What I watched : Wuthering Heights (2009)

I think I've got a kind of love-hate relationship with Wuthering Heights. I find the story and the characters completely twisted and dark, but at the same time it is so well written and the feelings expressed are so overwhelming that I still find it incredible. 

I remember when I read the book, I was feeling so depressed at times haha, because the story is so sad. And I felt the same when I saw the 2011 film adaptation, by Andrea Arnold. By the way, I wouldn't recommend this version, I really disliked it - way too slow, too many shots of nature and dead animals (I'm not kidding, they show a lot of animal cruelty and it does make you feel bad), too dark but the kind of dark that makes you feel weird. I felt weird when I watched it, anyway. 

So I'm here to talk to you about the 2009 adaptation, which I watched recently and really enjoyed !

It is a TV film in two parts, directed by Coky Giedroyc (who directed several other mini-series, such as The Virgin Queen (2006) or Spies of Warsaw (2013, and on my to-watch list !)).

I stars Tom Hardy as Heathcliff, Charlotte Riley as Catherine Earnshaw/Linton, Andrew Lincoln as Edgar Linton (I must say the period costume suits him well !), Burn Gorman (despicable as Hindley), Sarah Lancashire as Nelly, the pretty Rebecca Night as young Catherine, etc.

Catherine and Heathcliff. Did you know that Hardy and Riley started dating after that ? Cute !

First, the images are stunning. By images, I mean the setting, the costumes, the landscapes, the way the film is shot... It is a real pleasure to watch, compared to the 2011 version I mentioned earlier, in terms of shots and setting. 

The characters are well depicted, the actors did a great job for them all, without falling into a caricature or into too much sentimentality. The film stays close to the novel, which is an important point to me in literature adaptations. 

And of course, the feelings and emotions are expressed beautifully : love, passion, sadness, despair, hate... The film, as the novel, moves you and makes you think about what is good, what is bad, what are the limits to love... Tom Hardy, especially, does a great work and in the end, you don't know if you should appreciate Heathcliff or totally despise him. He's such a mysterious character, and it's probably because of him and my judgment towards him that I'm not sure if I like the story or not. It is so disturbing, we can understand why some people were shocked when the novel was published, back in 1847 !

Anyway, if you're looking for a good adaptation of the novel, I highly suggest this one, you shouldn't be disappointed at all !

Julia xx

Wishlist : Spring '14

I haven't made a wishlist in ages ! Maybe because I haven't bought many things either during the last months. But now that we're in spring (and almost in summer, who could believe time would pass so quickly !), I decided it was finally time for a new wishlist.

So here are all the things I want to buy in the upcoming months ! :

1. Dahlia Noir, by Givenchy (50mL), 62,90€ in Sephora. I got this perfume for Christmas and I've finished it, sadly ! It smells sooo good and is perfect for the season, that's why I need it again in my life.

2. Fit Me Concealer, Maybelline, around 9€. I've heard many good things about this concealer, and I'm almost running out of my Full Cover Concealer by MUFE, and I can't afford another one right now haha. We'll see if this one's good !

3. Effaclar K, Laroche-Posay, around 12€. This product is a sort of base/cream for combination to oily skin, supposed to reduce spots, regulate the sebum of the skin, make it look clearer, etc. Again I've heard good things about it, and Laroche-Posay is a nice brand for skin-related products. 

4. They're Real mascara, Benefit, 25€. I've got this mascara in sample size, and I'm afraid it'll run out soon. It is such a good mascara, I must buy it again !

5. Wives and Daughters, Elizabeth Gaskell. I've watched the BBC adaptation of 1999 of the novel, and I loved it so much I want to read it now (I'll probably make a blog post about it by the way). Nineteenth century literature is my favourite, so I know I'll have a great time reading the book.

Well, that's it for my spring wishlist ! I could add some other things in it, but they aren't items in particular, more like "categories of things I need to get" : some pastel nail polishes, new black treggings, a mid-season jacket... Let's hope I will find all these things !

Julia xx

Wishlist : August '13

Hello everyone !

As it is summertime, I've been posting less regularly these past few weeks. I'm enjoying the sun as much as possible, because we didn't get the chance to have a good weather before.

That's why my August wishlist is a bit late ! I've stopped doing wishlists every month, because surprisingly I don't always have special things I want to buy, and these months I couldn't think of items to include in a wishlist. But this month I do have some things I would love to buy so I put them all together in here.

 

1. La Riche Directions semi-permanent hair dye, in the colour "flamingo pink". I'd like to try a pink ombre !

2. Models own nail polish, in not any particular shade. I'll just see what colour attracts me the most ! 5.99 € at Monoprix (here in France).

3. The Match Perfection concealer by Rimmel, around 8€.

4. Misumi black tile print skater dress, New Look, £17.99. The pattern looks amazing !

5. The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green. Everybody seems to love this book so I'm getting more and more curious about it !

That's all for this month. Hopefully I'll get to try all these bits soon !

Julia xx

What I watched : Miss Austen Regrets

As you may already know if you've read some of my random non-beauty related articles, I'm a big Jane Austen fan. I love her novels and the person herself, and I'm sure we would have been great friends if I had known her (and lived in the same era, of course) !

A few days ago I bought the DVD of the movie Miss Austen Regrets. I couldn't find it anywhere before but I was lucky enough to get it finally ! and I watched it as soon as I could. And I loved it !

The movie is based on the letters Jane Austen sent to her sister Cassandra during her lifetime. It shows the well-known English writer, in her early forties (not long before her death, at the age of 41). As her beloved niece Fanny Knight comes to ask her questions about a boy she met, Jane remembers her own past.

She never married, but in this movie we get to know some of her relationships, or let's say love interests. I won't go too in depth about those, because the film is really worth watching. Olivia Williams, who plays Jane, is great. I particularly love how they put forward Jane's personality, showing that she was a very witty, funny and modern woman in her way of thinking. I noticed that in some scenes, I could relate to her, even though we are definitely not the same age and not living in the same era ! And that's probably why she has been so successful and so much loved (and still is), we all have something of Jane Austen in us ;)

Now that I've seen the movie, it makes me want to read all the letters that we have left from her. Let's see if I can find that !

Julia xx

Wishlist : April '13

Hi everyone !

This is my second wishlist of the year. I always love making these lists because the thought of buying things makes me happy. Yeah, maybe it's a disease like when you play poker too much or something, but what can you do ?
I'll probably don't even buy everything from my wishlist anyway. From my March wishlist, I only bought the dress and the Make Up Forever foundation (which I'll be reviewing soon !). Unfortunately, I didn't find the New Look necklace that I wanted, and I didn't like the chambray skirt when I saw it in the shop.
Concerning the Coalface cleanser from Lush... I may buy it this month, but I'm not sure now that I have spotted another cleanser that seems good. We'll see !
And I'm adding a book in this wishlist, because I've wanted to read it for so long it's now an obsession, I need to get it !

So here is the list :

1. H&M sleeveless blouse from the Conscious collection, here for £9.99.

2. Angels on Bare Skin, Lush, £6.25 for 100g.

or (I'm not sure of what to choose yet)

3. Coalface, Lush, 4.70 for 100g.

4. Tan cat face clip frame purse, New Look, on the website for 4.99€.

5. Ultra Glossy Stylo (SPF 15), Kiko, you can have it here (the brand ships in the UK) for 4.90€.

6. Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen (any edition really, it will not be more than 5€).

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That's all for this month ! again not a huge list featuring loads of Chanel or MAC products, I would be too disappointed if I made a list and ended up buying nothing from it, heh.

I wish you all a very nice weekend !

Julia xx

What I read : Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë

Hello lovely people !

Today I'm going to write about a book. I've just finished reading it, and it has become one of my favourite books ever : Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë (well this is already written in the title, I know).

I've seen some adaptations of this book, but before that I had never read the book. As I was in my "Jane Eyre fangirl" period - I could watch and re-watch the movies all the time without getting bored, it was almost scary - I decided it was the best time to read it !

The book was published in 1847, under the name "Currer Bell", and encountered a great success.

The story is very well known - that of Jane Eyre, a poor orphan who, mistreated by her aunt and cousins, was sent to a boarding school. When she grew up she became a teacher in that school, and then advertised to go elsewhere. That's when she was hired to work at Thornfield Hall for Mr Rochester, as a governess for the little French girl Adèle.

And that is the beginning of a love story that you must already know very well !

I'm not going to sum up the whole book as there are so many things going on, many events happen in Jane's life - but she's happy in the end so that's okay !

Jane Eyre is not only a romantic story, it is the story of a life, a tough life made of difficult times - how awful Jane's childhood was ! - and brighter moments, which are described by Jane herself, narrator of her own story. Between the events she tells, she spreads little reflections about her situation, her philosophy and the way she handled things. Jane never complained, never grew bitter even though she had lots of reasons to, and never regretted anything. Behind her "plain and little", as she says herself, appearance, her seemingly fragility of body and mind, she shows a great courage and a humble spirit. As strange as it may be, she is a strong character.

I love how, in the 19th century, when women were not really put forward in society, some women like the Brontë sisters, or a little earlier Jane Austen, managed to write stories about women in their society, and how their books were successful. And it's impressing how these stories are still loved and studied and used as references today, in more evolved societies were women have more importance.

It makes these women writers of the 19th century models that I look up to.

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I'll maybe do an article about the adaptations of Jane Eyre that I've seen, just because this is something I love to talk about, and I'd love to share my thoughts about all of my interests.

But that's all for the book, I wouldn't bother anybody by making a precise analysis of the plot, the characters and the themes, there may be some essays on that subject already (I'll search for that, it must be very interesting to read the thoughts of professionals !) so I'll keep it short.

That was my "literature post of the month", see you next time !

Julia xx

What I'm loving right now : Pride and Prejudice 200th anniversary

Hello !

This article will not be beauty or fashion related, but these are not the only things I love - and I want to share all my interests on here. So today I'll be talking about Jane Austen !

I'm a very big fan of the 19th century British literature and its adaptations on TV and movies.  And I particularly love Jane Austen.

This year, as you may know already, is the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, the masterpiece of that fantastic lady. It was published for the first time in January 1813 - anonymously, under the name "the author of Sense and Sensibility" (which was itself published in 1811, by "A Lady").

By this anniversary, we can see how Austen's work has lived through the centuries, and is still very much loved today. Her society was so different than ours regarding many aspects of it (not to speak about civilities and the relationship between men and women, which still amazes me - in a bad way ! - sometimes), but was also in some ways very similar : we all know someone who looks like one of her characters ! a Lydia Bennet, a Catherine Morland or a funny Mr Bennet. 

These books are still very famous and read today, because we can all relate to it in a way.

Pride and Prejudice must be my favourite book by Austen - no surprise ! I like it mainly because of Elizabeth. She is the most interesting of all the characters Austen wrote. She is definitely not perfect, but she is smart and witty, and mocks the society she lives in and how it works. I love her personality, and I wish I looked like her a little more. If I can tell you a secret... well : I like Lizzy so much that if I have a baby girl one day, I wish to call her Elizabeth. Now you can call me crazy, but I'm stuck to this idea and I will make it happen ! hehe.

But this book is not about Elizabeth only, and all the characters are so unique that it is their whole that makes this little society very attaching. And of course the love story between Lizzy and Darcy is so precious : Austen managed to describe the evolution of Elizabeth's feelings step by step in a very natural and realistic way. And that makes things even more beautiful and likely to be true ! As if Elizabeth, Darcy and all their little world and story happened for real. We cannot really believe that love at first sight as described in some romantic novels does happen every day in the real world, can we ?

Anyways, I could speak about this book forever so maybe I should just stop my personal appreciation now. The other thing I wanted to speak about and which is related to this anniversary is... The Pride and Prejudice new stamps ! they are amazing.

There is one stamp for each of Jane Austen's novel. My favourite are the Pride and Prejudice and the Northanger Abbey ones. I would - almost - kill to get this set ! People of Britain, if you read me... you are so lucky.

The drawings were made by Angela Barrett. They are very lovely !

I think this is a great tribute to the work of Miss Austen, whose legacy is definitely going to celebrate a lot more anniversaries in the future !

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 Julia xx