You Can't Buy Love...

"Money is one of the biggest causes of relationship breakdowns, but don't bank on it working in reverse. If cash could save a troubled marriage, we wouldn't see so many spectacular bust-ups among the world's mega-rich celebrities" - Anthony Keane, The Advertiser

It's an age old saying "you can't buy love" and when reading Anthony Keane's article in my local newspaper recently, his perspective on the issue got me thinking.

These days, it seems as though celebrities are divorcing each other just as frequently as they're tying the knot. We don't need to go back very far to find examples like Katy Perry and Russell Brand, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, Seal and Heidi Klum, and let’s not forget the infamous 72 day marriage between Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries.

Although I'm a follower of the Kardashian clan, I was almost glad to see the media and society's backlash at the reality TV star following her half-hearted attempt at marriage. "Irreconcilable Differences" is the reason we usually hear for celebrity relationships not working out, but is the term purely legal jargon? Do these couples jump into marriage so quickly that they don't realise the ins and outs of the person they're committing a lifetime of happiness and love to? Are some of these marriages purely extreme stints of PR genius or has society simply reached a point where the act of marriage is not as sacred as it used to be?

I also find it interesting how few celebrities date or marry ‘ordinary’ people (and no, a music executive, film producer or script writer doesn't count). As I try and brainstorm examples, all I'm able to come up with is Matt Damon and Luciana Bozan Barroso (a Miami bartender), Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham (a motivational speaker) and Julia Roberts and Danny Moder (a cameraman whom she met on the set of her film The Mexican). Is it a coincidence that all 3 of these couples have sustained relationships longer than the Hollywood average? 

Essentially, I believe failed celebrity relationships come down to 3 factors: ego, priorities and schedules. I ask, how would you cope if your partner was on a music tour 8 out of the 12 months in a year, or on a 6 month stint in a foreign country filming a movie or on the road every couple of weeks playing in sports stadiums and fields across the country? For the partner left behind, it's a huge sacrifice and if children are thrown into the mix, it's virtually impossible to juggle the lot.

Sure, there are nannies, tutors and hired help who can ease the pressures of 'day to day' tasks (think Angelina and Brad who have a separate nanny for each of their 6 children) but how does the separation affect a couple, their lovelife and connection with one another?

I must admit, I kind of felt sorry for Katy Perry when the news broke of her divorce with Russell Brand. I remember being in Katy's dressing room on her 2011 Australian tour and overhearing her on the phone to (an assumed) Russell in a giddy, loved up voice repeating a string of "I love you's" while she sat beside the photo of him she'd stuck to her mirror.

When I recently heard Katy's latest single Part of Me off her album Teenage Dream Deluxe Edition, I only wished I had the talent and exposure to write and sing songs about my woes and relationship heartache the way she does. The lyrics are as emotional as an Adele ballad, but combined with Katy's signature pop flavour. Strip away the melody and cords of the song through and you're left with a good bye letter from one lover to another.

Part of Me
Days like this I want to drive away
Pack my bags and watch your shadow fade
You chewed me up and spit me out
Like I was poison in your mouth
You took my light, you drain me down
That was then and this is now
Now look at me


Chorus:
This is the part of me
That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no
This is the part of me
That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no
Throw your sticks and stones
Throw your bombs and blows
But you're not gonna break my soul
This is the part of me
That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no


I just wanna throw my phone away
Find out who is really there for me
You ripped me off, your love was cheap
Was always tearing at the seams
I fell deep and you let me drown
But that was then and this is now
Now look at me

Chorus:
This is the part of me
That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no
This is the part of me
That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no
Throw your sticks and stones
Throw your bombs and blows
But you're not gonna break my soul
This is the part of me
That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no


Bridge:
Now look at me I'm sparkling
A firework, a dancing flame
You'll won't never put me out again
I'm glowing oh whoa
You can keep the diamond ring
It don't mean nothing anyway
In fact you can keep everything
Yeah yeah, except for me


Chorus:
This is the part of me
That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no
This is the part of me
That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no (away from me)
Throw your sticks and stones
Throw your bombs and blows
But you're not gonna break my soul
This is the part of me
That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no

This is the part of me (no)
(away from me) This is the part of me
Throw your sticks and stones
Throw your bombs and blows
But you're not gonna break my soul
This is the part of me
That you're never gonna ever take away from me, no.



And The Oscar Goes To...

Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the 2012 Oscar’s wrap up through the eyes and ears of Life After 20.

If you’re a regular reader, you’re probably already aware of my love for films and in particular, the Academy Awards. If not, then you can get up to speed by clicking on the following posts:

• And The Nominees Are…
• Movie Review: The Artist

With the unfortunate time difference between Australia and the United States, my Oscars experience this year was reduced to regular Internet updates and red carpet commentary via cocoperez.com

As previously mentioned in the posts above, my quest to see all the films up for Best Picture before the awards commenced unfortunately fell short by just 1, as I still have Hugo produced by Graham King and Martin Scorsese to tick off the list. Without having seen it, it’s hard for me to judge whether Hugo was worthy of its 5 awards, but from those I know who have viewed it in 3D, they couldn’t speak highly enough of the enchanting children’s film which has had a remarkable appeal amongst adult audiences too.

The night began with Octavia Spencer being awarded Best Supporting Actress for her brilliant performance in The Help. The next major award was Christopher Plummer (or as my good friend recently informed me- ‘Mr Von Trap’) winning Best Supporting Actor for Beginners, a film which somehow slipped under my radar and has now made it to the top of my DVD list. Plummer's speech literally brought tears to my eyes, as his appreciation to have won an Oscar at the age of 82, making him the oldest winner in history, transcended television. It was a beautiful, heartfelt moment accompanied by a standing ovation from the star-studded audience.

While Natalie Portman’s dress failed to impress me this year, her presentation of Best Actor was flawless. She spoke of the male nominees with conviction, respect and admiration and delivered her speech perfectly. Moments after, Juan Dujardin stood up from his seat in disbelief after taking out the prestigious award. His acceptance speech began with a reference to the 1920’s, the period in which his film The Artist was set. He spoke of how in that same decade the first Oscar’s was held, with tickets set at $5 and a ceremony which lasted a mere 15 minutes. He was undoubtedly a proud foreign winner.

When Colin Firth took the stage to present Best Actress (a category which I believe was one of the toughest at this year’s awards), he was clearly thrilled to announce Meryl Streep as the winner for her portrayal of British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Having been nominated for an Oscar a record breaking 17 times (winning only 2 statues in previous years), it was obvious that Meryl was utterly shocked that she’d won so far into her illustrious career. Her speech was beautiful, humble and I believe showed a genuine woman who feels blessed to have lived such a fortunate life.

And finally, from the moment the lights went up in the cinema following my viewing of The Artist, I knew it would be my frontrunner for Best Picture and I’m thrilled that such a spectacular film took out this year’s top award. The Artist was magical in all the ways that quality film-making should be and a rarity I don’t think we’ll see again for a long time.

To wrap things up, the Oscar’s can’t be discussed without talking about the host of the evening. The Academy certainly improved with this year's choice in comparison to their Anne Hathaway/James Franco disaster of last year, but at times Billy Crystal was still a little off-beat for me. Maybe next year they should spice things up a bit with Tina Fey or one of the hilarious ladies from Bridesmaids?


Moving onto one of the most anticipated parts of the evening and there's no denying that this year's red carpet looks had more hits than misses- probably because they were all quite safe choices. Despite no one stepping out in 'THE' dress (think Hilary Swank 2005, Penelope Cruz 2007 or Halle Berry 2002) there were a lot of beautiful creations on display. Here's a snap shot...

Gwyneth Paltrow was near flawless in her Tom Ford dress. While the matching cape seemed to polarise people, I thought it brought something different and unexpected to her understated look. Her hair however, was terrible. I get minimalistic, but it was a lose low pony tail with no pizazz.

I'm not quite sure why Milla Jovovich was at the Oscar's, but I'm certainly glad her white Elie Saab dress made an appearance. It was one of my favourite looks of the evening.

Nude dresses have been a popular choice on the red carpet this award season and Cameron Diaz wore a Gucci show stopper. Although the dress fit her athletic figure like a glove, sadly, I thought it also washed her out a bit. Her change of outfit for the Vanity Fair Oscar's After Party however, was utterly AMAZING!

No one does red carpet sexiness better than Jennifer Lopez and in a Zuhair Murad dress which left little to the imagination, J.Lo proved once again that she's still got it. 

George Clooney may not have won the award for Best Actor, but he had his own golden statue by his side the entire evening. Stacy Keibler was sublime in her Marchesa creation. The rose hip was extravagant and not to my taste, but Stacy's statuesque body managed to carry it with style. 

Octavia Spencer shone in Tadashi Shoji with a dress that was impeccably flattering and hugged her body in all the right places. A sensational choice in my opinion. 

Rooney Mara is hard to read. She's seems a little shy and a bit alternative, both elements which were perfectly translated in her white Givenchy gown with plunging neckline.

Michelle Williams' peplum Louis Vuitton dress in a shade between coral and pomegranate (according to Ryan Seacrest) was the perfect silhouette for her petite frame.

Emma Stone gets my vote for the best use of colour in this vibrant red Giambattista Valli dress which looks amazing against her skin. While the shoulder bow is a little distracting to me, she not only looked beautiful on stage but was also hilarious while presenting with Ben Stiller! 

Melissa McCarthy looked perfect in a Grecian Marina Rinaldi dress. It was lovely to see her steer away from darker shades and from her hair to accessories, everything just worked.

The half Argentine, half French beauty from The Artist, Berenice Bejo was tres chic in an incredibly detailed mint green Elie Saab creation. 

Somehow Glenn Close was able to pull off a stunning corseted Zac Posen dress underneath a blazer jacket? Unconventional on the red carpet, yes, but the deep green looked gorgeous against her skin and her hair and makeup were flawless.

Viola Davis was sublime in her emerald green Vera Wang dress which off set her glowing skin beautifully. I LOVED her choice to leave her hair natural and from her makeup to accessories, everything about this look was right on the mark. My only criticism was that the bust seemed far too tight.

Just in case Meryl Streep didn't win the Oscar, she was going to dress like one regardless. This Lanvin number was definitely a brave choice but you can't help but love the care-free attitude she brings to the red carpet. Beautiful draping and a great neckline was what made this dress so fabulous. 

Sometimes black fabric with gold embroidery can look more like a Matador's bolero than a Oscar worthy dress, but Jessica Chastain looked stunning in Alexander McQueen.

Australian funny girl Rose Byrne made a statement in her one shoulder Vivienne Westwood number. With a daring open back and blunt hair cut, the whole look came together beautifully. 

I think Angelina Jolie practiced this pose a few too many times in the mirror before stepping out onto the red carpet, because she adopted that stance while presenting during the ceremony too. The simple truth is Angelina's gorgeous and when you're in a Versace gown as perfect as this, there's no need to try so hard. She would have looked flawless with half the effort.

[ For a full list of the Oscar Winners, head to oscar.go.com ]

Glory...

...and this is why I love Beyonce and Jay Z.

Unlike most celebrity couples who are looking to make a quick buck, The Carter Family rejected offers from media outlets and magazines to sell the first pictures of their newborn daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Instead, they took to their websites (Beyonce and Jay Z) to release a series of beautiful, candid photographs accompanied by the following message:

...and because I get teary every time I hear this song, here's Glory feat. B.I.C.

[ Click here for the lyrics ]

Adele Does Vogue...

So while the rest of the world may be a little sick and tired of the Adele tornado, I for one can't seem to get enough. After winning the Brit Award for Album of the Year, Adele's domination throughout the award season has been the kind that dreams are made of and one that most artists will never experience in their careers. 

The other night I watched Adele’s concert DVD live from the Royal Albert Hall in London. She was, in all senses of the word, brilliant and definitely a person I will make sure I go see if she ever passes through my corner of the world. One of the things I loved about her show, was that she opened herself up to the audience and told the story, meaning and experience behind every song and how she felt in that moment. It was like reading someone’s diary and instantly being able to relate to the words on the page. There were no gimmicks, no backup dancers, big bold stage sets or acrobats flying through the air. Instead, there was simply Adele- a calm figure, poised, powerful and vulnerable as she assumed her position centre stage, and rightly so. 

Adele’s album 21 is essentially about the relationship, break-up and healing process after the fall-out with her ex-boyfriend. The lyrics in her album allude to the fact that at the time, she absolutely hated him, but now as she explains the meaning behind the songs, she speaks of him fondly and shares that while they’re both in new relationships, they are still very much in each other’s lives.

As previously blogged about in my recent Grammy's post, late last year Adele modeled for the March issue of US Vogue magazine and the editorial spread is in. These photos are to die for, so enjoy.

Achilles Heel...

Whether it’s in life or love, I’ve come to realise through my own experiences and those of the people around me, that we all have an Achilles Heel. Obviously I'm not referring to the physical kind, but by this I mean that one friend or past lover who, no matter how hard you try to resist, always seems to rein you back in with unprecedented force.

For me, it’s a girlfriend who despite making no effort to catch up on a regular basis, knows in the back of her mind that I will always have her back and will never turn her down in a time of need. We’ve been through too many experiences with each other that now, I find it hard to say no to her. I will probably always be her shoulder to cry on, her voice of reason and that one person who can reminisce about times once had and in doing so, bring a smile to her face. And as crazy as it sounds, if I’m being honest, she probably wouldn’t do the same for me. I don’t know why I can accept that fact so easily? Maybe I just know her limitations and therefore aren’t expecting things from her that I know she can’t deliver? Regardless, I count her as an important friend and despite our infrequent catch-ups, we’ll probably always be in and out of each other’s lives.

Then there’s the Achilles heel of relationships and this one can be dangerous. Whether it’s your first love, the person who gave you the best sex of your life or someone that simply makes you feel sexy, beautiful, comfortable, safe or all of the above, there was probably a reason why the relationship didn’t work out, yet they keep popping up in your life and you keep letting them back in.

When it comes to the Achilles of relationships, there’s no reasoning, rationalising, justifying or trying to understand how or why you let them pass ‘go’ time and time again. But in my effort to blame it on something, I’m putting it down to the simple fact that “people do stupid things when they’re in love” or furthermore, make stupid decisions when it comes to those that they were once in love with. It’s an interesting dance that our mind and our heart seem to play with each other. One goes left, the other right, and in the end you’re left straddling a line and knowing that parts of both directions make sense.

With all of my closest friends, I have seen them bounce back from some pretty horrendous relationships with men who I could clearly and objectively surmise were not right for them. With time, they each came to realise this fact after being lied to, heartbroken or having faced some pretty damaging truths and while parts of them know for a fact that they are better off without these men, there remains a cosmic force that keeps luring them back. 

Whether you loved Sex and the City or hated it, there’s no denying that beneath the Manolo Blahnik's, catwalk fashions and fabulous parties, Carrie Bradshaw and her on-again, off-again relationship with Mr Big is a scenario which I'm sure most of us can relate to in our own lives. Her emotional tug of war polarised viewers, including my girlfriends and I- some who thought she was better off without Big and others who thought he was the love of her life in a complicated kind of way? In any case, he was her Achilles Heel and while her friends had their own views and opinions on the relationship, sometimes love is a journey and healing process you have to go on alone before you can clearly see what everyone else can. 

So what’s the point to my Achilles Heel theory, you ask? Well, I suppose I don’t specifically have one, except to acknowledge that we all have these types of people in our lives and we can’t ignore it. I don’t know if it’s right or wrong for me to keep accepting these people into my present, but in some place in my mind it makes sense in the same way as it does for my girlfriends within their own unique circumstances. So maybe, for as long as these people make me feel good more often than bad, I should take them and their baggage along for my ride through life. 

New York Fashion Week...

Following the trends showcased at events like New York Fashion Week can often be disheartening, especially when you're in Australia and celebrating the turn of seasons at the opposite time as the cities which dictate what we wear. 

However, thanks to a feature of the Internet that I have heavily embraced- Online Shopping, it is now possible to get one step ahead of the pack and begin collecting key pieces for the upcoming season.

From what I could see on the catwalks this month, your wardrobe must or lust haves include:

• Fur. Fur scarves, jackets, hats or gloves, however your piece of faux comes, it'll be a winner to any look. 
• Leather. Leather trousers, jackets and skirts were a predominant feature of this season's looks and it's not just black that's being embraced, but colour leathers such as maroon and red.
• Metallics. Gold more so than silver.
• Belts. Wide and thin, belts of all shapes and sizes were popular, with gold belts accompanying various looks.
• Suits. Pant suits were a big feature in the collections of designers such as Victoria Beckham and Rachel Zoe.

And in a perfect world, my closet would include a little...

Calvin Klein...

Diane von Furstenberg...

 J Mendel...

 Michael Kors...

 Rachel Zoe...

Victoria Beckham...

 

[ All images via style.com ]