.lovisa.com.au)

Dissh

(www.dissh.com.au, www.lipstikshoes.com.au) 

Bardot

(www.bardot.com.au)

Princess Polly 

(www.princesspolly.com.au)

So that's me for now! There's still more shopping, eating and celebrating to be done (of course!) so I'll be checking back in with more updates from Down Under :) 

-Sinead xx

The Academy Awards: Red Carpet Round Up

Sadly, the awards season is nearly over for another year. Sure there's still the Emmy's, but that's bloody months away! We've seen some magical red carpet moments from our favourite celebs as well as some surprising newcomers (we're looking at you Lupita!) who have blown us away. And of course there have been a few fashion blunders but that's really all part of the fun isn't it?!
So The Brag Trade team have once again gone all Fashion Police. This time we're on our own without the boys- they can't join us every time, its hard work being that bitchy- don't worry, we'll see them again for the Emmy's.

 

-Sinead xx

Jennifer Lawrence:

Sinead: I think Dior have done well for J-Law this time. The colour is fab, the style is really beautiful although I don't think it tops the red Calvin Klein she wore a couple of years back(below). However she looks gorge and I am loving the backwards necklace! 

Ashlee: I'm not her biggest fan but she does look well and I love the colour.

Emily: It was awesome to see her in a colour, and in a dress that somewhat did her body justice. It was a little more youthful than some other things she has worn as well, but there was something about her hair & make-up that made her look a little botoxy. Or maybe she really did have a like a peel or botox or something done. It was slightly unnerving.

Jennifer at the Oscars in 2011= smokin'.

Lupita Nyong'o:

Sinead: *insert slow clap here* Just, wow. Not at all what I would've expected but this is just beautiful. Lupita shows us how to rock a plunging neckline and still look like a lady! I love the duck egg blue and her headband was so cute. I love her!!! 

Ashlee: She looks like a modern day princess, just stunning!

Emily: When I first saw her I did let out a little gasp- purely because it was not at all what anybody was expecting from her and it is so beautiful. However, it hasn't particularly grown on me. Its beautiful, theres no denying that, and I'm glad it wasn't something completely predictable, but I don't think it is as amazing as past efforts. Esp the headband.

Anne Hathaway:

Ashlee : Boring but then I wouldn't expect anything else from Anne Hathaway.

Emily: The girl who was once supposedly as loveable as J-Law(its hard to believe now) just hasn't quite hit the mark here. Maybe its an ok choice given she wasn't a nominee, but it looks more like an after-party dress, and a little dated. In other news, John thinks she looks like a microphone, which is also true.

Cate Blanchett:

Sinead: An absolute icon. Cate can do no wrong! She looks every bit the lady in this amazing embellished gown. Proud day to be an Aussie!

Ashlee: It really seems like her time to shine. She looks gorgeous.

Emily: Not a bad word can be said about this woman. The best actress on the night was, well, the best!! The hair, the makeup, the jewellery and the amazing dress. The detail!! It should wash her out but it doesn't, it moves when she moves...the epitome of old-Hollywood glamour right there...and lets not forget her acceptance speech. She is such a lady!

Kate Hudson:

Sinead: Oh. My. God. I am IN LOVE with this dress! Kate looks UNBELIEVABLE. She's rocking metallics, a plunging neckline and a cape and it just works. Especially loving her take on the cape trend, I like that she's done it differently to Lupita and Amy etc. Bravo Kate Hudson, bravo! 

Emily: This is amazing, it is. Only dampened by the fact that I have no idea why she was there. Seriously. Is it because she did a shitty movie or 2 with McConaughey in the past, and now people think he is actually a good actor and so she thinks she is too? It is ridiculously gorgeous, but, indeed, I think it would have been better on a nominee. Amy Adams', take note.

Sandra Bullock:

Ashlee: Stunning, this shows her gorgeous figure. classic Hollywood I say.

Emily: Sandy got it right for once! yay! A simple looking frock that actually has some beautiful detail in the front, and fits her like a glove. I agree that its classic Hollywood, which is what you want from a best actress nominee.  

Emma Watson:

Sinead: I am so disappointed by this dress. I really had high hopes for Emma Watson and this is just so underwhelming! There's just nothing striking about it at all. She can do better! 

Ashlee: oh dear this is not good, she looks like a little girl playing dress up. i love Emma Watson so I'm a little let down. Sack the stylist and employ me :)

Emily: Firstly, yes, hire Ashlee, It would be a wise move. Secondly, I'm sorry, but its the freaking oscars. This girl pisses me off. I've said it before that I just don't buy her as a 'fashion girl'. You know how when Chloe Sevigney or Helena Bonham Carter wear some crazy getup, you believe that they genuinely get it themselves? I don't believe she gets it. I think she has a stylist/team behind her that want her to be a fashion girl. A lot like Kristen Stewart, only not a total ho-bag. And I know fashion magazines and the like loved her hair and makeup, but frankly, I thought it was a little too dishevelled- especially the lipstick being all smudgy in the corners. Its the OSCARS people!!...Rant over.

Emma Watson: Dishevelled.

Amy Adams:

Sinead: I like this dress, but I'm not falling over myself in excitement about it. Really classic, beautiful fit but not a show stopper. 

Emily: Great fit, nice colour on her....yawn. A gold belt, a statement piece of jewellery...just something more would've helped.

 

Angelina Jolie:

Ashlee: Meh, it's nice but not amazing. It's Angelina so of course she looks gorgeous in anything.

Emily: Super frumpy. Not at all what the people want from Angie. looked a lot better on the runway- I can't put my finger on why, I'm just not feeling it.

Meryl Streep:

Sinead: Classy and ladylike as always! Love Meryl! 

Emily: Stunning, graceful, and regal. What more do you want from Hollywood royalty? Meryl is an example of classiness for women of all ages. I hope this is what Cate Blanchett will be wearing in a few years.

Charlize Theron:

Sinead: Charlize is such a babe. She could wear a potato sack and still look incredible. But I'm so glad she didn't cos this dress is amazing! She looks like the movie star we all know she is. 

Emily: This is one that everyone went nuts for... that I wasn't blown away by. I guess its because you can take it as a given that Charlize is a freakin' bombshell. She is so beautiful and has the figure of an old school supermodel. It is a stunning look, but she IS stunning. She doesn't have to do much to blow us all away. Maybe if it was a different colour, or had some sparkle, or something. I'm being harsh, but only because of the potential she has( haha, I sound like one of my High School teachers- 'you have potential Emily, you just need to work harder and believe in yourself and bla bla bla).

Kerry Washington:

Sinead: I think she got it right this time. She looks glowing and gorgeous and the dress flatters her baby bump beautifully. 

Emily: Usually I am allergic to any kind of pale purple on the red carpet. Maybe its too reminiscent of my year 10 formal dress. Maybe its because my Grandma OWNS that colour and nobody can rock it like her. But, this is OK...it works with her skin tone and its a nice shape for her bump- similar shape to the pink dress Natalie Portman wore to the Globes when she was pregnant- I think it was Victor and Rolf. (BTW, I was one of the few who LOVED that dress- see below).

Natalie Portman in Victor and Rolf.

Jennifer Garner:

Emily: I dunno, I just always think she is boring. She has that super-perky, 'I'm school captain, I'm good at everything, I go out with the captain of the football team' thing going on, regardless of what she wears(no offence Sinead, I know you were vice captain...and probably good at everything ;-)) So anyway, I guess its at least good she tried to do something interesting? Even though it feels like something that's been done before?

Anna Kendrick:

Sinead: I really don't want to have to take back everything I said about Anna Kendrick but this dress is not good. It's so dark, the slit is really weird and I'm not loving the detail on the waist. She's been looking so great lately, this is such a shame!

Ashlee: Oh Jesus what is going on here, it's like a mish- mash of a few different dresses.

Emily: Yucko. This is awful. Parts of it look like a cheapo debs/formal dress, parts of it look like a bad college project, and the rest it just blah. From the back it really really lovely though(see below). When i was watching Live from the red carpet, it was the first thing I saw and I thought it was amazing....then she turned around. What a disappointment!!

Anna: Just walk backwards.

Margot Robbie:

Sinead: Margot was unrecognisable with her new dark locks! I prefer her blonde and I also prefer her Golden Globes look. It was all just a bit too dark. The black hair, black dress and dark lips were all a bit much. The cut of the dress wasn't super flattering either and if you've seen Wolf of Wall Street, you know how amazing her body is! 

Emily: I was waiting and waiting for her to arrive on the red carpet so I could go to bed...and I was disappointed! She really shouldn't have hired Lorde's hair and makeup team, as that look really only works for Lorde. Yes, she dyed her hair for a role, but why did she have to go all out fashion-goth with the makeup and styling? She could have put her hair up, got a spray tan and rocked a bright lip and the brown hair would've been a non-issue. I just think she is nowhere near established enough in Hollywood yet to show up at the biggest night of the year NOT looking like herself. People need to recognise her!! Its important!! Maybe by looking so different she is trying to get bitches like me to stop calling her Donna!!

Jessica Biel: 

Sinead: Jessica Biel is so beautiful. Not the most exciting dress on the red carpet, but she looks amazing as always. 

Emily: Basically, read what I wrote about Jennifer Garner again. Anyway, I feel pretty much the same about these 2 women. Nothing personal. Maybe with her its the whole 'Seventh Heaven' thing that makes her boring, I dunno- I don't think she would be anywhere near as famous if it wasn't for Timberlake. I DO know I'm disappointed in Sinead for thinking she is amazing!

 

Olivia Wilde:

Sinead: Olivia Wilde knows how to rock red carpet maternity wear! She's looked amazing all awards season and this is no exception. 

Camilla Alves:

Sinead: She looks unreal! The colour and draping are perfect. I don't think she could've picked a better dress to accompany her Oscar winning hubby! 

Emily: Gosh this woman is beautiful isn't she? What did she do before she was married to him? I gotta assume she was a model or singer or something??! Anyway, she is stunning, and the dress is stunning. Its such an amazing colour on her, and I like that even though she is incredibly covered up, she still looks sexy. So glamorous!!

Lady Gaga:

Emily: For her, its quite good I suppose. The wig was absolutely ridiculous though! You have to look at a close up of her face, but seriously, they haven't even tried to hide it(well if they did, they did a bad job. 'They' being 'her people'!). And while I totally get that she was going for a 40's glamorous movie star thing with the scarf, I just don't think she pulled it off. Instead it just looked like something a grandma who was wanting to look glam at a wedding would wear.

GaGa: Wiggy.

Naomi Watts:

Sinead: This dress is gorgeous and I love the statement necklace as well. Naomi always looks a million bucks! 

Emily: Naomi hasn't blown me away at all lately, but she hasn't been disappointing either. She always looks beautiful and she is never talked about for the wrong reasons, I just wish she would take a bit more of a risk.

Jenna Dewan-Tatum:

Sinead: Of course Mrs Channing Tatum is going to look smokin' on the red carpet! She looks every bit the star in this dress. 

Leonardo DiCaprio:

Ashlee:As handsome as ever!

Emily: I feel bad for saying this, as its nothing to do with the suit, but I reckon Leo is unique as he is a man that isn't improving with age. Why is his face getting rounder and pudgier as he gets older, rather than the other way round? Bitchiness aside, he always dresses very sharply.

Kevin Spacey:

Sinead: This suit is awesome. Kevin Spacey is having a serious fashion moment! I love that he went for a colour cos this is sharp! 

Emily: Yeah I agree, he looks cool.

 

Pharrell Williams:

Sinead: Maybe if he'd done this for the Grammy's it would've been more appropriate? I mean, the Oscar's is the night of nights after all. Mind you, if anyone could get away with wearing shorts to the Oscar's, it's Pharrell. 

Emily: While I generally agree that it would have been better at the Grammy's, I love that he did it anyway- like Sinead said, if anyone can, he can. And he has worn shorts to red carpet events in the past(See below). It was kind of his trademark before he started wearing THE hat! I don't think he needs to follow the regular protocols, he is Pharrell.

 

Jared Leto:
Sinead: His hair's so pretty and his suit's pretty too. I enjoy that the two boys from Dallas Buyers Club both opted for white jackets. The dark trousers stop them from looking like dodgy pimps!
Emily: He really is very pretty. I remember loving him so much when I was a teenager...I don't even think I liked anything he did, I just liked him! Why is it that teenager girls always fancy quite feminine looking men?! And while I'm off track,  I can't believe he is 42...42!!! I want to know what he and Pharrell are doing to look so amazing!

 

I have a bit of a thing for shoes so hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on a pair of boots like these gorgeous ones by Alexander  Mcqueen.

Happy International Women's Day!!

PARIS FASHION WEEK: Street Style

Oh it was a glorious week with some amazing style. All the beautiful people were out in force and ready to wow at Paris Fashion Week (and do some shopping in the Chanel 'supermarket'!). Here's some of my favourite street style looks: 

- Sinead xx

(Images from fashionista.com, popsugar.com.au, huffingtonpost.com)

Hooray for PayDay!

Payday. It happens but once a month. A week or so of living like a queen ensues- all of the things we have wanted to buy but couldn't can finally be ours...even the little things we've been depriving ourselves of in that last week- the take-away coffee, the taxi when we miss the bus, the chocolate bar to get us through the day...So I celebrated. But the thing is, I didn't go crazy- I managed to satisfy my craving for newness while spending within my means. This did require a lot restraint however, as on Saturday I hit up the Blanchardstown Centre in Dublin. For those who don't know, we don't have a H&M or Zara in Galway, so a trip to Dublin means a beeline for these 2 mecca's of bargain fashion.

Back in Galway for now...first up, on Friday I hit up Topshop. As it is my place of work, I can pretty easily justify a Topshop purchase or 2. So I did just that. Its actually been a while since something I really love came into the Galway store, and as usual, 2 things came at once that were just so me, I needed them in my life.
Firstly, this cute blue dress with daisy overlay: €52. Its so comfortable and flattering, and while I love it now with tights, I can't wait to wear it in summer(please god!) with bare legs and sandals. Then there's this orange piece of heaven, the flower lace tee: €58. I am just in love with it. It will be perfect with jeans for a fun smart/casual look or layered over my black vinyl shift dress, or clashed with another bright, like pink. While its my most extravagant purchase, I really so think it will be extremely versatile. I predict a sell-out piece!



 Next stop, Blanchardstown on Saturday. I have spent the last couple of weeks searching for a magenta/purple lipstick. After scouring every lipstick in every chemist brand, I had resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to fork out the moolah for some MAC. Thankfully, I was wrong. I found an awesome dark purple lippy in H&M for €4.95. Its not a wine, or a burgundy, its a full on purple and I love it. Then I wandered into boots where I managed to find a ModelCo Lippy for €7.50 in a lovely pinky lilac. Finally the search was over! I lined up at the till's with my '3for2' products(the lippy, a Maybelline mascara-which was the item I actually went in for, and a Rimmel bronzer) when I spotted this Benefit 'tan about town' mini kit for a bargain €11!! amazing! I immediately ditched the mascara and bronzer I had, and picked up the Benefit. Yes, they are mini's, but for Benefit, that is still an awesome price. I love their 'bad gal lash' mascara, and I have wanted to try 'hoola' for ages, so this is perfect. The best part of all? When I went to pay, the nice lady at the register informed me that I had enough points on my card to cover the cost! yay for freebies!

Lastly, I'll share the outfit I wore while shopping on Saturday. I bought this super fun flamingo-print shirt in Penneys(Primark) in Galway on Friday. In fact its so fun that Sinead bought one too! How could you resist? Its only €10! I am a sucker for anything with a kitschy print, but I find a flamingo particularly hard resist! I wore it straight away under my black pleather-front jumper(also from Penneys), with my Topshop 'Jamie' jeans and 'Astrix' boots, hot pink vintage jacket and Topman lion necklace. 

 

 

So enjoy these next few days of living like royalty...even if you are the kind of royal who shops in Penneys!

 

-Emily