Support cancer charities through footwear

These are some of the most awesome charity supporting items I have ever seen! I love me some Dunlop Volleys so I was STOKED when I discovered Dunlop are doing their bit for the Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer Foundations. Do I even need to ramble on here? No, no I don't, because the pictures speak for themselves.

There is pink for the girls and blue for the boys (how gender stereotypical). The girlie Dunlops are white with different shades of pink ribbons or pink all over with white detailing and a couple of smaller ribbons. The lads are dark blue with white detailing, white with blue detailing (classic) and white with various blue ribbons. Really, not only are you doing your bit for charity, but these shoes are awesome cool and will be perfect with denim shorts and Ray-Bans for summer (can you tell I'm thinking about my BDO outfit already?). Whether you want to be out and proud or a little more subtle, your support of these two very important charities means the world to someone who will benefit at the other end.

Price: $29.99
From: KMart and Big W
Why you need them: Wear your heart on your sleeve and your pride on your feet.

Picture credit: twitter.com/DunlopVolley

VB Raw - new beer tastes good; is win

I will admit, I didn't buy this. Nothing is weirder than receiving a 6-pack of beer in the post - but that's how I came to be in possession of a 6-pack of VB Raw. Fairly sure I came to be one of the (and I quote) 'few key people whose opinions we value' because I was a contributor to inthemix when I had more time to write and stuff, but it could also be because I am just generally awesome.

So yeah, 6-pack of beer in a postage satchel. No press release, no wanky tasting notes - just a cool box with each beer lovingly wrapped in tissue paper and a note instructing me to chill out and share them with my mates. Lucky for me (and them) I have mates who like to drink beer.

So I ascertained that VB Raw was VB's offering to the low-carb corner of the market. It's also a stripped back brewing process, using just 4 ingredients - barley, hops, water and yeast. The result is a crisp and easy to drink beer, a little reminiscent of the initial taste of a Coopers and the body of a Crowny. A couple of the boys came around the other night and everyone cracked one. The number one comment was 'wow, it doesn't taste like VB', which I would suggest is a positive thing for VB as they have suffered somewhat of an identity crisis with the wanky, boutique beer drinking, inner city 20-30 year olds (i.e. my friends).

All in all? It's a solid beer. I would say a mans version of a low carb beer - quite often they lack a strong beer flavour so this is for the bloke who wants to drink a mans beer whilst looking after his 6-pack (beer pun! haha!)

Price: Currently on sale at Dan Murphy's - $2.90 for a single, $14.99 for a 6-pack and $42.90 for a case
From: Dan Murphy's, or any other bottle shop
Why you need it: For a hard earned thirst, you need a big cold beer, and the best cold beer is Vic...
PS - check out their fun website

Primped VIP review - Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF

I'm a member of the Primped VIP club where I get sent a parcel every 3 months of lovely, brand new beauty products to play with and enjoy and then I have to write a review of what I liked and didn't like. Sweet deal, right?! Are you jealous? You should be. If you aren't a regular Primped visitor, you should shimmy over and keep an eye out for the next VIP club call out.

Anyway, one of the things I was sent to review is Neutrogena's new sun protection offering Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30+. Bit of a mouthful, so let's just call it Ultra Sheer for now, hey?

I'm all about sun protection. It's not an optional, it's an every day. Considering I am 26 and have some sun damage already, as do a couple of my friends, I am pretty fanatical about it now. That said, my skin is quite sensitive and doesn't react well to regular sunscreens so I use a lot of products that have an SPF in them to avoid the greasy, pore-clogging white stuff. Let's go through the pros and cons...

Pros

• Helioplex - this is a big deal because, apparently, sunscreens without this ingredient only protect against UVB and UVA II rays. This takes it up a notch and protects against UVA I as well. High five, Helioplex!
• It really is dry and goes on matte so you don't have that sticky, greasy sunscreen business that can be a turn off.
• It's only $17.99, which is small fries for such a powerful product.
• Neutrogena is a reputable and trusted brand.
  

Cons

• It has a kind of strong, perfumed, sunscreen smell. Reminds me of being on holiday, but gets old when you're actually in an office all day getting a monitor tan.
• If you put it on too thick, you look like a geisha.
• The cap is twist off instead of flip. It's a small thing, but I'm doing a thorough review here.

As you can see more pros than cons. This is definitely a product I will be adding to my daily arsenal, but mainly for my decolletage, shoulders and arms. I have been using it when I running and on the weekend when I'm not wearing a face of slap, but when I have to wear a face of makeup to the office on a weekday, it feels a little heavy when teamed with every other thing I put on my face already.

Price: $17.99
From: Wherever you buy Neutrogena - let's assume Priceline et. al.
Why you need it: For hardcore sun protection

Schadenfreude - good word, better jewellery

Schadenfreude is a good word, right? I love good words. This one is a German word that means taking pleasure in the misfortune of others. That's pretty rough if you ask me, but it's the entire premise of Australia's Funniest Home Videos and that show has been around for years so obviously it's something Aussie's appreciate (I won't lie - that show cracks me up).

But this isn't about home videos with sound effects, it's about ridiculously gorgeous jewellery. Not for the faint-hearted, Sydney girls Claire and Georgia have created a line of dazzling cocktail rings in bold sterling silver and cubic zirconias. They're chunky and blingy without being ostentatious - it's all about sophistication. The rings are beautiful quality - 925 sterling silver so they are built to last - and brilliantly cut cubic zirconias in 10 delicious colours. In either square, oval or baguette, there is a shape and colour to match pretty much every outfit. My hit picks are square in black for night-time glam and oval in pink-rose for summer fun. They also come in chic black boxes with the Schadenfreude crest on the top so they make wonderful gifts.

Price: $170
From: Check the Schadenfreude website for stockists or email the girls directly
Why you need it: You need to look good for Chistmas party season. Or if you are looking for a nice gift to send to your favourite blogger (hint: that's me)

Picture credit: Schadenfreude

New Muzak - Chester French (via Shakira)

It's one of my secret shames, but I really love Shakira's (not so) new song She Wolf. To save face and rather than just posting her video clip (where she looks amazing! Hello unitard!) this is a bit of a different take on it. Have you heard of Chester French? You might recognise the name if you read gossip magazines - Peaches Geldof was married to the instrumentalist/songwriter Max Drummey. Anyway, they are a sweet pop/rock/alternative hip hop band (incidentally, I love that bands cross genres and can't be pigeonholed. Makes things more interesting) and the whos who of music are fawning over them and calling them the Next Big Thing. They kind of remind me of MGMT with the whole 'started the band at uni, smart guys, making cool music and we don't care vibe'.

Anyway, this is Chester French covering Shakira. I recommend you hunt down their other stuff because it's really cool.



Chester French debut album Love The Future
Price: US$7.99
From: Their website
Why you need it: Their tunes are fun, and you like fun, right?

PS - If you join their mailing list they send you a free 24 track album of remixes and collaborations.

Shimmer and shine

This one is just a quicky, but I'm ALL about metallics and shimmers for summer. Nothing is nicer with bronzed skin than gold dusted across the eyelids. It doesn't discriminate either; looks fab with all eye colours. Gold is a kind colour like that - like a good friend. Would probably pick you up if your car broke down too.

Shu Uemura have done a lovely stick eyeshadow in gold that is easy to use and a great shade of gold with lots of lovely gold glittery particles (some golds look like they need toner while others have no pigment at all and just make you look yellowy - this lovely sheer wash is just right). Stick eyeshadow is great for no-fuss application - it does all the work for you as long as you can get it safely towards your eyelid. The A/W Primitribe Colour Stick in Blazed Gold is a limited edition, so no meandering people! Get down to David Jones and speak to the lovely girls behind the counter.

Price: $39
From: Shu Uemura @ David Jones
Why you need it: You need a gold eyeshadow in your arsenal for summer, so may as well go for one that's easy to apply.

Picture credit: me...again.

Stuff That I Bought 14,000 feet up a volcano

I recently got back from Hawaii (did I mention that? no? hmmm...must have slipped my mind) and while I was hopping around the tropical islands and consuming far too many fruity cocktails, Boyfriend and I had the incredible opportunity to go star gazing. This was no ordinary star gazing though, oh no! But first, a quick history lesson.

Mauna Kea is an inactive volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. Reaching 13,803 feet above sea level, Mauna Kea means white mountain in hawaiian and is a reference to the fact the summit of the mountain is covered in snow in the winter months (snow! in Hawaii!). It is the worlds tallest mountain by measurement; that is, there are about 20,000 feet under the sea (take that, Everest!), but it is the 15th tallest mountain above sea level.

So we went up Mauna Kea and I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was. The summit of the mountain is all lava rock and alpine tundra, a landscape I had never encountered before except for in textbooks. The summit has been a celestial observatory since ancient times when Hawaiian royalty used to go up the mountain to make sacrifices to the Gods, and is considered to be one of the best astronomical sites in the world, primarily because you can see 100% of the northern sky and 85% of the southern sky.

We did our tour with Mauna Kea Summit Adventures, who came and picked us up in their fancy pants tour van that was like something out of Star Wars. A couple of hours later we were halfway up the mountain enjoying teriyaki chicken and homemade brownies (totally worth noting - food is important). Then we went to the top for sunset - nothing but you and the clouds as you watch the sun disappear. Undeniably magical but also very cold - luckily they give you hooded parkas and gloves. After sunset it's back down to the halfway point for stargazing with their highpowered telescopes and laser pointers. I'm not much of a sciencey person, but I was so excited seeing the milky way, the rings and moons of Jupiter, the red and blue stars and the insane detail of the moon. Plus star gazing was made more fun with hot chocolate and cookies.

I cannot recommend this experience highly enough. Our tour guide Mike was an island native with an intimate knowledge not just of the island but also of the sky above. I get nervous easily and I felt perfectly safe driving up the dirt mountain to the summit, as I did coming back down. We were comfortable and well taken care of the entire time and when we were safely delivered back to our resort I wanted to do it all again.

Price: US$197 (189.12 + tax)
From: Mauna Kea Summit Adventures - Big Island, Hawaii
Why you need to go: This is one of those experiences that you will treasure for the rest of your life. If you are in Hawaii, please promise me you will go!

Picture credits: shockingly, they are mine! Cool, huh?!

New matte nail polish...not for the faint hearted

A lot of people have a signature look. Mine is always always having perfectly manicured and painted nails. I feel naked if I don't have polished or buffed nails and I am very fussy about the way they are filed and painted. That said, I'm always one for experimenting with my nails (hello green nails! hello scented nails!) and when the next big thing rolls around I like to be at the front of that queue.

Matte nail polish. Kind of like when you painted your nails with liquid paper in high school. Chalky and dry and not a hint of shimmer or shine to be seen. OPI are doing 6 of their regular colours in matte and they will be released here mid-October (Alpine Snow - white, Gargantuan Green Grape - tree green, Lincoln Park After Dark - black plum, Russian Navy - navy, La Paz-itively Hot - pink and You Don't Know Jacques! - grey brown). Three of these colours are dark wintery shades, so not great for spring summer, but matte nails are more of a wintery thing in my humble opinion anyway.

I don't have any of the OPI polishes, but OPI have done three of their colours from the OPI for Sephora range in matte as well, so I snapped these up quicksmart! Domestic Goddess - bright grape, Metro Chic - smokey grey with a hint of purple and What's a Tire Jack - black. OPI recommend that when you use a matte polish you don't use a base or top coat or drying drops as it changes the effect of the polish. I agree with not using top coat and drying drops (you don't need drops because the polish dries as you apply it - watch out for streaks!) but you do need a base coat. Matte polish chips ridiculously easily and you need a carefully applied base coat to give it a bit of hold and help it last more than 2 days. Plus, even though it's a matte polish, the dark colours still stain! Ick.

If you want to have a crack at this trend you can take baby steps with a matte top coat. Essie do one, as do OPI. Not sure of the availability, but I'll give you what I know.

OPI Matte Nail Envy
Price: $34.95
From: David Jones or call 1800 358 999

Essie matte topcoat
Price: $19.95
From: Give their stockists number a call (02) 9477 6900

And then of course the matte colours...

OPI matte colours available October
Price: let's assume $19.95 since that's what they usually are - don't yell at me if I'm wrong
From: DJ's

OPI for Sephora matte
Price: $9
From: Sephora (if you're visiting a store, lucky you!)

I'm currently wearing the Domestic Goddess purple polish and, honestly, I tried to take a photo to show you but I couldn't get one that accurately demonstrated the colour and texture so I just had to nick one off thisnext.com so you could see what I was banging on about.

Picture credits: thisnext.com, sephora.com, essie.com

New Muzak - Example - Watch The Sun Come Up

I can't believe I haven't written about Example before considering how obsessed I am with him. Example is a rapper from the UK who does really catchy pop-type tunes with wicked beats and loads of attitude. You can't really pigeonhole him with a genre because it goes from storytelling a la The Streets (he used to be on The Streets label) to hip hop to jungle to pop. Jungle hop, maybe? Either way it's catchy and danceable.

His new single is out as of yesterday but here's the catch...it's only on UK iTunes which means we can't buy it here in Aus. Lame? Very lame. But that's ok because the video is on youtube and if you listen to Radio 1 streaming it's played on there every 2 hours. I'm all for supporting artists by buying their music though, so you can always buy his last album in the meantime (What We Made released in 2007) or download his free mixtapes from his blog. Fingers crossed his January 2010 album will be available here!

Right...so the new single is Watch The Sun Come Up. I like it - I think it's going to be a brilliant summer anthem. Frankly if it's good enough for Tiesto, it's good enough for me. And then when Example finally hits Australian airwaves, you can say you were already on the bandwagon.



If you have an international iTunes account....
Price: £2.49 for the EP or 79p for the single track
From: UK iTunes
Why you need it: it's a f%#@ing brilliant tune!

Edit: I found somewhere you can buy it in Australia! Trackitdown.net - only AU$2.80. Get on it.

Obsession: Label Whore

I have been obsessed with this necklace for quite some time and I can't believe I haven't written about it before. It's called Label Whore from the Girlie Drama jewellery line available over on the very fun website Sassi Sam. While you are there, make sure you check out the cool Sassi Sam blog - it's a favourite of mine.

Anyway, if you love this necklace you're in pretty good company - it's been snapped on The Veronica's, Ruby Rose (huge girl crush), Bianca Dye, Lara Bingle and even our old mate Delta is a fan. It comes in gold and silver and I'm not sure which I like more - I think it looks better in the gold (esp. against bronzed skin), but I have always been a silver jewellery girl...decisions, decisions. It's made of lucite and comes on a 45cm sterling silver chain.

What do you think? Which colour do you prefer? Are you a label whore? So many questions!

Price: $49.95
From: Sassi Sam
Why you need it: Smaller clothes in summer mean more exposed skin - rock that bare skin with hot accessories. Perfect with a plain tee or singlet.

London, Paris, New York, Bondi, my shoulder

Have you heard of bagladies? I bought a really awesome bag from bagladies almost 2 years ago and it has served me well. It says my other bags are Prada and I get comments on it every time I carry it. Not that I have carried it recently - I was carrying the bag when I got hit by a car and it copped the bulk of the force (it came under the car with me). So not only are bagladies bags good for carrying things, they are also good for protecting you when you get hit by cars. They should really put that on their website.

Anyway, bagladies have come out with a new bag that is available from today that says London, Paris, New York, Bondi. Snappy, no? It's simple yet really effective. I am already planning on buying a few for Christmas and sending them to friends overseas. The bags are made from a beautiful heavy 100% cotton canvas so they can stand up to almost everything (car tyres notwithstanding) and you'll get years of use out of your bag - a worthwhile investment.

Also cool - this bag is the first in the "little fish" series of totes so make sure you keep an eye on the bagladies website because they will be running a competition to find the next town/place/city to appear on future bags in the series.

Price: $29.95
From: The bagladies website
Why you need it: To carry your stuff to work/gym/supermarket/beach. Green bags are so last year - carry your stuff in style.

Picture credit: bagladies

Calvin Harris - Not Ready For The Weekend, needs to work on his outfit a bit more

I'm a big Calvin Harris fan. I have been to see him play a few times (live and DJ), have his last album, know all the words to all of his songs and was genuinely excited for his new album. He isn't good doing DJ sets, but he is great with his band and a dynamo producer/remixer. Sadly, his latest album is not so...well...good.

Honestly, the beats are wicked. You can't fault his kicking basslines and grinding rhythms. But the lyrics, as my lovely friend in her posh English accent says, are a bit pants. (when you say something is pants you have to say it with an English accent - it's like a rule or something). Disappointment City, population: me. Don't get me wrong, there are a few tracks that are stand outs. The single that has been getting radio airplay all year - I'm Not Alone - is great. Dance Wiv Me is also on there, which I love, and The Rain is great if you don't concentrate too hard on the lyrics. But beyond that the bad lyrics are just too distracting.



Price: $16.99
From: iTunes
Why you need it: Go for it if you're a fan, looking to remix his tunes or love cheesy pop.

New products you can't buy here! Horray!

The pros of going overseas: you get to find all these amazing new products that you fall in love with and can't get enough of and want more more more.

The cons of buying said products: you get home and discover they aren't available here and can't find out when they will be released so you have to carefully ration them out just in case it's months before you can buy them again!

Amongst all the other stuff I bought at Sephora and Macys and Nordstrom, I picked up two of my new favourite products. Naturally neither of them are available here yet; in fact, one of them isn't even available in the States until this Friday but the girl at the Clinique counter was so so amazing and let me buy it anyway.

If you haven't tried Covergirl Lash Blast mascara, I recommend you do. It gives really big, bold volume and doesn't dry lashes out and go crackly like some mascaras do. But sometimes, black and brown isn't enough and you want a bit of sparkle; cue Last Blast Luxe. Volumising AND shimmery! It comes in four metallic shades: Black Cabernet (red/brown), Black Royale (blue), Black Emerald (green) and Black Platinum (silver). I have been using the Black Cabernet every day and I bought my sister the Black Emerald (although I intend to steal it back). They aren't full on metallic, but a gentle hint of colour and a subtle shimmer under certain lights.

I'm also a huge fan of the Even Better range from Clinique. I use the skin tone corrector and the foundation (which has SPF 15), mainly because I have a few red spots from years of wearing glasses (metal rims + sun reflection = red sun spots around the eye area...true story) and I have found the even better range is really effective at fading them. Clinique have now put out an Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturiser with SPF 20 in it, which will be a lovely daytime cream under foundation and I can leave the hardcore serum for nighttime. If you're a fan of this range, keep an eye out at your local Clinique counters.

Price: No idea, but as soon as I find out I'll post
From: Let's assume Priceline for the Covergirl and Clinique for the, er, Clinique
Available: Could be a while...sorry
Edit: The Clinique will be available in the beginning of March 2010. Better get in line now girls!
Why you need them: To erase red spots and add a hint of shimmer to your lashes

Picture credit: covergirl.com and bloomingdales.com

Shiny Shoes! Sexy Men!

You've heard of Williams Shoes, right? When I say Williams you probably think school shoes. Or Hush Puppies. "Williams The Shoemen". Not somewhere you would go to buy party shoes.

WRONG!

So wrong. Williams got sexy! They have revamped their image and produced an amazing line of shoes with dangerously high spikes. I tried on a bunch of different pairs today and instantly fell in love with two of them. For incredible glamour I would recommend Golden from the Corelli Collection. Towering heights with a sassy slingback, metallic gold platforms and a lush, shiny patent. I'm imagining a sequin minidress and some big earrings for the work Christmas party (I don't care that's it's only September!). Yes? These shoes mean business.

On the other hand (foot?) I fell in love with the Sway sandals, also from the Corelli Collection. They are all about dressed up glam - denim shorts, a nautical stripe top, a wrist full of silver bangles and a pair of Ray Bans. Kind of quirky and very shiny.

The best bit of this new look Williams? They used Jay Lyon in their ad campaign. I think I'm going to hang out in their stores just to stare at the posters. (If you don't know who Jay Lyon is...shame on you...I recommend you get your hands season 1 of The City)

Price: Golden - $109.99, Sway - $79.99 (these are about standard prices for heels and flats from the new collection)
From: Williams Shoes
Why you need a pair: Everyone needs a fancy pair of shoes!
Plus! Williams have a 25% off new styles offer with a discount voucher - I have a couple of vouchers spare so if you want some shoes but don't have a card, shoot me an email and I'll pop one in the post.

Picture credit: williamsshoes.com.au

Damn, your President is fine!

Could you imagine a K-Rudd dashboard doll? No, either could I. Frankly I wouldn't want a K-Rudd dashboard doll or bobble head. But Obama...oh boy! Give me some Obama any day!

I absolutely cracked up laughing when I saw the Obama dashboard dolls and bobble heads when I was in Hawaii. I think what I love the most about the one I bought (Obama with the ukelele) is the fact he has his blackberry clipped to his belt the same way my Dad does. I LOVE it! The American President, wearing cargo shorts and thongs, ukelele in hand, blackberry on the belt and a huge grin on his face is immortalised in plaster.

I have nothing else to say about this except awesome. You probably won't ever be able to buy these in Australia, BUT you can order them online. Either way, hopefully you laugh like I did.

Price: USD$9.99
From: ABC Stores in Hawaii or KC Hawaii
Why you need it: Why wouldn't you want a dashboard doll of the 44th President of the United States of America?!

Picture credit: kchawaii.com

These are my breasts. They're so BIG.

I need a bra to strap them and support because they're so HUGE they need to be hooked and strapped for support.

If you haven't seen Superstar with Molly Shannon you probably think I'm nuts, but I'm ok with that. It's a seriously funny movie though, so you should rent/buy/download. Point is, I have big boobs. And today's sunshiney-hot weather reminded me that I have a very important public service announcement to make to all my fellow busty ladies.

I love summer, I love hot weather and I love lying by the pool (beach, not so much - not a fan of sand). This of course means swimsuits and, sadly, string bikinis are no friend to anyone over a B or over the age of 21. Thankfully Jets by Jessika Allen do an amaaaaazing range of swimwear that is super high quality and very supportive.

You are looking at spending a pretty penny but I guarantee it's worth it. I have a Jets bikini I bought almost 3 years ago that still looks new and it's been to Hawaii with me 4 times, as well as in and out of my heavily chlorinated pool for 2 summers now. Also exciting - the bikini top I bought last year is specially made for D/DD, so it's flattering, supportive and sufficiently covers the ladies.

Think about it - you spend a fortune on gravity-defying bras that very few people get to appreciate. Why wouldn't you want a supportive and flattering swimsuit when you wear it in public?

Price: From $59.95 for bottoms (my pick is the twist front pant $69.95- sounds painful, looks pretty) and tops from $69.95 (my pick is the twist front halter at $89.95 - good for the goodies). Their seasonal collections in prints start at a higher price point.
From: David Jones and various other stockists
Why you need them: So you're not worried about flashing at the beach this summer

Picture credit: my recent trip to Hawaii. Ha! jets.com.au
Pictured: High Seas swimsuit in Marina. One tie side pant and gathered halter with moulded cups

Get Look Book, look amazing. Simple.

Have I mentioned before how much I love PRIMPED? Honestly, my morning routine at work goes like this: 1 - turn on computer 2 - fetch breakfast (cinnamon and brown sugar oats with lite white) 3 - load up work email 4 - load up personal email 5 - load up PRIMPED. Notice that even before I do any work I need my PRIMPED fix? Zoe and Yasemin both write really clever and witty blogs, there are loads of how-to videos and it's a great place for keeping up with what's hitting counters now. Which is obviously good for me since I have a serious shopping addiction, particularly when it comes to cosmetics.

I'm sure I have also mentioned how much I love magazines (no? well there you go) so horray horray I was delighted to hear PRIMPED produced a spring/summer look book full of products, trends and how-to's for the warmer months. Produced in print. Paper. Mini magazine. I love the internet for the immediacy of delivery, but there is something special about the tangibility of the printed word. Glossy pages, all shiny and inviting with that newly inked smell.
...
Sorry, I went to my happy place for a minute there.

So the look book walks you through the top 10 trends for SS0910, hair makeovers, skin tricks and the newest and greatest products. What would you expect to pay for something like this? I'll bet you said some money, right? Well, how does no money sound? Is that something you might be interested in? All you have to do is pop into one of the big 4 David Jones stores (that would be Elizabeth St Syd, Bondi Junction Syd, Bourke St Melb or Queens Plaza Bris) and ask any of the lovely cosmetics girls on the floor.

Price: free!!
From: David Jones - or if you can't make it instore, you can always flick through the digital version
Why you need it: So you can be pretty for summer! Prop it up on your dressing table for daily inspiration.

Picture credit: primped.com.au

Magazines Go Live, Sydney sees rise in paper people running around

Magazines Go Live - my brain immediately conjured up images of little magazines sprouting arms, legs and little googly eyes. I have no idea how my brain works sometimes. But Magazines Go Live is a big 3 day fun-fun-festival of fashion, beauty, celebrities and music put on by ACP Magazines* as part of their 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty Festival which runs throughout the month of September. Tell me more, I hear you ask, tell me when this amazing spectacular is occuring! It's this weekend. For reals. Friday, Saturday and Sunday (11, 12, 13).

What you need to know...
Price: $50 BUT it's buy 1 get 1 free, so really you just need a friend and it's only $25 and you get a $35 goodie bag so really you make $10 profit if you think about it! (don't think about it too much)
Where: Royal Hall of Industries at Fox Studios (I refuse to call it Entertainment Quarter - it will always be Fox Studios or The Old Showground to me)
But what if I am a VIP?: Well aren't you fancy. Lucky for you there is a VIP launch party on the Friday night. Tickets are $295, but again they are BOGOF, so find a buddy and slice that down to $147.50 each. Plus, Chris Isaak is playing and baby, he can do a bad bad thing to me any day.
What's in it for me?: Apart from the aforementioned goodie bag, there are hourly fashion shows, free manis, hair styling, wine and cocktails, spray tans, palm readings and performances from various musical acts like Ricki-Lee, Cassie Davis, Axle and meet and greets with the Idol top 12 and the boys from Bondi Rescue (incidentally, I saw Dr Chris Brown the Bondi Vet/Bondi lifeguard today and WOW...mouth to mouth please). Basically, it's a great big girlie frou-frou fest. Leave the boyfriend at home for this one.
The other boring details: Friday 10-5, Saturday 10-8, Sunday 10-6. Tickets from Ticketek.

Why you should go: It will be fun! Who doesn't love a bit of girlie time with some pampering and fashion.

Picture credit: ticketek.com.au

*Disclosure: My real life daytime job is at the company hosting this event. If some gorgeous chick approaches you with a clipboard and a video camera, be sure to say hi!

Coolest cat in the city

Seriously. I love the shit out of my new Ray-Ban's. Yes, I know Wayfarers had their moment last summer, but they are still hot this summer and it's all about pops of colour. So I bought the aqua blue ones. I can't even begin to express the awesomeness of these sunglasses.

In all honesty though, I think what I love the most is the fact that they come in the brown leather case - the same brown leather case as the Ray-Ban's my parents bought in the 70s. There is something really special about a brand that can survive for so many years, essentially reinventing themselves with the same quality product and referencing their heritage with something as inconsequential yet distinct as their brown leather glasses case.

And they are bright aqua. Who doesn't want bright aqua sunglasses with mirrored lenses.

Price: $230-$250
From: Sunglass Hut
Why you need a pair: To keep the sun out of your eyes this summer. Plus, you will look kickass while doing so.

Picture credit: ray-ban.com

L.A. Candy - kinda sugary

So I read L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad on the plane on the way home from my vacation. Verdict - it wasn't terrible but she isn't winning any Pulitzers. I went looking for it in Barnes&Noble and when I couldn't find it in the fiction section, I asked the guy at the counter (and pretended to look confused just so he wouldn't think it was for me - I probably just looked like a moron). Turns out it was in the teen fiction section. Awkward.

I am a massive Hills fan. It's one of those shameful, dirty secrets. Granted I am now 100% completely over Speidi and I heartily endorse the E! Network banning all things Speidi from their shows, but gimme that faux-reality scripted shit set to music and I'm happy as a pig in mud.

Where was I? Right; L.A. Candy is about a sweet, young blonde girl who moves to L.A. to pursue her dream creative career with an internship (sound familiar?). She is then 'discovered' to be on a reality program that follows four young girls and their lives in L.A. (sound familiar?). Cut to her dating dramas, being with the 'bad boy' (sound familiar?) and being the target of a hateful campaign by her jealous co-star when they start a sex scandal about her (sound familiar?).

I honestly only think you would appreciate this book if you are a Hills fan. The writing itself isn't fantastic, but it was really fun to identify all the various personality traits of the different characters on the show. There are characters who you can easily identify their real life counterparts (Whitney, Brody, Lisa Love), some who appear to be composites (Speidi, Audrina) and then one character, the BFF, who doesn't appear to have a direct counterpart (possibly Lo, or it could be a throwback to the Laguna Beach days). So many questions...!

Either way, the book doesn't exactly have what you would call an "ending". I know, most books seem to do this traditional beginning-middle-end thing, but L.A. Candy seems to end abruptly and you can almost see the to be continued... flash up on the screen as Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield begins to play. Lucky for us Conrad has said there will be more. Until then, I'm just going to keep watching re-runs on MTV.

Price: $29.99
From: Borders (published in Australia by HarperCollins)
Why you need it: For Hills fans only, so you can try and figure out the truth behind the show

Picture credit: harpercollins.com.au