Archive for December, 2011
2011 – A Year in Fashion
Another year has flown by. A year full of awards season gowns, race day ensembles, chic casual outfits and outrageous performance costumes.
It was hard to pick just one for each month of the year, but I think I got it down to my favourite fashion moments of 2011.
- January
The Golden Globes kicked off another predictable string of award giving. Natalie Portman in her ridiculous performance in Black Swan and Colin Firth’s not-so-ridiculous performance in The Kings Speech took home Best Actress and Actor respectively, but it was Olivia Wilde on the red carpet that won in my eyes. Dressed in Marchesa, Oliva Wilde looked just like the princess she is (or was? Are you still a princess if you divorce a prince?) in layers of tulle, thousands and sequins and crazy Louboutins. I love the sleek hair that brings the whole outfit away from the “too young” category.
- February
It’s obvious I’m into pouffy princess dresses because I couldn’t stop thinking about Hailee Steinfeld, again in Marchesa, at the Oscars in February. For a fourteen-year-old girl, this is perfectly age appropriate, comfortable and simply beautiful. It is reminiscent of my all time favourite dress; this Chanel couture one:
- March
March 2011 marked the death of Hollywood legend, Elizabeth Taylor. Although not from this year, the white dress worn by Elizabeth in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof is legendary itself and I’ve loved it ever since I saw the film.
- April
Mah girl, Willow Smith, already got a mention on this blog for this same Chanel outfit that she wore to perform at the Obamas’ Easter weekend celebrations at the Whitehouse. I don’t know of any other tween killing in it Chanel so she gets a second mention. Willow is one of my style icons. She knows how to have fun, still dress like a child but at the same time she expresses a confidence and style that, even as an adult, I envy. Unlike a lot of us and our childhood fashions, Willow will be able to look back on her outfits and feel pretty happy I reckon.
- May
Sadly I can’t find pictures of my favourite fashion moment for May. It was, however, Jamie Lee’s show at Rosemount Mercedes Australia Fashion Week. Featured in the Generation 2 show alongside Del Playa Drive, Jamie Lee had me drooling with tulle, sequins, stripper heels dripping in gold, loads of colour, volume, drama, bows and crazy glasses. I’m expecting big things from this label.
- June
This is more of my own personal fashion moment than a celebrity’s but this Collette Dinnigan really saved my Winter. It’s so hard to find dressy and warm things for ‘good’ occasions and this wool and silk dress is perfect and should hopefully last me a few more Winters to come.
- July
Hailee Steinfeld takes out my overall ‘best dressed’ of the year. As the face of Miu Miu she spent the year fronting up the fashion house in divine little numbers like this one that she wore to Lurecia Martel’s ‘Muta’ screening. I would kill to be decked out in Miu Miu for every event. The colour palette, the beading, the sweet collars, the bows, the jewels – aaahhh I love everything!
- August
In August Miranda Kerr made us all want to die when she debuted her post baby body at the David Jones Spring Summer 11/12 launch show. This one piece isn’t really my style – mainly because my fat would seep out through the cut-outs – but it is amazing on her. Miranda is the picture of health which to me is the ultimate fashion accessory.
- September
Gwyneth Paltrow in Pucci at the Emmys polarised the fashion masses with her kind-of-midriff-showing ensemble. Personally I think it’s one of the best she’s worn and it’s edgy enough to be classified daring while still being very classic. Not many people could pull it off – particularly after having some kids – but Gwynny does it oh so well.
- October
Uuummmm can you fault this outfit? Nope. Neither can I. Laura Dundovic not only successfully stuck to the Derby Day ’black and white’ theme but she did it with sophistocation, a playful frivolity and old school class. Even though she never looks anything less than stunning, this was a stand out.
- November
Another race day outfit from another Aussie beauty. Erika Heynatz, like Laura Dundovic, always looks like a goddess. Her appearance at the Chandon Turf Party in Centennial Park on Melbourne Cup day in this Ferragamo blouse, skirt and shoes (with Neill Grigg hat) blew my mind. Sadly, it didn’t look anywhere near as good on the mannequin in store which is obviously a testament to Erika.
- December
Love them or hate them, the Kardashians were EVERYWHERE this year. They topped off a pretty negative year with this really badly received Kristmas Kard. It’s so, so lame but damnnnn I love the styling. It has to be my favourite fashion moment of December. I’m a sucker for a tuxedo, especially a feminine one and I think the klan look really good kollectively. Kylie and Kourtney are especially killing it. The ironic thing is, though, you can’t get a copy of the card to post on your own website. It’s literally the one fucking thing that the Kardashians WON’T share. Let’s hope they don’t piss us off too much next year.
What were your best fashion moments of 2011?
Outfit of the Day
Today I went to see the Picasso exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Definitely worth going to see; it’s on until March 2012. If you’re going to go, though, make sure you book tickets online first. The exhibition runs in sessions (as I think most galleries are doing these days) so you may not be able to just wander in when you arrive. We got there at 11:15 and had to wait until 1:00 pm to go in.
Hair and Makeup How-To
I had a lot of people asking me via the blog, email or Twitter to write a post on how I did my hair and makeup for the Kardashian Kollection launch. Well, I’ve finally got around to it, so here you go. I’m no makeup artist or hair stylist, so a lot of it is trial and error and just knowing your own features, so have a practise and you’ll soon find your own style.
Makeup
Dermalogica Treatment Foundation in 2 ($68) Australis Paparazzi Perfect eyeshadow palette in Snap Attack ($15.95) Benefit The POREfessional ($53) Benefit High Beam ($45) Benefit Erase Paste in 1 ($47) Benefit Instant Brow Pencil ($39) Revlon Fantasy Lengths Glue On Lashes ($9.99) M.A.C False Lashes Mascara ($30) M.A.C Powder Blush in Pink Cult ($40 – limited edition) M.A.C Bronzing Powder in Gold Deposit ($39) Napoleon Whipped Dream Tan Enhancer ($40)Hair
Schwarzkopf Ultimate Repair Shampoo and Conditioner ($6.99 each) Schwarzkopf Ultimate Repair and Gloss Treatment ($8.99) Schwarzkopf Ultimate Styling Mousse ($4.99) Schwarzkopf Ultimate Styling Hair Spray ($6.99) Fudge URBAN Straight Hair Stuff ($10.99) Tail Comb GHD Gold Series Styler ($269) VS Sassoon Curl Magic ($49.95)To start, wash your hair the day before with Schwarzkopf Ultimate Repair Shampoo and Conditioner. You don’t have to wash your hair before you begin, but it gives a far better texture to work with so can you just trust me on this? Thanks.
After towel drying, spritz with the Schwarzkopf Ultimate Repair and Gloss Treatment. This will not only moisturise the hair but also act as a detangler. Mousse the lengths AND the roots with Schwarzkopf Ultimate Styling Mousse and then blowdry…dry.
I always straighten my hair before curling so that I have a clean slate to work with. If I have a bit of frizz and then curl it, I’m never happy with the curls so even a half-assed job of straightening gives me a better result. Before running the GHD over my hair I apply Fudge’s Straight Hair Stuff to protect against the direct heat and also to give ultimate straightness. Once the whole head is straight, you can begin your curls.
If you’re anything like me and have very fine hair, you’ll be thankful for all that mousse you put in earlier. I like to heat my curler up to 170 degrees and create tight curls which eventually fall to the level I want them by the time the event comes around. Spray each section lightly with Schwarzkopf Ultimate Styling Hair Spray before curling and if they’re too tight, you can always brush them out to desired tightness as well. Since I did this look before work and then went to the event at 6pm, you can see how much they would have dropped. I mean, I went to work looking like Shirley Temple and 9 hours later had the above – so just deal with the embarrassment for a couple of hours in the morning and you’ll look hot later. 
I parted my hair at one side and back-combed the back sections to give a bit of sex hair and I Do Not Give A Fuck-ery to the look. I think it matched my dress. Do not be afraid of hairspray, my friends. It is on your side – use and abuse it until you’re happy that style is not going anywhere.
For the makeup I start with Dermalogica’s Treatment Foundation. Using Benefit’s Erase Paste, conceal any blemishes. You know this, why am I telling you?
Everytime you’re doing a full eye you have to prime. I like Benefit’s The POREfessional. Not traditionally a primer, it seems to work very well for me and you’ll never see me with an unsightly crease in my eyelid so long as I’m wearing it.
After priming, I cover the whole eyelid with the lightest colour in the Australis ‘Snap Attack’ palette. Starting at the inner edges and working up to the crease I apply the darkest colour with a thin brush and work my way over the out edge of the eye. Blend.
Using the lightest brown/bronze blend into the bone of the eyelid to highlight this area and using the darkest colour again, with an angled brush, create a small flick on the outer edge of the eye and continue the colour underneath the lower outer edge. With the same dark colour but a smaller blending brush, work the colour towards the middle of the eye and upwards over the crease. With the rim of the eye now shaded in the darkest colour, and with the lightest colour as a base, I brush M.A.C Woodwinked (which is a bronze shadow) over the middle remaining section of the lid to give dimension and create the illusion of a bigger, more open eye.
With the colour applied, it’s time to put on falsies. I received the Revlon lashes in a gift bag and I found these super easy to apply. Usually I’m a bit uncoordinated with fake lashes but I had no problems and I also didn’t have to cut the lashes down to size. Once they’re on, fill in any gaps with eyeshadow and apply M.A.C’s False Lashes mascara.
Now that the eyes are all done it’s time to concentrate on cheeks. Not everyone will suit the same M.A.C blush I use, so use your desired colour. Apply blush below the cheekbone in the ‘hollow’ section of your cheek and then to the apple. With the bronzer, I apply it to my temples and down along side my cheeks, the apples of my cheeks, the tops of my cheekbones, the tip of my nose and chin and collar bones.
Finish off with some Benefit High Beam on your brow bones and the highest point of the cheekbones, just under the eye. Don’t forget to brush your brows with Benefit’s Instant Brow pencil and fill them in if needed.
Rub Napoleon’s Whipped Dream Tan Enhancer into your limbs and you’re good to go!
Quarter Twenty One and the Champagne Bureau – Champagne Christmas
Well, I’m certainly glad I went along to the Champagne Bureau’s Rosé tasting at Quarter Twenty One last week! Being the uncultured pleb novice that I am, I knew very little of the history or technique behind rose until John Noble, of the Champagne Bureau, shared his encyclopaedic knowledge of wine with us. Now, after a brain full of information and a tummy full of some of the best rosés available, I will be able to make educated choices about which rosé I choose out of the fridge instead of, *ahem*, picking the one with the prettiest bottle.
It was amazing to see how varied the different rosés could taste. Some were very dry where as others were on the sweeter side, with some being very sweet – a big trend in the 80s. Even though I’m not that fussed about matching wines to my food, I was quite surprised to see that we would be eating beef with our champagne. We were given a list of foods that go really well with rose and beside the obvious strawberries and raspberries, some others that work are:
- Rare roast lamb
- Quail (and most game birds)
- Duck
- Salmon
- Crab
- Chicken
- Prawns
- Lobster
- Japanese flavours
Being a non-seafood eater (although I did eat a scallop this night!) most of that list is lost on me, but I can really see how rosé would be conducive to Japanese flavours.
Chef Justin North dropped by to demonstrate a few dishes:
Steak tartare
Prawns with aromatic salt
Blackmore wagyu short rib (cooked on a Japanese BBQ)
Along with the three canapés above, we also had:
Heirloom tomato tart with olive and basil and caramelised onion and thyme flatbread with celery cress and goat’s curd
Half-shell scallop with ginger and shallot
and the full list of rosés tasted is as follows:
- Veuve Cliquot Rosé
- Charles Heidsick Rosé Reserve
- Moet and Chandon Rosé Imperial
- Louis Roderer Vintage, 2005
Of the four, my favourites were the Veuve and the Louis Roderer. I found the others to be a little bit sweet and I am into drier varieties of rosé.
If you too are into dry rosé, have a look at Rosé Revolution – Celebrating Dry Rosé. A movement dedicated to rosé and getting it into the Champagne flutes of Aussies everywhere this Summer. On the Rosé Revolution website you’ll find recipes for meals that will go splendidly with your rosé, special offers on rosés and upcoming events. You’ll also find more information on the process of making rosé, how it differs from ‘regular’ Champagne and the history behind the houses.
As a big supporter of anything pink and alcoholic, I think I’ll be seeing a lot more rosé in my fridge this Summer. What’s your preference?
Lindt Christmas Collection
After seeing the Lindt Gold Bunny eat all his bugs n bees friends at Easter, I was a little bit skeptical when my mate, the Lindt Christmas Teddy, asked to stay my house. Would he try to eat me? Would he try to eat my own bunny, Louis? Fears soon dissipated when Lindt Christmas Teddy started doing sweet things:
Making me breakfast in bed…
Organising his chef friends to come over and cook me dinner…
Writing my essays for me…
Decorating my Christmas tree…
…and packing my suitcase for a weekend away.
This guy is just too cute!
I must say that I am quite biased when it comes to teddy bears – I love their shape. I’ve been known to sport a Harajuku-inspired teddy accessory or two, so it’s obvious my love for this little guy is strong.
I know you’ll all be rushing out to add Lindt goodies to your Christmas gifts, so I thought I’d give you a heads up for your shopping lists. If you love the Lindt teddy bear (who doesn’t?) but want to amplify the cuteness, then you can find miniature Lindt bears in the same, 3D shape or with a creamy white chocolate filling. There’s also a cute little set that has teddy bear bars in different outfits that slide along to mix and match – perfect for the fashionista in your life!
The whole family. Aawwww
The Lindt Teddy Bear Sliding Bears out of their outfits - nice little treats for well-behaved children on Christmas day
Strictly Confidential – Roxy Jacenko
Picture: Allen & Unwin
I picked Strictly Confidential up off my doorstep four hours ago and I just finished it. Not because it’s an easy read, but because I simply couldn’t put it down.
The debut novel from Sydney-based PR Queen, Roxy Jacenko, Strictly Confidential is the non-fiction story of Jasmine Lewis, a publicist, and all the triumphs and mishaps she faces on her journey to the top with her Public Relations agency, Queen Bee PR. Despite the disclaimer ‘the characters and event in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, alive or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author’ I couldn’t help but gasp and giggle each time I discovered speculated about who a character might be based on.
Essentially, Strictly Confidential is chick lit. But unlike an offering from the likes of Candace Bushnell, whom I find to be a bitter, one-dimensional hater-of-youth, SC contains genuinely funny stories and laugh-out-loud one liners from a character who is irreverent yet really likeable. If you’re a Sydney-sider you’ll find the book even more enjoyable because of the references to shops, bars, restaurants and local identities.
As corny as it sounds, I think there are a lot of lessons to be learnt from SC, too; work hard, surround yourself with good people, and don’t punch your boss in the face.
Strictly Confidential is available for pre-order and will be published from January 2012. If you can manage to get your hands on a copy before Christmas or the new year, do it! It’s the perfect holiday read and would make a great gift for the fashion-loving girl.
Strictly Confidential Written by Roxy Jacenko Published by Allen & Unwin AUD$24.99 272 PagesThe Bistro – Newcastle
On Friday night I went to one of the greatest restaurants I’ve ever been to. If you read my blog often you’ve probably seen that I do treat myself by going to some nice places and The Bistro was up there with the best of them.
The Bistro was opened around three months ago by Thomas Green and Dylan Evans – both of whom have worked at Michelin-starred restaurants, The Ledbury and the world’s best restaurant, Noma, respectively. Despite their fine dining background, Green and Evans wanted to bring a rustic simplicity back to their food, serving generous, honest meals without the fiddliness that high-end food often brings.
The result is a warm dining room with charcoal walls, delicate lighting and a pressed tin ceiling over the bar and a menu full of what is described as “modern-day comfort food”. Potato and parmesan gnocchi with mushrooms, broad beans and preserved lemons, slow cooked lamb shoulder with crushed potatoes, red peppers, summer tomatoes and olive jus and steak served on wooden steak boards with confit garlic, baby onions, a selection of condiments and red wine or pepper sauce are some of the mains on offer, but I suggest starting your meal with some snacks.
Each one has four serves and we ordered:
Crispy pastries, goats curd and black olive. These are wafer-thin, flecked with sundried tomato and filled with goats curd. Delicious and perfect for whetting your appetite.
Sweet corn and haloumi fritters, avocado and lime. So, so tasty - I could have dined on these all night. For those of you concerned with avocado ratio, you’ll love these.
Artichoke crackers, toasted almonds. I didn’t know what these would be like. I was interested to see that they were kind of like prawn crackers, but a little chewier.
We skipped entrees and went straight into mains (to save room for dessert). I ordered a 250g sirloin with pepper sauce.
My mouth was already watering after the snacks, so I was pretty excited about the steak. I loved the presentation, the condiments (I had horseradish cream), the salty onions and, ultimately, the steak, which was cooked perfectly.
Yuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
There were lots of nice looking sides but we decided upon mushroom flavoured mac n cheese and a goats cheese and tomato salad. The salad had a nice twist with pistachio nuts on top.
I wanted literally every dessert (and the cheeses) on the menu so the four of us decided to get one of each. I’m usually more of a chocolate fiend, but I went for the raspberry souffle upon recommendation from all of the staff. It was big, but the raspberry flavour was strong and tart and I loved the little chocolate biscuit pebbles that the vanilla bean ice cream was resting on.
I loved how each of the desserts were served on different plates that not only matched what was on them, but were also cohesive in themselves. Black, white and black and white patterned…
Dark chocolate mousse with peanut brittle, salted caramel and malted milk ice cream
Vanilla bean panna cotta with mandarin sorbet, blood orange and dried raspberries
passionfruit pavlova with seasonal fruits and lime pearls
Being only two hours away from Sydney, I’d highly recommend making the trip to Newcastle to eat at The Bistro. We drove away working out how we could drive up for an early dinner and be back in Sydney in the same night – it’s that good.
The prices are reasonable, too. Three orders of snacks, four mains, two side dishes, four desserts, 4 soft drinks, a bottle of wine and 2 coffees came in at just under $300 which is probably significantly less than Sydney prices, but exactly the same better quality than most Sydney restaurants.
Has anyone else been to The Bistro yet? Would you make the trip?
The Bistro 102 Darby Street Cooks Hill, Newcastle (02) 4929 4854 (Take the F3 until you get to Glebe Road, turn right and continue down to Derby Street) Snacks – $7 Entrees – $14 – $16 Mains – $23 – $36 Desserts – $14 – $16 Licensed with bar www.thebistrorestaurant.com.auWin a $500 shopping spree with fashion editor, Katerina Agiostratitis
Ho, Ho, Ho I feel like Santa with another fantastic giveaway! This time it’s fashion-based and I am so excited to be able to offer one of my fashion-loving readers a $500 shopping spree and half-day styling and shopping session with fashion editor, Katerina Agiostratitis.
Katerina makes the pages of Cosmopolitan’s Bride and Pregnancy magazines look beautiful, but you don’t have to be expecting or planning a wedding to get some expert tips from her!
Taking place in Sydney’s CBD, Katerina will help you to get a new look with a huge $500 to spend on shiny new things all thanks to 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty.
You may remember all the fun things that were on offer around Australia during 30DOF like beauty masterclasses at Priceline with leading beauty editors such as Woman’s Day’s Mary Zavaglia, the latest looks from Katherine, Alex Perry and Cue in the free Grazia fashion shows at Town Hall and Pandora’s Romantic Rock Runway show. I , personally, had a ball galavanting around Sydney enjoying the Priceline Pamper Tent in Martin Place, Sally Hansen’s world-record-breaking manicure marathon and Alex Perry’s exclusive show in the Commonwealth Bank vault showcasing his stunning gowns with Cerrone jewels.
Given that this is quite a big giveaway, I’m making it a little more tricky to be in the running. To enter, watch the two short videos below and email the answers to the 5 questions listed to marlo@marloperry.com Once you’ve emailed me, please leave a comment just saying ‘emailed’ so I know to look out for your entry (sometimes they go to the spam folder).
- Which new Aussie designer did Alexa Chung pick up on her visit to Australia?
- According to Kellie Hush, which era of clothing is going to be big this Summer?
- Which mobile phone app helps you to keep track of your money?
- Why was Alex Perry excited to be having a show in a bank?
- What can you redeem with points earned on your Commonwealth Bank Awards Credit Card?
All emails with the correct answers will be entered into the draw with the winner chosen at midday on Wednesday 28 December and emailed shortly thereafter.
- Winner must be living in Sydney or, if living interstate or overseas, be able to take the prize in Sydney.
- Travel costs to Sydney are the responsibility of the winner.
- Entry is by emailing 5 correct answers to the 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty video quiz to marlo@marloperry.com and a comment on this post confirming your entry
- Winner receives a half-day shopping trip with Katerina Agiostratitis and $500 to spend on the day
- Winner will be emailed on Wednesday, 28 December and if they have not acknowledged receipt of the email by 2 January 2012, the prize will be passed onto a runner-up
- The $500 spending money may not be taken as a cash prize
- The date the prize is to be taken will be determined by the availability of both the winner and Katerina Agiostratitis
- The prize will be taken in 2012
Camilla Warehouse Sale – Sydney
This afternoon I was alerted to a sale starting tomorrow morning that you do not want to miss. I got a sneak preview this evening and it’s definitely worth going to.
Kaftan Queen, Camilla, whose designs have been worn by Oprah, Rihanna, Beyonce and Lily Allen (and fetch up to $1000), is selling off clothing from current collections and Winter 2011 (as well as some other bits and pieces) in a three-day sale in Darlinghurst. For those of you familiar with her stock, the ranges on sale are Babylon, Woodstock, Soleil and Gelato.
Prices start from $20 although, upon visiting this evening I couldn’t see anything for $20 - the majority of the ‘cheap’ stock was $70-80. This included long sleeves printed jersey tops from the Woodstock collection (perfect for this crazy Sydney weather), shorter kaftans, some jersey pieces and beautiful silk tanks.
For the $120 price point you’ll find more kaftans and the quality/length/detail goes up as the price goes up. I saw some very current stock – i.e in stores now – for around $299 – $340 which is still a huge bargain and some more exxy stuff like knit wear (a T.D.F khaki knit dress with chain detail) and leather pants and vests. Some beaded ponchos and vests were also there, again for a little bit more money.
One of the best deals I saw were the maxi dresses for $220. STUNNING silk numbers in butterfly print, baby pink, charcoal and black tie dye and some others I don’t remember and what could easily be a wedding dress – off white with gorgeous gold and white beading on the straps. You can barely buy a non-designer silk maxi for $220 so I’d put this at the bargain of the sale.
The venue is fairly small, so expect a wait. The stock is in PERFECT condition (unlike at a lot of sales) so please try to be gentle with the pieces. Just because they’re discounted doesn’t mean you can chuck them on the change room floor – they are delicate silk after all.
What: Camilla’s warehouse sale Where: 158 – 162 Crown Street (Corner of Stanley Street) East Sydney When: Friday 16 December 10 am – 8 pm Saturday 17 December 10 am - 6 pm Sunday 18 December 11 am – 4 pmUnfortunately I forgot to check out the finance side of things. I think I saw someone paying with a card, but take cash just in case.
Who will be heading down tomorrow?
Finger Waves at Brad Ngata Hair Direction
Last night was my work’s 1930s Circus-themed Christmas party at Hyde Park Barracks.
I decided to channel Reese Witherspoon’s character in Water For Elephants and wear a drop-waisted silk dress that was very performer-ish with t-bar heels and finger waves which are synonymous with that era.
I found a tutorial on LC’s blog, The Beauty Department, but it took me an hour just doing a tiny section of my hair during practise so I decided to have it done.
I’ve had up-do’s at Brad Ngata before, with great success, so I decided to go there for this ‘do.
Elise at the Ivy salon created my look and I absolutely loved it!
The process took a shit load of product (which I totally endorse) and tonnes of hair and bobby pins.
It started off by wetting the front section and applying lots of gel. Despite the name, I didn’t realise finger waves were actually created with the fingers. The hair is combed and then held with one finger, combed in a different direction and secured with another finger and so on. It’s then pinned into place and left to set until it’s actually rock hard and then softened with a hair dryer (and soft diffuser) and given a little bit more volume and shape.
I didn’t manage to get a photo of the back, unfortunately. It looked stunning and was actually quite thick and luscious as opposed to the textured curls that Reese wears in the movie.
The result was a comfortable, secure and accurate hairstyle and I couldn’t fault the service of the staff at Brad Ngata. I’ll definitely be back again (obviously!)
Up-do’s at Brad Ngata Hair Direction start at $129. They have salons at Surry Hills and Ivy in Sydney’s CBD.
PS – how cute is this little friend on the door at the Ivy salon? Squeee!
