Culture Archives - Page 2 of 12

December 20, 2015

5 Festive Recipes For A Magical Taste Of Christmas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… and if you’re in need of a few festive recipes to share with family and friends at Christmas, we’ve got you covered. From cheeseboards to cocktails, desserts and so much more, these are the five chicest Christmas recipes. Plus, they’re all easy and fun to make.

Pomegranate Jewelled White Cheddar, Toasted Almond and Crispy Sage Cheeseball

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 fresh sage leaves
1 (30 grams) block cream cheese softened
120 grams mascarpone cheese, softened
130 grams freshly grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup pomegranate arils
Crackers for serving

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter. Once it’s sizzling, toss in the sage leaves and cook until crispy – flipping once and cooking about 1 minute per side. Remove the sage leaves and place them on a paper towel to crisp up a bit. Set the butter aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, mascarpone and cheddar cheese. Beat until combined, then add in the almonds, sage leaves, remaining butter, salt and pepper. Mix on low-speed until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides and the bottom if needed. Take the cheese mixture out of the bowl and mold it into a big ball as best you can. Roll it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the arils on a paper towel and pat them completely dry. Let them sit out while the cheese is chilling to remove as much liquid from them as possible. This will keep the cheeseball pretty. After 30 minutes, mold the cheese into more of a smooth ball. Add the arils to a plate or baking sheet and roll the ball through them, using your hands to press arils into all the cracks and crevices. You will need to gently press so the arils adhere to the cheese.

At this time, you can serve it immediately or keep it in the fridge until ready to use. If you want to make it ahead of time, you can roll the ball 1 to 2 days beforehand. We’d wait until the night before or morning of to add the pomegranate arils, and you may need to let the cheese come to room temp a bit so it’s sticky enough.

Recipe via: HowSweetEats

Festive Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts and Balsamic Fig Dressing

2 cups raw walnuts.
1 cup dried cranberries
230 grams crumbled goat cheese
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch of crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cups mixed greens (we used baby kale and spinach)
2 cups arugula
Arils from one pomegranate

Balsamic Fig Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fig preserves
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Toss the walnuts with the maple syrup, cinnamon, crushed red pepper and salt and pop onto the tray. Bake for 15-25 minutes, stirring 2-3 times throughout cooking until the walnuts are toasted and golden. Remove from the oven and spread the walnuts in one layer. Allow to cool.

Add the greens to a large salad bowl. Add the pomegranate arils and the cranberries. Add the cooled walnuts and gently toss the salad. Add the goat cheese.

To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fig preserves and salt until combined. Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Enjoy!

Recipe via: HalfBakedHarvest

Candy Cane White Chocolate Mousse

250g white chocolate
60ml (1/4 cup) milk
1/2 tsp peppermint essence
3 large eggs, separated
350ml (1.5 cups) cream

To decorate: red/pink food colouring, extra whipped cream, crushed candy canes.

Place white chocolate, milk and peppermint essence in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Heat until the chocolate is just melted, stirring regularly. Cool for 5 minutes, then beat in egg yolks one at a time until well combined. Whip cream to soft peaks in a separate bowl, and then gently fold into warm mixture until just combined. In a separate clean large mixing bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold in the rest of the mixture into the egg whites until just combined.

If making the pink and white layers, place half the mixture in a separate mixing bowl and fold in food colouring until just combined. Spoon alternating amounts of pink and white mousse into six 1/2-cup capacity serving glasses. Chill for 3-4 hours or overnight in the fridge. To serve, top with extra whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes.

Recipe via: raspberricupcakes

Gingerbread Smoothie

1 banana
¾ tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp honey
1 cup coconut drinking milk (we used Little Island coconut milk)
½ tsp vanilla paste
2 heaped tablespoons of LSA (we used Healtheries)
1 large handful of ice

Put all ingredients in a Nutribullet cup, including the ice. Blend, top with whipped cream if desired, add a mini Gingerbread Man and enjoy.

Recipe via: NutriBulletOriginal.co.nz

Christmas Tree Cocktail

90 mls pomegranate juice (or cranberry)
60 mls Bombay Sapphire gin
30 mls simple syrup
Lime juice (juice from 1-2 wedges will do)
A few fresh mint leaves
Pomegranate seeds and lime wheel for garnish

Muddle mint leaves with simple syrup at the bottom of your glass. Add ice, then add gin, juice, and lime juice. Stir, and garnish as pictured above.

Recipe via: CountryLiving

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

November 22, 2015

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

Best Books – Your Hottest Holiday Reads

Bring on the barbecues. Bring on the beaches. But most importantly, bring on the books. Whatever your definition of ‘best book’ – be it YA, romance, mystery, thriller, gripping true-life-tale, you’ll find your literary-love here in our Hottest Holiday Reads.

Check out our holiday library of unmissable books, guaranteed to keep you reading until the wee hours of the morning…

Pretty Girls – Karin Slaughter
Pretty Girls opening line: When you first disappeared, your mother warned me that finding out exactly what had happened to you would be worse than never knowing.

And it was! Julia’s disappearance tears her family apart in more ways than one. Julia’s father leaves the family home and becomes obsessed with finding out the truth. And when he gets close he commits suicide, leaving his family even more bereft. Julia’s mother moves on in the stoic manner she is best known for. Lydia falls into a life of drugs and crawls her way back to normality, without the love of her family. And Claire finds love in a man she believes to be perfect, but it’s not too long before her life starts to unravel and with it, a horrifying truth that has remained buried for years, begins to surface.

Pretty Girls is one of those books you can’t put down until you hit the last page.

State of Emergency – Andy McNab
3AM on a frozen winter’s night, only hours after the results of the general election. A small craft skims the Thames closing in on London’s most exclusive new riverside hotel. On board is a lone assassin, his target – Britain’s most powerful new politician. In a nation threatened by extremist jihadis and torn apart by civil unrest, Vernon Rolt has just been catapulted into government on an extreme anti-terror platform.

Rolt’s plans for a zero-tolerance crackdown on ethnic violence has touched a popular nerve. But his move into politics has made him some unlikely enemies – British ex-servicemen, once his most committed supporters who now want him dead.

Already a fan of Andy McNab? This won’t disappoint.

The Hawley Book of the Dead – Chrysler Szarlan
If you’re a fan of Practical Magic, you’ll love The Hawley Book of the Dead…

Magic is in Revelation “Reve” Dyer’s blood. Together, she and her husband Jeremy have three daughters, a beautiful home, and a world-famous Las Vegas magic act. But Reve has many secrets, secrets that have not only shaped her past but now threaten her family. When a mysterious intruder tampers with the weapon used in one of the illusions in Reve’s act, igniting a fresh tragedy, Reve fears for the safety of her three daughters—the twins, Fai and Grace, with their passion for horses and music, and little Caleigh, who seems to be able to weave the future in her endless games of cat’s cradle. Grief-stricken, Reve flees with the three girls to the only place she’s ever felt safe: the forest of Hawley Five Corners in Massachusetts. It’s the place where magic reigns. Once there, she’ll discover The Hawley Book of the Dead, the ancient book that may hold the key to her family’s mysterious past…and ultimately, to her own future.

In the exquisitely imagined tradition of A Discovery of Witches and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, The Hawley Book of the Dead is a debut novel brimming with witchery, passion, suspense and a shimmering history—a literary potion that will make you believe that magic really does exist.

Becoming Beyonce: The Biography – J Randy Taraborrelli
She’s adored by millions of fans, writes and performs songs that move and inspire, but Beyonce is truly known by very few. Now highly acclaimed biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli reveals the woman behind the star. Beyoncé prefers to keep her personal life with husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy carefully under lock and key. She may be a top performer, fashion idol and business mogul in her own right, but fame has come at personal sacrifice and with private heartbreak. Based on exhaustive research, including exclusive interviews with those how have played pivotal roles in her life and career, the book reveals the hard-earned lessons ‘Queen Bey’ has learned about love, life, loyalty and family.

Insightful and entertaining, this is the first authoritative biography of the most famous woman in the world today and a must-have for the ‘Bey Hive’.

Slade House – David Mitchell
Keep your eyes peeled for a small black iron door… Down the road from a working-class British pub, along the brick wall of a narrow alley, if the conditions are exactly right, you’ll find the entrance to Slade House. A stranger will greet you by name and invite you inside. At first, you won’t want to leave. Later, you’ll find that you can’t. Every nine years, the house’s residents—an odd brother and sister—extend a unique invitation to someone who’s different or lonely: a precocious teenager, a recently divorced policeman, a shy college student. But what really goes on inside Slade House? For those who find out, it’s already too late.

Spanning five decades, from the last days of the 1970s to the present, leaping genres, and barreling toward an astonishing conclusion, this intricately woven novel will pull you into a reality-warping new vision of the haunted house story—as only David Mitchell could imagine it.

The Fifth Gospel – Ian Caldwell
Fans of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ will revel in this spectacularly intricate, psychologically probing, suspense churning, mystery-thriller by Ian Caldwell, author of ‘The Rule of Four.’

It took a decade for Ian Caldwell to write this book, and it was 100% worth it! With its fascinating analysis of the differences in the gospels, its focus on restoring the discredited Shroud of Turin to Christ’s actual burial cloth, its deliciously labyrinthine Vatican intrigue, its mix of cardinals, archbishops, a dying Pope John Paul II, lawyers, tribunals, priests and violent death.

Caldwell knows his Vatican, and in his detailed descriptions of hidden gardens, underground car parks, piazzas, dark lanes, tunnels and corridors, conjures up a strange and alien realm where hierarchy is all, secrets fester and multiply, deals are spun behind closed doors, and a murderer may be on the loose.
This splendid page-turner investigates the gospels, involves Orthodox priests and Ugo’s coming exhibit near the Sistine Chapel, and a carefully choreographed trial with a cliffhanger of a plot that springs trap doors upon the unsuspecting reader and keeps you guessing, stunned by revelations, rivalries, revenge and possible redemption.

This superb Rubik’s Cube of a novel is the best of its kind, right up until the final shock and the pope’s dying wish.

Mademoiselle Chanel: A Novel – C W Gortner
From French laundrywoman’s daughter to legendary couturier, Coco Chanel’s life was as dramatic as the iconic fashions she created. By the time she died aged 87 in 1971, Chanel had revolutionised fashion, built an international empire and become one of the most influential and controversial figures of the 20th century.

C. W. Gortner, best known for his enthralling 16th century Tudor novels, gets to the heart of this ambitious, enigmatic woman in a stunning novel that imagines both Chanel’s rags-to-riches career and her complex, sometimes tragic, private life. For Gortner, a former fashion executive from San Francisco, it was ‘a labour of love’ and the realisation of a long-held ambition. His fascination with fashion and the personalities who create it has never abated and the opportunity to write about Chanel’s rise to fame was a dream come true.

And the fulfilment of his dream pays dividends in a vibrant, seductive story packed with guts and glamour, passion and pain, whisking us away to Coco’s tough childhood, her meteoric rise to fame, the personal tragedies that left their scars, and her fraternisation with the Nazis during the wartime occupation of Paris.

Born into rural poverty, Gabrielle Chanel and her siblings are left at the mercy of their cold-hearted aunts when their beloved mother dies and their father walks out on them. The girls are dispatched to the convent orphanage of Aubazine in central France where the sisters nurture Gabrielle’s exceptional sewing talent. ‘A skill like this can save you,’ one of the nuns tells her, little realising that it will propel the wilful young woman into a life far removed from the drudgery of her childhood.

Released from her schooling, Gabrielle transforms herself into Coco, creating stylish hats by day and at night singing in a smart coffee bar in Moulins, where the petite brunette burns with an incandescence that catches the eye of store heir Étienne Balsan who launches her fashion career.

This is an exciting novel not just for readers fascinated by Coco and her remarkable career but as a revealing insight into those extraordinary people who overcome the highest hurdles to reach their potential and make an indelible mark on history.

Wicked Games – Sean Olin
Let us lead with this – Don’t judge a book by its cover and do not take on board the negative reviews that seem to surround this book. We nearly passed on reading this book after seeing many a 1-star-rating, and thank goodness we didn’t listen to the mainstream all jumping on board the ‘negative train’.

This is not a lusty teenage romance full of empty-headed characters; in fact, it’s far closer to being a psychological thriller of the Abigail Haas variety. It’s frightening. It’s engaging. It has well-developed characters. Being a teen makes most people experience the edge of insanity from time to time and I think Olin shows that, and then proceeds to show how someone can cross the line bit by bit every day.

Wicked Games is based around three people – Lilah, Carter and Jules – who do some pretty damn awful things. But it felt like characterisation, careful understanding and sympathy are never neglected by the author. These people are appalling. Carter is dating Lilah but cheats on her with Jules, and Lilah is absolutely fricken crazy (no exaggeration). And yet… you become completely absorbed into their lives and stories. It was a rare occasion where cheating, though still not forgivable, is told in such a way that you can kinda understand and sympathise with both parties.

We don’t want to give too much away, so it’s best to leave it at that. But we will say the ending is fantastic, and the journey – even better!

Down the Rabbit Hole – Holly Madison
What’s great about this book is that Holly clearly knows why people will be buying her book. She doesn’t go into some self-indulgent story of her childhood; she gets straight to the point. A large chunk of the book is taken up with her time living with Hugh Hefner, first as one of seven girlfriends, and then as his main girlfriend.

The book paints Hugh Hefner as a manipulative, controlling man who delights in setting his girlfriends against each other in a ‘divide and conquer’ sort of way. Meanwhile, the girlfriends are all going out, seeing other boyfriends on the side, sneering at Hef behind his back, and being mean to Holly.

The biggest shock in this book is the realisation that neither Holly, Kendra nor Bridget were actually paid for the first season of Girls Next Door. When they brought this fact up with the producer from the TV Channel, E!, they were basically told, this is a show about Hef’s girlfriends, not you as people. You’re replaceable. It’s terrifying that in 2005, these women were being basically kept as possessions, treated as nothing more than replaceable arm candy – and a massive TV company was not just allowing it to happen, but helping it to happen! Not one of these three women earned an income from this massive TV show until season 2 when it became apparent it was a hit. Fast forward a few seasons; Holly, Bridget and Kendra had all left the house, and been replaced by Crystal (now Hef’s wife) and the Shannon twins. Season six, without its original stars, was a massive flop. Seems like they weren’t replacable after all!

Holly mentions sex with Hef only once, which was odd as this is something Holly would know people are curious about; it did feel like she held back on many facets of the relationship, but then in saying that, the book isn’t titled ‘my sex life with Hef’ so, meh. Whether she is omitting certain details or not, it’s an incredibly interesting story, made all the more so by the fact Hefner was apparently very unimpressed by her publishing the book.

This book is incredibly easy to read and hard to put down. Whether Holly Madison has “rewritten history” as Hefner has said, or omitted a few details to make herself look less like… the person we all assume one would be if they went from being all but homeless to living in the Playboy Mansion for several years, it’s still a great read.

Stay tuned for our next round of book reviews – where we recommend the perfect literary gifts for Christmas.

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

October 26, 2015

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

Film Review: Paranormal Activity The Ghost Dimension

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, reportedly the final entry concerning the ever-demonic Toby, and the families he haunts, kicks off with a hiss and a roar and concludes in much the same manner.

Right from the opening sequence we’re introduced to the tapes that created Katie and Kristi’s backstory issued in 2011’s prequel, Paranormal Activity 3, to fill in the gaps in the chronology. It also provide the answers we’ve long been seeking. While some may say we’ve seen the plot unveiling in previous entries, I was teetering on the edge of my seat right from the opening scene, and I remained that way throughout the entire 80 minutes of film, mesmerised by every moment unfolding before me.

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension is by far the most impressive entry in this series. It has just the right amount of humour, without crossing into the spoof-horror genre, and an authenticity that has become its trademark. The sense of urgency, anticipation and terror that made the first instalments so triumphant, has returned 10-fold (and yes, you do get answers and you do actually see the ‘paranormal activity’ we are promised).

The Ghost Dimension respects the previously set traditions, yet finds its own ideas and a way to continue on the story without ever being too repetitive. It also effortlessly furthers the ideology of a bloodline linked to the unholy force plaguing these families, while adding its own bits of independent inventiveness. Such is done in a consistently amusing manner, much in line with prior Paranormal Activity films.

Ghost Dimension is devoid of the filler that episodes in this succession of pictures were plagued with, and because of this, the movie itself is all the more magnificent. In this movie we bear witness to all that we had hoped to see in this movie’s predecessors.

The Toby saga emerges with metaphorical guns blazing, giving us the all-out endeavour that was teased at and promised in earlier efforts. It does this while simultaneously delivering more of the deliberately hidden elements of the narrative (most of it related to what happened after Paranormal Activity 3) while keeping its eye sharply focused on Toby’s newest haunt.

The story commences around two weeks short of Christmas in 2013. While looking for Xmas decorations, Ryan (the dad) finds tapes of Katie and Kristi, which were the focus of Paranormal Activity 3, and begins watching them. Almost immediately he, along with the assistance of his brother, Mike, begins to piece together why he found these video cassettes in his home. Ryan also comes to the realisation that in the video, Katie and Kristi are describing events that are now just unfolding, yet recorded twenty-five years in the past. These coincidences link up unsettlingly to that which is transpiring for him and, most eerily, his daughter, Leila. But it’s not just tapes the two brothers find, they’re also in possession of a camera that can see ghosts. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, so I’m going to leave the storyline descriptor at that.

What keeps this film moving is the lack of music, a benchmark of previous Paranormal Activity films, and deft editing. The art direction also adds to the palpable sense that we are watching something filmed during an actual haunting.

Ghost Dimension returns to the overall sense cast by the ground-breaking 2009 original, with the addition of the ever-elusive answers we’ve been seeking all along, and increase of thrills and heart-pounding-tension. This is like a return to its roots, which is perfect for the finale.

Check out the trailer here:

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

October 19, 2015

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

TECH REVIEW: The Apple iPhone 6s and 6s Plus

I could have ‘reviewed’ Apple’s new iPhone as soon as it came out, but I always prefer to wait until I’ve spent a decent amount of time with a new device so that you get a true, tried and tested tech review, rather than a ‘hey everyone, look what I got’ review. Which by the way, drives me insane! You can be sure you’re not getting a real review if someone is writing about something the day of or after they received or purchased a product. Aaaand, now onto the review…

Many people look at the ‘s’ model of the iPhone as a less significant release than the years Apple does a full design change, but that’s simply not the case. This year’s iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are full of new features and in fact this is probably the strongest ‘s’ model iPhone Apple has ever released. I’ve been using the iPhone 6s (and a little dabble with the 6s Plus) for quite some weeks now, so you can be sure I’m very familiar with it.

While the aesthetics of the iPhone have remained largely unchanged (apart from the addition of the stunning rose-gold colour, which I’m in love with), the way we navigate the device, the camera, photos, LTE, Wi-Fi, the processor, Touch ID, and lots more have changed dramatically.

Let’s take a look at some of my favourite iPhone 6s features…

12 Megapixel Camera and Live Photos

Apple’s new 12-Megapixel camera is more than just a higher spec camera. Apple knows that higher megapixels doesn’t necessarily mean better pictures for the average user.

In addition to increasing the megapixels of the camera, Apple also included an Apple-designed image signal processor, advanced pixel technology, and improved noise reduction. All of these things together will give you some of the best pictures that you can take on a smartphone today. In fact, just last week a friend and I were at an event together and she was asking if the iPhone 6s camera really is as great as being touted, (to find out if it was worth upgrading her older model) so we both took a photo of exactly the same thing, standing in exactly the same place. The comparison was insane! She actually couldn’t believe it. My phone was crisp, bright, pristine with eye-popping colour in all the right places. Hers, not so much; in fact not even close.

One of the things I’ve noticed in using the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus is that I can now take much better pictures in low-light situations. I’ve always found the iPhone camera to be lacking in this area, but the new one is much better. What I’ve seen so far is impressive.

Adding to all of the technological advances is a new feature called Live Photos. With Live Photos, you take a photo like you normally would, but the camera will capture 1.5 seconds before, and 1.5 seconds after the shot. When you press on the picture in your photo app, the picture plays like a movie for those few seconds. It’s really cool to see what happened directly before and after you snapped the pic. Reminds me of the super-cool newspapers in Harry Potter, with moving imagery on what appears to be a static image.

Live Photos is something else that you’ll need to get used to—if you drop the camera too quickly after taking a picture, it will capture that movement at the end of the photo. You need to keep the camera up until the ‘Live’ indicator goes off your screen. It only takes a few times to get used to doing that and then you’ll remember.

You can also turn off Live Photos if you want—it’s right on the camera screen, so it’s really easy to get to. Having used it for a while now, I can’t imagine why you would want to though.

You can share Live Photos using iMessage, iCloud Photo Sharing, or AirDrop. The Live Photos can be viewed on OS X El Capitan, Apple Watch running watchOS 2, and of course, on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. You can even set a Live Photo as your wallpaper or lock screen.

Apple’s front-facing FaceTime camera also supports Live Photos and will take much better selfies now. Not only is the camera better, but it now uses the Retina HD display as a flash for your FaceTime HD camera. Here’s how Apple describes how this works: “When you snap a selfie, a preflash detects the lighting around you. Then a True Tone flash on the display matches the ambient light for a gorgeous shot with more true-to-life colors and more natural-looking skin tones. Retina Flash is powered by an innovative technology—a custom display chip that allows the display to flash three times brighter than usual”. In other words, amazing.

4K Videos

Of course, taking photos isn’t the only thing that’s changed with the new iPhone—you can now shoot 4K video.

You can shoot at 3840 by 2160—that’s four times higher than 1080p HD video. You can even zoom in while you’re recording or playing back your 4K video. 4K video supports video stabilization, continuous autofocus, face detection, and you can take an 8MP still while recording.

It’s not hard to see the difference when you record using 4K. This is one of those features that I didn’t think I’d use a whole lot, but I definitely changed my mind.

If you plan to shoot at 4K, you have to go into Settings > Photos & Camera and turn that on. 4K is off by default. You can also now record slo-mo videos at 1080p at 120 fps—the settings for this are in the same place as the 4K settings.

Of course, if you’re planning to shoot 4K video, you’ll want to edit that video and Apple has that covered too. The new version of iMovie on the iPhone can edit and even share to YouTube at 4K resolution. The new iPhones can even edit two streams of 4K video to create effects like picture-in-picture and split screen.

3D Touch

It’s not difficult, when you look at any mobile device these days, to recognise the inefficiencies in navigation. You tap your way into an app, complete your task, and tap your way back out.

There are times when you don’t even need to look at something, say an email message, but we do because that’s the only way to see it. 3D Touch solves that problem.

3D Touch is a pressure sensitive action that allows you to “peek” and “pop” items on your phone. For example, let’s say you have a screen full of emails that you want to read. In the past, you would tap to go into the message, scan the contents, and make a decision to leave it read, change it to unread, reply, etc. Then you would move on to the next message and repeat.

With 3D Touch, I can press lightly on the message and it will open in the middle of the screen, allowing me a “peek” at what the content is. If I press a little harder, the message will “pop” open for me and I can interact with it as I normally would. If you let go of the message while it is peeking, the message goes back into the list and you can move on to the next one, without losing your place. However, if I decide I want to deal with the message right away from the peek screen, I can just swipe up and a menu appears at the bottom of the screen allowing me to Reply, Forward, Mark, Notify Me, or Move Message. All of the things I would want to do with a message can easily be accomplished from this one screen.

Peek and Pop work all over the place on iPhone. In Apple Music, you can use it to view albums and playlists; you can view Messages and texts; You can set calendar events, view flight info, view images and videos and all kinds of other things.

3D Touch is one of the handiest features that I’ve seen from Apple in a long time. It’s not just that it’s cool, it actually saves me time. It’s a new way to navigate the iPhone that’s quick, easy, and efficient.

This technology also includes Quick Actions. These are actions you can get to quickly by just pressing on an app icon. For instance, if I press on Mail, I get a menu of items including All Inboxes, VIP, Search, and New Message. Tapping one of these takes me right to that action in Mail.

A number of Apple apps have Quick Actions built-in. I found Mail, Safari, Messages, Phone, Apple Music, Calendar, Maps, Camera, Photos, Notes, App Store, FaceTime, Wallet, Find Friends, iBooks, Game Centre, Contacts, and Reminders, all have some kind of working Quick Actions.

Touch ID

Apple’s fingerprint sensor, called Touch ID, was one of my favourite features when it was released. It allowed me to quickly unlock the iPhone using my thumb print. It’s safe, secure and easy to use.

So, how do you improve on that? Make it faster, of course!

Apple made the Touch ID sensor so fast that when you tap to wake the phone up, it has already read your fingerprint and unlocks. Really, it’s that fast. In older phones, you would tap to wake the phone up, then rest your finger on the sensor—no need for that anymore. The sensor is so fast now, I’ve had to change the way I touch the phone in order to see notifications. In the past, I could tap the home button, but it wouldn’t unlock, allowing me to browse through the notifications on the lock screen.

With the new iPhone I have to use a different finger, because the phone will unlock right away. That’s not a complaint. It’s amazing how fast the new sensor is and I’m glad it works that quickly.

Design, A9, LTE, and Wi-Fi

I mentioned earlier that the design of the new iPhone remained largely unchanged, but the materials did change. Apple is now using 7000 Series aluminum—the same grade used in the aerospace industry. Apple has also strengthened the glass. Touted as the strongest smartphone glass in the industry.

The 64-bit A9 chip delivers 70 percent faster CPU performance than the A8 chip found in the iPhone 6. It also delivers 90 percent faster GPU performance. That’s a staggering performance increase in just one generation.

The new iPhone supports up to 23 LTE bands, allowing better worldwide roaming. The devices also support LTE Advanced (up to 300 Mbps). With 802.11ac with MIMO can deliver speeds up to 866 Mbps. I’ve never had many complaints about LTE or Wi-Fi speeds, but these types of improvements are always welcome.

In summary

I expected the new iPhones to deliver faster components—the ‘s’ models usually do. What I didn’t expect was the depth of everything else the iPhone delivered. Quick Actions, 3D Touch, faster Touch ID, 4K video, better photos, Live Photos—these are all things that are going to make the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus even better for me as a user.

Make the software and hardware fast and easy to use. Allow me to be efficient and get my work (or play) done quickly, and with an ease-of-use that Apple is known for. That’s what I expect and that’s what Apple delivered.

In the time that I’ve been using the new iPhones, I haven’t found anything I didn’t like or that didn’t work as it should – quite an achievement considering how much has changed.

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

August 24, 2015

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

Apple Watch – An Honest Review & How To

It’s no secret that I am a 100% loyal Apple fan, however, this is a completely personal and honest review of the Apple Watch. Along with an easy-to-follow, basic, Apple Watch ‘how to’. The fact that I’ve fallen in love with this watch has nothing to do with my love of Apple, the truth is, it’s just a damn good piece of equipment.

My number one piece of advice if you’re thinking about popping an Apple Watch on your wrist, don’t listen to negative rumours, especially when offered up by someone who doesn’t actually own an Apple Watch (I find it’s always those that have no idea and have never even tried the Apple Watch, that can’t wait to tell you all about the negative features that don’t even exist).

Why has it taken me this long to report on the Apple Watch, of which I’ve been wearing since the day it launched? Simple – I wanted to provide an accurate, knowledgable and personal review. I’ve familiarised myself with my watch, I’ve played with the interface, I worked out what it could do, I talked about it, heck I even talked to it!

First up, let me address the most common ‘myths’ about the Apple Watch… beginning with the battery life – this is generally the first thing I’m told about, and always told to me by someone who doesn’t own an Apple Watch: “apparently the Apple Watch battery only lasts for 3 hours before it dies, how useless is that”. Ok, now this really is utter rubbish! I’m here to tell you the battery life of the Apple Watch, in actual fact, easily lasts an entire day. Eighteen hours is the minimum I’ve experienced. Great right? So can we please stop talking about a 3 hour battery life now? Thank you.

Apparently notifications on the Apple Watch are relentless and will drive you insane. This says more about the users ability to use the product than anything. Notifications are 100% configurable. I don’t know what else to say, other than, if you don’t like the notifications you’re getting, personalise them to suit your needs.

The learning curve is ridiculously steep isn’t it? In short, no! It’s fundamentally Apple! Apple Watch is a new product and a brand new category for Apple, but at the end of the day, it’s an Apple product. To understand the Apple Watch, you first have to appreciate what Apple does. Having that fundamental understanding of how Apple makes its hardware and software work together, how its user interface works, and how the company brings it all together is key to understanding the watch. When someone asks me how to use an Apple designed interface, I always tell them the same thing: think of the easiest way to do it, and more often than not, that’s how Apple did it.

Setting up your Apple Watch
Setting up the Apple Watch is incredibly easy, as long as you have an iPhone 5S (or newer) running iOS 8.2.
Switch Bluetooth on, open the app, scan the face of the Apple Watch using your iPhone’s camera, and you’re pretty much done. Your iPhone will then ask for a few details – such as your Apple ID, whether you’ll be wearing the Apple Watch on your left or right wrist, which apps you want to install, and whether you want to set up a passcode – which you definitely should do. After this the two devices will sync – a process that takes just a couple of minutes.

Design and Screen
There are two Apple Watch screen sizes you can choose from. I went for the larger of the two, but that’s just personal preference. There are also a plethora of straps to choose from – leather, sports-rubber or stainless steel. The screen is pretty damn robust and you’d be hard pushed to scratch or crack the screen, thanks to the sapphire glass coating, Oh, and it’s also water-resistant, although I’m just too damn scared to test this theory.

Navigating Apple Watch
The best way to describe navigating the watch is to think of the Digital Crown as your home/back button. No matter where you are in the watch’s interface, you can get back home using the crown. The crown has more functionality than that—it takes you from the watch face to the app screen and back again, and you use the crown to activate Siri. Siri is your homegirl – remember this! I use Siri a lot, as will any Apple Watch user. Siri is your navigation, your music player (you can even tell Siri to play your favourite songs), a remote control for your phone’s camera, and basically the ‘grantor of wishes’ for any command you have.

The side button on the Apple Watch opens your friends list. This is where you can select the friends you interact with the most; those that you want to reach quickly. If they too have an Apple Watch, then you can send your heartbeat, doodles and other interactive messages. You can tell who has a watch and who doesn’t by the types of messages you can send someone. If they have a watch, you will see the button for the doodle screen, but if they don’t, you will have to send an old fashion message (and of course you can speak your message to anyone, watch wearer or not, rather than being expected to type anything on a small screen).

One of my fave things with the Apple Watch is being able to make and receive phone calls! Hands full? No problem, you can still take that call. Calendar appointment reminders, emails, social media platforms – they’re all there, and fully interactive.

Health Kit – this is a very cool piece of technology. You can track your movement, steps taken, distance, weight and other information about your body. You can see how many calories you’ve burning throughout the day. You’ll get handy reminders to stand up and get out of your seat. For someone desk-based, this is a handy little ‘move and stretch’ reminder. There’s a whole heap you can do with Health Kit, but I’m just giving you the basics.

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

July 26, 2015

Gurlinterrupted In Culture, Fashion

ALL EYES ON EVA LONGORIA

Award-winning actress, Eva Longoria touched down in New Zealand last week to lead the search with Specsavers to find New Zealand’s most stylish spec-wearer. And did I mention I was lucky enough to meet and dine with the hollywood beauty? Specsavers you’re amazing! I think my excitement and happiness at meeting Eva is quite evident in the images below. Anyway, I digress; the reason for this fabulous event? So that I can tell you all about the Spectacle Wearer of the Year, and how you could be in to win the most fabulous of prizes…

Eva takes up the role of star judge and ambassador for the Specsavers’ competition, following in the footsteps of fellow proud spec-wearing ambassadors – actress Sarah Michelle Gellar, style icon and Mad Men star Christina Hendricks, model and TV personality, Colin Mathura-Jeffree and TV fashion star Gok Wan.

The Spectacle Wearer of the Year competition presented by Specsavers, now in its fifth year, is a nationwide search for New Zealand’s most stylish and confident spectacle wearer. Eva will join fellow judges, including comedian Jeremy Corbett and L’Oréal Professionnel Stylist Peter Dutton, to identify the Kiwi who has made their glasses into the ultimate fashion accessory.

Eva became a spectacle wearer herself four years ago, after noticing her eyes felt strained from studying late at night for a Masters degree (yup, not just a pretty face, also a damn smart cookie!) An eye test revealed Eva needed glasses for reading, which have since become an invaluable part of her life – whether hitting the books or reading a script for her latest acting role.

“As a glasses wearer I care about looking great in my frames, that’s why I’m thrilled to be launching Specsavers’ Spectacle Wearer of the Year competition and visiting New Zealand to kick off the search,” Eva explains.

“Wearing glasses is all about having fun and embracing your style. Whether I’m on set filming, studying or at a special event, accessorising my look with glasses gives me confidence and allows me to make the ultimate style statement,” adds Eva.

New Zealand judge and spec-wearing champion, Jeremy Corbett, is excited to be working alongside Eva to help find this years ultimate Spectacle Wearer of the Year.

Reminiscing on his inaugural stint as judge for the Specsavers competition in 2014, Jeremy says “Last year was great fun getting all judgey with the spec-wearing finalists. I had such a good time, I’ve been pestering Specsavers about the next one. Finally, it’s here! Can’t wait to find the next big spec wearer with Eva Longoria!”

The winner of the competition will receive an all-expenses paid trip, with a friend, to Los Angeles to meet Eva on the set of her latest TV show and earn the prestigious title of Spectacle Wearer of the Year. Six New Zealand finalists will win a trip to Auckland for a night of entertainment with Jeremy Corbett, as well as participating in a professional photo shoot and spec-style consultation.

Entries to the 2015 Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year are now open at: loveglasses.specsavers.co.nz

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

July 19, 2015

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

The ECOYA Grand Celebration Candle & Limited Edition Range…

Candle lovers rejoice – ECOYA’s latest and largest fragranced candle, the Grand Celebration candle, is here (well, available in-store in August, so not far away at all). Fragranced in the same White Musk and Warm Vanilla as the rest of the Celebration family, the Grand Celebration candle comes housed in an opulent and original, white cut glass jar and is presented in a large white gift box featuring “With Love” emblazoned across the box. The Celebration candle was introduced to the market in March 2014 and was so well received that the six-month forecast of product wold out within six weeks! ECOYA then introduced the Mini Celebration in March 2015 and to complete the range, the Grand Celebration seemed the natural progression for this collection.

If, like me, you’d happily have a scented candle burning twenty-four-seven, transforming your favourite space simply with its fragrance; the scent hugging you like the softest, snuggliest blanket, you’re going to adore the ECOYA Grand Celebration Candle. Weighing in at 2 kilos and smelling like a slice of heaven, burning through this delicious candle quickly will definitely not be a problem you’ll be faced with. Mine’s been burning for two weeks now (obviously only when I’m home) and is filling the house with a scent that truly is the epitome of divine and appears hardly touched!

The fragrance, with the perfect balance of warmth and muskiness, has the freshness of citrus and leafy green notes that create a warm, mossy floral heart, atop a rich, creamy base of Sandalwood, Vanilla, Balsam and Musk. With every new release ECOYA brings, not once have I been disappointed, and the latest Grand Celebration candle is no exception. With a very polite price point at NZ$99.95, the Grand Celebration candle makes for a beautiful piece for any vignette, mantelpiece, hall table, or as a centre-piece on a dining table, as well as the perfect gift for almost any occasion. For stockists, head to www.ecoya.com

Also available in (late) August, ECOYA’s two new limited edition summer fragrance releases…

The latest scents, mastered by the nose of ECOYA, perfumer Isaac Sinclair, are two youthful new fragrances; Summer Rain & Wild Jasmine and White Peach & Orange Blossom.

The limited edition collections are released twice a year and are hugely popular with ECOYA’s loyal followers, with both fragrances available in the iconic ECOYA Madison Jar and the Reed Diffuser. The limited edition cartons are presented in hues of azure blue and sunkissed peach, with the candle and diffuser housed in contemporary white vessels and capped with solid white lids.

Approaching the sunny season, the ECOYA team appear to have looked to scents reminiscent of summer for inspiration; the scent of the warm summer rain hitting the asphalt, the dewiness of the grass afterwards and the fragrance burst of the first bite of a juicy peach. Madison Jar RRP $49.95. Reed Diffuser RRP $59.95.

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

July 1, 2015

Gurlinterrupted In Culture, Fashion

Fashion Illustrator Completes His Designs Using Sunshine, Clouds & Trees

Architect and fashion illustrator named Shamekh Bluwi from Amman, Jordan, came up with a creative idea for his stunning paper cut-out dress illustrations. He cuts out the paper dresses of women and holds them against a cityscape to create intricate scenes within his designs.

The talented fashion illustrator has gained praise from the fashion world for his amazing work. Bluwi says that he likes the digital medium more than the traditional since it lets him control the smallest details of his illustrations.

Completely in love with this breathtaking series and I’m certain you will be too…

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

May 25, 2015

Gurlinterrupted In Culture, Fashion

Fashion Trends According to Google: The Search Engine Style Forecaster

When it comes to personal style, we rely on input from any number of sources: our favourite blogs, our chicest friends, street-style inspiration, Olivia Palermo (absolute fave). Our newest consultant? Google.

The search-engine-giant recently released its Spring 2015 Fashion Trends Report, and despite being a report, it’s actually really interesting. Basically, by taking the fashion terms that people are and aren’t searching for and comparing those numbers to years past, Google has determined, in a nutshell, what’s hot and what’s not (respectfully, most of these trends have already arrived in full force, or already left the scene, as the case may be).

Here’s what Google is predicting…

About To Take Off (fair to say this is already trending): The Midi Skirt
This super-flattering skirt has been steadily on the rise for a few years and is poised for a breakout this spring and summer. (Ahem, we heralded the style back in 2013.) Worn sleek and tight or high-waisted and floaty, the middle child is finally getting its due, and we recommend getting in on the action.

About To Take Off: The Tulle Skirt
Blame Carrie Bradshaw or ballerinas, but this ultra-feminine style has been creeping up the Google ranks in recent years. And we love it! A little tip: pair it with tougher pieces, like a biker jacket, to avoid comparisons to Clara from The Nutcracker.

About To Take Off: Palazzo Pants
These guys get a bad rap, but we’re all about rocking this easy, breezy trend. The key here is balancing proportions. Pair wide, billowy pants with a more fitted top, lest you get lost in the fabric.

In For Now: Shift Dresses
Shift dresses have been around forever; we’re not big fans, however, we can agree that they’re effortless and have a throw-on-and-go sensibility; and for pretending we’re Jackie O summering on Nantucket.

In For Now: High-Waisted Bikinis
We’ve long loved this cut for its leg-lengthening powers, but it seems to be especially on-trend this summer.

Fleeting Trend: Neoprene Swimsuits
Unlike their high-waisted counterparts, neoprene suits are a more time-sensitive fad. Sure, you’ll wear the hell out of it this summer, but come 2016…. who knows? Our advice: If you’re trend-crazy, go for it. Just don’t blow an entire month’s rent on one. Truth be known, if we never see another gaggle of girls wearing these, it’ll be too soon, #overtrend!

Fleeting Trend: Kale Sweatshirts
Another “here today, gone tomorrow” pick: quirky sweatshirts. If you’re into clothing emblazoned with your favourite green, go for it, but we’ll be skipping this one, thank you very much.

On The Way Out: Peplum Dresses
Peplums had a pretty long 15 minutes, but based on a few years of decreased searches, Google has proclaimed them officially dead. RIP, poufy middles. Feel free to never come back!

On The Way Out: String Bikinis
And with that, 99.9 percent of the world’s female population rejoices.

Cooling Off: Skinny Jeans
It seems our beloved skinnies are falling out of fashionable favour. We’ll still wear them, but we’ll also look to other styles like flares and boyfriend jeans. And don’t fret, we’ve got all your denim needs covered in our Denim Trend Report.

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

May 24, 2015

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

Coffee Table Need A Makeover? 10 Timeless Books To Put On Display.

Don’t discount the power of a coffee-table book. A big, beautiful tome is one of the easiest ways to liven up your living room; think of it as an accessory, not just reading material. Here, 10 timeless books, spanning everything from fashion and decor to travel and food…

For the shutterbug: “Steve McCurry: The Iconic Photographs”
A collection of the most memorable photographs captured by Steve McCurry, the legendary National Geographic photographer who shot the infamous Afghan girl for a 1984 magazine cover. The oversize pages feature breathtaking landscapes, vibrant cultures and no shortage of intriguing subjects.

For the decorator: “Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People”
This expansive table book features the incredible homes and gardens of 36 influential people–from Janet de Botton’s estate in Provence to Oscar de la Renta’s Punta Cana abode. It’s graceful, elegant photography combined with haute style, and it’s everything we adore about Vogue.

For the cinephile: “The Wes Anderson Collection”
Anyone who’s ever marveled at Anderson’s smart, funny and unbelievably symmetrical films will adore this collection of previously unseen behind-the-scenes photos, hand-drawn storyboards, character inspiration and more.

For the culture-obsessed: “Vanity Fair 100 Years: From the Jazz Age to Our Age”
Fans of the magazine will devour this absolutely beautiful written and visual history of its hundred years.

For the fashionista: “Diana Vreeland Memos: The Vogue Years”
The legendary and eccentric Vogue editor in chief was known for her memos, proclaiming her strong opinions on topics from berets to blue jeans. Here, her grandson collects some of Vreeland’s best in a stylish and witty compilation.

For the musician: “Rock and Roll Stories”
Springsteen. Michael Jackson. The Stones. Rock-and-roll photographer Lynn Goldsmith has shot some of the biggest names in music in the studio, on the tour bus and in concert. And all of those epic moments are chronicled in this volume.

For the nature lover: “Genesis”
No photographer quite captures the natural world like Sabastiao Salgado. This book is a “photographic homage to our planet in its natural state,” and his grand, sweeping landscapes remind us just how precious it is.

For the entertainer: “I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence”
Comedienne Amy Sedaris’s guide to entertaining is side-splittingly funny and absolutely wonderful.

For the traveler: “Paris in Color”
Guaranteed to give you wanderlust, Nichole Robertson’s photos are simple yet romantic–a blue window of Le Marais, a red chair outside a French bistro–all arranged by color.

For the architect: “Frank Lloyd Wright: The Rooms”
Though Wright is more famous for his architectural designs, his interiors are not to be overlooked–especially when presented as beautifully as they are in this tome.

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

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