Lounge music

Last week I was invited by Woolworths and smashbox to the première of Burlesque, the singing, dancing, teasing, sparkling musical starring Christina Aguilera and Cher. Xtina plays a small-town girl who heads to the big city to reach her dream of becoming a star (stop me if you’ve heard this before). When she stumbles across a raunchy club called Burlesque, she gets her foot in the door by becoming a waitress and then dancer with a set of pipes no one knew she had until the backing track fails.

If you’re cringing just reading about the predictable plot, imagine how I squirmed and giggled in my seat as Christina nailed the wide-eyed country bumpkin look with a bad wig and clunky white heels (pet hate No. 372). It’s not that the execution of the age-old tale was particularly awful, it just lost half its impact because it’s been done before – by Miss Aguilera herself in the video for Lady Marmalade and anything from her Back to Basics album. Heck, if you’ve seen Coyote Ugly or The Devil Wears Prada, the element of surprise has been lost.

But it wasn’t all bad. There were moments when I laughed in the right place, mostly thanks to Cher and Stanley Tucci’s witty repartee (she plays the club owner, he’s her gay best friend and right-hand man). I was also hugely appreciative of Xtina’s love interest, played by Twilight’s Cam Gigandet, and his toned, tanned, shirtless scenes (blink and you’ll miss the pinchable butt cheeks!).

The look and feel of the movie is its biggest strength. Decadent, sexy and glamorous, the dance scenes are bewitching and the make-up (this is where smashbox comes in as the only make-up used on set), flawless. Dramatic eyes, sensual lips and flushed cheeks were created by the sexy cosmetics brand which hails from LA and is available from Woolworths. If you’re looking to give yourself a bit of a makeover for the new year, stop by the counter and ask their experts where to start, and how to master liquid eyeliner. There’s also an online tutorial on smashbox.com if you scroll through the videos for the Burlesque Beauty Collection.

Bottom line: if you can enjoy Burlesque for what it is – a glorious extended music video – you won’t be disappointed