Archive for January, 2011
Josie Stevens – My New Favourite Person
When I saw the ads for Married To Rock on E! I vowed to myself that I wouldn’t watch it.
I’ve already been sucked in to Kendra, Holly’s World, every Kardashian franchise and, of course, Jersey Shore - so I certainly didn’t need another reality show under my belt.
The night it started, though, I couldn’t help myself and I soon found myself loving yet another bunch of characters, and this time I’m not actually ashamed of it.
Unlike some other reality TV “stars”, the girls of Married To Rock were already established business women in their own right; so the whole show isn’t focused on them booking jobs with clients who are preempting the success of the show.
While I had been a fan of Susan Holmes and her swimwear line from years back, it was another rock wife who stole my heart.
Josie Stevens, wife of Billy Idol’s guitarist Steve Stevens, is a makeup artist, living Barbie doll and all-’round sweetheart who definitely has A Fatal Attraction To Cuteness.
You may think that I have an obsession with Hello Kitty, but this HK devotee goes as far as wearing whole Hello Kitty dolls in her hugely-teased hair along with latex minidresses and 8-inch perspex heels.
While she may not be everyone’s style – you have to appreciate her dedication to her look. If I had the skill, I’d certainly be doing my hair and makeup perfectly everyday. Hell, I might even wear a giant bow on my head every so often. Oh….wait.
Aside from her super-Kawaii fashion sense, I have an immense amount of respect for a woman who can get her husband to live in a house that’s full of Hello Kitty paraphernalia as well as getting her husband to play the Hello Kitty Fender in front of thousands of people with no repercussions whatsoever. 
On top of her ability to infiltrate cuteness into the lives of others, Josie seems like a lovely soul who has engaged her fans on Twitter and Facebook with regular updates on her latest fashion looks and everyday goings on of her life.
I can’t wait to see what Josie gets up to next and for the next season of Married To Rock!
Who else watched the first season? Did you love it? Who is your favourite wife?
Precious – The New Collection From Orly
When most people think ‘Precious’ they think overweight, teen-mother living in Harlem and Mariah Carey with a moustache. But that is all about to change.
Orly’s Precious collection is bringing beauty back with their royalty-inspired collection of creme and shimmer nail polishes.
Kings of fashion, Cavalli, Galliano and McQueen all featured regal tones like purple, gold and porcelain in their latest collections and now you can get the runway look for only $18.95 per 18 mL bottle.
The Precious collection features six new shades:
- Pure Porcelain (beige creme)
- Guilded Coral (coral gold shimmer)
- Fancy Fuchsia (pink creme)
- Ancient Jade (green creme)
- Sapphire Silk (deep teal creme)
- Royal Velvet (purple blue shimmer)
I tested out Pure Porcelain and I love it! I haven’t had much experience with Orly before and first thoughts were that the lid was really superior. It seems to have a grip and be really easy to remove.
I think the colour is extremely flattering and would suit most skin tones. It’s a nice, neutral, inoffensive colour for work, too.
Aside from my own personal taste in loving the colour, some important and universal nail polish necessities are that even with my excessive click-clacking away on my computer, I’ve had no chips. I was even scratching a label off something today with gusto and not even a minute piece chipped off.
In my previous experience with pale, creamy colours, I’ve somehow always ended up with cracked colour. I’m not sure if the light colours dry out quicker but the gloss ends up with strange cracks all through it – but not Pure Porcelain. It’s perfectly smooth and shiny!
The other issue with creamy colours is that usually they’re quite thin. This is not the case with Orly and you only need the standard two coats to get an opaque finish.
I’m straining my brain trying to think of a negative point here so that I can remain impartial. I’d say the only thing I don’t like is that I probably wouldn’t wear all the colours in the collection and it would have been nice to see a really rich red colour included. Maybe even a red with a gold overtone. That’s automatically what I think of when I think ‘royalty’.
The Precious collection will be in stores in March. Head to www.orlybeauty.com.au to choose your favourite colour.
Trocadero Dance Palace
Never have I been more unhappy about being born in the ’80s as I was on Wednesday night when, as a guest of Cointreau, I attended the most wonderful night that was the Trocadero Dance Palace.
Today we have nightclubs, but in the 1940s and 50s – they had The Troc. A hall where rockabilly and swing was the order of the night and last night was no different.
As part of Sydney Festival, the newly-furbished Sydney Town Hall played host to hundreds of people decked out in their full skirts, polished brogues and victory rolls perched proudly on their foreheads while all-girl Big Band, Sirens, played a number of hits from both past and present day (think Beyonce’s Single Ladies and Crazy in Love, Kylie’s Better The Devil You Know and Oasis’ Wonderwall - all sung swing style. Swoooon) and singer Lanie Lane wooed the crowd.
About halfway through, a trapeze act took to the stage sky and stole the show with their terrifying but brilliant display. Dancers Catarina Santos, Romina Villafranca, Charles Bartley and Henry Byalikov did. not. stop. moving. the entire two hours, with the boys sporting some of the tightest jeans I’ve seen on a man or woman.
Unfortunately, I sprained my ankle two weeks ago and it’s still swollen to about the size of my thigh so I had the absolute pleasure of arriving, having my hair and makeup done by the divine Vintage Allsorts crew and sipping on some delicious Cointreau cocktails (similar to the ones at the Dita Von Teese performance I went to) at the best table in the house.
In a way, I’m glad I had an excuse not to dance - there were some real pros out last night!
I think the most marvellous thing was the mix in ages of the crowd and the fact that 98% of people were up and dancing – experienced or not. I think the age range was about 18-80 and every couple up on the dance floor looked so happy and joyous, I’m actually tearing up just writing this. It was seriously one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen.
So now I’m going to get all mushy and say that The Troc really made me wish I was born in another time. Some nights I absolutely dread going out. Rude people, trashy people, boring people – we get it all in Sydney. I wish that there was such a thing as a club where everyone was respectful, Dressed-to-the-Nines and having the time of their life by just enjoying one another.
I also wish that I had the time and dedication to dress up everyday like the dolls from Vintage Allsorts. They are bombshells personified. I really need to learn how to do my hair the way they did.
The Trocadero Dance Palace is on for its final night tomorrow night, 22 January, so if you can manage to get your hands on a ticket then I highly recommend that you go. Even if you can’t get an outfit or you feel that you can’t dance, you can have your hair done and take the pre-show dance class and be taken to another world.
Thanks to Cointreau for whisking me away to the fifties, I had a magical time!
http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2011/Dance/Trocadero-Dance-Palace/
Voodoo Boot Tights
Summer clothes are on sale so that means it’s time to start getting your Winter wardrobe into gear.
I’ve already been looking at boots – there’s more Over-the-Knee ones in my forseeable future, how about you? Plus I want my Winter look to include patterned, fitted cardis and knee-length, heavy, full skirts.
Of course hosiery is a necessity, too. Unless we’re wearing jeans or trackies, us girls are usually living in a pair of opaques under our boots. And you know what else is usually in there? SOCKS.
No matter how well my shoes fit me I always get that slippery feeling from wearing stockings under boots. Every. Bloody. Time.
I’ve taken to wearing this charming pair of hot pink socks under all my boots which is fine when I have the boots on, but if I’m at someone’s house and take them off, there’s that awkward moment where they see your hot pink socks.
There’s a particular pair of boots – pictured below – where my tights slip in them so much that in the past I’ve worn thick, crocheted bed socks to try and get my feet to wedge in to the space and not budge.
Please tell me I’m not the only one…?
Obviously the people at Voodoo have been experiencing this problem as well, as they’ve got a great new product for us just in time for boot season.
Voodoo Boot Tights are specifically designed to keep your feet from slipping about inside your boots and to stop that annoying task of wearing a sock over the top of your stockings – because really, it’s highly annoying.
The Voodoo Boot Tights look like a perfectly normal 80 denier stocking from the waist to the ankle, but the texture and material of the foot part is totally different. A weave that feels almost fluffy, it’s thick – but not uncomfortable, firm – but not tight and certainly does not slip around in your shoes.
Even despite the great addition to the regular old stocking, these are just a great pair of tights. I like mine thick and stretchy, so if you’re like me you’ll love these too.
Retailing at $24.95 the Voodoo Boot Tights will be in stores in March.
RAVE: Dirty Rich – Online Store
Dirty Rich is a Sydney-based boutique stocking clothes and accesories specially sourced to keep Australia’s (and New Zealand’s) swag on.
Launched last year, Dirty Rich has American street labels like Free Gold Watch, Married to the Mob, Joyrich and Princess of the Posse.
They have an absolutely killer sale on right now. There are dresses from as low as $15.00, tops starting at $20.00 and sunnies from $30.00 – think about it, New York steez for the price is costs you just to get something shipped from America.
We all know I love me some Hello Kitty, so when I saw this Hellz Bellz tee featuring her and my other girl Minnie Mouse - I had to have it. Then I saw that it was only $30, so it was a no-brainer.
I love the light, soft, sheer fabric and the comfy length. It’s actually a lot more flattering in real life, it hugs the hips and rouches and drapes in the right spots, I stupidly kept bulky shorts on underneath so it didn’t pick up well in the pics.
The other amazing thing about Dirty Rich is the ultra quick postage. I ordered this on a Thursday and it arrived the next morning. Unheard of. Especially a couple of days after Christmas.
If you need some new clothes, or even if you don’t, head to www.dirtyrich.com.au and get yourself some awesome bargains!
Meow Girl – Dollhouse Delirium
I’ve been introduced to some of the cutest accessories of the season, and since I’m all about maximus adorablus (totes didn’t make that up) I had to pass them on to my readers.
Meow Girl is a Sydney-based label, designed by Debbie Paltos who clearly has A Fatal Attraction to Cuteness like me!
Her new gorgeous collection is called Dollhouse Delirium and features a range of necklaces with porcelain baby animal charms.
How could you want anything else hanging around your neck?
I squealed with each picture that scrolled by so make sure you’re alone when you open the pics. If you’re in an open-plan office I’m going to classify these as NSFW due to extreme cuteness.
Unicorn
Baby Squirrel
Mama Rabbit
Lop-Ear Rabbit
Lamb
Kitty
Fox Cub
Caramel Colt
Baby Elephant
Baby Deer
Baby Colt
Baby Bunny
Woolly Lamb
My faves are the baby fox and the mama rabbit – what a diva!
For more information on Meow Girl hit up www.meowgirl.com.au
Fing’rs EDGE Nails
I haven’t worn press-on nails since I was a little girl who used to, unfortunately, bite her fingernails. So when I got sent these, I didn’t really think I’d give them a go.
I later noticed that they’re a Glow-In-The-Dark product which is a pretty exciting prospect, and since I was home moping about because I’m still limping on a sprained ankle, I thought I’d test them.
I always get teased for my little fingernails, so I was pleased to find varying sizes of nails in the packet. In the past when I’ve used fake nails I’ve had to put up with the uncomfortable feeling of plastic overhanging my cuticle because of the lack of surface area to stick them onto, but Fing’rs solve the problem by giving you a selection.
There’s two options for applying these – glue (which will last up to ten days) or tabs which have a tacky glue to hold the nails on (for temporary use).
I chose to stick them on with the press-on tabs because I am likely to mess up a glue situation.
It was really easy. Just stick the tab which fits your nail down, rub it in to soften the adhesive, peel the white paper backing off and then apply the corresponding nail!
Before
It didn’t take me more than ten minutes to get them all on, and the shape and colour of the nails is very nice. They were really comfy and not too long so I could still type and run my fingers through my hair. Yes. Really.
After
As for the Glow-In-The-Dark feature, I didn’t get to witness it. The nails display a zebra-print glow under black light, which I didn’t have, so I missed out.
If you’re a nail-biter, can’t get your nails to grow long, or just want a specific look for a certain event, these would come in handy. At only $12.99 they’re cheaper than a manicure and a lot less hassle.
Fing’rs artificial nails are also available in different patterns like skulls, flowers and crystals.
Fing’rs are sold at Coles, Priceline and Target and each pack contains 24 nails, 0.07oz Fing’rs Nail Glue and 20 press-on tabs.
Benefit’s Full Finish Lipstick
What are the main we things look for in a lipstick?
- Statement colour
- Creamy texture that doesn’t call for a primer
- Long-lasting colour
- Colour that creates dimension to give the look of big, plump lips
What would you say if you found a lipstick that checks all the boxes?
Oh.
Em.
Gee.
Yep, that’s what I said when I tried Benefit’s Full Finish lipstick.
No flakey bits. Huzzah!
Pillow Talk, a bold, but not in-your-face shade of pink which looks good on both pale and dark skin is the colour I’ve got and I couldn’t recommend it enough.
I don’t like wearing lipstick too often as I find it becomes a bit of an effort with the constant re-applying, the pre-application moisturising and nourishing and disappointment with colours, but Benefit’s Full Finish is a pleasure to wear for it’s apply-in-the-morning-and-forget-about-it-until-after-lunch ability.
I also hate when, even though you have applied a primer or lip balm before putting on lipstick, you still get those annoying dry bits of skin. Urgh! Well, that doesn’t happen with Full Finish. In fact I find it a lot more nourishing than some lip balms I’ve used.
If you’re looking to take a step into the world of bright lipsticks but don’t want to make quite a bit statement, the colour palette of the Full Finish range is a great place to begin.
Their colours seem to have a brown-ish, neutral undertone as opposed to some brights which appear almost fluorescent. This makes it easier to match a colour to any skin type and start your forray into the world of colour without looking…well…like a clown.
Benefit Full Finish lipsticks are available in nine creamy shades:
- Pillow Talk (hot pink)
- Espionage (black cherry)
- Mad Squad (shell pink)
- Rumour (rose quartz)
- Pinking of You (pop of pink)
- Shy (ballet slipper) — aaww the name of this one is so cute!
- Wanna? (royal raspberry)
- Saucy (sparkling tangerine)
- I Think I Love You (bronze rose)
Full Finish lipsticks are $36.00 each, which is a bit more than I would normally spend on a lipstick, but you don’t have to use much of it to get a solid colour and you don’t need to keep reapplying, so it evens out in that regard.
Available from Benefit stores and counters now!
McGrath Foundation High Tea 2011
Yesterday I attended the third annual Jane McGrath high tea held at the indoor cricket centre at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
This year the event was sponsored by Vodafone which meant that the already fun day (this is my third one) was even better than the last two.
Wolf Blass sparkling wine flowed while attendees ate a traditional high tea of berry and date scones, cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, macarons and cupcakes.
We heard Glenn McGrath, former Australian fast bowler Sarah Andrews and Brett Lee talk about all things cricket with fabulous MC, Adam Spencer and listened to the amazing and energetic singer, Evelyn Willie.
Sara Leonardi, myself and Glenn McGrath
Binggaaaaa
Tracy Bevan, board member of the McGrath Foundation and Jane McGrath’s best friend, regaled us with tales of her and Jane’s time on the cricket tours and then reminded us of the importance of breast care nurses – which is what the funds raised by the McGrath Foundation are used for.
Tracy Bevan and I
I didn’t know that just one breast care nurse can provide care for 320 families! That is massive – but at $350,000 to fund one nurse for a minimum of three years, it’s a costly exercise and a most important one.
That is why the McGrath Foundation has, and most likely always will be, one of my favourite organisations. With 61 breast care nurses now under the McGrath Foundation program, that’s thousands of families now in a better position throughout Australia.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard stopped by to draw the lucky door prizes of some stunning Roses Only roses.
I grabbed her as she was being escorted out to have a photo.
It’s a really nice one of her. Doncha think?
After the raffle was drawn (with great prizes from Simone Perele, ARIA Restaurant, Mars and Vodafone) - and a few more scones (and glasses of bubbly *ahem*) the afternoon was over and it was time to head back to the cricket.
Every guest got a great gift bag of products from Lavera cosmetics, Olay, Brazilia, KFC, Roses Only and GoNatural. A select few bags also contained a $150 Simone Perele gift voucher or a Glenn McGrath DVD.
