The following details are for the Dark Shadows inspired contest currently open on YouTube!

Below are filmographies for Helena Bonham Carter as an actor, Tim Burton as a director, and Johnny Depp as an actor. I hope these lists help inspire contest entries for the Dark Shadows contest. More details on prizes will follow shortly, along with detailed rules. 

To update, there are three categories: HBC, Tim Burton, and Johnny Depp, with one winner for each and at least one grand prize winner, from any of the three categories. There were originally four prizes, including one for the trio. As a change, consider Tim Burton films containing one or both Helena and Johnny as wild cards, eligible for entry under either of the three, but please remember to specify where you want each video/tutorial entered: Helena, Tim, or Johhny. Shh...there will also be a few special prizes. Think very glamorous honorable mentions! :)

As always, this contest is open internationally. A deadline will not be revealed at this point, as that date is contingent upon the performance and run of Dark Shadows in US and UK box offices... so get busy. Enter as many times as you'd like, and please remember to mind the rules.

That said, let's get listing!

Helena Bonham Carter (HBC):

Great Expectations (photos released)

Dark Shadows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two

Toast

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One

The King's Speech

Alice in Wonderland

Enid

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Terminator Salvation

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Sixty Six

Corpse Bride

Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of Were-Rabbit

Conversations with Other Women

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Big Fish

Henry VIII

Live from Baghdad

Till Human Voices Wake Us

The Heart of Me

Novocaine

Planet of the Apes

Women Talking Dirty

Fight Club

The Theory of Flight

Sweet Revenge (The Revengers' Comedies)

Merlin

A Merry War

The Wings of the Dove

Portraits Chinois

Twelfth Night

Jeremy Hardy Gives Good Sex

Mighty Aphrodite

Margaret's Museum

Frankenstein

Dancing Queen

Howard's End

Where Angels Fear to Tread

Hamlet

Getting It Right

Lady Jane

A Room with a View

Tim Burton:

Frankenweenie

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (producer)

Dark Shadows

Alice in Wonderland

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Corpse Bride

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Big Fish

Planet of the Apes

The World of Stainboy

Sleepy Hollow

Mars Attacks!

Ed Wood

Conversations with Vincent

Batman Returns

Edward Scissorhands

Batman

Beetlejuice

Peewee's Big Adventure

Frankenweenie

 

 

Johnny Depp:

The Lone Ranger (photograph of Depp released)

Dark Shadows

21 Jump Street

The Rum Diary

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

The Tourist

Alice in Wonderland

Public Enemies

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Corpse Bride

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The Libertine

Finding Neverland

...And They Lived Happily Ever After

Secret Window

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

From Hell

Blow

Chocolat

Before Night Falls

The Man Who Cried

Sleepy Hollow

The Astronaut's Wife

The Ninth Gate

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

The Brave

Donnie Brasco

Nick of Time

Dead Man

Don Juan DeMarco

Ed Wood

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Benny & Joon

Arizona Dream

Edward Scissorhands

Cry-baby

A Nightmare on Elm Street

These are not exhaustive lists. Feel free to use other titles.

Remember, when entering a category under an actor, your tutorial does not necessarily have to be inspired directly by his or her character. You may draw emphasis from any film featuring Johnny or Helena or directed (or produced) by Tim. Please be sure to specify your category of entry, and best of luck! 

Eventful Week! What Lies Ahead?

Hello, my Lovelies!

Well, well, well... it has been an interesting few days for me! Does anyone else struggle with migraine and/or cluster headaches? Well Frankly, Scarlett, I do. Sadly enough, after visiting the emergency center and remaining at home for 48 hours, I returned to my vehicle on Thursday morning only to discover that, in my fit of nausea (whine, whine), not only did I leave several of my things behind, but I apparently also neglected to lock my doors.

I am sans new HD camera and notebook. NEVER leave things in your vehicle. I never do, but this goes to show you - it can happen to anyone, even just one time!

So, on that same Thursday, I also learned that I was moving, in less than two weeks. Let the packing ensue!

My scheduled posts will change. Is anyone interested in the sloppy and disjointed blogs of a frenzied packer?

Have a blessed week, Gorgeous! Keep your valuables out of sight! xo

Ulta Rewards Redemption!

In case I have failed to share, here is another secret! I always try to shop at Ulta over Sephora when possible. There is only one reason for this: the Ulta Rewards program. This week, I was able to redeem a level 30+ Ulta voucher for six perfumes and a L'Oreal Colour Riche LeGloss lip gloss! Basically, there are two Ulta programs for rewarding spending. With mine, there are redeemable gifts from levels one to six. Six encompasses various options, currently including a Hot Tools gold plated curling iron (my iron of choice, actually!) or a 40 or 45 USD fragrance. Yes, I usually go over that amount and simply pay the difference...more Ulta points! Each other level has different options for redemption.


Reward vouchers come out on flyers quarterly. I highly suggest keeping track of your purchases if you aim to make it to level six to maximize your reward with a fragrance, salon service, or curling iron! Remember: tax is not included! A 300 USD purchase/ point balance equals a level six reward. If you go over, the level climbs, and, clearly, you can redeem for more items! Hooray for over-spending at Christmas and reaping the benefits later.

This round, I picked up a few fragrances I wouldn't usually try, namely, Vera Wang's Lovestruck and Juicy Couture's Couture Couture. To be honest, I may exchange Lovestruck, but I've wanted Couture Couture a while, despite the fact that I do not usually go out for JC fragrances... But I digress.


I restocked on a long time staple, Kenzo Flower. Also, I grabbed Dance with Givenchy by Givenchy. The other two fragrances I grabbed: Flora by Gucci and Versace Crystal Noir.


By the way, fragrances are one of my indulgences. I'll account for my habit by telling you all and myself that I could have far worse vices!

The nitty gritty:
Vera Wang Lovestruck - tropical, fruity, musky - Opens with notes of exotic and juicy pink guava and soothing angelica blossom. The middle notes “bloom” with tones of intoxicating and sensual tuberose with aquatic lotus flower. Precious woody notes and sheer musk form a solid perfume base.

Juicy Couture Couture Couture - white floral, citrus - Top notes are mandarin orange, African orange flower and grapefruit; middle notes are jasmine, honeysuckle and plum; base notes are amber, vanilla and sandalwood.

Flower by Kenzo - powdery, floral, musk - The floral note revolves around parma violet, gentle wild hawthorne, cassis and Bulgarian rose. Its powdery note is composed of voluptuous vanilla, white musk and opoponax with a gentle woody touch.

Dance with Givenchy by Givenchy - - white floral, citrus, woods - dances with accords of jasmine, ylang ylang, apple, mandarin, orange blossom, woods, and musk. 

Flora by Gucci - floral, citrus, rose - Characterized by fresh notes of agrums in the opening, combined with beautiful peony. A heart introduces balanced aromas of rose and osmanthus, while a base is created of patchouli and sandalwood.

Versace Crystal Noir - white floral, spicy - The central note of the composition is mysterious gardenia, fresh, sensual, luminous and creamy. Amber and musk in the base make the scent dark and mysterious.

What are your must-have fragrances? Anything you all are lusting after or interested in sniffing?

Have a gorgeous week! xxo

Most Loved in 2011 - Brushes!

I certainly cannot go without mentioning brushes. I quickly grabbed a handful of faves and put them in a cup for my shabby video. In the end, I didn't end up mentioning them all. I do have quite a few I'm looking forward to trying in 2012, thanks mostly to some lovely YouTubers... You know who you are. Daisy :) Haha.

For now, I want to share some of my favourite and most affordable picks. Newly discovered in 2011 - Sigma and Real Techniques...both excellent, both amazing values.

 RT brushes come in sets. They come in tiny portfolios, which are ideal for travel and storing other brushes as well. They can be connected to others and folded over to hold your brushes upright while you work. The base of the brushes are also weighted and designed so that they can easily stand. These are synthetic brushes and I cannot say enough about the value and performance. My faves are the stippling, powder, and deluxe crease brushes.

I cannot go without mentioning Sigma brushes. While I am not as impressed with all of their brushes as I am with my faves, I find the quality overall to be mentionable and well worth the cost. I adore their blending brushes as well as my MAC and Sonia Kashuk ones. The truly outstanding brushes, however, at least for me, have been the SIGMAX and precision eye brushes. The high definition Sigmax face brushes are so densely packed and lush. To me, they give the most flawless foundation coverage I have found thus far and buff liquids and creams beautifully into the skin. Honestly, I use them for mineral foundations as well. To boot, these synthetic brushes are only 16USD! You can also buy them in face sets, eye sets, or a total set of both. The eye brushes are also phenomenal. In terms of applying a primer or cream shadow, I have come to find them holy grail! The shapes mimic the finger. Need I say more? They blend beautifully, and again, 14 dollars!! AMAZEBALLS!

MAC's 217 (22.50 USD) is still holy grail for me for blending! My favourite angled brush is Sonia Kashuk, available at Target in the US.

If you're interested in the Sigma brushes mentioned, I have a current coupon code (good until 29 Feb 2012) for 10% off: LOVE2012

http://www.sigmabeauty.com/?Click=210291

I highly, highly recommend grabbing maybe one Sigmax face and one eye brush (ideal for applying cream shadows and primers). I also really like their eye blending brushes. 

What are your most reached for brushes?

XX

Most Used Products of 2011 - Hair

Looks gross, right? This is actually a peek inside a jar of Lush Cosmetics' BIG shampoo (24.95 USD, 11.4oz)! I will admit that it took me a while to try this one, but I am so happy that I did. Lush touts this shampoo as one to use for "mermaid inspired locks." I will concur. It is infused with salt, which is actually full of moisturizing minerals and also helps clarify the hair. Think about exfoliating your hair, but try not to get freaked out! It's not at all stripping, lathers well (LUSH shampoos are not free of sulfates), and leaves hair feeling splendidly fresh and clean. BIG is also packed with lime juice for shine and volume (and yummy sniffable goodness) as well as seaweed to soften locks. This jar is really packed with volumizing deliciousness!

 

Antiphilitron is a retro LUSH shampoo. I get it when I can, and I adore it. I really enjoy combining a bit of BIG and antiphilitron in my palm before shampooing. Veganese conditioner is an ideal treat for limp locks. It is lightweight and completely lanolin free. Some ingredients are: lemon juice, lavender, and rosemary. The smell is a bit musky to me, so I would have a sniff before springing for the largest bottle. LUSH liquid shampoos and conditioners range from 9.95 to 29.95 on average depending on size. Also, I cannot neglect to mention LUSH's brilliant solid shampoo bars. I have liked each I've tried. They are a must have for me on short trips, as I never have to consider what fluids I'm packing if I've got a solid shampoo and conditioner bar. Pictured is the NEW! solid shampoo bar (10.95US). It smells wonderfully of cinnamon, and I adore it. Another fave for me is ultimate shine. These bars last longer than you would expect, but again, they are not sulfate free, and I am not sure I would recommend them to anyone with colour treated hair.

Here are some other items I continually reach for through all of my other hair care purchases! An affordable solution for a cleansing shampoo ( everyone needs one to keep a handle on product buildup!) is Redken's cleansing cream. In my experience, it is less stripping than other versions like Neutrogena. That said, for a person without colour treated hair, Neutrogrena also offers wonderful clarifying shampoos.

For years, I have also continually used L'Oreal Professionnel's Serie Expert lines. I regret to tell you lovelies that they have discontinued their soleil line (I loved the UV protectant), but their sister company, Kérastase, still offers a soleil line for both sun protection as well as sun damage. L'Oreal's serie expert line still includes my two top picks: liss ultime and volume expand.

 The volume (green) shampoo is great and lightweight, but in my opinion, the purple bottle is more dynamic, for me. I love both the shampoo and the conditioning masque in the liss ultime line. This line is targeted toward smoothing unruly/curly hair. I have always found that the products, especially the serum, have helped my hair curl. For a person with unruly hair, it may also aid you in smoothing/straightening your hair through blow drying or pressing with a flat iron. This line uses argan oil, olive oil, patented INCELL technology, polytensium (ultra smoothing properties), as well as highly effective anti humectants to help beat frizz in the face of hellish humidity! Liss is definitely FranklyScarlett approved and highly recommended!

 I have to admit that I try to be pretty low maintenance with my hair. I do not stick to any one range of products for styling (or anything else for that matter!), but I do have a few constant faves and raves. Again returning to L'Oreal Professionnel, the Texture Expert styling line has been a wonderful innovation for their company in the last few years. They have products designed specifically for fine/limp, medium/thick, and course/rebellious hair types. Hey, there are some days when I just use the Aussie spray scrunch. It smells delicious, and despite the heavy amount of alcohol present, I love it on occasion. Still, despite the higher price point, L'Oreal's Texture Expert is outstanding. As a person with fine hair, I have to say that it is very difficult to both smooth and volumize hair. This line can really help you achieve both! Standout products for me are: Smooth Essence Weightless Smoother, Densite Thickening Primer, and the Volume Expansion Mousse. A+

I'm still in search of my holy grail heat protectant. I am so happy to have learned from one of you all that Pureology does in fact still have a product out. In the interim, I have enjoyed using CHI's heat protectant and GOT2B Guardian Angel.

That's a (somewhat) brief recap of my most reached for hair products from 2011. What were yours?!

X

 

2011 Standouts! Nails!

 

From left to right: Butter London Toff (a darker, dustier, browner version of rose pink), All Hail the Queen (opaque, holographic beige), and Tea with the Queen (on the pink side of tan, very neutral, but never boring, perfect work, or obviously, tea with the Queen), $14 each

OPI Off with her Red! from the Alice in Wonderland collection, unfortunately limited edition and no longer available, but this tomato-ey red will not be left off my list!

NARS Chinatown (opaque blood red), $17

Illamasqua throb (bright blood red), £13.50

 

 

 OPI Lincoln Park at Midnight (aubergine with a frosty twist)

What were your top varnishes of 2011? Any repurchases? I'm itching for some new hues to try on, lovelies! X

My Early Thoughts on Julep Nail Varnishes

Hi again, lovelies! I'm still blogging :) My top products of 2011 are to follow later today,as well as the first giveaway winner from the YouTube series - woohoo ( It's not too late to enter Day 1's Giveaway, which closes at 11:59pm GMT tonight!). More on that later!

For now, I want to provide my promised thoughts on Julep. If you haven't had a look, see my disorganized, impromptu reactions to my Julep Maven un-boxing in my video! I have since received one more Julep box and am so far very pleased and not interested in cancelling my subscription. I do admit, however, that one of my favourite aspects of their service is the option to painlessly cancel or postpone your subscription.

Am I getting ahead of myself as usual? Yes. Julep is a nail boutique/salon in Seattle, WA in the United States. I learned about the program through the super fab Amber of GlamTrotter and decided to give it a go. Firstly, I love the fact that their polishes are free of carcinogens, something that I love about another fave polish - Butter London. Next, their colour selection is vast and boasts several hues not often seen in every other line. C'mon. Admit it. If you're like me, you have eight different shades of red, pink, and nude... It was time for variety for me. The program offered me a chance to try new products at a low cost. The varnishes alone run $14USD, but for a Julep Maven who joins the service, a guaranteed minimum of $40USD value in products is delivered monthly. Additionally, Julep has a handy dandy quiz that helps narrow down your style. In other words, it helps their team decide which colours and products would work best for you. Don't like the idea of getting a mystery box? Neither did I. Julep also send you an e-mail monthly. You get to preview your selection! Don't like it? No problem! They even allow you to request a "shelf pull" before the 15th of each month. It's as easy as that. If that garish yellow-green tone doesn't blow your skirt up, you get to login and select another box! I LOVE IT!

So all of this posh treatment...is sounds expensive, right? Becoming a Julep Maven is actually 19.95 a month, and that is shipping/handling inclusive. You're guaranteed more value in product, so it's a win/win. It doesn't stop there! You can try Julep for only 5 DOLLARS! I received my first month for only 5 bucks, and that included shipping!

Give them a look: Julep Maven

Just try these coupon codes:

FREEBOX
FREEMAVEN

I will definitely keep you all up to date on any Julep deals I find and my opinions on colours. So far, I've warn Alfre, a duochrome greyish violet with a metallic/pearl finish. I have to say it's what really sold me. I would never have bought that polish, but I received endless compliments and wore my manicure for five days before I experienced chipping - amazing! I find the very thin consistency of the lacquer to be ideal for two thin coats of polish. Think thin a'la Chanel...but less chipping! I KNOW! I love it.

So, it was Helena for me last night, the polish I wanted from the start. I just noticed the colour itself reminds me of the Maybelline Falsies mascara bottle. Neat, huh? It's a daring fuschia and lends itself to different tonalities in different lights. Even with my shabby self-manicure, I'm loving my nails today! Helena is at the top of my Julep list so far.

  If you are loving Julep already, please share your favourite picks! Also, if you signup, please share your stories!! I can't wait to see who else is as pleased as I am!

X