Don't forget! Look Academy competition

Don't forget to enter the Look Academy competiton I mentioned earlier in the week!

GIVEAWAY!!!

If you want the chance to WIN a full day course at Look Academy, then have a think about what your biggest beauty blunder was/is. Think a bit more. Write it down. Good. Now also write down your name, email address and how you heard about this competition (i.e. the most awesome blog ever - http://www.stuffthatibought.com/) and send it to the lovely Bridie on bridie@lookacademy.com.au. If you win, make sure you come back and share your knowledge with us!

Current Obsession: Bus Scrolls

This so called "current obsession" has been dragging on for a good 6 months now. I remember seeing these featured in Real Living earlier in the year and flagging the page because I had to have one. Naturally, I played a game of 'with what money' and lost, but that hasn't stopped my passion for these beautiful canvases. I love how deliciously retro they are, harking back to an era when the train banner or bus banner told you where you were going and people on public transport had manners. As an inner-city rat, I would love to have Sydenham, Redfern, Central, Town Hall, Martin Place, Kings Cross, Edgecliff, Bondi Junction on my wall, because that's my hood. It also reminds me of my childhood and the train announcer saying those stations every time I travelled into the city (trivia: I lived on the blue train line as a kid and that won't mean anything to anyone who doesn't live in Sydney).

If I do eventually take the plunge and get the canvas, I will have to have it custom made because it isn't one they have readily available. My other option is the New York City scroll. I adore New York City and would love to eventually live there (in my alternate, glamorous life). I have already decided that we will be honeymooning in NYC (Boyfriend was happy with this arrangement) and that we will buy the canvas as a wedding gift to ourselves (he hasn't agreed to this yet, but he kinda has no choice). Good arrangement? Shall I place my order now?

Price: NYC scroll $499 - custom scrolls start at $350 for small canvas only and go up to $699 for large stretched frame

From: Busscrolls.com - they also list their stockists on their site

Why you need it: Everyone needs art in their homes - why not make it meaningful and personal, whether it's somewhere you have been or somewhere you want to go

Picture credit: busscrolls.com

Wear Anna's jewellery; look stylish

You know when you’ve seen something you liked in a magazine but you can’t quite remember which magazine or what the brand was, but you can describe it perfectly and you KNOW you want to buy it? Yeah, this has been me for the past month. I saw a bracelet in a magazine (it may have been Grazia, but I could have imagined that) and I have been searching high and low for it. Googling, wandering into every jewellery store in Sydney, asking all my fashionable friends (who, incidentally, now think I’m a bit nuts). Nothing.

Cut to last week when I got an invitation to go to the opening of Anna Hookway's new Anna Design store in Mosman. ‘Hmmm’, I think, ‘I’ll just check out the Anna Design website to see what kind of jewellery it is.....HOLY S#^T!!!’ There it was. That blessed bracelet I had been searching for. Right there in all its silver and white glory, all shiny and tassle-y and calling my name. Can you believe it? Talk about fate – I was meant to have that bracelet.

I was also meant to have a whole lot of other things from Anna Design because her jewellery is truly beautiful. Inspired by her trips to the east, each piece is handcrafted with the kind of colour and personality you are proud to wear. Her pieces are statements; of life, of love and of fun. Do I sound cheesey? How could you not when you’re gushing over bright and shiny jewellery! But it’s not just the product that’s amazing. Walking into the Anna Design store in Mosman is like walking into a glamorous friend’s home. One wall is all mirrors and mood boards, with vintage knobs and handles acting as hangers for the necklaces. The opposing wall is black drawers that you can open and explore, with notes from Anna tucked away alongside her treasures. You can touch and try everything, so you’ll know when you find that special piece that speaks to you. In much the same way the bracelet spoke to me.

Price: My bracelet - $120. Prices start from $35 for smaller pieces and go up from there
From: Anna Design – Shop 5, 732 Military Road Mosman
Why you need it: Everyone needs a signature jewellery piece.

Picture credit: annadesign.com.au

A lesson in manners: baby gifts and thankyou cards

Is there anything nicer than receiving a thank you card? I have been on a one woman crusade to bring back the long forgotten art of hand-written mail for a while now, and the brilliant new website mooo.com.au obviously has the same idea that I do (what a smart, polite website – invite them round for afternoon tea!). When the site first launched they had a word of mouth offer where you got sent some free thank you cards for recommending the site to friends (I got mine...keep an eye on your mailbox because I want to that you for visiting my site). I believe that has finished now, and I apologise for not writing about it in time – bad blogger! But their stuff is so cute you will want to pay for it anyway.

Speaking of, one of Boyfriend’s cousins had a baby recently and I have already bought the Christening present even though we don’t have an invitation yet. I got so over-excited I just bought it, assuming they will have the new little one Christened at some stage (if they don’t, I just scored myself a highly inappropriate but very cute gift). Did you ever have a name puzzle as a kid? Mooo do a beautiful wooden name puzzle that is just the right size for little hands. Of course it’s an educational gift too, so the little person can start to learn their name – the glossy pieces and bright colours are very attractive, both to little people and big people alike (if I had the room, I would so buy one for me!). Plus, hopefully, it’s a unique gift. If anyone else has bought one of these for the new little girl, I will be very annoyed!

Price: Thank you cards $1 each – Name puzzles from $24.95 depending on number of letters
From: mooo.com.au
Why you need them: To demonstrate what good manners you have, and give a charming and special gift to a lucky child.

Picture credit: mooo.com.au

Professional French makeup...fancy

A very glamorous friend of mine knows I’m a makeup addict (moi? Quelle horreur) so she recommended I get on board French brand SLA. I realised after we had talked about it that I had heard of Serge Louis Alvarez before, but always considered it a “professional” brand i.e. something you see in the flight cases of hardcore pro’s but never on the bench in the average girls bathroom. Now, I can’t comment on the whole range (they have over 850 professional products and my bathroom is not that big) but I can give you the lowdown on the couple of things I tried and why I am now converted.

Corrective Protection Anti Dark Circles Concealer. Sounds hardcore, right? I don’t know about you, but between work, family, friends, boyfriend, gym, blogging and shopping, I have some pretty spectacular dark circles under my eyes. A combination of not sleeping well and not eating well, I think it’s just easier to hide them than try and fix them (Sleep? Vegetables? Bah!). So I was well keen to give this a go. I was also keen to try out one of Chris King’s tips: instead of just concealing under the eye, also go above the eye so it’s a nice, even colour and then the darkest point is the point right in the middle. This is where you want to highlight, either with a light colour to open the eye up, or with a bright colour for a pop. Verdict? Covers the dark circles really well. I like when a product does exactly what it says it will. Is nice.

I also tried out the Liberty Blush, which reminded me a lot of the Becca crème blush that I am still obsessed with 3 months later. It comes in four colours, but I tried the rose pink because it is very ladylike and everyone knows I’m a lady. It gives a really nice, gentle flush and it goes on well with a little heat from the fingers (although SLA do recommend you always use brushes to apply their products because they are so rich in pigmentation). The other thing I love about both of these products, and this is definitely weird, is the fact they don’t smell like makeup. Not sure if it’s all the SLA products or just some of them, but they smell like vanilla! Fancy!

Price: Concealer - $42; Blush - $30.40
From: Encore Beauty
Why you need them: So you feel like a professional makeup artist with your fancypants products.

Picture credit: encorebeauty.com.au

Sara Lee sent straight from heaven

Drool. I'm sure I'm not the only one guilty of indulging in Sara Lee cheesecake/chocolate cake/sticky date pudding under the cover of darkness for a late night snack. They do the BEST cheesecakes and you can eat them either warmed up or still frozen (still frozen is the best). Boyfriend has been known to eat a whole chocolate cake straight from the freezer, and I'm sure he will be impressed with me for sharing that.


So three cheers for Sara Lee and their new cheesecake minis! They take the guilt out of freezer cake snacking (otherwise known as 'being a pig'). It's a little square box with 2 tubs inside, each tub filled with 18 bite sized pieces of cheesecake (so 36 all up - well done you for adding that up). I literally mean bite sized - each piece is a mere morsel and I have no doubt I could eat 2 whole tubs in one sitting, but that's something my self-control and I need to work on.

They come in 4 yummy flavours: original cheesecake, strawberry, chocolate and caramel. My pick is the caramel...there is nothing better than soft caramel woven through a cheesecake. In fact, I'm off to grab one now (provided my colleagues haven't eaten them all already).

Price: $6.53
From: The supermarket
Why you need them: Guilt free snacking! Surely something so small must be small on calories, right? (Please say yes...I have eaten about 20 of them already today)

Picture credit: saraleebakery.com.au

Update your look at Look

I was fortunate enough to be invited along to the recent launch of The Look Academy Makeup School here in Sydney. I was also fortunate enough to get some one on one time with makeup artist and all around great guy Chris King, who is one of Australia’s leading makeup gurus. If you ever have the opportunity to meet Chris, I recommend you grab it with both hands because he has some really amazing philosophies about wearing makeup and how to get the best out of yourself every day.

Actually, you do have the opportunity to meet him if you do one of the Look Academy’s new one day courses. They offer two different full day courses – Introduction to Makeup and Revamp Your Style. The Intro to Makeup course is about learning what products to use for your face and what sort of image you present with the choices you make. This is something Chris is very passionate about, explaining that a lot of people don’t know how to use make up to their advantage and send mixed messages. This course isn’t just appropriate for younger ladies wanting to learn the basics, it’s also good for older girls who want to work on their image (or never learnt the basics in the first place - guilty)

The Revamp Your Style course (the other one) can be summed up in one word; “zhush” (this, I believe, is the technical spelling straight from Carson’s mouth). This one is perfect for older chickie-babes who have reached a new phase of their life and need to find themselves again, or for corporate groups looking for a fun and exciting team building exercise (gosh I hope my boss reads my blog - hint hint).

Both courses supply makeup and tools, you just need to come with an open mind and enthusiasm. I guarantee after 5 minutes with Chris King, or any of the 6 artists at Look Academy, you will have more enthusiasm than I have for Friday afternoon drinks (read: this is a LOT of enthusiasm).

Price: Normal price is $280+GST, but they are doing a special introductory offer of $240+GST
From: The Look Academy – Oxford St, Darlinghurst in Sydney and Fitzroy St, St Kilda in Melbourne
Why you need it: To update your face and present the best possible version of you (you don't really want to present the best possible version of anyone else, do you?)
Bonus reason that you need it: All courses booked in October, November or December will have 10% of their cost donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Look good, feel better!!

As an aside: Chris King gave me a bunch of interesting tips which I’ll casually drop into conversation over the coming weeks. Get excited!

Picture credit: lookacademy.com.au Makeup by Felicia Yong

GIVEAWAY!!!
If you want the chance to WIN a full day course at Look Academy, then have a think about what your biggest beauty blunder was/is. Think a bit more. Write it down. Good. Now also write down your name, email address and how you heard about this competition (i.e. the most awesome blog ever - http://www.stuffthatibought.com/) and send it to the lovely Bridie on bridie@lookacademy.com.au. If you win, make sure you come back and share your knowledge with us!

Like watching paint dry

When you think about makeup companies doing collaborations, you think designers and celebrities. Certainly not paint companies. I kid you not...kit Cosmetics have teamed up with Dulux to do a line of nail polish. I know, right?! That was my reaction too. Oddly though, it works. Hear me out.

Sherbert colours. Blue, purple, pink and orange. (although the pink is kinda coral-y) These colours are perfect for summer and very on-trend. As an aside, is the term on-trend kinda wanky? How else do we say 'you will look like the coolest person in the room'. Ok, maybe that will do.

I bought the Dulux Hot Calypso (pure coral) and I plan on going back next week for the Dulux Blue Surf (ocean blue). The girl I spoke to at Kit was wearing Dulux Exotic Flower (sunset orange) and it was a really cool bright summery tangerine colour, while the Dulux Kiss (summer musk aka purple) reminded me alot of the OPI Done Out In Deco lavender colour from the South Beach range. Kit polish are always really good quality too, so you know you will get a strong colour and it won't flake off (provided you prime properly and do 2 coats, naturally).

Price: $15.95

From: Kit Cosmetics

Why you need it: For delicious, musk-coloured summer fingernails

Picture credit: kitcosmetics.com.au

Some sweetness for a Friday

I have a load of stuff to tell you about - I did a heap of shopping this week and so much has been going on, but I thought 'screw it' and today we are all going to drool over the Ferrero Rondnoir. Have you tried one yet? So good. They have been floating around for about almost a year now so they aren't really new, but not many people seem to have tried them yet. If you haven't, nip down to the Night Noodle Markets (if you're in Syd) and grab a freebie (btw - it's the last night of the markets tonight). You don't even have to be a dark chocolate lover to appreciate the soft creamy goodness.

The outside reminded me a little of crushed oreos - it's was a crumbly chocolate biscuit on the same thin wafer as Ferrero Rocher. Inside is creamy, smooth dark chocolate and the prize in the centre is a little nugget of dark chocolate the size of a coffee bean. It literally melts in your mouth. But, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll let the picture do the talking (be sure to mind the drool on the keyboard - not a good look).

Sigh. Treat yourself, it's Friday!!

Price: $9.80 for box of 12
From: Coles
Why you need one: Sweet, delicious dark chocolate is the ultimate treat. Convince yourself it's healthy by repeating my mantra 'dark chocolate = antioxidants = healthy'

Picture credit: paragonfoods.com.au

On the matter of perfume

Everyone has been raving on about the new Marc Jacobs scent Lola so I had to go and check this shizz out for myself. It really is as good as people keep saying it is.

What I like, in no particular order:

• Top notes of green apple. Well, I said green apple and Kat said rose so, you know, different noses. But on first spray it's very sweet and fruity, but not strong fruity, more like a sensual fruit (fruit can be very sexy, y'know).
  
• Middle notes of subtle and dark. Peppercorn, pear, grapefruit and a hint of vanilla. This is much more grown up than Daisy (which everyone seems to keep comparing it to, so I may as well follow suit). Think of Daisy as young and girly and white blouses with denim cutoffs, while this is smouldering, with high heels and an LBD.
  
• The bottle is AMAZING. From all the pictures, I assumed the flower on the top would either be glass (silly) or some sort of hard laminate. Wrong-o. It's a soft plastic - you can move and bend all the petals. Crazy delicious!
• I have had 'Lola' stuck in my head for 3 days solid now as I keep reading reviews of this perfume and I keep laughing because Lola is my good friend Jo's signature karaoke song and I just picture her belting it out. Lo lo lo lo Lo-la!
  

Add it to your Christmas list girls - it's a keeper!

Price: 50ml, $120 (the taller one) and 100ml, $160 (the wider one)
From: Myer
Why you need it: To smell all grown up and lovely

Speaking of Christmas, 'tis the season when all the perfume houses start doing special gift sets. It's a great time to shop for your scent because you can usually pick up your fragrance of choice with an added gift like the body lotion, cosmetics bag or towel. Or you can also get mini sets, like the Kenzo one I'm about to mention. Now, I didn't buy this myself so it's not really Stuff That I Bought, but I was with Kat when she bought it and therefore I reserve the right to write about it. Kenzo currently have a set of 3 mini bottles of Flower for $39 - the picture to the left is acutally the American mini set - I couldn't find an image of the Aussie version but it's the same deal, slightly different packaging. That's such a good price! Actually, when I saw the point of sale sign for it, I figured it must have been a mistake. Three mini bottles at 4ml each all together in a little presentation box - good gift for Mum, Aunty, Nan, boss that you like or secret santa (depending on the budget set in your office, obvs).

Price: $39
From: Myer
Why you need it: So you have mini perfumes to keep in your handbag/carry on/gym bag/desk drawer or to give as a lovely gift to someone worthy.

Picture credit: kenzousa.com; marcjacobs.com

MUST HAVE Tipsy Toes for drunken feet

Stop the presses girls. I have found the ultimate, absolute MUST HAVE accessory for the party season. No, it’s not a handbag. No, it’s not a cocktail ring. It’s a pair of fold up ballet flats that fit in your party purse. No more drunken stumbling in 4-inch heels or barefoot walks of shame down the dirty footpaths of the CBD after one too many shandy’s at the office Christmas party.

I remember traipsing all over the city with my sister after last years work Christmas party, not a cab in sight (and those that were tried to charge us $70+ for a 10 minute ride, but that’s another story). Good GOLLY my feet hurt! I went to take my shoes off and she yelled at me and told me I was not ‘the kind of girl who took her shoes off’ so I kept limping, feeling particularly sorry for myself (my sister can be a bit of a bully sometimes). Where were my Tipsy Toes then?! I would have given my right arm and my very expensive pair of designer heels for this genius little product. Thankfully I’ll be able to make it through this year without worrying.

They come in 2 colours (silver and black) and 3 sizes (Sm 5/7, Med 7/8 and Lg 9/10) and are cheap cheap. Honestly, even if you only use them once, they have more than paid for themselves with the money>pain and dignity equation.


Price: $19.95
From: The Tipsy Toes website
Why you need them: To save yourself the pain of trying to get home on your heels. 3am + 4-inch heels were never meant to meet.


Picture credit: Tipsy Toes

DIY balayage

I don’t know about you, but my money tree is a bit light on at the moment. Where I used to make regular trips to the hairdresser, I have in more recent times been a bit, how would you say, tight? Lazy? Bit of both, really. I speak to my hairdresser and colourist more on facebook than I do in the salon. Terrible, I know. But as someone who suffers from the odd ‘champagne coloured highlight’ (read: grey hair) I would have to make far too many trips to the salon and it’s just easier sometimes to do it at home.

That said, I do love my balayage. I’m not talking Pip Edwards top deck hair, but a lovely brown with golden highlights throughout and slightly lighter ends. Thankfully I have found a way to do this at home. It probably isn’t revolutionary and I’m not reinventing the wheel, but it’s a fun idea and if I inspire one person, then great (if you are that one person, please leave me a comment! My ego would appreciate it).

L’Oreal Couleur Experte. It’s a home kit where you do your own highlights. But instead of just doing highlights, I use the highlighter (read: bleach) to paint the ends. It’s kind of haphazard, but that’s the idea of balayage anyway. The result is gradually lighter ends and a natural sunkissed look that cost me $280 in a salon once (I won’t say which salon, but the place was full of self-important wankers, and that was just the staff). Suffice to say, at one tenth the price, I’ll keep doing it at home. Beware though...it is quite drying so be sure to treat your hair with the love and respect it deserves (considering you just blasted the crap out of it with bleach). I recommend kms California Moisture Repair Leave-In Conditioner ($27.50 in salons).

Price: $28 (give or take)
From: The supermarket or Priceline
Why you need it: To give balayage a whirl without it costing you the earth.

New Muzak Monday Madness

I was doing a bit of trendhunting on the weekend and stumbled across a veritable goldmine of new and not-so-new bands that I want to share. It's a bit of a hodge-podge mix so hopefully there's something in here for everyone.

Choir of Young Believers - amazing band from Denmark. They say "orchestral-pop project marked by magisterial melodies, dark lyrical concerns, and a healthy dose of cathedral-grade reverb". I say, "yeah that sounds pretty good". Check their profile on their record label website.

Jay Reatard - angry, crazy punk muso from Memphis, Tennessee who does catchy tunes with f#$'d up video clips. He says "garage punk musician", I say, "dude needs a haircut". Check his website.

Nurses - sweet rock band from Oregon. They say, "the vulnerability of pop with its heart on its sleeve engages in a double-dutch jumprope match with the euphoric surrender-to-the-weird that is essential to psychedelia. Nurses is a band that scavenges beauty and wonder, uncovering Technicolor where others see somber hues. Their off-kilter psych-pop is driven by ever-swelling vocal harmonies, adventurous electronics, some serious wheelin’ and dealin’ on the Rhodes piano, and the kind of new-primitivist percussion that may or may not involve a standard drum kit." I probably don't need to say anything then, do I? Check their myspace and get your whistle on.

Fruit Bats - folk rock band originally from Chi-town (Chicago) but now based in Starbucks-land (Seattle). Their album and title track is The Ruminant Band. What an epic name for a song and/or album. Check their myspace. I have to post the video because it's 100 kids of indie-cool.

Not buying much, but discovering new bands is always inspiring and they are all on iTunes if you feel so inclined.

Oh my goodness...

This is totally a quick one because I like to take weekends off, but this was WAY TOO AWESOME not to share. You know how I have blogged before about my love for the Jay-Z and Rihanna song Run This Town? Check this dude doing a classical version of it. It is 102% cool.



Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

PS - this was my 100th stuffthatibought post. Worthy? I think so.

Night Noodle Markets! Yum!

If you haven't been to the Night Noodle Markets in Hyde Park before you are seriously missing out. Think lanterns and fairy lights and stalls of yummy yummy asian food from some of Sydney's best restaurants as the sun sets over Sydney. It's such a nice, chilled out way to enjoy dusk and the welcoming of spring (provided spring gets the memo and turns up on time). It's also a good chance to wander through the park and see the photographic exhibit, with big canvases strung up beneath the treetop canopy which are part of the Art and About art festival running all through October. This is all of course providing the weather holds out for you (we know October in Sydney can be questionable - hello dust storm!).

The Night Noodle Markets have been running all week this week (Oct 12-16) and will be on all next week too (Oct 19-23). You can chow each night 5-9:30, enjoy the free entertainment and have a drink in the Cooper's beer garden. Bliss.

Price: Food starts as cheap as $4 depending on what you get. Expect to pay $8-9 for a "meal"
From: Night Noodle Markets - north end of Hyde Park near the Archibald Fountain
Why you need to go: You need to eat, right?

Picture credit: siff.com.au

Community service announcement

You remember a few weeks ago when I talked about Covergirl Lash Blast Luxe in the four metallic colours that you couldn't buy in Australia. You don't? Well the post is right here. Anyway, I discovered that whilst you still can't get the metallic Lash Blast here (boo), you CAN get it's equally cool sister Covergirl Exact Eyelights. The principal is similar - light reflecting metallics matched to your eye colour for maximum punch on your peepers. It comes in four colours - Black Pearl, Black Sapphire, Black Ruby and Black Gold, which are suspiciously similar to the Lash Blast colours, but that's ok because they are all one big happy Covergirl family. Could you imagine those family get-togethers! Talk about a rollicking good time. Point is - pop on down to Priceline and see what I was banging on about. If you're disappointed let me know and I'll send you a Mars bar to make up for your trouble.

Price: $17.95

From: Priceline and wherever else Covergirl is stocked

Why you need it: For bright, defined eyes

Picture credit: covergirl.com

Forget me not with white leather

I am the most forgetful person in the world - no word of a lie. Tell me something and it will have fallen out of my head within 5 minutes. I could probably tell you about my best friend from kindergarten (Alison Cunningham, Miss Verderame's reception class, St. Mary's Memorial School Glenelg) but ask me about a meeting I had this morning and it's a blank canvas. Obviously my boss isn't a big fan of this so I try and write down every single word he says (we joke about tape recording all conversations - I swear I'm going to try it one of these days).

I also have this problem outside of work - errands, shopping lists, things I need to do, websites to check, phone calls to make etc etc. I use my phone for most things (I set alarms for everything so my phone is constantly buzzing) but if I have to write down an idea for a story or presentation or even a blog post, I need to be able to scribble quickly before it gets away. I used to carry a diary but my E71 replaced the need for that, so now I rely on a good old-fashioned notebook and pen. But not just any notebook! You should know by now that I don't do things by halves and I have the most delicious notebook you have ever seen.

I spent weeks looking for the perfect notebook and I finally stumbled across her last week in kikki.k. Our eyes met across the room and she softly beckoned; I stepped up, caressed her soft leather and we have been inseparable ever since. She's a beautiful A6 white leather notebook with a little silver stud so that I can keep her safely closed in my behemoth of a handbag. She's so lovely and crisp and clean that I didn't want to spoil her at first with my chicken scratch. It was all neat penmanship and tender page-turning for the first few days, but now she is an extension of me and it's all scrawls and random thoughts.

As an aside - if you aren't in the market for a notebook but you are in need of a diary for next year (yes, frightening) then pop into kikki.k and check their diaries before all the good ones get snapped up by uber-organised people. I have used their diaries in the past and they are excellent quality.

Price: $39.95
From: kikki.k
Why you need it: To keep all your hopes and dreams handy in case you forget them, as I often do.

PS - apparently this notebook is part of a limited edition range, so, you know, don't delay!

picture credit: kikki-k.com.au

Viva Le Resistance

I'm totally a month late to the "review Muses's new album" party, but better late than never. You guys, this is a brilliant album! I have always been a big Muse fan, although the last album (Black Holes and Revelations) was kinda good and kinda not good. You know, I only just realised that album was released in 2006. I could have sworn it was like late 2007 or something. Where does the time get to? Anyway, the new album - The Resistance - is kickass.

You know when you listen to a new CD and after about 7 or 8 listens you end up with 1 or 2 favourite songs? I can't pick one. There are the upbeat, fast tracks, and then the melodic ballads and *swoon* I adore Matthew Bellamy's voice. I also love that fact that he has been toiling away on his three-part symphony for a few years now and we finally get to experience it on this album.

If you got tickets to the Big Day Out 2010, please promise you will go and see Muse! If you didn't, then hope they are doing sideshows. However, and I add this on the advice of my good friend Kat, don't listen to this album at 3am whilst driving through fog on deserted highways between Sydney and Melbourne. Apparently it's a little creepy.



Price: $16.99
From: iTunes
Why you need it: The Resistance is 54 minutes of pure musicality.

Picture credit: muse.mu

Take a fruity, fragrant journey

I was having a chat with a very glamorous and spectacular friend of mine the other day and she casually dropped in to the conversation that she had tried out a new candle and had I heard of them. I immediately dropped everything else I was doing and hung off her every word because I am a candle nut. Ok, maybe nut is the wrong word. Perhaps I am more a connisseur. My house is covered in candles and I used to manage a store for a very well known candle chain so I know. my. shit.

So after some investigating, the brand is Le Desire and they are a predominately Melbourne based candle company with stores in a bunch of shopping centres. Turns out Le Desire also have a couple of stores in Sydney. How did I not know this? Their product range is very similar to 'that other candle store' (Dusk) - candles, home fragrance, home decor, aromatherapy etc etc. As an aside, I completely fell head over heels in love with a tinned candle from Old Navy in the States that was Ruby Guava. I have been stashing my last couple for a special occasion as I hadn't found anything like it here but...and this brings me to my point...Le Desire do a Ruby Mandarin travel tin candle that is very similar. It's from their Journey collection, which is Valencia, Spain (ruby mandarin), Madagascar (amber vanilla), Provence, South Spain (lavender thyme) and Bali, Indonesia (bamboo jasmine). LOVE it. They are soy wax, so they burn really well, and the tin is super cute and convenient. It throws a good scent but it's not so strong that it's overpowering. I have an open plan kitchen/lounge room and sometimes I can't have scented candles burning if I'm cooking, but this one was subtle enough that it didn't interfere when I was baking (I made snickerdoodles - they were beyond amazing if I do say so myself - let me know if you want the recipe).

Price: $9.99
From: Le Desire stores
Why you need it: Everyone needs a good fragranced candle in their life. These ones are a steal for the number of hours burn time you get (20 hours) and they look pretty so they will be a great stocking stuffer or secret santa gift.

Picture credit: ledesire.com

Mama Mia! (sorry for getting the song stuck in your head)

I grew up on a steady diet of Dolly, Cleo and Cosmo, so Mia Freedman was someone who was very much part of my formative years. In fact, when I moved house a few years ago I had to get rid of my collection of Cosmo's, Cleo's and Dolly's from the 90s and it was tough (I kept some, but don't tell Boyfriend)! It's amazing to look back at old mags and see what was in fashion, what topics were being discussed and which celebs we were emulating (this is where I drop the word zeitgeist, cos it's a good word).

So I was very excited to read Mia's memoirs about her years in magazine land - she talks about the cover of issues I know I bought and articles I know I read. It's also a total spin out to hear (read?) her talking about people she worked with and offices she sat in while I'm thinking 'I work with those people! I have been in that office!' since my Real Life Day Job is at the same company she was once with.

Mia has a really great writing style so the book is easy to devour. I tell you what though, it must have been a tough one for her to write. She has really laid her soul bare, talking about her kids, her relationships and her miscarriage. I will admit to trying to read through tear-filled eyes; I couldn't see what I was reading but I had to know what happened next!

I won't ruin the ending (it involves a carrot and a donkey) but I recommend you give it a go. Hopefully you take away the same message I did - it's ok to drop the ball occasionally and you don't have to have it all to be happy.

Price: $30.99
From: Borders
Why you need it: To get a different perspective on magazine land and an insight into balancing a high flying career and a growing family.

Picture credit: mamamia.com.au

Luscious lips with lanolin

I remember discussing chapped lips and dry noses with a friend one day (probably in winter, but I don't exactly remember) and she recommended Lansinoh to ease the pain; it's a lanolin based cream designed for dry, cracked nipples when you're breastfeeding. Have you heard of it? It's in a little purple tube and it's a rich, white cream. Lanolin is an all natural substance, so it's one of the few things suitably pure enough to go in the mouths of brand new babies.

Anyway, the lanolin cream was brilliant for healing my winter nose but thick, white cream isn't so glam on lips. Thankfully, Kirsten Carriol has solved this problem by producing a medical grade lanolin lip gloss in 4 amazing colours, as well as a plain lanolin cream. It might be called Lanolips, but it has more uses than just lips: dry skin, excema and psoriasis, dry cuticles, cracked heels, dry nasal passages...you get the idea. Essentially anywhere you need an ultra moisture hit because lanolin holds over 200% of its weight in water and it's completely hypoallergenic so you won't have any sort of allergic reaction, no matter how sensitive your skin is. Although I would maybe keep the coloured lip glosses to lip only. But that's just my personal opinion.

Speaking of, the four coloured glosses come in Rose (lovely dusty pink), Apples (shiny, Snow White red), Dark Honey (natural lilac) and my favourite, Sunshine. Sunshine is a coral/orange colour which is universally flattering and will be my summer staple (although I'm going to have to buy a new tube soon since my current one is almost empty). I have been wearing it with bronzer and copper eyeshadow for a no-effort look, although it also works well with lots of black mascara and pink cheeks for an evening look. The best part is my lips have never felt so good.

Price: $17.95 for the plain Lanolips 101 Ointment and $13.95 for the coloured Lip Ointment (with SPF 15 - excellent)
From: Priceline, selected pharmacies and Myer/DJs
Why you need it: To experience the healing power of lanolin and have purdy lips

Picture credit: lanolips

I have reached new levels of sloth

After talking about having donuts delivered to the office earlier in the week, todays post will quite possibly disgust you (or reach new levels of disgust; whichever).

Yesterday was someone in the office's birthday. How do you celebrate a birthday? With cake. But seriously, it's so far to walk to go and buy a cake! Like...5 minutes away! That's ridiculous. We couldn't very well walk down to get the cake, so we ordered it online. And someone came and delivered it. Do you hear me? Delivered cake. I love Sydney.

Props to Michel's Patisserie for offering this amazing service. They deliver anywhere in the Sydney CBD - all you have to do is either call up or email your order. Some might say this is for the busy and efficient; I just say lazy. Either way, Michel's rocks!

Oh yeah, we got chocolate mud. It was good.

Price: $33 for the cake - FREE delivery!
From: Michel's Patisserie
Why you need it: Too busy and important to leave the office? Have your cake delivered!

Picture credit: michels.com.au

As an aside - you guys must honestly think I am the laziest person alive between delivered donuts and delivered cakes. I feel like I need to write about carrot sticks and doing exercise or something just to make amends.

Digest the degustation - Marque my words!

It was Boyfriends birthday recently, so instead of buying him something that we don't need (like a Playstation 3, when we already have an XBox, Wii, DS and 2 computers - hint hint) I took him out for an amazing meal at Marque. We had the Saturday night degustation and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Evidently a lot of people agree with me since Marque has 3 chefs hats and chef Mark Best recently won Chef of the Year.

Marque is a small and unassuming restaurant from the street. A simple sign at the door lets you know you've arrived, but once inside it's all class with sleek black lines, quirky artwork and a light feature (I hesitate to use the word chandelier) that I would have liked to have put in my handbag and taken home (sadly, my bag wasn't big enough, and they probably frown on such things anyway - see pic on right).

The staff were nothing short of spectacular. Having recently been to another 3 hat Sydney establishment where the staff were cold and pretentious and looked down their noses at us, the team at Marque were polar opposites - friendly and welcoming, talking us through the menu while making drinks suggestions. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that we weren't the youngest people in the restaurant. Quite often we feel uncomfortable going to expensive eateries because we are at least 10 years younger than anyone else there, but the Saturday night crowd at Marque was a real mix of ages (perhaps a result of the attention the restaurant received on Masterchef?).

The real star here though is the food - eight courses of pure gastronomic heaven. The dishes change weekly based on what's in season and what's available (and silly me didn't bring my copy of the menu home) but the standouts for me were the signature chaud froid egg entree with grissini, the blue swimmer crab with almond foam and the 2 desserts - sauterns custard with caramel (the burnt toffee caramel sauce was un.be.liev.able) and the lemon sorbet with white chocolate crumbs and goats cheese. The lemon sorbet almost blew my head off, it was so tangy and electric.

Marque also offer matching wines for the degustation. We chose not to do the wines though as I was driving and Boyfriend wanted to sample the exotic beers instead. All in all, it was a lovely meal and I highly recommend it for a special occasion.

Price: Degustation $145; matching wine $75
From: Marque - 355 Crown St Surry Hills
Why you need to go: To experience the culinary creations of Mark Best and his amazing team.

Picture credit: black-box.net.au

Krispy Kreeeeeeeme!

Yep, I'm still banging on about Breast Cancer supporty-type products. But today instead of wearing our support, we're eating it. Pink-olicious!

This is awesome for three reasons:

1. Krispy Kreme Strawberry Iced Pink Donuts. Yummo. I'm not usually a strawberry fan because fake strawberry can be quite sickly sweet, but I don't mind a pink Krispy Kreme. I think the sweetness of the strawberry is balanced by the thick glaze on the donut and all the air inside. Sounds weird, but it makes sense in my head.

2. The McGrath Foundation. This is definitely a charity worth throwing your coins at. Jane McGrath was an amazing woman & mother, and Glenn McGrath works tirelessly to keep her spirit alive through fundraising for cancer research and support. It warms the cockles.

3. You can order Krispy Kreme online. In the ultimate testament to the sloth-like nature of Sydney in 2009, you order your donuts online and they deliver them to you. RIDICULOUS! But pretty convenient. And stuff tastes better when it's delivered to you (case in point: Dominos).

Price: $21.50 + delivery
From: Krispy Kreme
Why you need to scoff a box: You get a tasty treat delivered to your office and you feel doubly good about it because it's for charity. Do it today!

Picture credit: krispykreme.com.au

Charity on your chest with Jeanswest

You know October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, right? This is a hugely important issue for EVERYONE everywhere, not just women (everyone has a mother). I've already talked about Dunlop's efforts and no doubt I'll talk about a few more in the coming weeks, but today it's all about Jeanswest. This is the fifth year that Jeanswest have done the Designer Charity Tee Collection (I still have my Kirrily Johnston shirt from 2 years ago - love). Each year Jeanswest join forces with a handful of fashionable-type-important people and $10 from the sale of every shirt goes to the Cancer Council's Pink Ribbon Day. So really, it's a perfectly legitimate excuse to go shopping.

This year Arabella Ramsay, Lucette and Mimco all designed tees and the three designs are quite different to each other so you should be able to find something that suits your taste (folk art? tribal stencilling? girl band glam? well you're just picky, aren't you!). I bought the pink Arabella Ramsey shirt, and I'm considering going back for the Lucette tribal shirt.

Price: $29.99
From: Jeanswest
Why you need one: You'll get a warm, fuzzy feeling from knowing you're supporting a worthwile charity, whilst also rocking a kickass new shirt.

Picture credit: jeanswest.com.au

What's better than Batiste? Baby Batiste!

I have talked about my enduring love affair with Batiste dry shampoo before. I have tried a lot of dry shampoo over the years and this is still my absolute favourite because of the tropical scent. It's light and breezy but not strong enough to actually overpower your perfume.

Anyway, imagine my delight at finding out they now do a mini can! I always carry my Batiste in my gym bag, but it's a pain in the butt when you're carrying 45 other things in there as well, and it's all extra weight to lug back and forth on the bus. It's also small enough that I can keep one in my handbag for emergencies (you might be thinking 'what kind of emergency warrants dry shampoo?' but, believe me, it happens).

As well as doing the Original, Tropical and Blush in mini cans, Batiste has also just launched two new fragrances - Boho and Diva. Boho is a citrusy scent, with lemon and orange and a hint of spice, while Diva is girly fun with floral violet, lily, jasmine and musk. Get on it!

Price: $4.95 for the mini can, $9.95 for the full size Boho and Diva.
From: Priceline, KMart, Target and Terry White
Why you need it: The convenience of clean, fresh hair with a delicious scent!

Picture credit: beautyeditor.com.au

New Muzak - Miss Li and Amanda Jenssen

Watched TV lately? Seen the new iPod Nano ad? Yes? Currently obsessed with the song.

It's called Bourgeois Shangri-La and it's by a pair of luscious Swedish ladies named Miss Li (Linda Carlsson) and Amanda Jenssen. Miss Li has been rocking the Swedish airwaves for a solid few years now (4 studio albums plus a compilation) while Amanda was runner up in Idol 2007 and has put out one studio album. Lucky for them Apple picked up their insanely catchy tune because their worldwide now. Talk about instant fame.



You can get it on iTunes - nice!

Price: $1.69
From: iTunes
Why you need it: It's a party weekend (here in Sydney)! Party tune!

Primped VIP review - Estee Lauder part 2

Ok, I had the best of intentions to do all the Estee Lauder goodies in one go but I had so much to say about eyeshadow quad that, well, here we are on part 2. Let's not waste any more time.

Estee Lauder Opulent Shimmer Gloss in Cranberry

If I could wear this lipgloss as a perfume, I would. I also wouldn't be averse to eating it. Cranberry! Apart from the beautiful packaging, the first thing I noticed when I laid my grubby mits on this was the delicious cranberry scent. It smells like Thanksgiving (if you have never experienced an American Thanksgiving, then this might not mean anything to you so...uh...cranberries). The colour is a shimmering red, but not a bright apple red, more of a subtle deep red. It starts off really rich and punchy and then fades to a beautiful lustrous shine that lasts until you eat a sausage roll or lick your lips more than 30 times.

Pros
Great scent, wearable colour, lovely packaging, lasts a long time

Cons
Don't wear it in a dust storm or on a really windy day - it's a bit sticky and your hair will get stuck to your lips.

Price: $42
From: Estee Lauder counters
Why you need it: For a beautiful, glossy reddish pout

Estee Lauder Turbolash Mascara in Gold

I will be honest, when I first got this mascara I went 'oooh vibrating!', opened it, marvelled at the rapidly oscillating head and then tried to figure out how to make it stop vibrating. Button? Twisty head? It took the guy in the office to say 'just put it back in the tube' for it to stop wiggling. Why am I telling you this? I don't know. Maybe so that you learn from my really obvious mistake.

Of the three EL products I was sent, this was probably my least favourite, and there are 2 reasons for this.

1 - Whilst the vibrating is a novelty, when you put it against your lashes it feels like an eye twitch. If you have ever had an eye twitch, you will know what a horrible sensation this is. If you haven't, then you're about to find out. I don't believe the vibration makes a huge difference to the application and amount of product deposited, but perhaps that was just the colour I was using. I would love to try a vibey mascara in black to compare.
2 - The colour and formula. It was a shimmery coppery-gold colour (not hugely unlike the cabernet coloured Lash Blast Shimmer I posted about 2 weeks ago) but it didn't really leave much colour on my lashes beyond some gold glitter. I tried applying it both with and without black mascara underneath - when I applied it to dry lashes, all I got was a bit of glitter and shimmer and when I applied it to lashes that already had black mascara on, it just made my lashes wet and sticky. Neither was an effect I was really digging. (Honestly, I tried to take a photo but my elite skills aren't that elite - sorry. In the pic above the mascara is the red and gold stripey tube, while the one with the pattern is the lipgloss)

The only time this mascara would be appropriate is when you are going for bronzed face, coral cheeks and totally fresh eyes (i.e. no mascara, so some shimmer with gold eyeshadow would look gentle and youthful).

Price: $62
From: Rebel Sport, naturally
Why you need it: For shimmery, gold eyelashes

Picture credit: That's me smiling!

Primped VIP review - Estee Lauder collection

Remember how I mentioned that I had been sent a big load of beauty goodness from Primped and I got to play with it and think about it and enjoy it and then tell you all what I liked and didn't like? Some of it was very lovely Estee Lauder stuff and I'm excited because it was so much fun! There were 3 EL pieces so I figured I would do them all in one mega review (split over 2 days, so kinda not really mega).

First up...Estee Lauder Signature Eyeshadow Quad - Gold Opulence

The ultimate in lux, the palette is in a beautiful gold case with the signature EL on the top - tres glam. There are 4 colours in the quad - champagne, copper, bronze and a deep blue/grey/charcoal (there were no colour names, so I took liberties and made them up - evidently I'm no pantone expert). This was a dream palette for me because I wear champagne (on the inner eye), copper (all over the lid) and bronze (in the crease and under the eye) every single day - it's my default makeup look. So this slot straight into morning routine, not only because it was my colours but also because it was so easy to use - the brushes were a dream! It comes with 2 beautiful double-end brushes - a precise pointed-tip sponge, 2 regular sponges and a blending brush which is soft and easy to use. It really reminded me how important it is to use a quality brush to get a great application with minimal mess.

I also stepped outside of my comfort zone and had a crack with the charcoal blue colour too - it was great for night and a nice alternative to black for a smoky eye. The pigments of colour are so rich that they lasted all night and looked like velvet even hours after the application (which is very rare for me since makeup seems to just fall off my face after an hour).

Verdict? Love it. I would do a pros and cons list but there are no cons. I think that speaks volumes.

Price: $70
From: The Estee Lauder counter at your local department store
Why you need it: To really nail the copper and bronze eye for summer, or try an alternative to the usual smoky black eye.

Tomorrow: the other Estee Lauder stuff I got to play with - vibrating mascara and luscious lipgloss!