Yeah, he grew up. And he's a bit of a major hottie now. You may know him as "Beast" from the X-Men movies or that romantic zombie from Warm Bodies or Jennifer Lawrence's best accessory.
I think I'm noticing a pattern now... I fancy British men! I don't know if it's the accent or if they're just really,really,really good-looking (thanks, Zoolander). Exhibit A: Benedict Cumberbatch.He's no typical boy band beauty (thank heavens!) but Mr. Cumberbatch's wit and sex appeal more than makes up for it! I find him actually quite attractive, his features aren't really of a typical leading man...some even say, he's kind of an acquired taste. He's got those piercing blue eyes, curly locks and lips that resemble of an adorable cherub pouting. Oh jeez and his voice...Holy Shawarma. He could be reciting a State of the Union/Nation Address consisting of only the words "poop" and "tambourine" in it and all I hear would be "economy is back on track"..."all terrorists are retiring"...."gas prices are only 50 cents"...."donuts don't actually make you fat"....
I first got a good glimpse of him when I saw the movie, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" where he plays as an agent of the British Intelligence.
And then I noticed him again when HBO (BBC in the UK) released a mini-series called Parade's End, an adaptation of novels written by Ford Madox Ford. What's worse than being in the midst of World War I?Why, a love triangle ofcourse! I think he gained some weight but I thought that it was perfect for his character, Mr. Tietjens.
And then he totally shoots himself back to the modern era as he plays Sherlock Holmes in BBC's hit series, Sherlock. It's crazy how he managed to look so different with his jet black hair and slimmer silhouette. Slim-fit shirts, slim suits and a double-breasted wool overcoat (Yes, popped collar.) = Modern day Sherlock Holmes.
As I was doing an American Horror Story: Coven marathon and stuffing my chubby face with Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, I noticed something about one of the actresses of the show and it got me wondering...could she be a vampire?! How is she looking that daym fine and ageless after all this time?!
Of course, I am referring to none other than the lovely Angela Bassett. I mean...just look at her!
Ever heard of wrinkles, Angela? Would you be interested in having them any day now?
Aside from Angela, there are some other Hollywood ladies that must be eating newborns (forget about the placenta---it's all about the newborns!!!) on a regular basis because they are either ageing gracefully or not ageing at all! Move over, Edward Cullen and the rest of the raging hormones crew of Twilight! Here are my two other faves:
Cate Blanchett Skin care luxury brand, SK-II, did not make a mistake in having Cate on board as its product endorser. She is perpetually flawless! Everyone knows that having porcelain skin is a tough task to maintain so give your 44-year old self a pat on the back, Cate! Good job!
Oh how I adore her Armani lace gown over her glowing skin! She's absolutely radiant!
Diane Lane
I absolutely love, love, love Diane Lane. She has such a youthful vibe to her and even though her face has a little wrinkle here and there, it goes to show that she is embracing her age with great confidence. Oh yea, and she has a rockin' body at the ripe age of 49! Uhm yea, anyone remember her movies such as Unfaithful or Under The Tuscan Sun? Case closed.
Knowing how the Hollywood scene is pretty much synonymous to plastic surgery, I can't really say for sure that these beautiful ladies haven't gone under the knife at all but just looking at them as a whole (face, skin, body), I don't see any evident traces of implants, over-injected lips nor over-Botoxed, frozen smiles.
Are we really going to find that ever elusive fountain of youth? At this point, I don't think there's ever going to be a plastic surgeon that can give you that natural glow, the glow that'll help you age gracefully. We need to be comfortable in our own skin and we need to respect our bodies. Whatever you feel inside, it emulates through your physicalities. Achieve that glow from within and you'll never have to entrap your poor, unfortunate boyfriend/ husband by shooting him with the deadliest question known to mankind..."Do I look fat in this dress?" Yyyeee--No.
Does this mean we'll need to start eating our green leafy vegetables? Yes, yes we do.
Ladies and Gents, it's high time we gave this guy some luv luv luvin'! We all know that Tom is all great in the acting department but did you know this 6'2" sight-for-sore-eyes can bust out with some fascinatingly good foot work? Nothing beats seeing a rather cultured and polite Loki (nemesis of Thor, for those who aren't into comics) in a well-tailored suit---teaching a dance move or two!
Disclaimer: The video below has some cuss words in it since it's a late night show but you will be too busy ogling, anyway.
Oh and while we're on the subject of ogling, have you guys seen any of his interviews? He does really great impressions of other actors/ characters. He also speaks so damn eloquently, he could be reading the instruction manual of my vacuum cleaner and make it sound like he's reading a sonnet. I cannot, for the life of me, resist his British accent.
I am a sucker for men who wear suits and dress shirts on a daily basis. I mean seriously, how many men do you see coming out of the airport looking like this?
I originally wanted to write about the Oscars in a more who-wore-what kind of mindset but I quickly scratched that idea when I discovered this new, young and vibrant actress, Lupita Nyong'o. I first caught a lovely glimpse of her in a fashion segment on TV and she was wearing this elegant, red cape gown by Ralph Lauren. The first thought that came to me was, "Who is this girl? Why is she fabulous and why don't I know her?" My curiosity wanted to kill the cat so I googled her and I was immediately blown away by her photos.
I promise this isn't going to be all about fashion but I really can't help but admire her...
The thing that I love the most about Lupita is she carries herself in the most dignified manner that her occasional outfits with plunging necklines don't even look vulgar at all.
According to my expertly-googled research, the Kenyan-Mexican (she was born in Mexico with Kenyan parents) actress graduated from the Yale School of Drama---which happens to be where Meryl Streep honed her acting skillzzzzzzz too! Note the amount of z's, because Meryl deserves all the z's in the world. Lupita's educational background comes as no surprise though, after you hear her speak.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a good video of her full speech as she accepted the award for Best Supporting Actress in the movie, "12 Years A Slave", but the last part was just utterly inspiring when she said,
"When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you're from, your dreams are valid."
Wow. Onions, I tell you. Onions.
Here she is at the Ellen DeGeneres show, post-Oscars:
She's beautiful, smart, articulate and seems like a geniune person. I hope to see her grace us more with her presence in the future, so much so that my future kids would get to look up to her as a role model despite the abundance of sordid, tacky, out-dated celebrities that surround the entertainment industry.
Cheers, Lupita Nyong'o! May you have more Oscars to come!
I do apologize for the delayed posts, I've just been trying to recuperate from the dance-induced crazy night that I had last Wednesday. I'm pretty sure if you've checked my last Chill Pill session, you've already figured that I went to see the one and only Queen of Pop, MADONNAon her MDNA tour.
This is my third encounter with the Queen since I first went to see her on her Confessions tour around six years ago as a birthday celebration for my then-thirteen year old sister, Kiwi. To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect back then. I've been to other artist's concerts prior to the Confessions tour and I thought, "Hey if we're going to see Madonna for the first time, we might as well get great seats... she might throw a good show". Good show.Wow, that's an understatement of an understatement. I can't tell you everything play-by-play as to what went on that night, but when Madonna emerged from an over-sized Swarovski crystal-studded disco ball coming down from the ceiling, I knew I was in for one heck of a night.
People who complain about how her tickets are worth an arm and a leg and a first-born child won't fully understand the value, until one actually gets to see her perform - live. What you have to understand about Madonna is that she doesn't merely sing in her shows. She also gives you a performance worth wrecking your vocal chords to, as she commands the stage that leaves no booty unshaken. This 54-year old woman easily out-dances her twenty-something back-up dancers, and her aura is so surreal that you would want to just bask in all its glory. This is why even the biggest celebrities come out of their big flashy sunglasses and watch her shows.
Speaking of celebrities, it's easy to spot them bee-lining their way to their seats without getting noticed as people briskly secure floor seat tickets to the show. Unfortunately, I was too slow to snap a picture of the svelte Heidi Klum and bodacious Jessica Alba as they were passing through just a couple of feet away from us. My little sister who's a big outrageous fan of Glee yelped as she saw Glee actor, Chris Colfer pop out from nowhere as well.
Right below is the only "decent" photo that I was able to capture of Ms. Alba... thanks to the guy with the velvet jacket - who was completely in the way of my camera lens! After this shot was taken, we ran towards Jessica before she got to the VIP section. We were able to get close to her, like I-could-smell-her-hair close but she had her back towards us and somehow she deliberately was ignoring us couldn't hear us call her out so we decided to go back to our seats. Star-struck fail. Seriously.
For the MDNA tour, DJ Martin Solveig pumped up the audience before Madonna came on to perform. Some of you may recognize his popular dance hits such as "Hello", and "The Night Out". He was later on joined by Madonna's adopted son, David, who was able work on the spin table as well. Wonder where he got his knack of music, eh? =)
With Madonna's son, David.
Please forgive me for my super amateur skills of video recording. I was literally holding up the camera as steady as I could while dancing. Here is a video clip of DJ Martin Solveig performing "The Night Out"...
Rocco, Madonna's son from ex-husband Guy Ritchie even made an appearance as well. If I'm not mistaken, this is the first tour that she's brought the boys out on stage. Check out Rocco donning a choir costume while his mom sang "Like A Prayer". Far left, first row.
Without further ado, here are some photos that I managed to take in between screaming and waving my hands frantically up in the air as I was bumpin' and shakin' like a Polaroid picture.
Her grand entrance...
Madonna performs Gang Bang, a song that was inspired by the movie Pulp Fiction...
She just loves working that guitar...
As she performed Express Yourself, she wittingly mashed-up Lady Gaga's all-too-familiar, notoriously recognized copycat version "Born This Way" into the song. Madonna ain't Madonna without the mischievous, controversial humor and I love every bit of it!
Madonna talking about world issues...that's her 25-year old boyfriend on the left with the mesh tank top.
Madonna strikes a pose (or a hundred) while singing Vogue.
Right when I thought that Madonna was going for the more conservative outfits and costumes this time around, she suddenly stripped down and flashed her entire hiney to the crowd, wearing only a black lace thong. I wasn't able to zoom in and take a better shot since everyone's camera and hands were in the way. Yes, I know. Too many fails for this amateur blogger for one night! The verdict? I think her beautiful, unbelievably fit and smooth bottom just made everyone drop their beers and Big Macs.
Check out her guns!
In her Egyptian-inspired costume, with her shoulders and right sleeve completely encrusted with crystals.
Not only was her performance seamless, but the stage production was mighty impressive as well. The strobing lights were AMAZE-ING and the visual effects in the backdrop left me all googly-eyed. I felt like a cave man being introduced to fire for the first time.
We were all totally blown away during the finale, when Madonna sang Celebration. You have to see it to believe it...
