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Janet Jackson 1′s Tour – Sydney
It’s been almost two weeks since I went to the Janet Jackson concert at the Opera House, but the memories still remain.
After putting up an (alleged) poor performance on the Saturday night and completely cancelling the Sunday, tensions were high for the Tuesday, and final, performance – particularly since I’d booked in at ARIA for pre-dinner and would have been pretty unimpressed if I’d forked out a couple of hundred dollars on dinner only to be told the show was cancelled.
Luckily it went ahead as planned and I, along with everyone else, was completely blown away. Previously I rated Lady Gaga and P!nk as the greatest shows I’d ever seen, with P!nk and K.D Lang the best live voices I’d heard, but Janet has trumped them all. For a bare stage, a few backup dancers and no costume changes (except for losing the jacket in the last half of the concert) Janet was captivating, did not stop for a second and was, quite plainly, the most incredible performer I’ve ever witnessed.
Let’s remember that she’s in her forties now and, while that’s not old per se, she has been doing this a long time. You wouldn’t guess her age from seeing her dance, sing and engage the audience for hours. Her body is strong, her face light and her voice impeccable. We were lucky (???) enough to see her on the day that Michael’s ‘killer’ was convicted and I wondered how this would affect her performance. At the end of the show she said: “Justice has been had today”, or something to that effect, and there were a few songs accompanied by photos of her and Michael. I got a bit emotional during ‘Scream’, not because it’s a sad song, but it’s one of her’s and Michael’s and one of my all time favourite songs.
I was so happy to hear her sing some of her newer stuff but very, very disappointed to see that she passed on ‘Got ‘Til It’s Gone’ and ‘I Get So Lonely’ to her backup singers who sang just the chorus each. The Velvet Rope era is probably my favourite of Janet’s and, although it wasn’t a number 1, I would have died if she’d sung ‘Somebody To Call My Lover’.
Something really hilarious worth noting (that will probably not be even slightly funny when I explain it) was after the support act, Justice Crew (LOVE THEM!), had performed there was general music playing throughout the hall. ‘Moves Like Jagger’ came on and this lady started dancing. Everyone turned around to watch her and then the whole place went nuts. I’ve never seen anything like it BEFORE a concert, and particularly in a place like the Opera House. I was right, I can’t explain it, but it was so much fun. I saw my cousins after the concert and we thought it was the most bizarre thing ever.
It was really hard to cut the pictures down because she was doing different things in all of them – that’s how hard she was working it. She also touches her vagina A LOT. Like, more than Chelsea Handler did in her show. I guess that’s part of the performance, right?
Touching on her favourite fru-u-u-it
So did anyone else catch Janet while she was in Australia? What did you think of the concert?
Nokia E72 Angst
I’ve never jumped on the iPhone bandwagon and, with the release of the 4 S, I thought I’d finally get one. Unfortunately, I only got my stupid Nokia E72 a year ago and to pay out my contract it would cost $688. Considering I’m supposed to be saving, I don’t really want to pay that just to then start paying off another phone, so I’ve decided to stick it out for a while and make the most of this piece of crap I only bought because it was purple. Normally I don’t have any problems with Nokia. Back in the day my 3310 served me and in 2003 the 6610 was cutting edge, but I feel so behind with my E72.
In order to “make the most” of it I decided to explore some options that I hadn’t clicked through to before. I noticed an ‘edit’ option on photos and discovered an absolute gem.
Unlike the apps on the iPhone like instagram and procamera, the Nokia E72 has this hilarious half-assed “editing suite” with limited additions and alterations to your photos.
I chose the following photo to play with because it was already full of lolz. It looks like a computer-generated age simulator for a three-year-old Toddlers and Tiaras star who went missing:
This is what she could look like today...
Here’s some of the fun I had:
Obviously…
Mariah Carey tribute…
I’ll never let go, Jack. I promise.
See? Endless amusement! Who needs an iPhone, huh? Not me. :////
A Fatal Attraction to Customer Service
I went to the National Stroke Foundation’s Food For Thought fundraising dinner last night and, because I had to go straight from work, I had my makeup done at M.A.C at David Jones, Elizabeth Street.
M.A.C is one of those brands where, even if the customer service was terrible, I’d probably still buy from them because I love and need their products. I’ve had hit and miss experiences at other M.A.C counters and stores throughout Sydney but I’ve never actually approached the one at David Jones in the city for some reason.
Now I’m going to tell you how freakin’ fantastic my experience was there last night in point form because it will end up being an essay if I don’t.
Haylee did my makeup and here’s what I loved:
-A lot of makeup artists look at me and see long blonde hair and a curvy body and automatically want to do a matte, nude base with just an eyeliner flick. Nothing against eyeliner flicks, but if I’m paying to have my makeup done – I want a look that I simply can’t achieve at home. Haylee asked me what the colour of my dress was going to be (baby pink) and suggested a chocolate brown base with bronze and gold highlights and bronzed skin with a peach cheek. YES!
-Each step of the way I was asked if I wanted to go in a certain direction with the look, adding to or changing the makeup at all. Haylee actually listened and delivered on these unlike a lot of times when I’ve had my makeup done by others and they just go ahead with something that you may have even said no to.
-She brushed my brows UP. Obviously I love my brows, I like them to look bushy. A lot of makeup artists do not get this look and tend to brush them across to make them look thinner instead of up and then over to actually give them shape. Haylee even filled them in a bit. Loved the end result – it was very Liz Taylor.
-I think the best part is that, after deciding to break a cardinal rule of makeup and sleep in my makeup because I was so happy with it, I woke up and looked exactly the same as I did when I went to sleep. This is a testament to both M.A.C makeup and Haylee’s application because not a single dot of powder is out of place. Why yes I am wearing this makeup to work today – who’s gonna stop me, huh?
All of the team were lovely, cheerful and obviously very talented. One staff member was creating a Halloween look on another staff member and it was amaaazzzing. It looked like something out of a Lady Gaga clip.
Well done, M.A.C @ David Jones, Elizabeth Street – I will be back for sure!
David Jones Floriography 2011
Floriography in the Elizabeth Street David Jones store has been the most beautiful thing in Sydney for the past 10 days. I’m fortunate (or unfortunate, for when I’m trying not to spend) to work near David Jones so I have been popping in most days to check it out because it’s just so glorious.
Over 30,000 flowers were displayed on the ground floor of David Jones and most were in keeping with the beauty brands’ counters. I know zero about botany, but I loved the big purple lollipop-looking things at the Clinique counter.
My only problem with Floriography was the creepy blonde things standing amongst the displays. Oh, and there were some irrelevant mannequins with wigs on, too.
Cuteness?
My boss once asked me what “cuteness” meant. Well, it’s hard to explain. It’s just something you know.
But if I had to show you what it looks like, here’s a bloody good example.
If you didn’t know, now you know.
An Open Letter to Mattel
Mattel,
It has come to my attention that you’re basing all of Barbie’s latest adventures and accessories on me. I’m not complaining - after all I base my whole look on Barbie - but credit where credit’s due, right?
When I made this my Facebook profile photo my friends thought I’d just gone on holidays to Paris:
(Love the bow on the Eiffel Tower, by the way)
Most famous blondes choose to have Chihuahuas or teacup piglets, so why would Barbie have a stunning, sophisticated and fashionable poodle called Georgina Sequin? Is it because your design team read my blog?
Not only does Sequin accompany Barbie on her travels, but her top knot is adorned with bows and jewels. Georgina’s top knot is constantly in use as a display of her frivolity and girliness.
I came across these toys yesterday:
Pretty cute, I must say. I actually had to hold myself back from buying them. But where’s the mention of my role as your inspiration? I noticed the Justin Beiber doll and all the Disney Princess Barbies were clearly marked with who they were modelled on, but there was no such labelling for Fashion Fairytale Barbie.
I put it to you, Mattel, to get in touch and let me know why this is. Let’s chat and praise each other for daily inspiration. You, for teaching me I can wear anything, should always have long blonde hair and can have any career I like and me, for teaching you that bows can be stuck on anything and blonde girls and big poodles make for great viewing.
Kind regards,
Marlo Perry
Carrie Underwood in Australia
After three years of trying, Carrie Underwood - one of America’s brightest stars – finally made it to Australia.
On June 16 Carrie performed five songs spanning her hugely successful career including my personal fave, Before He Cheats, to a crowd of media and industry guests at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney.
Before Carrie was brought on stage, we heard of her massive achievements including her 13 million record sales, five Grammys and two Country Music Award ‘Best Performer’ accolades – quite a feat for the 28-year old singer who rose to fame after winning American Idol five years ago.
I first heard of Carrie four years ago in America and I’m so glad Australian audiences are finally being exposed to her music. Her work ethic is incredible – so much so that when the Chilean ash cloud hindered her travel from Melbourne to Sydney she arrived on a bus at 2:30am before a 6am performance on Sunrise, just to keep her commitments. She has the voice of a diva but certainly not the attitude.
Carrie and I
Carrie recently featured in the film Soul Surfer as youth ministry leader, Sarah Hill – a perfect fit for a gentle and spiritual woman like Carrie. The vegetarian and animal lover told me she got to meet koalas and kangaroos on her trip here and has hopes to do a full tour of Australia soon.
Carrie’s latest album Play On is out now and has been re-packaged especially for Australia to include six of her previous number one hits and a cover of Motley Crue’s Home Sweet Home.
Louis Le Lapin
- Georgina and Louis
On Easter Sunday the Easter Bunny delivered some eggs to my house and DID NOT LEAVE.
So here we have the newest member of the Perry family, Louis. We actually wanted a girl to name Lily but this boy captured our hearts, so Louis it was.
A Fatal Attraction to Cuteness indeed.
The photos are extremely blurry because he jumps around a lot (duh) and it’s really tricky to catch him sitting still. I am clearly going to need to buy a better camera to capture his adorability.
Please excuse my pyjamas and apron (I don’t want his angora fur all over me or in my bed).
Breaking The Chain – Are Chainstores The New Designer?
Jan Nord & Jorgen Andersson (Picture from L'oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival)
For as long as I can remember, chain stores have weathered trends; and not just the ones they were selling. Fifteen years ago, who were you if you didn’t own at least a t-shirt with the coloured Sportsgirl logo embroidered on the front? Mine was lavender and, along with my Sportsgirl branded diary and pencil case, I thought it was the shit.
The nineties also saw the popularity of Portmans with their selection of decently priced, mix-and-match power suits that worked not only for the career woman but also the stay-at-home mum who, with the addition of a fob chain and a bob haircut, had a classic and fail safe outfit for special occasions.
It was not until the mid-noughties when things began to change on the chain store scene. Both Cue and Country Road both recorded substantial growth in the 2006-2007 financial year and Sportsgirl CEO Naomi Milgrom became the sole owner of the Sussan Retail Group which would see the brand travel at a fast pace in the world of trends and fast fashion. Moves like designer collaborations, celebrity endorsements and major competitions left the other youth-marketed chain stores struggling to keep up with the fickle world of fashion trends.
While Sportsgirl were going from strength to strength, other brands were feeling the cold shoulder of young fashion lovers. Portmans stores went from “must have” to “must avoid” with their monotonous colour schemes, boring cuts and a failure to translate their popular pieces from the nineties into wearable fashion in the two thousands. Even a hook up with super model Miranda Kerr couldn’t fix the brand and it wasn’t until a complete overhaul mere months ago that Portmans was back on the radar as a chain store with on-trend, expensive looking fashion.
Portmans aren’t the only brand who have upped their game of late. Back in 2007, it was reported that Zara would be opening in Westfield Bondi Junction. While this obviously fell through, the rumour mill started up again in 2010 with more solid news of Zara’s arrival.
As an avid shopper it feels like since this news came about, shopping in Sydney - particularly in chain stores – has become a lot more enjoyable. While I think Sportsgirl were always ahead of their game, retailers aimed at young women like Dotti, Portmans and Forever New have revamped their images and become sophistocated outlets with thoughtful lines and competitive prices. Even Diva amped up their cred by collaborating with “Expensive” Aussie designer, Alex Perry.
But can these retailers be helped by overhauling their image and will they ever surpass the concept (or profits) of the designers they love to…garner inspiration from? 
Late last year it was announced that Jan Nord and Jorgen Andersson, the brains behind H&M’s formidable stature in the European fashion market, had signed on to boost the image of the flailing and basically irrelevant Esprit.
Wait, you don’t remember them? Yeah, pretty forgettable right? Somehow they still have stores dotted around Sydney, seemingly digging in to what can’t be much of a profit margin. Andersson says of Esprit “When I walk into a store I don’t really feel anything.” – I think he is being generous. I think most people feel absolutely nothing in Esprit stores due to a boredom-induced coma. Everything they stock has been done – and done better – in other shops, including Target and Kmart, for a much smaller price.
Only time will tell if Nord and Andersson can, or will, team up with the likes of Karl Lagerfield, Roberto Cavalli or Sonia Rykiel to bring Esprit back into women’s wardrobes or if the brand has missed the boat on the trend of Australian chain stores rehashing their images pre-Zara.
I, for one, am keen to embrace any chain store that is willing to up its game. While I will always stick to high-end designers for my bags and (usually) my accessories, there is definitely a place in my wardrobe for well cut pieces which are not carbon copies of the pieces coming down the runway. So long as the element of design still remains in the “designs” I think trend-stocking chain stores can reach the same prestige as a lot of their pricey designer counterparts. As Nord and Andersson say, “Nothing in fashion is unique. Every collection has been done before and consumers can rarely differentiate between brands anyway”.
Intellectual property relating to fashion is such a grey area. As little as 8% of design needs to be modified for a product to be re-produced and sold, but so long as the interlocking C’s stay on ”real” Chanel bags and novacheck only lines the coats from certified Burberry retailers, I’ll be happy.
The Royal Wedding
Later this month the wedding of the century takes place.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are finally getting married, much to the delight of basically the entire world.
I’m personally thrilled because hopefully now there will be more attention paid to the other, hotter, more deserving Prince, Harry, and poor Kate can stop freaking out everyday about if this damn thing is ever going to go through.
There is always so much speculation about celebrity weddings, but when there is a wedding which inadvertently affects the future of our nation it’s even more exciting and hence, newsworthy.
Already spies are out and about trying to determine what the dress will look like, what food will be served and where the couple will take their honeymoon, but I have decided to stop to rumour mill and give you all the information you need.
What will Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding look like from a beauty point of view?
First up, the ring.
We know the beautiful sapphire engagement ring was once Princess Diana’s. Deep blue, sophisticated and a style that would suit everyone – much like Maybelline’s Line Express eyeliner in Blackened Sapphire. One thing these two don’t have in common is the price.
Line Express is only $11.95 and I am so thankful for the fact that is has its own foam blending implement on the non-pencil end. It saves time, ensures that you’re not mixing colours and ends with a slick and neat result from a creamy and fuss-free eyeliner.
Next, the photographer.
Nobody likes looking bad in a photo, that’s why Australis have invented Paparazzi Perfect: a range of foundations, tinted moisturisers, eyeshadows and blush to keep you looking like you’re about to step onto the red carpet.
Paparazzi Perfect tinted moisturiser comes in two shades: light/medium and medium/dark and is, in my opinion, not what I’d use in Winter but would be perfect for summer. It’s light, dewy and glossy and has a subtle and pretty scent - something that you don’t associate with tinted moisturisers normally. It may be suitable for people who get really dry skin in Winter but I will be using this as an everyday fresh-faced product for the hotter months. $15.95 for 30mL.
The foundation in this range is a different story. Good coverage -maybe a little thick for some people - but perfect for me for night-time. The foundation comes in 5 shades and retails at $19.95.
Paparazzi Perfect blush and eyeshadows are silky smooth and ready for even the sneakiest photo.
The blushes come in Screen Siren, a mottled dusky pink, Flash It which features lighter tones more suitable for fair skin, Shoot to Thrill for a ballerina pink cheek and Poser, a bronzer to sculpt the cheek bones and are $12.95 each.
Eyeshadows feature a range of colours from bright pinks, corals and purple and more muted, everyday tones like cream, beige and tan.
The below palettes, Snap Attack and Totally Busted are my go-to eyeshadows right now. The lighter colours for everyday wear and the stronger ones for night time. They’re so creamy and you don’t get that gross crease halfway through the day – even without the use of a primer. Each of the four eyeshadows retails at $15.95 and will be on shelves this month!
There’s still no confirmation as to where the royal couple are headed on their honeymoon.
Regardless, I’m recommending Lush’s Charlotte Island Body Tint. The perfect solution for skin so white it hurts your eyes. Rub some Charlotte Island into your skin for a tint that takes the edge off and gives a sheen to silky-smooth legs.
Charlotte Island from Lush is vegan and is sold in Lush stores for $10.95 for 100mL.
For flowers, the royal couple can’t look past Vera Wang’s next fragrance Preppy Princess.
In stores June 2011, Preppy Princess is perfect for our future queen. A deconstructed Union Jack is splashed across a heart-shaped bottle with a metal and pearl-embellished lid to represent the modern day monarch.
Notes include tangerine, red apple and berries with tones of jasmine and coconut water. $59/80mL or $89/mL it’s also the perfect price for your own little princess!
I don’t even want to begin to guess what the dress will look like – what beauty product would you guess would relate to the dress? Something silky smooth like a serum or a whipped up tulle mousse number?
