If you haven’t noticed the growing media coverage and conversations around marriage equality at the moment then quite frankly, you’ve been living under a rock. As your online gay best friend, it is my duty to ask you to help support changing the law in the UK, and across the world, to allow gay couples to marry as equals to straight couples.

Woah. Fit. Fit. Fit. Fit. Fit! Check out the premiere of Maroon 5‘s latest video, ‘Payphone‘ featuring Wiz Khalifa. The video shows the amazing Adam Levine as a bank clerk superhero who saves a co-worker before ending up in a… Payphone. That’s right.

Not a bad video actually…Adam Levine get in my bed! What do you guys think?

Calling all Christian Louboutin fans out there – the top French shoe designer is about to launch a whole new beauty range! Excited much?

Christian Louboutin has just announced their first venture into the beauty market with Christian Louboutin Beauté. It’s actually a new company that will sit alongside the fashion house and will produce luxury cosmetic items across a range of beauty and makeup ranges.

Our favourite shoe designer will collaborate with Batallure Beauty to create the new Beauté range. Co-founder Robin Burns says, “Wearing a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes completely transforms a woman and Christian will bring that same transformative quality to women through his beauty products.”

This is great news, because for women out there that don’t have the disposable income to be transformed by a pair of Louboutin heels, can get a similar magic effect from makeup which is obviously a cheaper option! Awesomeness.

The man himself [Christian Louboutin] says : “Twenty years ago I started what I thought would be a small adventure, which ended up becoming a company. The beauty adventure is a natural extension for someone like me, who likes to empower women and to be a part of creating beauty seems like the right next step”

The first of the Christian Louboutin Beauté products should be launched late next year so we still have a fair amount of time to wait – the question is, would you buy Louboutin lippy?

You may have already read my Barclaycard Platinum credit card review that I posted a little while back, and the horrific experience I went through with them. I actually found them on a credit card comparison website, but I wanted to share some tips with you guys to ensure you avoid making the same mistakes I did…

When you set out to compare credit cards, don’t necessarily go for the best option that the website presents you with. Remember that they get some sort of commission for every customer that signs up for a credit card, so take the time to do you research first, before committing to something that could potentially cost you a lot of money, and time. Of course, this was my first mistake. I set out to look for a credit card that had a 0% balance transfer deal, for the longest period of time possible. I’m not entirely sure which comparison site I used now, and to be honest, it’s neither here nor there – but all I know is that the Barclaycard Platinum credit card was at the top of the list…

Before you fill in the online application form – I advise you give the credit card company a quick call. First speak to their sales team, then ask to be put through to their customer service team. Trust me, it’ll be worth it. You may find that their sales team are a UK call centre who are friendly and enticing to get your business, but as soon as you’re a customer you get shipped off to a foreign call centre where you’re presented with the endless array of problems I experienced. Once you have spoken to both teams and you’re happy with the way they have handled your call, you’re probably in safe hands to continue with your online application.

My last piece of advice when taking out a credit card would be to make sure you clearly ask questions on the telephone. All calls to financial companies such as credit cards are recorded, which means that if there is ever a dispute in the future like I experienced with Barclaycard, they can listen back to the call and see if the advisor has given you misinformation, if they have, you have added protection.

This post hasn’t been written to scare you not to have a credit card, but ensure you take the necessary steps to protect yours – it’s important!

Spring is upon us and it’s time to think about spring cleaning – and I’m not talking about your cupboards! It’s time to tidy your finances. Whether you’re a spender or a saver, I am sure no one would disagree with me when I say you can never have too much income. Most of us have a wardrobe full of clothes and rooms full of unused impulse buys that could be doing something more productive than collecting dust – minimalism is certainly in this year.

I’m talking about old dresses, accessories, gadgets, ex-boyfriend’s shirts (just make sure they are your ex-boyfriend’s) – absolutely anything. Remember, if it can be posted it can be sold! This is a great way of getting rid of some clutter and it makes some easy money while you’re at it. You’ll be amazed at how much stuff you have that you don’t use anymore and spring is the perfect time for a no-prisoner policy!

I started by making my way around the house picking up everything and anything I hadn’t used/needed so far this year. I made a pile of items and took photographs of them one by one, putting each of the items on eBay. After waiting a week I actually made an easy £600 for just two hours in front of the laptop – not bad, huh? Just beware of Paypal fees to withdraw your money, it is often an unexpected sting.

I think we all have moments in our lives when we feel messy and unorganised. A clean home can certainly lead to a clean mind and this is a great way to continue the year ahead.
Look around your home and make a collection of everything and anything you don’t wear or use anymore. Be brutal, and remember you’re only letting yourself down by making excuses as to why you should keep things. Think minimal – think cutthroat!

Finally, with all this new found cash you’ll need to find somewhere to stash it! Don’t forget to compare the best savings accounts deals to ensure you get a good interest rate on your money. In the current economic climate it is hard to find a good deal on savings, but with enough care and will power to search – the right deals are definitely out there for you, it’s just a case of finding them.

Once you have sold and shipped all your unwanted items to their new loving owners, you’ll feel organised and refreshed to know that you’re ready to face the year ahead and the best part? You’ll have some extra cash to stash away for a rainy day…oh what the hell – spend it.

We all want possessions: cars, clothes, jewellery, gadgets – even pets. No matter what we have, we always want more and nothing seems to douse our burning desire to buy, to own. I was driving through a local village the other afternoon with a girlfriend who told me something very wise that I wanted to pass on to you. It’s probably not something you’ve thought about before, I sure hadn’t. But the fact of the matter is – everything you buy is a burden.

That’s right girls, I am about to tell you the negatives of shopping and no matter what you buy: a lipstick, a laptop – a lapdog in fact, it’s just something else to worry about. You are unlikely to think about the consequences of everything you own – even with something as small as a lipstick, there are a whole host of things for you to consider or worry about; whether it goes with your outfit, whether to carry it around with you and what if you lose it?!
OK, so that’s quite an insignificant example but its true none the less. So what about the bigger things in life? The ones that we perhaps can’t afford outright and with finance and debt  comes even bigger burdens…

I always wanted a Volkswagen Beetle and instead of saving and buying it outright, I maxed out the remainder of my credit card and popped to the bank and asked them to fit the bill for the rest. So now I’m saddled with monthly repayments that eat into my salary. The worst part is since leaving my trusty Ford behind, I have had a new catalytic converter, new brakes, new starter motor and a new battery – that multiplied by the larger cost of tax, petrol and insurance for a bigger engine, I begin to wonder, is it really worth it?! The pleasure I now get from driving my VW Beetle is simply counteracted by the monthly repayments and upkeep of it.

So the moral of the story? Credit isn’t glamorous. Just because you get what you want right there and then, we often fail to see the bigger picture and fully understand the commitment we’re taking on when we buy something – on credit or not. If we live a simpler, less materialistic life, we’ll all benefit from an increase in our overall happiness and a decrease in our overall stress levels. No more worrying about checking our bank balances, dreading the next credit card statement or fitting the bill when things go wrong…

So when you’re about to snatch up that next impulse buy to show off to your girlfriends, think about this article and ask yourself if you really need something else in your life to worry about. If you can confidently and honestly answer “Yes”, then make that purchase and enjoy it, if not, think about how nice it will be to not have another thing to burden you – smile, and walk away.

Medical research is advancing year on year, especially in the DNA arena. There are so many medical mysteries that are yet to be solved through DNA research, that could potentially save our lives from deadly diseases and other illnesses. DNA banks safely store our DNA for use later on in life, should we ever need it. There are a range of DNA banks, but for future mothers (and father’s) these two banking methods could be of particular interest to you…

Sperm & Egg Banking

It’s not something that a typical 20-something male or female would usually think about, but freezing sperm or eggs while you’re young can be absolutely invaluable – should you ever have fertility problems later in life. Freezing your sperm or eggs (called oocytes), is a process known as cryopreservation, which stores the DNA in liquid nitrogen gases for use at a later date. I guess you’re thinking, why bother? Well, many young people are diagnosed with cancer will have to undergo rigorous treatments including radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These treatments, whilst saving life, can cause the man to become infertile. In addition to this, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as Chlamydia can also render people infertile and often go unnoticed since many people do  not show any symptoms. Think of it as an insurance policy for your future, it may well be the best thing you ever did.

Umbilical Cord Banking

Public umbilical cord banking could be the best gift you ever give to your child. Medical research has shown the lifesaving power of umbilical cord blood and tissue. The regenerative healing potential of banking your baby’s cord DNA could save them from life-threatening diseases, such as leukemia and other cancers. Not only this, cord blood is becoming closer to treat conditions that have no cure today. Exciting stuff, isn’t it? Scientists are currently using cord blood stem cells in experimental treatments for brain injury, cerebral palsy, and hearing loss.

There are a huge number of reasons why new parents decide to save their newborn’s stem cells, some of the common reasons include:

• Doctor recommendation
• History of family illness
• Therapies in Development
• Concern about finding a donor match
• Adopting a newborn or using donor egg/sperm

Prices are based on whether you wish to bank cord blood and tissue, or just one or the other and how long you wish to bank them for. I find science absolutely fascinating and I hope that these sorts of treatments will be the end to diseases like cancer, that take away life too early.

We’re living in an era where girls ‘Run The World’ and the traditional skills from the male race are becoming increasingly redundant. This means that the male influence in the garden is not perhaps as necessary as it once was… Sorry guys. For the modern girl on the go, gardening is likely to be something that takes a back seat over other priorities, but here are 3 gardening tips that will save you time, and money…

Get An Artificial Lawn

Why bother with the real stuff when an artificial lawn is easier and cheaper to maintain? If you invest in a grass substitute you can kiss goodbye to mowing and watering every week, which costs you time and an increase on yourutility bills. All you have to do with artificial grass is ‘vacuum’ it every now and then. Simple, right? Not only that, with the hosepipe ban currently in place in the UK, having artificial grass could be a total blessing. You can enjoy a perfectly manicured lawn – every single month of the year.

Grow Your Own

I have a small heart attack every time I go food shopping. I only buy items on offer, I have cut out any ‘treat buys’ and I only buy the absolute essentials… But still, I have to pick myself off the floor every time I reach the checkout. A weekly shop that used to cost me around £30, now costs in the region of £60… It’s absolutely crazy. Fruit and vegetables are one of the biggest spends on my food bill and with this in mind, there is no better time to grow your own. This year I decided that I would grow whatever I could in my house and back garden. You’ll be amazed at what you can easily grow… Lettuces, Tomatoes, Cherries, Apples, Herbs, Potatoes – the list is endless and since it’s May, now is the prime time to get planting.

Bulbs, Bulbs, Bulbs

My final gardening tip, is to invest in bulbs. Keep your garden blooming year after year with next to no work by planting lots of bulbs in your garden. Spring bulbs like daffodils and tuplips are planted the autumn before, and summer bulbs like lillies and gladioli are planted the spring before. It really is that simple. Once your bulbs are in the ground, they’ll continue to bloom year after year without you having to worry about growing seeds or planting more. It’s the perfect way for the girl on the go to add colour to her garden…

In the last two years, the world has become a much tougher place to establish careers. In marketing and PR, as with any industry, people need to stay ahead of the pack. However, marketing jobs require much more than a degree, even if you walk away with a first from your chosen institution – experience is king. To get on the path to success, you must go above and beyond the call of duty to show that you are the best candidate for your desired career.

You see, things aren’t looking great for the UK when it comes to employment. In February 2011 the Office for National Statistics revealed unemployment rose by 44,000 in the final three months of 2010, taking it to 2.5 million people out of work and this year the number looks even worse. This means that 7.9 per cent of workers were without a job, and things are even worse for the age bracket of university graduates. For those between the ages of 16 and 24, 20.5 per cent (965,000 people) are now out of work – the highest figure since records began in 1992. If you want to avoid being another statistic, you must act effectively and quickly. Areas in the North are doing particularly well fighting the trend. Cities such as Manchester and Leeds have shown great resilience over the years. Companies such as Network Marketing which located in Manchester city centre have a wide range of marketing jobs in Manchester for entry level candidates, as well as the more seasoned marketers.

With more people realising the power of digital marketing jobs specifically as a means of keeping competition high for the beleaguered private sector, talent must be consistently demonstrated through all channels to ensure that an employer knows exactly what they are getting from you. After all, with so many people looking for work, you have to be special.

It’s all about how to stand out from the crowd

Your CV, understandably, must be in great shape as it is the most important professional summary you have when applying for a job in marketing based in the UK. It should be concise – no more than two sides of A4 paper – as recruiters look at a CV for an average of just eight seconds. Keep it to the point and save finer details for the interview. Be sure to tailor it to each employer too, as many issues may be superfluous to certain businesses. Include a personal statement, ensuring that you tell the truth; after all, no-one likes a liar. Of course, it goes without saying that it should be mistake-free, so keep checking it. Finally, it must look good; too many words makes it tough on the eyes, so bullet points and some white space are desired. Network Marketing Recruitment Agency who are based in Manchester and work solely with marketing jobs recently produced a video offering tips to produce the perfect marketing CV.

Here is a short video offering tips for producing the best marketing CV

Work experience in the advertising and promotions business not only gives you a great understanding of jobs in marketing, but it also gives you plenty of practical experience that can boost your CV. With so many sub-divisions of marketing, it’s often a little tough to really understand what you’re good at. Trying out these different approaches in a controlled environment though work experience, whether it’s digital, direct, email, display, print or TV marketing, will give you a much better handle on what you want to do with your career. On top of this, you will learn the intricacies of how many campaigns go across channels.

Getting the right experience

The biggest bonus of work experience is that it helps you meet experts in the companies you work for, leading to you building up a network of contacts that can give you excellent tips and tricks. If marketing vacancies do come up in this sector through said businesses, your commitment could lead to you finding yourself being shortlisted for such roles.

Networking, of course, spills over to digital platforms, which are forming an ever-greater part of marketing campaigns. Without a firm embrace of social media, for example, people will find themselves lagging behind rivals also looking for a marketing role. Twitter is probably the most open platform to work with as it allows interaction with anyone also using the service. Digital marketers in particular are mindful of the way it can establish connections, facilitate communication and keep them in the loop with major developments in the industry, as well as views of experts at huge corporations.

Get social with your job hunt

While Facebook is pretty much synonymous with internet users and is good at keeping in touch with other professionals you meet over the years, it is LinkedIn that is often overlooked. The service, which can be seen as a great extension of your CV (allowing you to explain career development in more detail, for example), also allows you to host your resume on the site. People advertising marketing jobs often use the service, so you could be in the right place at the right time. Those with money to invest in their career may even want to pay for the service, as it empowers people with direct messaging and greater utilities to chase down the latest and greatest marketing jobs going.

Finally, maintaining a blog is a main staple of getting yourself ahead of the pack. Many organisations working in this field now host such facilities on their website as a means of communicating their stance and understanding of marketing, so never rule out this medium – it could count for so much.

There are so many other things that you can do, but keep it simple; if you’re invested in your future and reflect it in your actions, you will not be overlooked.

So last weekend was Kate and Wills first year anniversary together since the big ‘Royal Wedding’ on 29th April 2011. Strangely enough, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were apparently seen “beaming” as they walked down the very same aisle they made their way down for their own wedding, but this time – for somebody else…

The royal couple celebrated their first anniversary at the weekend, the traditional gifts for which is cotton in the UK and paper in the US. My Great-Grandparents actually just celebrated their 70th (Platinum) wedding anniversary on 22nd April – I simply can’t imagine living for that long, let alone being married for that long!

However, this time around, Kate wasn’t the bride and wasn’t dressed in the most gorgeous Alexander McQueen dress. In fact, it was clear that both Kate and Wills were keen to keep the spotlight off them, and firmly on the Bride and Groom. A witness said that Kate and Wills were seated close to the alter, and had to walk down the aisle together which raised a few smiles among the congregation.

Apparently a witness at the wedding told Us Weekly magazine that: “They were beaming. They sat close to the front of the church, so they had to walk down the aisle together to get there. It made a few people chuckle.”

Kate and Wills chose not to reveal their anniversary plans to the public last week and a spokesperson for St. James Palace said they were away for another Wedding.

“[Duchess Catherine] looked tanned and beautiful. Lots of people congratulated them on their first year anniversary,” an insider told the magazine.

“But they seemed quite keen not to take any attention away from the bride and groom.”

Apparently after the wedding, Kate and Wills headed back to their cottage in Wales, where they celebrated their wedding anniversary at home. Wales to London is a bit of a trek after a wedding I must say…

“They’ve been looking forward to a very special day at home,” a royal aid said.

I am very much expecting to hear news that Kate is pregnant shortly. I am quite sure the beloved Windsors will be keen to ensure their line continues for years to come. Watch this space… My money is on it being a girl… Let’s hope they have more luck than Diana and Charles.