Sure, it’s shallow – but it’s also fun! Forget the merits of The Hurt Locker vs Avatar, or Sandra Bullock vs Meryl Streep, the real Oscars showdown occurs in the hearts and minds of the fashionistas. And according to the blogs and fashion pages the world over, here are the best- and worst-dressed...

Nicole Kidman has one. So does Cate Blanchett (who has also been nominated for several more). We’re talking about an Academy Award, of course, the famous golden statue that goes by the name of Oscar and is regarded as the most prestigious of all film-acting gongs. Nowadays, the Oscars are as much about...

March 8th was International Women’s Day. The day has been marked for almost a century as, first, a means of drawing attention to women’s rights (something that is still important in many parts of the world) and, latterly, as a way of celebrating the positive influence women have had on modern society. Empowerment...

Technology is changing and developing at an incredible rate. What is commonplace today was scarcely imaginable a decade ago. Leading the charge and driving the change is the computer – and if this video is anything to go by, that is itself about to be revolutionised. So forget the ‘new’ innovations...

Everyone knows that Gossip Girl is hot. The Kristen Bell-narrated show has officially filled the teen drama void left by The OC, Dawson’s Creek and, going waaaaay back, 90210. Featuring sexy stars and semi-ridiculous but always entertaining storylines, Gossip Girl is must-see TV for a new generation...

According to a poll conducted in Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper, women remain heavily influenced by celebrity when it comes to body image. However, a degree of realism seems to now by seeping into that outlook. Because instead of the skeletal, unrealistic waif look – Victoria Beckham, for example...

Valentine’s Day has been and gone for another year, and while everyone at A Pampered Life hopes your day was full of love and romance, for some people it’s a time of year to dread. So whether you’ve just split up with a partner or just need a little pick-me-up, here are 10 ways to mend a broken...

If you’ve ever had to slog your guts out in a dead-end job you really didn’t enjoy while waiting for your dreams of superstardom to become reality, hopefully you can take heart from this video. Featuring 10 modern day celebrities, from Leonardo DiCaprio to Evangeline Lily, in a variety of dodgy adverts...

Could the UK’s newest fitness craze be heading this way? Exercise is important in life, but now it seems as though a whole industry has been set up to create new, more interesting ways for people – especially women – to get fit. A Pampered Life has already talked about the physical benefits of...

The headlines scream and the talkback hosts wail: young women of today are downright debauched. But is that really the case? Joanne Simpson investigates… Any story that relates to sex makes for good copy: it sells newspapers and magazines, it gets ratings. And any story that can combine sex and generational...

Feeling sad? Then watch this clip for a guaranteed pick-me-up It’s always a little dangerous to believe the names of the videos posted on YouTube, but for once, they’ve got it exactly right. Called ‘Worst Music Video EVER’, there cannot be much debate about it. But the thing is, it’s so bad...

Verity Gray discovers the brains behind the beauty You’d be forgiven for taking Canadian-born Australian supermodel Tara Moss purely at face value – after all, she is enviably gorgeous, with legs up to her armpits – but this chick is much more than just a pretty face. Leaving her modelling career...

Why these Aussie women will be making waves this year… Magazines at this time of year are full of lists of up-and-comers to keep an eye on over the coming year. According to Vanity Fair, for example, Lily Collins (daughter of Phil), Zoë Kravitz (daughter of Lenny), Amber Heard, Isabel Lucas, Vanessa...

Before Carrie Bradshaw made her a superstar, SJP looked something like this… This featured video is the first in an occasional ‘before they were famous’ series of clips we’ll show of megastars when they weren’t quite so mega. With Sex and the City 2 out in cinemas this year, women around...

Why laughter is not only the best medicine, it’s also the best exercise… This week’s featured video comes from London, where a new exercise and mental wellbeing craze is taking hold. Called laughter yoga, it’s becoming widely recognised as a fantastic stress-buster enjoyed by people of all...

It doesn’t matter if you order a double shot skinny chai with sweetener or just your regular flat white, the coffee shop is the new vogue in social hangouts – and everyone is invited, says Verity Gray Like any trend that grows and takes hold, the origins of the Australian coffee culture are quite...