Here Lie The Broken Bones Of L.B. Jefferies

I wrote about Rear Window for my dissertation in college. I chose the topic of Style versus Substance in Hitchcock's films and I discussed Rear Window in one of my chapters. I already loved the film, it's definitely one of my all time favourites, I've seen it so many times and studied it in great detail and I still love it. 

If you haven't seen Rear Window, you probably know the storyline from the various pop culture references like The Simpsons Bart of Darkness episode as well as it's various remakes and "homages" like Brian de Palma's Body Double and more recently Disturbia. I can't remember exactly when I first saw it, but I'm pretty sure it was the second Hitchcock film I had seen, after Psycho. It must have also been the first film I saw with both Grace Kelly and James Stewart (swoon!). Re-watching the film recently I was reminded of my love for Grace Kelly.

When I was a kid my mam had books and magazines about her and I was always so intrigued by her as both an actress and a woman. I'm sure my interest as a young girl was due to the fact that she was a real life Princess and wore the most stunning clothes. Her wardrobe in Rear Window was designed by Edith Head and in the film she wears one of my all time favourite dresses in cinema, the black and white one from her introductory scene. What I wouldn't give to have my own version! Rear Window is worth watching for her costumes alone.

When I was researching for my dissertation I read all about the making of the film and the amount of detail that went into the production. The set was the largest to date and they even excavated the floor to accommodate all of the apartments featured in the set. No matter how many times I watch it I'm always impressed by the scale of the set. I love how we see little glimpses into Jeff's neighbours lives and how each of his neighbours represents the different feelings he has about his relationship with Lisa.

In conclusion I will say if you haven't seen Rear Window, get on that. I don't think anyone could not like it.

What's your favourite Hitchcock film?

Emma x

Winter Boots Wishlist

I was recently invited to take a look at UK shoe website Brantano. The site has a huge selection of 'Shoes for all the family' as well as bags and accessories. They stock a wide selection of brands too including Nike, Adidas, Clarks, Sketchers and Rocket Dog as well as Brantano's own brand of shoes and accessories.

As the weather is starting to cool down I thought I would show you my favourite Winter Boots from the site to give you some inspiration for any upcoming shoe shopping trips you may have planned.

1. Clarks Moonlit Cool Ankle Boot- £70

These are my idea of  "cowboy" boots, I love the sandy shade and that they already have that lived in look of  well loved or vintage boots. The small heel means that these should be very comfortable as are most Clarks boots. They would be perfect for everyday casual wear.


2. Clarks Katelina Bay Shoe Boot- £60

These black suede heeled shoe boots are great for a smart casual look during the colder months. They give you height but with comfort and will go with anything. I'm definitely going to get myself a pair like these as I always choose comfort first and Clarks heels are always the most comfortable. The medium heel and slight platform are perfect for tall ladies like myself.


3. Emilio Luca X Red Saloon Ankle Boot- £34

These boots are almost a black version of the first pair, with a bit of a western look to them. The heel is a little taller for anyone who likes an extra bit of height on their casual shoes. I can imagine these looking really nice with a floral print dress layered up for the cold weather.


4. Emilio Luca X Chelski Buckle Ankle Boot- £38

These Emilio Luca boots are a heeled Chelsea boot with a twist in that they have a buckle detail on the side which adds something a little different to a trend that's been around for a while now. I can see these being a great day to night boot, the heel is small enough that they could be worn for walking around during the day or for heading to a gig or out for drinks in the evening. The Emilio Luca range has some great price points too.


5. Clarks Orinoco Club Ankle Boot- £50

Lastly, these Clarks boots have been a recurring style the past couple of Winters. These would be so great for frosty days as they rise a little higher up on the leg than an ankle boot so you could add some thick socks for extra warmth and comfort and they have a textured sole which is an absolute essential for icy weather. The tan colour means they would go with everything and I have actually tried these on myself and they are like walking on a cloud. Not a bad price for such a high quality boots either.


Do any of these styles appeal to you? Have you bought your Winter boots yet?

Emma x

Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Curl

This mascara was a very pleasant surprise for me. I bought it a few months ago as part of a Bourjois 3 for 2 offer in Boots. I didn't have anything in mind for the third free product and as I was running out of mascara I decided to try the Volume Glamour Ultra Curl mascara. 

Products Used:

Benefit The Porefessional Primer
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in Light Vanilla
Revlon Rich Sable Matte Eye Shadow
No7 Beautiful Eyebrow Pencil in Brown
Collection Clear Mascara
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin
Urban Decay eye shadows in Suspect, Snakebite and Foxy
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Zero
No7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil in Brown
NARS Blush in Sin
theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighting Powder
No7 Perfect Light Loose Powder in Translucent
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey


At first I wasn't feeling this mascara at all, but after using it a few times I grew to love it. It gives your lashes some serious curl and volume but without that clumpy look, although if you like that I'm sure you could achieve it with some extra coats. I usually curl my eyelashes with my Shu Uemura curlers and then do two coats of mascara on top and one on the bottom lashes which works perfectly for a daytime look. I even find myself wearing just this mascara and no other eye make up because I love how it looks by itself.

The wand is spoon shaped similar to that of Maybelline The Falsies and the formula is that perfect mixture of not too dry and not too wet making it easy to apply extra coats if you want to. If you like eyelashes with volume that hold a curl then I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

You can find this on the Boots website for €10.99.

Have you ever tried this mascara before? What one are you using at the moment?

Emma x

Velvet Voyeur

Since the beginning of September I have been mostly wearing darker colours on my nails. I bought Essie's Velvet Voyeur (How amazing is that name?) a few months ago when it was very hot and I was longing for cool Autumn days. When I saw this shade I initially thought it was too similar to my bottle of OPI We'll Always Have Paris which I wore to death last Winter but I figured since I wore that shade so much I would probably love this one too. 

Velvet Voyeur is one of those almost black shades but with a plum/purple hint to it that makes it less severe than an all out black. Like most Essie polishes it goes on smoothly and wears very well on my nails.

I was searching for a good base coat and top coat and I decided on the CND Stickey Base Coat after it was used on my nails when I had a manicure a few months ago. I found it made the manicure last very well.

I had wanted to try Seche Vite for a long time after reading so many great reviews of it. I couldn't quite understand why it was raved about so much, that is until I actually tried it for myself. It makes painting my nails so much easier. I don't know anyone who doesn't hate waiting around for their nails to dry and this just eliminates that problem completely, it's replaced Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri for me.

I love these two products together, they give me the most beautiful glossy nails and a few people have asked me if my nails were Shellac or a professional manicure, I'd say that's a pretty good reason to repurchase both of them.

You can find both the CND Base Coat and Seche Vite on Cult Beauty for about £8.95/£9.95 respectively.  I got Velvet Voyeur on sale from HQ Hair for €9.45.

What are you wearing on your nails right now?

Emma x