Oscars 2015 Red Carpet Favourites and #AskHerMore

Monday 23 February 2015

As a pretty vocal feminist, I couldn't be more on board with Reese Witherspoon et al's call for actresses to be asked about more than their dresses during interviews at awards shows such as the Oscars. These extremely talented women deserve to be engaged in discussions that don't solely involve which designer they're wearing. So I wanted to take a second to discuss this idea here on the old blog.

There have been a lot of articles circling the web discussing whether or not it is sexist to ask a woman about her dress on the red carpet - to me, it isn't sexist in the slightest to ask them that, as long as it is not the only question they are asked. When it comes to these events, the men tend to look sharp in their suits, but there's rarely a surprise in terms of what they are wearing. Women, however, are afforded much more choice when it comes to fashion - will they go for a classic little black number, or something more outlandish? Of course then, women are more likely to be asked about what they are wearing than men are.

The problem arises when that is the only thing they are asked about. If the questions are "Who are you wearing?" and "How long did it take you to get ready today?", and then time's up, that's a problem. These are incredibly talented women, actresses, directors, producers, writers, and so much more than just a pretty dress. So Reese's instagram post yesterday, offering up a number of potential questions to ask the women on the red carpet got a massive thumbs up from me.

HOWEVER. I think there can be a totally different type of problem when we start to attack the idea of red carpet fashion, or criticise the interest in it in general. Being interested in fashion and wanting to discuss it does not make you a bad feminist - the entire idea of feminism is that men and women should have equal rights, and everyone should be given the opportunity to be completely themselves, and embrace all of their interests at once. That includes beauty and fashion, for men and women.

So tonight I want to embrace both! I want to support the call to #AskHerMore, because it is incredibly important - we have to stop consistently prioritising what people look like. But I also want to embrace the fact that I love perusing the red carpet fashion reports, watching the photos come in on Twitter, and dreaming of the day Elie Saab, Badgley Mischka or Chanel designs my dress for the Oscars *cough, a girl can dream, cough*.

Ask her about her process, why she chose to take the part, what the challenges were, who her favourite director/actor has been this year, and then have a chat about how completely stunning she looks in that gown. Do the same with the men, and everyone wins.

So here is Reese's brilliant instagram snap, followed by a few of my personal favourites from last night! All image sources are linked at the end of this post :)

Source: The Guardian



I thought Reese Witherspoon looked so elegant in this Tom Ford monochrome gown. Emma Stone was, as per, stunning in Elie Saab and I just love Cate Blanchett - the epitome of class in this all black Maison Martin Margiela gown.



Jamie Chung was so stunning in Yanina Couture (her hair and makeup were perfection too). I actually preferred Lupita Nyong'O's dress at the after party (Calvin Klein), and she just looked glowing!! Anna Kendrick is always beautiful, but I particularly liked this Thakoon dress, and again, the hair and makeup was lovely.



Some nude coloured gowns now - I wasn't quite sure about the waist on Chloe Grace Moretz's dress, but I liked it otherwise, and she just always looks so cool. I'm not usually one for fussy dresses, but I thought J-Lo's princess-style dress from Elie Saab was gorgeous (they rarely fail to deliver) - wasn't keen on the pink makeup though. And I loved the simplicity of Zoe Saldana's cutsom Versace gown.



I know a few people on Twitter weren't keen on the colour of Julianne's Chanel gown, but I thought she looked beautiful. Rosamund Pike's Givenchy Haute Couture gown was the talk of the town, and I have to admit, even though I wasn't one hundred percent sold on the split, it was a striking choice and she did look gorgeous. And finally, we have Jennifer Hudson at the after party - her yellow red carpet number was beautiful too, but what can I say - I'm a sucker for a LBD.


What was your favourite look from last night?

Thanks for reading :)

Image Credit: All images sourced from Vogue and ELLE.

Wednesday Wisdom #1

Wednesday 18 February 2015

For the past six months or so, every Sunday night, I've posted an inspiring quote on instagram. As a Pinterest-quote addict myself, I always find that it helps me end the week/start a new week on a positive note. These quotes usually get a pretty good response - everyone needs a wee boost during Sunday night blues, right?! - so I wanted to find a way to work it into my blog.

I thought about doing a Motivational Monday series a la the lovely Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter, but I know that is quite a common one, so I decided to start posting mine on a Wednesday! Hopefully they can act as a little mid-week mood lifter, just to remind me (and you guys) of the positive vibes we started the week with, when the weekend still seems a little bit further away than we might like!

My Instagram - @lynseymac1
Original Source - Pinterest

This week I decided on this lovely quote from novelist and screenwriter John Irving. This quote can really apply to any aspect of life, from your relationships to your hobbies, but at the moment I'm going to be relating it to career!

A few nights ago I was out for a catch up with some of my friends, and one of them was talking about her day at work. At the end of describing her hectic afternoon, she said she felt lucky to love her job so much, and it really struck a chord with me. It seemed so amazing to hear her say that, because honestly? Most of the people I know tolerate their job at most - many of them actively dislike it. And there really is nothing worse than living for the weekend - sitting at a desk feeling bored or stressed and watching the clock, counting down the hours till 5pm on Friday! When so much of our lives ends up being taken up working, it's awful that for so many people the hours spent in their jobs are unhappy ones.

I think so many people settle for a job that is there in front them because the thought of going after something we really want feels too overwhelming, or like too much of a risk. But if you're lucky enough to have a passion for something you could potentially make a living from, create an opportunity to make it a reality!! There's a temptation to see the things we're passionate about as "just a hobby", or a pipe dream, but you really never know unless you try! It could be as simple as finding the right contact by sending out a couple of emails, or starting your own blog to showcase what you can do. They say if you find a job you love you never have to work a day in your life, and I genuinely wish we could all have that. Especially when we are young and free of responsibilities like babies and mortgages, we should try to figure out what we're passionate about and go after it. Saying that, there really is no age limit on going after what you want. Even if it doesn't work out, you'll know you had the guts to try!

Happy Wednesday everyone - hope you're having a great week. Follow me on instagram @lynseymac1 to watch out for next week's quote on Sunday night!

Thanks for reading!

A Cheesy Cheer Up Playlist

Tuesday 3 February 2015

Music has the most amazing ability to lift your mood. Something that never fails to cheer me up is to dance wildly around my living room - keeping in mind I am not graceful in the slightest - blasting some very cheesy pop songs. I'm serious. When the occasion calls for it I will shut myself in my living room or my kitchen, put on one of a number of songs (ten of which are included in this post) and dance around until I feel better. It becomes impossible not to smile after a while - a) because the songs can't fail to cheer you up, but b) because you look utterly ridiculous, but there's no-one there to see you. It gets rid of so much nervous energy.

So here, for your enjoyment, is my current mood boosting mix. In moments like these it is of vital importance that we let go of any inhibitions, and more importantly, any high brow music tastes. Times like this call for good, old fashioned cheese - and I recommend a mixture of classics (hi Blur) and current tunes (the new Fall Out Boy album makes me happy).

I can't tell you how many times I have danced round my living room to the first track on this list. It never, ever fails to put a smile on my face, so I hope it does the same for you :)


1. The Donnas - Dancing with Myself

2. Taylor Swift - Shake it Off

3. Panic at the Disco - Time to Dance

4. Lady Gaga - Fashion of his Love

5. Little Mix - Move

6. P!nk - Raise Your Glass

7. Fifth Harmony - Sledgehammer

8. Metro Station - Shake It

9. Fall Out Boy - Immortals

10. Blur - Song 2



View the playlist here :)


What songs do you swear by to pick you up on a bad day?

Thanks for reading, and have a lovely week!