Latest news with #Winnie


Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Louise Thompson praised for bikini photos showing stoma bag as she urges 'be kind'
Former Made In Chelsea star, Louise Thompson, has bravely shown off her stoma bag in a selection of bikini photos after years of battling ulcerative colitis Louise Thompson has been praised for proudly showing her stoma bag in some inspiring new bikini photos. The mum-of-one, 35, revealed last year that she had been fitted with a stoma, which is a surgically-created opening made in the abdomen to divert the flow of body waste, after years of battling ulcerative colitis. The former Made In Chelsea star, who is the sister of fellow reality star, Sam Thompson, has spoken openly about her health concerns after a traumatic birth with her son, Leo, who she shares with fiancé, Ryan Libbey, in 2021, in which she almost died. After revealing she had a stoma fitted following numerous hospital appointments to treat her chronic bowel condition, Louise has now urged people to "be kind" after sharing snaps of herself sporting a yellow bikini in which her stoma bag, which she calls 'Winnie', can clearly be seen. Captioning the photos in which she looks radiant in her two piece, on holiday, Louise admitted she doesn't usually wear a bikini, sharing: "I'm not a big bikini girl these days. I don't think it's a confidence issue, I just really enjoy the comfort of a swimsuit. It's very practical and dare I say it - when you reach your mid 30s I think practicality equates to sophistication. "There's another thing I don't LOVE - people looking at me that much. Stoma or no stoma. It doesn't happen to me often now I'm a bit older and a mother (gone are the days of men checking me out on the tube or the beach), but regardless of circumstances - you definitely get more attention with a random black or grey bag glued to your abs. Unsurprising really." Stating she feels "no shame" when she looks at her body, insisting it's a "privilege to exist", she continued: "I fancied giving my tummy a bit of tan time/vit d on holiday… so here she is. "The old bod. Me and Winnie hanging out. Wearing her with pride. I think I've still got it. I feel good." Asking people to "be kind", Louise continued: "I don't feel held back at all, but I know some do and I want to remind anyone out there that doesn't really understand what this is that lots of normal and nice people in the UK have them (100k) and to be kind. "Don't judge. Let people wear what they want. Ask nice questions if you really can't help it. You might learn something cool. #stoma." After sharing her positive post, Louise was flooded with praise, including from one follower, who said: "You look incredible, but even more than looking incredible, the way you speak about how things are for you will help so many people to get through their difficulties. If ever there was a inspirational woman, you are it for me." Meanwhile, another said: "You're amazing, Louise" as another wrote: "Little black stoma bag, goes with everything" followed by a huge love heart emoji.


The Advertiser
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Bambi in the public domain: A smart and bloody take on a childhood favourite
There's been an exciting trend in low-budget horror movies recently when iconic intellectual property, usually the ones associated with sweetness, hits that magic number where it enters into the public domain. Like the 2023 film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, where Christopher Robin has neglected his animal friends after leaving for college and so they go on a killing rampage. These twisted Winnie films - there's been a bunch of spin-offs and also-rans in the past two years - arrived on the scene just as AA Milne's original book, published in 1926, passed the 95-year mark required for the US public domain. The juggernaut that is Disney couldn't stop enterprising filmmakers jumping on this adaptation bandwagon when Steamboat Willie, the first on-screen appearance of Mickey Mouse, entered public domain in 2014, with recent horror films like Mickey's Slayhouse and Mouseboat Massacre hitting - well, they're not hitting cinemas, they're mostly appearing on horror streaming services like Shudder. Even my childhood favourite TV show characters The Banana Splits went on a malfunctioning animatronic killing spree in 2019's The Banana Splits Movie. Bambi: The Reckoning takes, yes, your sweet childhood memory, though for legal reasons, it draws from author Felix Salten's 1923 novel Bambi: A Life in the Woods, and not the Disney adaptation that they still very much hold all rights for. Director Dan Allen starts the film with a rustic animation that certainly nods towards the Disney drawings, showing over the title credits a young fawn losing his mother and growing up into a giant buck. Except this deer, with his enormous antlers, lives in a woods being poisoned by men dumping green carcinogens in the water, the same men running over the buck and his mate with their trucks as they leave. We'll come back to that buck in a moment, but in Rhys Warrington's screenplay, we also have a young mum caring for her child. It is Xana (Roxanne McKee), mum to the bookish Benji (Tom Mulheron), who has just been let down once again by Benji's dad Simon (Alex Cooke), who had promised to take his son to a weekend with Simon's relatives in the country. Rather than disappointing her son, Xana packs Benji into a taxi and head off into the deep forrest home that grandmother Mary (Nicola Wright) lives in. It seems that Simon isn't the only disappointment in the family, as granny's home is full of Benji's awful relatives, like his obnoxious cousin Harrison (Joseph Greenwood) and Harrison's uncaring step-mother Harriet (Samira Mighty). But, as in all good fairy tales, the taxi ride to Granny's house is interrupted, not by a wolf, but by an enormous set of antlers smashing into the taxi head-on. The taxi driver is killed as the giant deer, feral with razor sharp teeth that drip blood, stomps the car's cabin, and Xana and Benji escape, running to Granny's house. But Granny has dementia and in her vague moments, seems to be psychically linked to the deer, and it turns out there's a strong family link to the beast and the reason it is haunting the woods and the humans, any humans, it sees as being destroyers. Dan Allen and Rhys Warrington's film is fun, if you like horror, but it's not the tongue-in-cheek horror that usually hits the multiplex cinemas. Bambi doesn't throw off witty one-liners as he despatches his prey, it is kill-and-move-on. The film's technical team is a small crew, the end credits were mercifully short, but they achieve good believable work with their CGI, keeping their scenes dark, only revealing the horror creatures when they need to. Perhaps the small tech crew and judicious withholding is the secret to good CGI, I thought as I recalled how many thousands of names were in the technical credits to the second Wonder Woman or The Flash movies, and remember how butchered and rushed those film's CGI looked. There's been an exciting trend in low-budget horror movies recently when iconic intellectual property, usually the ones associated with sweetness, hits that magic number where it enters into the public domain. Like the 2023 film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, where Christopher Robin has neglected his animal friends after leaving for college and so they go on a killing rampage. These twisted Winnie films - there's been a bunch of spin-offs and also-rans in the past two years - arrived on the scene just as AA Milne's original book, published in 1926, passed the 95-year mark required for the US public domain. The juggernaut that is Disney couldn't stop enterprising filmmakers jumping on this adaptation bandwagon when Steamboat Willie, the first on-screen appearance of Mickey Mouse, entered public domain in 2014, with recent horror films like Mickey's Slayhouse and Mouseboat Massacre hitting - well, they're not hitting cinemas, they're mostly appearing on horror streaming services like Shudder. Even my childhood favourite TV show characters The Banana Splits went on a malfunctioning animatronic killing spree in 2019's The Banana Splits Movie. Bambi: The Reckoning takes, yes, your sweet childhood memory, though for legal reasons, it draws from author Felix Salten's 1923 novel Bambi: A Life in the Woods, and not the Disney adaptation that they still very much hold all rights for. Director Dan Allen starts the film with a rustic animation that certainly nods towards the Disney drawings, showing over the title credits a young fawn losing his mother and growing up into a giant buck. Except this deer, with his enormous antlers, lives in a woods being poisoned by men dumping green carcinogens in the water, the same men running over the buck and his mate with their trucks as they leave. We'll come back to that buck in a moment, but in Rhys Warrington's screenplay, we also have a young mum caring for her child. It is Xana (Roxanne McKee), mum to the bookish Benji (Tom Mulheron), who has just been let down once again by Benji's dad Simon (Alex Cooke), who had promised to take his son to a weekend with Simon's relatives in the country. Rather than disappointing her son, Xana packs Benji into a taxi and head off into the deep forrest home that grandmother Mary (Nicola Wright) lives in. It seems that Simon isn't the only disappointment in the family, as granny's home is full of Benji's awful relatives, like his obnoxious cousin Harrison (Joseph Greenwood) and Harrison's uncaring step-mother Harriet (Samira Mighty). But, as in all good fairy tales, the taxi ride to Granny's house is interrupted, not by a wolf, but by an enormous set of antlers smashing into the taxi head-on. The taxi driver is killed as the giant deer, feral with razor sharp teeth that drip blood, stomps the car's cabin, and Xana and Benji escape, running to Granny's house. But Granny has dementia and in her vague moments, seems to be psychically linked to the deer, and it turns out there's a strong family link to the beast and the reason it is haunting the woods and the humans, any humans, it sees as being destroyers. Dan Allen and Rhys Warrington's film is fun, if you like horror, but it's not the tongue-in-cheek horror that usually hits the multiplex cinemas. Bambi doesn't throw off witty one-liners as he despatches his prey, it is kill-and-move-on. The film's technical team is a small crew, the end credits were mercifully short, but they achieve good believable work with their CGI, keeping their scenes dark, only revealing the horror creatures when they need to. Perhaps the small tech crew and judicious withholding is the secret to good CGI, I thought as I recalled how many thousands of names were in the technical credits to the second Wonder Woman or The Flash movies, and remember how butchered and rushed those film's CGI looked. There's been an exciting trend in low-budget horror movies recently when iconic intellectual property, usually the ones associated with sweetness, hits that magic number where it enters into the public domain. Like the 2023 film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, where Christopher Robin has neglected his animal friends after leaving for college and so they go on a killing rampage. These twisted Winnie films - there's been a bunch of spin-offs and also-rans in the past two years - arrived on the scene just as AA Milne's original book, published in 1926, passed the 95-year mark required for the US public domain. The juggernaut that is Disney couldn't stop enterprising filmmakers jumping on this adaptation bandwagon when Steamboat Willie, the first on-screen appearance of Mickey Mouse, entered public domain in 2014, with recent horror films like Mickey's Slayhouse and Mouseboat Massacre hitting - well, they're not hitting cinemas, they're mostly appearing on horror streaming services like Shudder. Even my childhood favourite TV show characters The Banana Splits went on a malfunctioning animatronic killing spree in 2019's The Banana Splits Movie. Bambi: The Reckoning takes, yes, your sweet childhood memory, though for legal reasons, it draws from author Felix Salten's 1923 novel Bambi: A Life in the Woods, and not the Disney adaptation that they still very much hold all rights for. Director Dan Allen starts the film with a rustic animation that certainly nods towards the Disney drawings, showing over the title credits a young fawn losing his mother and growing up into a giant buck. Except this deer, with his enormous antlers, lives in a woods being poisoned by men dumping green carcinogens in the water, the same men running over the buck and his mate with their trucks as they leave. We'll come back to that buck in a moment, but in Rhys Warrington's screenplay, we also have a young mum caring for her child. It is Xana (Roxanne McKee), mum to the bookish Benji (Tom Mulheron), who has just been let down once again by Benji's dad Simon (Alex Cooke), who had promised to take his son to a weekend with Simon's relatives in the country. Rather than disappointing her son, Xana packs Benji into a taxi and head off into the deep forrest home that grandmother Mary (Nicola Wright) lives in. It seems that Simon isn't the only disappointment in the family, as granny's home is full of Benji's awful relatives, like his obnoxious cousin Harrison (Joseph Greenwood) and Harrison's uncaring step-mother Harriet (Samira Mighty). But, as in all good fairy tales, the taxi ride to Granny's house is interrupted, not by a wolf, but by an enormous set of antlers smashing into the taxi head-on. The taxi driver is killed as the giant deer, feral with razor sharp teeth that drip blood, stomps the car's cabin, and Xana and Benji escape, running to Granny's house. But Granny has dementia and in her vague moments, seems to be psychically linked to the deer, and it turns out there's a strong family link to the beast and the reason it is haunting the woods and the humans, any humans, it sees as being destroyers. Dan Allen and Rhys Warrington's film is fun, if you like horror, but it's not the tongue-in-cheek horror that usually hits the multiplex cinemas. Bambi doesn't throw off witty one-liners as he despatches his prey, it is kill-and-move-on. The film's technical team is a small crew, the end credits were mercifully short, but they achieve good believable work with their CGI, keeping their scenes dark, only revealing the horror creatures when they need to. Perhaps the small tech crew and judicious withholding is the secret to good CGI, I thought as I recalled how many thousands of names were in the technical credits to the second Wonder Woman or The Flash movies, and remember how butchered and rushed those film's CGI looked. There's been an exciting trend in low-budget horror movies recently when iconic intellectual property, usually the ones associated with sweetness, hits that magic number where it enters into the public domain. Like the 2023 film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, where Christopher Robin has neglected his animal friends after leaving for college and so they go on a killing rampage. These twisted Winnie films - there's been a bunch of spin-offs and also-rans in the past two years - arrived on the scene just as AA Milne's original book, published in 1926, passed the 95-year mark required for the US public domain. The juggernaut that is Disney couldn't stop enterprising filmmakers jumping on this adaptation bandwagon when Steamboat Willie, the first on-screen appearance of Mickey Mouse, entered public domain in 2014, with recent horror films like Mickey's Slayhouse and Mouseboat Massacre hitting - well, they're not hitting cinemas, they're mostly appearing on horror streaming services like Shudder. Even my childhood favourite TV show characters The Banana Splits went on a malfunctioning animatronic killing spree in 2019's The Banana Splits Movie. Bambi: The Reckoning takes, yes, your sweet childhood memory, though for legal reasons, it draws from author Felix Salten's 1923 novel Bambi: A Life in the Woods, and not the Disney adaptation that they still very much hold all rights for. Director Dan Allen starts the film with a rustic animation that certainly nods towards the Disney drawings, showing over the title credits a young fawn losing his mother and growing up into a giant buck. Except this deer, with his enormous antlers, lives in a woods being poisoned by men dumping green carcinogens in the water, the same men running over the buck and his mate with their trucks as they leave. We'll come back to that buck in a moment, but in Rhys Warrington's screenplay, we also have a young mum caring for her child. It is Xana (Roxanne McKee), mum to the bookish Benji (Tom Mulheron), who has just been let down once again by Benji's dad Simon (Alex Cooke), who had promised to take his son to a weekend with Simon's relatives in the country. Rather than disappointing her son, Xana packs Benji into a taxi and head off into the deep forrest home that grandmother Mary (Nicola Wright) lives in. It seems that Simon isn't the only disappointment in the family, as granny's home is full of Benji's awful relatives, like his obnoxious cousin Harrison (Joseph Greenwood) and Harrison's uncaring step-mother Harriet (Samira Mighty). But, as in all good fairy tales, the taxi ride to Granny's house is interrupted, not by a wolf, but by an enormous set of antlers smashing into the taxi head-on. The taxi driver is killed as the giant deer, feral with razor sharp teeth that drip blood, stomps the car's cabin, and Xana and Benji escape, running to Granny's house. But Granny has dementia and in her vague moments, seems to be psychically linked to the deer, and it turns out there's a strong family link to the beast and the reason it is haunting the woods and the humans, any humans, it sees as being destroyers. Dan Allen and Rhys Warrington's film is fun, if you like horror, but it's not the tongue-in-cheek horror that usually hits the multiplex cinemas. Bambi doesn't throw off witty one-liners as he despatches his prey, it is kill-and-move-on. The film's technical team is a small crew, the end credits were mercifully short, but they achieve good believable work with their CGI, keeping their scenes dark, only revealing the horror creatures when they need to. Perhaps the small tech crew and judicious withholding is the secret to good CGI, I thought as I recalled how many thousands of names were in the technical credits to the second Wonder Woman or The Flash movies, and remember how butchered and rushed those film's CGI looked.


Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
30 Makeup Products That'll Make You Change Your Routine
A Sol de Janeiro lip butter crafted with moisturizing ~cupuaçu (a popular rainforest tree related to cacao) butter~, nourishing açai oil, and conditioning coconut oil. It'll leave you with a perfectly soft, smooth pout *and* the iconic caramelized vanilla scent of the ever-so-popular Cheirosa 62' fragrance. Promising review: "This lip butter is everything! The texture is so smooth and buttery, and it glides on effortlessly without feeling sticky or heavy. The caramelized vanilla scent is heavenly — sweet, warm, and comforting without being overpowering. It keeps my lips incredibly soft and hydrated for hours, even in dry weather. I also love the larger size — it feels luxurious and lasts a long time. Definitely a staple in my skincare routine now. Highly recommend!" —MeghanGet it from Amazon for $18. A Kylie Cosmetics skin tint everyone on TikTok is HYPING. And honestly, the videos literally look like witchcraft taking place all over my FYP, it's kinda wild. This light-to-medium coverage blurring elixir will literally just look like your skin, like, you may not be able to tell where your skin is and where you put on the skin tint. Check it out on TikTok! It's literally giving it from Ulta for $32 (available in 24 shades). An Ilia Milk Essence moisturizer, a lightweight, hyaluronic acid-packed bottle of goodness that's perfect to incorporate into your skincare routine before sunscreen and makeup. Dry skin and redness are no match for this barrier-renewing miracle. Promising review: "THIS. IS. AMAZING. 😍 I'm obsessed with this face milk! It's so lightweight, and my skin just drinks it in. It feels so good without being heavy or greasy like some other moisturizers. I usually hate putting moisturizers on because I don't like it getting all over my hands, but this is super-absorbent and doesn't leave a greasy residue. I love it so much that I keep a bottle in my purse and my car so I can apply it on the go. I'm kind of [obsessed], TBH. It's the perfect way to keep my skin hydrated all day long!" —Single Mom, Happy Kids!Get it from Amazon for $28+ (available in two sizes). A set of freckle makeup pens to add some different shades of freckles to your gorgeous little face. If you hate when your foundation covers up your beautiful marks, grab these to bring 'em back like Winnie brought Billy Butcherson back from the dead. Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen that can also be used as your makeup primer, offering broad-spectrum SPF without feeling greasy or leaving a white cast. I know, I know, trying to make sure you wear sunscreen on your face can be a pain, especially if you wanna wear a full face of makeup buuuutt, that's why this baby is so perfect! A win if I ever knew one. An active acne scar primer made by Topicals for those with acne-prone skin. Not only is it great for blurring pores and raised bumps for a flawless makeup application, but it also can help reduce texture over time with regular use. Makeup + skincare wrapped into one bottle?! Pinch me, I *must* be dreaming. Topicals is a Black woman-owned small biz!Promising review: "This is it. This is the one that *actually* blurs and fills in significant pitted scarring and large pores. My skin is oily/dehydrated. After years of trying every single primer available and being let down, I am astonished. On a totally bare, clean face, I press it into the scarring (don't rub, just tap it in) and wait for 30 seconds. The primer dries completely and levels itself into smoothness. I use Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation on top, and it actually stays put all day. I was worried about the silicone in this primer causing foundation separation issues, but after a 10-hour day, everything is still in place. I did look a tad oily after six hours and had to re-powder." —lcsftwGet it from Sephora for $34. A One/Size glass skin setting spray, a skincare-infused elixir by our favorite witch, Patrick Starrr. Perfect if you need tons of powder to set your makeup on your oily skin, but then end up looking all cake-y and un-skin-like. This'll melt the powder into the rest of your makeup for a seamless, glass-like blend. One/Size is a queer, Filipino-owned business founded by makeup artist Patrick Starrr to ensure that makeup is really one size fits all, as it should review: "WOW Patrick, I never got your first setting spray, but you DEFINITELY got my attention with THIS new one. Of course, I've only used it once, but for me, having to use a setting spray one time makes a difference in whether I like it or not, and WOW, I am OBSESSED. The lay down on this setting spray is GORGEOUS, my new obsession." —nikkicalebGet it from Sephora for $34. And their new On 'Til Dawn Mattifying Setting Spray with SPF 28 so you can have your makeup locked in *and* get 80 minutes of sweat-resistant broad spectrum protection without a white cast or sticky feeling. Plus, reapplying will be so easy. Promising review: "Girl, you're telling me you're giving me a two-in-one. Not only is this one of the best setting sprays out there, but you're telling me it has SPF in it!! You know ima be spraying this all day, every day from now on. I absolutely love how it sets my face and how good it feels, too!" —Elizabeth it from One/Size for $39. A top-notch tubing mascara that'll easily rank above any other mascara you've ever tried. Perfect for anyone who lives for drama — when it comes to their lashes, that is. Promising review: "I am not a morning person, but have to be at work at 7:00 a.m. I don't use a lot of makeup, but mascara is one of the two things I never go without. I have been having trouble even with some of my go-to brands, with the mascara not staying put in the humidity. I read a review about this mascara and decided to give it a go. I love it! The 'tubing' effect gives me noticeable, lovely lashes, and it stays put all day. However, it is by far the easiest I have used in years to get rid of when it's time. One swipe with a cleansing wipe seems to get all the little tubes off — I no longer wake up with residual raccoon eyes even after cleansing at night." —cmpGet it from Amazon for $7 (available in three shades). A Fenty lip oil for anyone who loves immediate hydration and locked-in moisture for their pout. This trio of perfection — vitamin E, passionfruit oil, and shea butter will help nourish and condition your lips *and* the colors of the oils are stunning. Everything you could want in a lippie product. Promising review: "This is my favorite lip oil that I've tried! The iridescence is beautiful any time of day, and it smells so good it makes me want to eat it! I wear it to work, around the house, and out running errands — you really can wear it for any occasion. I also appreciate that it's not sticky feeling!" —DrStassiGet it from Sephora for $26 (available in two finishes and seven shades). A pack of 50 cult-favorite Clean Skin Club Clean Towels that are actually reaaaaaally multitalented. You can use 'em to take your makeup off with cleansers and makeup remover, use them to dry your face, to remove face masks, and even to clean your skincare and makeup tools. Your washcloth could have some bacteria on it, especially if you're using it a few days in a row. Use these babies instead and toss the funky rag to the side. A volcanic stone face roller to soak up excess oil even if you're wearing makeup. This baby is reusable AND washable!! Bring it on the go and when you see your face beginning to look a little past the glazed donut stage, let this baby save you! I personally would like to take part in this sorcery. A shimmer-free translucent cream highlight balm that you can use on your eyes, cheeks, and lips to give you that yummy dewy look. It's made with ~skin-soothing~ ingredients that won't clog your pores, such as chamomile and green tea extract to help calm and comfort your sensitive skin. Highlight perfection. Tower 28 is an LA-based, Asian woman-owned small biz that creates vegan and cruelty-free beauty products for all skin types. Promising review: "This is soooo good. It is a clear balm that doesn't dry down, but it doesn't move and does give a healthy shine." —marlin castellanosGet it from Amazon for $18. An Anastasia Beverly Hills brow pencil with an ultra slim tip to help you get the thinnest, most *precise* hair-like strokes ever, keeping your brows looking super natural. It's dual-ended with a spoolie on the other end, so you can blend away easily. If we're choosing magic wands, I'm pickin' this one. The magic that is this product, omg. This brow pencil is my guilty pleasure. It's just reliable, and we love a reliable product. 👏🏽👏🏽 I've been using this for probably close to 10 years. It is a splurge product for me; I do fall for cheaper alternatives and such, but whenever I return, it reminds me that this brow pencil is truly unbeatable. It's really in its own lane. The pencil is sooo thin, so it helps create the most natural, realistic brow-like strokes, which is the look I LOVE. I mean, just look at the pic above, you can literally see the hair strokes I made using this. The colors are also so natural, I personally love the soft brown, even though my hair is naturally a very dark brown — it just looks the most realistic for me. Anastasia, girl, you did your big one with this... oh, and are you a witch? You can tell me, I won't tell reviews: "This is my go-to eyebrow pencil! I have tried many different brands, but I always end up returning to Anastasia Brow Wiz. It stays in place and it looks natural without being too harsh! Excellent product!" —Amy E. Newby"Love this product. Will forever buy this product. Goes on smooth and stays on all day." —Sara A SmithGet it from Amazon for $26 (available in eight shades). And an Anastasia Beverly Hills freeze wax because you want your brows laminated, but your wallet is your biggest hater and *does not* want you to spend that money. DIY home laminated brows, it is! Luckily, this little cauldron of magic will help you achieve the look as if you had cast a spell. Promising review: "This gel keeps my brows in place without feeling stiff or sticky. I love how it blends with my brows and provides a strong hold while still looking natural." —Elena BGet it from Amazon for $23. A blurring setting powder that I'm, like, 98% sure Fiona and Cordelia Goode from AHS: Coven conjured up. Silky smooth, poreless-looking, matte skin for up to 14 hours?! Where's the cauldron that this was made in? An illuminating moisturizer by L'Oreal to help enhance your skin's natural summer ✨glow.✨ It's a perfect, lightweight alternative to heavy foundations that just make you feel suuuuuper hot on those lovely 95-degree days. Laneige's Neo Blurring Powder — a magical K-beauty concoction that'll control the shine while keeping the glow. Pores where? Oil where? Not over here, all we know is matte, radiant, glowy skin. Or, all we know is witchcraft, cuz how the heck does this make your skin both glowy and matte?! Not sure, but it's perfection. A Glow Reviver melting lip balm that not only comes in the most stunning shades, but it'll slick your pout DOWN with some deliciously buttery moisture without the sticky feeling. And that shine?! To die for. 😍 Promising review: "Diva, stop letting these influencers sway you into spending your hard-earned (and scarce) beans on $20–$30 subpar lip balms — you're paying for the brand, and the quality is questionable. ELF KNOCKED THEM BOTH OUTTA THE PARK WITH THIS! SO BUTTERY, SO YUMMY, SOOOOOOO MUCH PRODUCT!!!!! I wasn't expecting the tube to be so generous in size, by far the biggest amount I've seen from the market. The flavors are divine, the color payoff is even better than Summer Fridays…and it's only $9, you cannot go wrong. I just can't fathom any balm being priced above $12, E.l.f. always hits and barely misses. 🩷💋" —SONIAGet it from Amazon for $9 (available in six colors). Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Concealer with a sponge on the end that'll cover dark circles so well, everyone will wonder what spell you used to achieve such magic. You'll look well rested and refreshed even on days that aren't. Nobody will even be able to tell! An E.l.f. Holy Hydration! makeup melting cleansing balm reviewers are calling *magic* and comparing to Farmacy's Green Clean balm, which is much more expensive. The hyaluronic acid will keep your skin all hydrated and help protect the moisture barrier. It'll also give your face a nice cleansing and ~melt~ your makeup away. A Too Faced "Better Than Sex" mascara that'll condition your lashes while also adding volume and length, locking your lash curl in place. You'll get the false lash drama without the discomfort. Promising reviews: "Okay… just wow!! So I was looking for a mascara that would actually make my eyelashes look good without having to apply, like, 50 coats before they popped, and this mascara is it! With only one coat, they pop so quickly! It goes on so smoothly, and I absolutely love how thick my lashes become so quickly! Highly recommend this mascara! I will never turn back to any others now!" —Ashly Richardson"This mascara is by far the BEST mascara I've ever used. No matter the price, I will now purchase this forever." —Alexandra MeoliGet it from Amazon for $16+ (available in two sizes, two shades, and a two-pack). A foundation mixing pigment — blue to tone down the orange-y look, orange to bring warmth into cooler foundations, and white to lighten. Whatever the problem, these are the solutions and will help you get the most perfect foundation shade ever. Looks like actually getting a correct match isn't a myth. Thank you, makeup gods. 🙌 A sparkly gloss in the shade "Amber Sparkle" by Anastasia Beverly Hills that'll have you glued to the mirror, trying to get over how stunning this looks on your lips. Promising reviews: "This gloss is INCREDIBLE! So sparkly and not gritty. It looks amazing by itself or over the top of a lipstick. Soooo happy I finally got my hands on this shade." —cannonator"Visibly PACKED with glitter! I like how well it can stand on its own without lipstick and that you don't have to look too closely to see how it sparkles!" —arcturusGet it from Sephora for $22 (available in 20 shades). A lash cluster kit with the fluffiest of fluffy clusters and wispy bottom lashes so you can do a full volume set *with* your bottom ones for so cheap and way less time. It comes with a bond, seal, and review: "These lash clusters are amazing! They stack so beautifully without looking bulky or unnatural. The base is super thin, which makes layering easy and seamless, and they blend perfectly with my natural lashes. Whether I'm going for a light, wispy look or full glam, they hold up and stay put all day. Definitely a staple in my lash routine!" —Ari💕Get them from Amazon for $13.99 (available in 12 other kits). A Nyx "Duck Plump" plumping lip liner that'll give you up to 10 hours of wear and the best ducking plumped up pout of your life. From the high pigment and creamy formula to the affordable price, this baby will easily become a makeup must-have. Promising review: "This lasts all day! As with anything plumping, you'll feel the tingle. I can just apply ChapStick throughout the day and it 'reactivates' the liner and you'll feel the tingle again. I think I'm done with lip fillers, this works soooo well!!! Five stars definitely!" —Kristi it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in 12 shades). A color-correcting multistick for your eyes, lips, and cheeks — it'll neutralize dark spots and circles even if you've felt like NOTHING will cover your tired under-eyes lately. Put this over any areas with hyperpigmentation, then put your foundation or concealer on top and boom: tired under-eyes will be gone in a flash. A Tower 28 cream blush that can *also* be used on your lips. If you've been searching for an unbelievably pigmented blush with a radiant, luminous finish, look no further. A Tarte under-eye color corrector to help correct and neutralize dark circles so no one will be able to tell you stayed up a *bit* too late bingeing Love Island. Promising review: "I have dark under-eye circles and have tried countless products. This REALLY helps! I wear it under my concealer, and there is a NOTICEABLE difference when I do/don't wear it. This product is great because it can be worn alone as well, without making you look weird. I have fair skin, and this product is perfect. I will be reordering." —Honesty333Get it from Amazon for $32 (available in three shades). Tirtir foundation that won't betray you four hours after applying it by becoming all cracked, cakey, and creased. Makeup nightmare. This bad boy lasts up to 72 hours and delivers buildable coverage that'll conceal redness, blemishes, and dreaded dark circles. And if that doesn't already have your finger hovering over the *add to cart button*, it helps boost skin elasticity and will help give you the coveted ~glass skin~ look.


Irish Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Brendan O'Carroll reveals what's in store as Mrs Brown's Boys returns
BRENDAN O'CARROLL has revealed what's in store as his beloved Mrs Brown's Boys returns with a new series this month. The Dubliner, who created, writes and stars in the popular sitcom, will return to our screens as family matriarch Agnes Brown next month, when the fifth series airs on BBC One. This week the Finglas native shared some insights on what viewers can expect when the Irish family return to our screens next month… What does the new series have in store for Agnes? The mini-series focuses on the continuing life in the Brown family and surrounding households in Finglas. Cathy gets involved with a podcast producer, which obviously is commandeered by Agnes, Winnie and Birdy. Granddad decides that he wants to leave the family home for a care home, Agnes of course packs his bags for him. Winnie's husband's car, which has been lying up for ten years, is pressed into action by Winnie, leading to a disastrous driving test which ends with a huge shock for the Brown family. In Foley's lounge bar, Father Damien stages his annual Finglas talent show, with some hilarious entries. All capped off with a wonderfully hilarious "trip" as Agnes is confined to a mobile chair. How do you approach writing for the show? The writing of the mini-series is much more relaxing for myself and Paddy Houlihan, who joins me as a writer. With the Christmas Specials, I have to keep it within the Christmas period (including the Christmas trees which have emerged as their own event), unlike the specials we can focus on anything, within reason. How did the ideas for the episodes this series come about? The ideas for these episodes are no different from the previous 53 episodes. Believe it or not most of the story lines are based on true events that either happened to my family or have been told to me by people about their families. Everybody has a story, and it's quite common for someone in a family to say in the middle of a family disaster, "This is like an episode of Mrs. Brown's Boys". Did you have a favourite moment filming this series? Oh yeah, Having Agnes on that mobility scooter was such fun. She goes nuts, with hilarious consequences. Also in the "Talent Show" episode I love the interaction between Agnes and Granddad. Look, in every episode there is something that stands out for me, I love being Agnes Brown and I love her family, and her neighbours like Winnie and Birdy. If you could play any other role in Mrs Brown's Boys what would it be? This is a hard one. I love being Agnes. I'm not lying when I say... I could not play any of the characters better than the actors who play them now. In particular, the likes of Cathy or Mark, without them the gags don't work. What does filming the show in front of a studio audience bring to it? Filming in front of a live audience is essential to the show. So many times, at the end of rehearsals for a particular episode, our Director, Ben Kellett will say "All this needs now is the audience" and he is so right. They follow every move, every line and add so much to our performances. We would be lost without them. What's the secret to the enduring success of the show? I honestly don't know the secret to the enduring success of Mrs. Brown's Boys, I write and perform what I think is funny and just hope that somebody somewhere watching gets a laugh out of it. That's it, and, although I sometimes try to include a "family" message along the way, essentially, it's just a bunch of actors trying to make you laugh. Mrs Brown's Boys airs on BBC One at 9.30pm on Friday, August 1.


Irish Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Brendan O'Carroll teases big shock for fans in new Mrs Brown's Boys mini-series
Mrs Brown's Boys is set for a 'huge shock' involving one of its most popular characters, according to show creator Brendan O'Carroll. The award-winning mini-series is set to return to our screens on August 1 on BBC One and RTÉ. Speaking ahead of the new series, Brendan said fans are in for a shock. He said: 'The mini-series focuses on the continuing life in the Brown family and surrounding households in Finglas. 'Cathy gets involved with a podcast producer, which obviously is commandeered by Agnes, Winnie and Birdy. Granddad decides that he wants to leave the family home for a care home, Agnes of course packs his bags for him. 'Winnie's husband's car, which has been lying up for ten years, is pressed into action by Winnie, leading to a disastrous driving test which ends with a huge shock for the Brown family. 'In Foley's lounge bar, Father Damien stages his annual Finglas talent show, with some hilarious entries. All capped off with a wonderfully hilarious 'trip' as Agnes is confined to a mobile chair.' The first episode kicks off on August 1 and sees Simon Delaney guest starring. Mrs Brown becomes a podcast sensation – without even leaving the house. Cathy is horrified to discover her mother accidentally hijacks her new podcast project. The second episode sees Grandad wanting to leave the house and check himself into a nursing home. Agnes, of course, is having none of it and immediately goes into detective mode to find out what's really going on. Meanwhile, Foley's Bar prepares for its big annual talent show, and Winnie is determined to take part (whether the bar wants her to or not). In episode three, Winnie's ready to hit the road – but first, she needs to pass her driving test. Naturally, Agnes and the gang volunteer to help her practise, and chaos soon follows. With Winnie behind the wheel and Buster instructing, Finglas becomes a danger zone. Guest stars Shobu Kapoor, formerly of Eastenders, and Marek Larwood add to the madness as things spiral out of control in true Brown family fashion. And in the final episode of the series, Cathy's book group gets an unexpected new member – Agnes. After accidentally picking up one of Cathy's novels, Agnes discovers she has a surprising fondness for steamy fiction. When she gatecrashes the next group meeting to share her 'insights', Cathy is mortified. Brendan admitted writing the mini-series is much more relaxing compared to the Christmas specials as he welcomes Paddy Houlihan as a writer onto the show. He said: 'The writing of the mini-series is much more relaxing for myself and Paddy Houlihan, who joins me as a writer. With the Christmas Specials, I have to keep it within the Christmas period (including the Christmas trees which have emerged as their own event), unlike the specials we can focus on anything, within reason.' Agnes gets a mobility scooter and enjoys an erotic novel on Mrs. Brown's Boys (Image: Graeme Hunter / BBC Studios / BOC) And the Dubliner revealed the inspiration behind some of the storylines – saying most of them are drawn from real-life scenarios. 'The ideas for these episodes are no different from the previous 53 episodes. 'Believe it or not, most of the story lines are based on true events that either happened to my family or have been told to me by people about their families. 'Everybody has a story, and it's quite common for someone in a family to say in the middle of a family disaster, 'This is like an episode of Mrs. Brown's Boys'.' Speaking about his favourite moment filming the series, he said: 'Oh yeah, having Agnes on that mobility scooter was such fun. She goes nuts, with hilarious consequences. 'Also in the Talent Show episode I love the interaction between Agnes and Granddad. Look, in every episode there is something that stands out for me, I love being Agnes Brown and I love her family, and her neighbours like Winnie and Birdy.' Brendan said filming in front of a live audience is 'essential to the show'. 'Filming in front of a live audience is essential to the show. So many times, at the end of rehearsals for a particular episode, our Director, Ben Kellett will say 'All this needs now is the audience' and he is so right. 'They follow every move, every line and add so much to our performances. We would be lost without them.' But he said that he doesn't know what the secret is to the show's success, saying: 'I write and perform what I think is funny and just hope that somebody somewhere watching gets a laugh out of it. That's it, and, although I sometimes try to include a 'family' message along the way, essentially it's just a bunch of actors trying to make you laugh.' The new four-part series of Mrs. Brown's Boys will air on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player from Friday, August 1 at 9.35pm. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week