Mixing it with the real fashionistas

If there is any advantage to working down the big end of town, it's the "corporate jollies".  Hence, I scored an invite to the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival on Thursday before last, including dinner at the Woolshed, drinks at the Rekorderlig Lounge (including goodie bag) and Runway 04 show. 

While I'm often heard to say "you can never be overdressed", going to a fashion festival, one can't help but be excited about the prospect of being able to really dress up. The ante is well and truely upped, so I turned to the trusty Harpers Bazaar and came across this ad for Jimmy Choo:

Love the 70s aesthetic and in particular the hair - it's a beehive gone hippy and we all know how much I love a beehive. Best of all, it's a hair style I thought I could pull off with only 20 minutes to get ready in the Ladies at work.

Clothes-wise I teamed a v-neck sweater (not quite a low as the plunging neckline shown above), a pencil skirt, fishnets and my highest high heels.  I had the pleasure of catching a real live model* checking out my outfit (I've never felt so proud in all my life) as I walked into the Woolshed.  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture to show you of the outfit because while they were taking photos in the entrance to the Rekordlig Lounge, which they said could be viewed on facebook, only a select few were deemed worthy to make the cut. So all I have is this head and shoulders shot, taken after the wind has had its way with my hair so it bears no resemblance to the Jimmy Choo ad in the slightest.

As for the fashion, I would sum it up as a return to fashion that actually flatters the female form (at last!). Translation: big shoulders, plunging necklines, cinched waists, pelhams, a-line skirts (short) and fishtail skirts (long) with feathers thrown in now and then just for fun.

I didn't recognise any of the music being played, but here's The Potbelleez "Don't Hold Back" because it would have fit and I love it:

The Stats:

Hair
Time: 10 minutes  (hair washed and straightened in the morning before work)
Tools: teasing comb
Product: Hairspray
Comments: Part hair in the middle, tease at the crown and smooth back 

Face - Going Out Face
Time: 10 minutes
Moisturiser: [still searching for good one]
Concealer: Mac Select Cover-Up
Foundation: Tom Ford Traceless Foundation (best foundation I have ever found")
Blush: Lancome Blush Subtil Rose 30 Rose Melba
Powder: Neutrimetics nc Velvet Finish Mineral Foundation Powder
Mascara: [still searching for a good one]
Lipstick: Tom Ford Scarlet Rouge
Eyeshadow: Rimmel Glam Eyes Quad Smokey Brun (use all four colours)

Outfit
Top: from Kookai many years ago
Skirt: Pencil skirt from Faster Pussycat
Stockings: Fishnets from Target
Shoes: from Mimco



 *How did I know she was a "real live model" you ask?  There's no way a normal chick would be that thin and that fashionably dressed and not be a model.

Buzz Buzz

First it was Tom Ford

Now it's Louis Vuitton

As far as I'm concerned, it's two strikes and you're in - THE BEEHIVE IS BACK!


The last time I attempted a beehive was at my husbands 40th birthday party. (I am not prepared to tell you how many years ago that was). I had printed out instructions from the Internet (yes, therefore pre-YouTube tutorials, that's how long ago it was) and after spending an inordinate amount of time getting no-where, my mother-in-law managed to tame my tresses into a perfect piled high ensemble in about three-minutes flat. She explained that back in the day she wore a beehive to work everyday (oh if only that was an option now, but I fear that would prove a career limiting move in my conservative corporate environment down the big end of town).



Back to the present, I have a wedding coming up on Friday, so I attempted a trial run this weekend.  I have negative 20 minutes to do the trail run (translation, I was already supposed to be somewhere else, I did mention I'm always late), and I took the advice to not wash your hair on the day, but really, my hair was in real need of a wash - both of which I believe contributed to my beehive turning into a quiff (an a fairly tame one at that), so I threw on a rocker t-shirt and ran out the door.

Here's a picture from our destination, after my husband presented me with some tatoo sleeves* to complete the look. (*Stockings for your arms printed with tatoo pictures.)

And here's Dusty sporting an original model bee hive:

Stats:

Hair
Time: 15 minutes  (not washed)
Tools: Pin tail comb, boar bristle brush, bobby pins, hair tie
Product: Hairspray and lots of it.  In retrospect, should have used mousse first.
Comments: If you're new to this, watch a few youtube tutorials and give youself plenty of time.  Based on my mother-in-law's comments, this could become an actual school-run do, but not without serious practice under your belt first. 

Face 
Went au natural, did warn you I'm quite lazy in the make-up department.

Outfit
Top: Route Sixty Six T-Shirt, probably purchased at Devil Kitty
Jeans:  Diesel Jeans bought years ago
Sneakers: from Jigsaw, again years ago
Comment: Yes, it's true, I rarely shop, all my clothes are old.

P.S linking up again for Visible Monday on the great Not Dead Yet Style - see here: http://notdeadyetstyle.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/visible-monday-89-suitably-dressed.html?m=1

My Art Adventure

Those who know me, know that I'm always late. Thus it came to be that I got stuck in a vicious cycle of "I'll just do this before I go" at work on Thursday night when I was supposed to be attending the opening of She 2013.  The opening started at 6:30pm.  I didn't notice the time until 7:45pm, meanwhile I was in the city (Melbourne) and the Walker Street Gallery was another country away* in Dandenong.

Pulling up google maps to find the way I thought "surely after only two hours the party will still be in full swing". Pulling up at the Walker Street Gallery at 8:30pm I found that artsie types just don't party like corporate types and everyone had gone.  (Everyone that is except the gallery director, Dave, who was being interviewed for TV, so that was cool to see).

But that was not the real problem.  The real problem was that I have been invited by my friend Bernii Wood, one of the featured artists, to attend the opening and catch a bite afterwoods.  Unfortunately, due to internet interference I didn't know where to find her.  Meanwhile, I'm in Dandenong. Dandenong has a reputation.  That's all I'm going to say about that because I'm too scared to offend anyone from Dandenong.

What to do.  Bernii is one of those rare individuals who doesn't have a mobile phone, so I called her house mate Charlii (who's excellent blog you can read here).  Charlii tells me that Bernii has gone to an Afghan restaurant.  Excellent, surely there's only one Afghan restaurant in Dandenong, quick google and I'll be there.  Yes? No. There are at least eleven Afghan restaurants in Dandenong.  Meanwhile, I'm in Dandenong, at night.

The two most listed restaurants are both on Lonsdale Street, the main drag of Dandenong.  So I pop Charles Mingus on Spotify as his music seemed the perfect soundtrack for this artsie caper and head down Lonsdale Street to do some foodie curb crawling.  I found both restaurants but as it was now after nine. Both were bereft of people in general, let alone a group of inner city hipsters.

Did I mention I was in Dandenong, at night, alone.  I decided to call it a night.  At least I got the see the exhibition and got a blog post out of it - and an inaugural blog post at that.    

Charles Mingus - Solo Dancer



Down to brass tacks, the inspiration for my "look" on Thursday was the Calvin Klien cover of Harper's Bazaar Australia's 15th Birthday issue.

Here's my interpretation, in a photo taken by my beautiful three year old:

Not sure it quite suits me, but I enjoyed channelling my inner Calvin Klien model for a day.

Stats:

Hair
Time: 5 minutes  (hair washed and straightened previous day)
Tools: comb and hair tie
Product: Schwarzkopf Taft Curl Defining Mousse Strong Hold (left over from when my husband had long hair)
Comments: The Calvin Klien version looks like the hair was plastered down with Brylcreem, I tamed this down and just patted down my hair with the mousse to keep it in place (although you'll note the left side has come loose in this picture). 

Face - My Bare Minimum Face**
Time: 5 minutes
Moisturiser: [still searching for good one]
Concealer: Mac Select Cover-Up
Blush: Lancome Blush Subtil Rose 30 Rose Melba
Powder: Neutrimetics nc Velvet Finish Mineral Foundation Powder
Mascara: [still searching for a good one]
Lipstick: Clinque Butter Shine Lipstick Raspberry Rush

Outfit
Top: Howard Showers top bought years ago
Skirt: Rhodes and Becket



*The greater metropolitan area of Melbourne is so large I am convinced that if it was in Europe it would extend over several countries.

**Actually, most of the time I'm too lazy to wear make up so the name is a touch of a falsehood. As I was going out, I tought I better put in some effort.

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P.S. I'm joining in Visible Monday on Not Dead Yet Style - love that name.