Archive for November, 2010
Harajuku Girls, You Got the Wicked Style
It’s not just Harajuku Girls who get to have Wicked Style anymore. Even us demure and conservative dressers get to wear a little crazy somethin’ somethin’ – even if it is out of a bottle.
The latest range of Harajuku Lovers perfume from my Queen, Gwen Stefani hits stores on December 5 2010 - just in time to stuff your stocking – and it’s super kawaii!
Five fragrances feature in the line; each bearing a different costume, name and scent. While each one is dressed outrageously and sports brightly coloured hair – there’s something for everyone in terms of aesthetic and fragrance.
Each scent contains musk, while other notes include nectarine and pear (Love), plum and Champagne (Lil’ Angel), apple and peony (Music), peach and jasmine (Baby) and watermelon and raspberry (G) — how perfect do they sound for the Australian Summer?
As for their little outfits – I think I’m certainly a ‘Baby‘ who is practicing the Kawaii fashion style. She features baby pink hair, coloured knee socks, hearts-a-plenty and a pair of “white nurse platform heels” which, obviously, I wear all the time.
G, who represents Gwen, is decidedly dressed a bit boring. Gwen Stefani has to be one of the best dressed women in the world, and the little green tunic and buckle up shoes aren’t doing much for me.
My second favourite outfit is Lil Angel, who signifies the Gothic Lolita style of dress in Harajuku. Dressed in a white blouse, black babydoll jumper dress and black ruffled tutu she looks exactly like the Gothic Lolita devotees who fill the streets of Tokyo. Let’s not forget her bright red hair which is velvety to the touch.
Lil’ Angel was sent to me to have a test of and I love it! I’ve been looking for a light, summery scent for coming into the hot weather. Something to put on after a shower that isn’t too strong but lingers and gets picked up on the afternoon breeze.
Despite not having notes of melon, it definitely has a sweet, watermelon smell. This may not be to everyone’s taste – but if you like perfumes like DKNY’s Be Delicious and Ralph Lauren’s Ralph – you’ll definitely enjoy Lil’ Angel from Harajuku Lovers.
I find the scent isn’t overly strong. I need to spray a fair bit to make an impact, but at the same time – it’s not a statement perfume. The idea (and what I hope to do) is to buy the whole set and have fun with them – mixing and matching, perhaps?
The other thing I don’t like is that when I’m finished with the bottle there’s going to be some should-I-throw-the-bottle-out-or-be-a-hoarder induced anxiety. But I’ll deal with that when the time comes.
Love, Lil’ Angel, Music, G and Baby retail for AUD$65.00 each and will be on the counter at Myer, David Jones, The Perfume Connection and selected pharmacies for a limited time by December 5th.
Who’s your favourite Harajuku Girl?
Australis Paint The Town Nail Polish Collection
You may have noticed Ke$ha sporting baby-blue nail polish lately. Don’t let that put you off. Kim Kardashian and Rihanna have also been giving this trend some cred - teaming the creamy hue with their usual (respective) sleek and rock-chick looks.
Although I have personally been wearing pastel blue, purple and green nail polish since 2006, the peeps at Chanel have added this icy-blue to their makeup rotation for the new collection and it’s suddenly gone berserk!
I opened my mail the other day to find a bottle of Australis’ Paint The Town in Sky High. I’ve never actually tried Australis nail polish before and, sadly, I’ve been missing out.
The Paint The Town range has a special Monster Brush which applies the polish in just one stroke. OMG. Time-saving, chip-diminishing, shine-inducing genius.
Not having lots of little strokes means one, even coat – why is this not a universal nail polish protocol?
I also found that by just doing one stroke, the polish dried super quick. I’m talking in seconds, not tens of minutes.
As for the colour, the blue is nice and thick. Just because it’s light, doesn’t mean it’s see-through. A few of my nails are streaky after application, but I’m guessing (since it’s not all of them) that this is because of my unsteady hands.
The thick, squarish lid means easy opening, too. I have so many nail polishes with skinny lids and if a little bit of the polish gets caught on the neck of the bottle and dries, they’re impossible to open.
Just in case there weren’t enough positives, Australis Paint The Town nail polish is Australian-made and not tested on animals AND 15ml will set you back only $8.95!
The one major con is that it is exclusive to Target, so if you don’t have a Target near you – you’d better move house.
Another negative (although a positive for me) is that the quick drying time may not work for some people. Often it’s handy to have that extra time to fix mistakes or do nail art while the lacquer is still wet. You don’t really have that opportunity with the power that is the Monster Brush.
Australis’ Paint The Town range is available in ten colours, both bright and subdued. I highly recommend you ch-ch-ch-check them out!
Camper Shoes AW11
Last week I went to see the Autumn/Winter 2011 range for Spanish shoe company, Camper.
“Winter? What the heck?” I thought when I received the invite – but given the crappy weather we experienced over the past few days and that horrendous hail storm in Sydney last week – I can’t wait for boots again!
Camper have long been a quirky and quality brand loved by the individual and artistic. Architectual, thoughtful and made-to-last, Camper have something for men, women and children alike and despite the seasonal tag, a lot of the designs are simple flats or pumps which can be worn throughout the year.
Being an animal lover, I adore the cute little animal faces on the fronts, as well as flowers and bold colours which feature in this collection. If that’s not your thing – there are plenty of plain, sleek boots and pumps for everyday wear.
TWS RRP$260.00
TWS RRP$380.00
For those of you who follow this blog regularly and have seen the Robert Clergerie boots I live in all Winter, there’s a great pair of heeled leather and suede boots that follow the same idea. The stretchy suede ‘leg’ of the boot means they’re streamline and great if you have trouble finding boots to fit your calves. I just love the suede look because it creates a softer look compared to an all-over leather boot.
Mamba RRP$400.00
Similarly, the Casi Velvet style is another number which is streamline and simple. It’s so hard to come by flat boots which are nice and non-descript. I personally don’t like lots of embellishments, stitching, patches, buckles etc. on my boots unless it’s a real statement. I love the light grey which creates a great point of difference with an all-black oufit too.
Casi Velvet
If you’re more into earth tones and a not-so-serious look, then have a look at the Woody and 1912 styles. These look great with little floral dresses, distressed denim and flannel which is no doubt kicking onto next season.
Woody RRP$480.00
Woody RRP$480.00
1912 RRP$480.00
There is also a Woody style for men, as well as some other really impressive men’s styles. I love seeing a guy who takes a bit of a risk with his footwear. Marc Jacobs really did wonders for the distressed-but-not-dishevelled look in men’s footwear and a grey dessert boot is a fantastic way of updating the jeans and shirt combo.
Woody RRP$330.00
Got little ones? Lucky you! I so can’t wait to have babies so I can dress them in little shoes like this:
OMG!!!
Oh so sweet!
I know some of the prices might seem a little steep (especially when we’re in the sandals and thongs type of mind-set) but when you think of an investment piece like a plain black boot it’s best to go for something made from leather or suede to ensure you can use the best protecting and nourishing products on it and get the most wear out of it that you possibly can.
For more of Camper head to their website: www.campershoes.com.au
Merry Christmas II You
There’s no way I’m not going to sound biased when talking about Mariah Carey - but let’s just forget what a big fan I am for a second so I can tell you how incredible her new Christmas album, Merry Christmas II You, is.
Released in Australia on November 12, the album is already at the top of the iTunes Holiday charts in Australia – and rightly so.
MCIIY isn’t your average singer-churns-out-a-christmas-album-for-a-bit-of-extra-cash-and-exposure album. Mariah truly relishes the time that is Christmas and it shows in her production.
A beautiful and rich (kind of like Mariah herself) atmosphere is created with the use of full string and brass sections and interludes garnished with ”festive” sounds like bells, twinkling and laughter help carry you off to a fire-lit room with a 7ft-tall christmas tree and your closest friends and family drinking egg nog — even in this disgusting Australian heat.
The beauty of this album is that it plays like a regular Mariah Carey album. It’s not your run-of-the-mill auto-play keyboard tune with a Disney starlet banging out a few daggy old carols, but a thoughtful and well-composed collection of very good pop, hip-hop, RnB, gospel, dance and vocally extraordinary ballads.
Typical Christmas songs are found in a live version of O Holy Night and the Mariah-penned Christmas Time Is In the Air Again in which she displays the best of her famed vocal range and where you can almost hear her smiling as she sings.
A modern spin of First Noel feels like an impromptu sing-a-long among friends and runs into a sexy and soulful interlude of Born Is the King which would not be amiss on any of Mariah’s albums; it’s a regular RnB stone groove.
Here Comes Santa Claus has been given a hip-hop overhaul with soaring, easy verses that come off like a Naughty By Nature summer jam and conjure up images of a block party. Jermaine Dupri also lends his vocals to this one.
Being Carey’s second Christmas album, she had a lot to live up to. Her first holiday release, Merry Christmas, sprouted the now classic All I Want For Christmas Is You and appears back in the charts every year ’round this time. All I Want For Christmas Is You has found its way on to MCIIY but is labelled as “Extra Festive” and hasn’t lost any of its original Christmas cheer. In the same vein, the lead single from MCIIY, Oh Santa! is buoyant and energetic and has a snap-your-fingers kind of attitude.
A similar attitude is found on Auld Lang Syne - a late, but clever little addition to MCIIY. The traditional melody launches into a tasteful but not very-Mariah sounding dance number which is commercial brilliance for the countdown on New Year’s Eve. Mariah shows her cheeky side by asking “Does anybody really know the words?” I’d be very surprised if this didn’t get picked up by radio and tv stations for the end of December.
Overall, I’d say that Merry Christmas II You is a far superior album to Merry Christmas. I don’t know if it’s the fact that Mariah is in a much better place – with her own little miracle baby on the way, or if my tastes have just matured, but if you loved Merry Christmas you have to buy Merry Christmas II You immediately!
Merry Christmas II You is available from these stores: *click* (list from MariahDownunder)
Rain, Rain, Go To Hell!
Urgh. How depressing is this weather? Those of you not in Sydney – we’re experiencing torrential rain every. bloody. day and we even had hail a few nights ago.
So since we are in desperate need for some sunshine and cheer I’d like to open your eyes to cover your eyes with the new resort 2011 collections from Mosley Tribes, Oliver Peoples and Paul Smith.
You probably know that I like my sunnies, big, ostentatious and brash so I’ve tried to put my personal tastes aside just a tad so that I could bring you a broad look at what the labels have to offer. You know, in case you’re. . . how do you say? Subtle?
I think hope I’ve come to a good comprimise and delivered my personal style while showing you some classic styles coming our way soon.
Out of the three designers who I had the pleasure of viewing, there were some definite trends to watch out for for next summer:
- Mottled colours - much like tortoiseshell sunnies in the nineties, the mottled, wishy-washy, watercoloured tones of these frames coming through are going to be huge. I love this look because if you wear a lot of block colours, particularly black, then you can create some definition and a point of difference with your eye ware. Popular colours included blacks mixed with khakis, greys and greens as well as some bright colour, like the orange hued Burke from Mosely Tribes as pictured below. In fact, these were my favourite overall.
Mosely Tribes 'Burke' $225.00 stockists: (03) 8598 3105
Oliver Peoples 'Basel' $425.00 Stockists: (03) 8598 3105
- Aviators are back. Wait — did they ever go away? Everyone loves a good aviator. It’s an instant cool, usually fairly simple look which is discreet and suits (almost) everyone. Paul Smith are all over this trend bringing you slick looks with timeless shapes and finishes.
- Soft-coloured lenses and brightly coloured arms. Some iconic coloured-lensed sunnies I remember (at least, in my lifetime) were the Chloe pink aviators with a pink crystal heart in the bottom corner. Yep, you know the ones! Well, Pastels are creeping their way back to your face with lavender, baby-blue and light green all featuring in the next collections. I also noted a lot of tri-colour, bold and sturdy arms and frames. There were a so-Gwen Stefani pair by Mosely Tribes. Rastafarian inspired red, green and yellow frame with snakeskin arms. Yes please!
So use the pennies you’ve been saving for a rainy day and update your sunglasses inventory. It’s time to summon the sun!
What style of sunglasses do you usually go for?
Charlie & Co. – Westfield Sydney
Although I was at the new Westfield Sydney on the opening day, I didn’t make it up to the food court. I was really keen to as I’m a huge fan of Justin North’s already established eateries and I was really looking forward to trying out his new burger joint, Charlie & Co.
I’d had a few drinks last night and, like most people, I usually make a stop off at McDonald’s on the way home. To my delight, I realised it was only around 8pm when I wanted to eat so I decided to head to Westfield to get myself a burger that I wouldn’t regret in the morning.
Charlie & Co. sits on level five of Westfield Sydney, it’s surrounded by your usual fast-food outlets - but of the Crust Pizza and Le Pain Quotidien variety, as opposed to Maccas and KFC. It makes for a more sophisticated dining experience – even if you are still in a Westfield food court.
Charlie & Co. was easily the busiest and most popular of the food on offer. There was a long line, but it moved quickly and I chose to dine in.
Georgia North was working at the eat in section which was a nice little sanctuary away from the insane crowds in the rest of the food court.
Menus were printed on newspapers which is cute but unfortunately, I had nothing to write down the options available on so I’m a little short on details.
Obviously this is more than your regular take-away burger place. The produce is premium and the buns are cooked on site. There is also a strong international theme to the burgers and I settled on The Maiden Marrakech ($15) - a harissa lamb burger with yoghurt dressing and rocket.
The friend I was with is vegetarian and unfortunately there was only one burger that was vego and had mushroom in lieu of meat. She doesn’t eat mushroom, so decided just to try the chips which come in plain (salt), herb or truffle for $6, $7 or $8 respectively.
The burger was everything I wanted it to be. A fresh bun, generous, juicy slab of lamb and tasty condiments. It wasn’t greasy in the slightest and the chips were thick and fluffy.
My only problem with Charlie & Co. was that we asked for aioli and were only bought the tiniest little amount. I’m an absolute aioli freak – I would bathe in it if I could – and I like to use it liberally. That said, it was one of the best tasting aiolis I’ve had. It was smokey and super garlicy – which is exactly what I like - so that makes up for it I suppose.
My advice would be to avoid this food court at lunch or thursday nights if you don’t have patience. Being smack bang in the middle of the city means it’s going to be packed with office workers and late night shoppers for a while – but it is worth the ten (or so) minute wait.
Has anyone else tried out Charlie & Co. yet?
