Review – Ursula D.

It just can’t get any better than a throwback movie and a bucket of popcorn!

Let’s face it, there is something about a movie that was made in the early 2000s that hits all the marks. You want a movie with laughs (check), romance (check), something your guy friend will still enjoy (check), and a compelling storyline (check)? A movie made during this time will ultimately please. Don’t worry I didn’t spoil any endings, although it was so hard not to! …In no particular order, here are my ten nostalgic favorites.

Sleepover

Made in 2004, this teen classic is not to be missed. Sleepover is packed with unexpected twists and turns along the way, tracing a group of middle school girls- yes, they definitely look older than I did in middle school- who embark on a scavenger hunt, racing against the clock against the “popular” girls. The goal of the scavenger hunt? To win the coveted fountain lunch spot in high school. Their journey is heartfelt and sentimental, and there is enough comic relief to get any doubter through the movie. Jeff Garlin, who plays protagonist Julie’s dad, is especially funny as well as frenzied police chief Sherman played by Steve Carell. If you need a laugh, a cry, or a journey to a simpler time- where games mean war and scrunchies are in- this movie is just right.

Josie and the Pussycats

The fashion is to die for. The music is funky and nostalgic. The underlying theme about commercialism is more progressive for its time than could be predicted. I mean..need I say more? Based on the popular 1970s cartoon under the same name, Josie and the Pussycats features a band of musicians whose aim is to make it big in the music industry. However, when they do land on the top of the charts, they realize that there is more to their music than what meets the ear. Yet, with friendship and passion at the center of their group, there is no telling what these kitty cats can achieve, even if it means breaking convention. If that isn’t convincing enough, just watch it for all of the unstoppable 90s inspired looks.

What a Girl Wants

Colin Firth is in this movie and if that isn’t convincing enough I don’t know what is! Amanda Bynes plays leading lady Daphne Reynolds as she navigates life in London, where she locates her birth father and attempts to find her way in British society, despite being raised in Chinatown, New York City. Daphne plays such an incredibly likable character, you’ll find yourself cheering for her throughout the entire film. Her clumsiness, which I can personally relate to, reassures me that sometimes it is much more compelling to live life in your own skin than pretend to be something more pleasing to others.

Wild Child

Wild Child is one of those movies I could watch again, and again, and again. I know what to expect every time, but the novelty of watching the movie never wears off. If you are like me, and wish you attended a British boarding school, you are sure to enjoy this one. The movie walks you through the trials and tribulations of being an uprooted, spoiled Californian at a conservative British boarding school and showcases how friends can be made during the most challenging circumstances. Throw in love interest Alex Pettyfer and you have yourself a pretty perfect teen flick. We all love a girl gang, we all love thrift store outfit montages, and we all love a forbidden romance. Transitive property, we all love this movie.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

Who would have thought that Lindsay Lohan could have two smash hits in one year, but she did! Playing the new girl in school, once again, Lindsay embarks on adventure after adventure, whether it be landing the school musical’s leading lady, stealing costumes from the dressing room, or sneaking into a famous band’s after party. The soundtrack also is not to be missed, epitomizing those early 2000s sounds filled with electronic guitar and heavy drums. A combination of musical and teenage romcom movie, this is always a go-to. Yes, I might also have this one in CD format.

Mean Girls

Mean Girls is a cult classic movie that has engrained itself into American culture in astonishing ways- so much so that Mean Girls Day even has its place on the calendar (It’s October 3rd). Lindsay Lohan, who plays the movie’s protagonist Cady, is the new girl in town who joins in the “Mean Girls” clan in order to bring down the group, operating from the inside. By exploiting each member’s weaknesses, Cady begins to break the friend’s strong bonds and inherent high school “coolness”, but it comes at a steep price. If you want to know what all the hype is about, set aside and hour and a half and immerse yourself in 2000s teen culture.

Miss Congeniality

Are you looking for action, adventure, pageantry, and a whole lot of laughs? In almost everything I watch, this is a go-to list of requirements, making Miss Congeniality a personal favorite. Sandra Bullock plays an “unladylike” undercover agent who is forced to compete in a Miss America pagent to uncover pagent criminals that are hiding in plain sight. If you love transformations and montages as much as I do, this movie will surely not disappoint. Again, if you early 2000s love outfits, this one is for you. It’s a pagent for crying out loud!

The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada is another cult classic that is genuinely iconic. Meryl Streep plays boss lady Miranda Priestly in the movie, who is rumored to be modeled after the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, alongside her struggling assistant Andy, played by Anne Hathaway. The movie chronicles the plight of Miranda’s assistant, as she tries to navigate both the world of high fashion and an incredibly demanding boss. At the outset, Andy scoffs at the fashion world, but slowly her secure footing on the matter begins to slip, as she encounters the incredible perks of looking shiny and undercutting those around her. Want to know how this one ends? You’ll just have to watch to find out!

The Holiday

The Holiday is hands down one of my favorite movies and has been for quite some time. Jude Law is gorgeous, Kate Winslet is, well, Kate Winslet, and Cameron Diaz and Jack Black play incredibly genuine characters that complete the cast. The movie is about two women who decide to run away from their problems by swapping houses over the holidays and, essentially, their lives as well. There is a fragility and rawness about the story that is heartwarming and incredibly relatable. The movie is a great reminder that life does not have to be perfect to be special. Sometimes, it can just be.

13 Going on 30

If you are as much of a Jennifer Garner fan as I am, then this movie is not to be passed up. Jennifer plays the 30 year old version of Jenna Rink, a middle schooler who is dying to be 30 to escape her tormented youth in the 80s. Bringing her youthful mentality to her new life as a successful, wealthy adult, Jenna sees the joys of her newfound adulthood, but also realizes the price she has had to pay in order to achieve her dreams. It’s heartwarming, it’s funny, and the fashion is as trendy now as it was in 2004. Bring the tissues for the heartfelt ending!

Breaking down the products behind Rihanna’s newest business success: skin care.

*Photos taken from Fenty Beauty Website*

It goes without saying that Rihanna has been taking retail by storm, redefining industry norms and playing by her own rules: FENTY rules. First Rihanna made waves with FENTY Beauty, providing an incredible 40 shade range foundation- along with some other pretty amazing products. The company’s diverse range of products landed its rightful place on Time Magazine’s 25 best inventions of 2017 and even sparked major beauty retailers, such as L’Oréal, to begin selling and marketing deeper cosmetic shades for woman of color. Next it was Savage X FENTY, a lingerie company, which again emphasized inclusivity, showcasing a range of skin tones and sizes for women of all colors and shapes. After lingerie, Rihanna was after the rest of the body with her FENTY fashion brand. FENTY was released under the LVMH group, making Rihanna the first woman and woman of color ever to create a fashion brand with LVMH. Now, Rihanna is after skincare with FENTY Skin, having recently premiered 3 products in its new line. I had the privilege to speak with my good friend Chelsea Cates-Rollins who was able to get her hands on these highly sought after products. Chelsea, take it away!

(Make sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to see Chelsea’s full video review as well!)

Chelsea, tell us a little about yourself and for how long you have been a beauty enthusiast?

I am 23 years old and currently working in NYC in digital media after graduating from Babson College in 2018. I have always been into anything and everything beauty – hair, nails, makeup etc. My earliest memory is playing in my moms makeup when I was 10 years old and taking a picture, I thought was so cute at the time, but definitely cringe worthy now.

What made you want to purchase Rihanna’s FENTY Skin products?

I LOVE Rihanna, I’m pretty sure if you ask any of my friends they would tell you the same. When she first came out with Fenty Beauty I bought one of their first products, which was the Gloss Bomb and loved it! After that I said “if Rihanna comes out with a skincare line I’ll buy it” and lo and behold she did and I bought it.

Can you give us a quick rundown of each product and your initial impressions?

She came out with 3 products in her first launch and, before I go into detail, one of those was a Sunscreen, which I appreciated especially coming from a Black woman. Specifically, in the Black community applying sunscreen isn’t normalized and I think that was a great first addition to the line. Now going into my overall first impressions…

Cleanser (rating: 9/10)

The cleanser suds up really well and gives your face a fresh clean feeling without drying it out which is amazing!! The only reason I didn’t give this a full 10/10 is because although it smells great, fragrance can be harsh for a lot of people’s skin so that eliminates a few candidates. And, although the packaging is great for travel because it is a twist cap, a bit of the cleanser dries up on the cap and touches whatever surface you put it on which can also be a bit harmful for people with sensitive skin.

“Fat Water” a.k.a Toner (rating: 9/10)

Similar to the cleanser, it’s just the packaging that deducts that one point, mainly because it is a bit harder of a plastic and you can accidentally use too much product pushing (which I have done….multiple times). Other than that, I love the Fat Water and I actually see a physical difference, mainly in the amount of oil my face accumulates. I have combination skin, but it’s more oily than dry and since this is a pore refining toner it doesn’t help get rid of large pores, but definitely helps shrink them a.k.a less oil on your face throughout the day!!

Sunscreen SPF 30 (rating: 10/10)

And finally the sunscreen, my favorite honestly. I love this stuff! It does have a bit of fragrance so sensitive skin people be warned, but it’s not overwhelming. It smells great, isn’t greasy, you don’t need to use a lot of product, and the bottle is reusable! So, anytime you need a refill you only need to purchase the inside portion with the actual product. This is probably my favorite packaging because of that, and it also travels well. A lot of people use this as a moisturizer, which it technically is based on the name, but I personally still use a moisturizer and add this on top as my sunscreen.

What is your favorite product out of the collection and why?

I already brought this up, but definitely the sunscreen! I do like all the products and I have seen a difference in my skin, but the sunscreen is really my favorite. Not only because it looks great, smells great, and feels great, but because it’s promoting more people to protect their skin from the sun and I love that!

How do these products compare to the skin care products that you already own?

I dibble and dabble in a lot of different products, but since quarantine i’ve been doing a bit more research trying to understand things and I do enjoy these products better. I still use my other serums in my routine, but I haven’t yet switched back to my old cleanser, toner, and sunscreen. Will I? Not sure maybe, it’s only been about a week and a half since I started using Fenty Skin, so time will tell. For now though, I am going to stick to using Fenty Skin. I think there are a lot of comparable products, but in the end it’s all about what you believe your skin needs and listening to it when a product it doesn’t agree with your skin.

Are these products worth their price?

I for sure think these are worth the price!! Skin care is generally expensive if you’re going for more high end products and I have paid more for other skin care products than I have for these, i’ll admit. So if you’re looking for a bit more of an upscale product, you won’t break the bank, but this isn’t your standard drug store skin products (and nothing wrong with your typical drugstore products I use them too), but compared to a Drunk Elephant, Youth to the People, or other similar to this, Fenty Skin is definitely more affordable!

Are these products something you can see yourself using every day and replacing your old products with?

Yes for sure! I already replaced my old everyday products for these and I use these products day and night, besides the sunscreen I only use that during the day. Overall, these products aren’t harsh, do not try out your skin, and are super easy to incorporate into your everyday life busy or not.

Last question. What are your overall final impressions of Rihanna’s skin care debut and do you think her line competes with other popular brands, such as Kylie Skin, The Ordinary, and Glossier?

In all honesty I haven’t tried Kylie Skin or Glossier, but I moved from The Ordinary toner (which I loved and still do love) to the Fat Water Toner. I really like Fat Water Toner, mainly because I saw a difference in my pores after the first night I used it. I still use my ordinary serums in my everyday routine and I still use my drug store Ceerave moisturizer and aloe vera gel, but for the products that did get replaced by Rihanna’s products I will miss, but at the moment don’t plan on going back.

Watch Chelsea’s Review

Tag: Review

My 10 Favorite Cheesy Movies from the early 2000s