H&M X VOGUE

H&M X VOGUE

Zara dress / ASOS heels (similar) / Colette by Colette Hayman clutch / Glassons cuff

About a week ago I won the Best Australian Style competition held by H&M and Vogue Australia... the prize? H&M VIP Launch Party invites for their first store in Melbourne, a luxurious stay at The Olsen Hotel, goodies from Vogue, and a fancy schmancy car on a red carpet to take us to the event... Yes, this actually happened.

Sporting Zara's neoprene leopard print dress and my favourite ASOS heels, my expectations were already sky high... but the Swedish still managed to exceed them. After walking the mini red carpet with my cousin, Dragana, we spent the next few hours mingling and shopping - even scoring an extra 20% off for the 1000 odd guests that were there for having the first exclusive sneak peek at H&M Australia.

Other than making about a hundred laps (and getting lost) around the three-storey store, stalking the staff carrying mini chocolate tarts, fangirling over fellow bloggers and how CHEAP everything is, we also found ourselves partying alongside Haim (!!!!!!!) (no biggie) who were playing a DJ set as a surprise!

A stunning little tartan skirt, mesh detail top and fluffy white jumper came home with me for $60 altogether, as well as a huge Aus Exclusive scarf courtesy of H&M - all of which you'll be seeing in the coming weeks! So, if you haven't already opened up a tab for the online store or made plans to visit it in person, I suggest you do so now.... ;-)

Photos: Dragana Przulj and my instagram

Patricia Field Style and the City

Patricia Field Style and the City

Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte all had a not-so-secret friend who turned them from women speaking directly into the camera about their dating fiascoes (a rookie season one mistake) into style icons adored the world over. It has been years since the series ended and the last of the films graced the silver screen (breaking box office records) but women all over the world can still not get enough. With this in mind "Style and the City", an exhibition of beautiful gowns and outfits worn by these fictional but very real style icons has been cleverly curated by legendary costume designer Patricia Field and brought to Perth. Launching on Friday morning, the free exhibition will run until May 1st at enex100 and inside Myer at Forrest Chase.

At the launch Patricia shared stories from the set- how she met the actors and how they became family, posed for photos, met and chatted with some 100 women and men all obvious fans of her amazing work. 

Not only is Patricia Field the Emmy Award winning costume designer behind Sex and The City, but Oscar nominated designer behind films like The Devil Wears Prada, Confessions of a Shopaholic, and television series' Ugly Betty, Spin City, Cashmere Mafia, Hope and Faith, Six Degrees and Kath and Kim. Her boutique, which she opened in Greenwich Village in 1966 has been attracting fashion forward locals, internationals and celebrities for fifty years. Named in Time Magazines '100 Most Influential Fashion Icons of All Time', Field is a down to earth and fascinating woman. Her stories brought to life the experiences on set while demonstrating her design process, character analysis and relationship with cast members. 

Costumes from both the HBO television series and both of the Sex and the City films are on display, from the infamous Vivienne Westwood wedding gown (complete with bird!), Zac Posen wedding party gowns (the black worn by Charlotte was Field's pick for Sarah-Jessica Parker to wear in white but Parker chose the Westwood), the Versace ruffled gown Carrie was stood up in by Alexander Petrovsky during that last episode in Paris and a whole lot more. By a whole lot more, I am talking the Carrie necklace, the blue Manolo Blahnick's, that white dress with the gigantic orchid corsage, the Eiffel Tower bag etc etc etc… Patricia Field scoured dresses from across the globe to bring to Perth, just for us. Zac Posen dug into his New Jersey archives for the wedding party dresses, designers and collectors around the world were called, and the results are a stunning collection of 24 colourful, iconic gowns and costume pieces that you just have to see. 

xx Jenelle 

New Season Check

New Season Check

ASOS T-shirt in Tartan Print, Josh Goot Skirt, Sandals 

You can no doubt clearly see that a little bit of honest sun worshiping went along with the intended shoot here. It may be cooler, but that sun can still pack a punch! 

As the new season approaches and local retailers begin to include cardigans, parkas and faux leather fronted leggings beside their simple tees and mum-style denims on the racks I thought it best to do a little wardrobe updater. I have added a few low cost pieces to update my regular go-to's including an on-trend, but actually pretty cool print. This check print top by ASOS (which also comes in a dress- see it here) ticks the boxes I place 'check patterns' under (there are always rules- I can not help it!). Blue, red and white is okay. Black, red and white- no matter what the material or cost seems 'cheap and nasty' looking. The blue and red compliment each other, but the black and red compete with the eye, creating to sharp a contrast no matter the intensity of the hue. Maybe for me there is also some lingering childhood love of the colour purple (which when red and blue are paired together…)

This print top is not something I would label in the 'Capsule Wardrobe' category, nor would I add the red shoes, but when worked back with a simple grey marle skirt, or pair of jeans and white Converse, it is fun and easy to add an on trend or occasional printed piece. I have seen a lot of check printed tops around, everyone seems to have caught the Celine check print bug, so go forth and embrace.

xx Jenelle

Beauty Road Test: The Beauty Chef and More

Beauty Road Test: The Beauty Chef and More

 

I just got this one in before the end of March! One more Beauty review post, following on from my story on dry body brushing last week. I really have been trying a lot of new products over the past month to six weeks, here are some of the skin and hair care products. I am still aiming to be as natural as possible in my skin care, but find hair products a little trickier to manage. See more about that below. 

Mother Earth Aromatherapy Rehydration Facial Scrub

I picked this little jar up from a health food store in the Claremont Quarter a few months back when I noticed a huge gap in my skincare routine. I'd moved over and thought I would buy a facial scrub later. I looked at a bunch of natural brands, and wanted to try something inexpensive and locally made. This one by Mother Earth Aromatherapy also smelled the best. Made in Fremantle, the brand is described as being truly natural, made with the highest quality natural organic ingredients (no parabens or bad chemicals), love and care. I would say that a little goes a long way, so I will be using this jar for some time, and have found it to leave my skin smooth but hydrated and smelling of natural oils. It is specifically developed with dry and mature skin in mind- which doesn't really fit my profile, however it is a beautiful product to use. With daily scrubbing, the skin can retain more moisture, being up to 25% more effective. That's got to be good. 

The Beauty Chef Glow Inner Beauty Powder

I came across this powder in a health mag at first, then began to notice it pop up on Harper and Harley's Instagram, in Harper's Bazaar etc. Reading the story and philosophy behind The Beauty Chef founder Carla Oates, (find more here) I decided to give her Glow Powder a try. I have had it for a few months now and add it daily to my muesli, energy balls or smoothies. It is made up of twenty three skin loving super foods designed to assist with radiant skin. It tastes like Acai berries, is rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and amino acids. The unique natural fermentation process breaks down foods making them ready for the body to absorb allowing probiotics which colonise the gut and promote a heap of health benefits. It also contains prebiotics which encourage the growth of good bacteria. So basically the powder helps to create healthy skin from the inside out. There are no preservatives, colourings or flavourings, so it looks like a yellowish green colour, and tastes great.  

At $59.95 per 150g it seems like a bit to spend on 'powder' if you think of it that way, but, if you are anything like me and have bought a ton of different super food powders, minerals and supplements before individually, you will no doubt know how much these can add up to. By combining this formula in one, I can guarantee that I get a healthy dose of excellent vitamins, minerals etc in one easy container, without having to buy, store and open a bunch of different products. I prioritise looking after my skin, and would like to hope that the evidence is obvious. I love this product and highly recommend it to anyone who choses to look after their health and skin. 

Dr Browner's Magic All-One! Organic Lotion

Well, with a name like that, and packaging resembling something of a 90's hippy dream, it would be easy to overlook this item on the shelf. Needing a good natural body lotion, I really asked the lady at the health food store to recommend a few options. I absolutely go mad for lavender and coconut, so ended up choosing this one. The packaging and name may seem OTT but the product is great. I found this one in a health food store, so keep an eye out, or else find it here.

Peaches and Clean Fragrance Oil

Mario and I kept seeing the Peaches and Clean products around, and I was drawn to this natural oil fragrance so strongly I just had to get it. With a purse size roll on glass bottle, I can take it with me to touch up and feel fresh through out the day or night, and as it is entirely natural, made up of lavender oil, it is beautiful on the skin. From the same brand (also made in Fremantle) I bought Mario a bottle of the Beard Oil, which has worked wonders in keeping his beard soft and tameable between visits to his 'beard trimming guy'. So sophisticated! 

Burt's Bees Acai Rejuvenating Lip Balm

Full of all the good stuff, this Acai berry balm is good enough to eat, and actually hydrates the lips unlike the majority of unnatural lip gloss products which dry out the delicate lip skin. 

Kevin Murphy Shimmer Shine

While visiting Me. Style salon a couple of weeks back I mentioned not liking hairspray and needing a sea salt style spray to hold my wavy hairstyles. This Kevin Murphy spray was recommended as the right product to retain some of the styling shape- without that coated in sticky, dry spray feeling, and contains a shimmery powder which picks up light. Now, it isn't a 100% natural product, but as I said, finding GOOD natural hair products seem to be harder than finding natural skincare, so I am adopting a bit of a mixed bag in my beauty kit. Kevin Murphy products do not contain parabens or sulphates and use renewable and sustainable resources where ever possible. The Shimmer Shine Spray contains Baobab seed extracts (from the African Boabab tree, which contain vitamins A, D and E), bamboo extracts (which prevent irritation, and damage to the cell structure), essential fatty acids, vitamins A, C and E as well as Immortelle (derived from the Helichcrysum plant, rich in antioxidants to stop sun damage to the hair). It is a non-oily formula, I like the hold it gives my hair, and the shimmery part is pretty cool too. Overall, this is a lot better than using hair spray for me, and is less strongly scented and heavy with chemicals than that of some other sea salt sprays I have tried in the past. 

That is it for March, and I still did not get to my cosmetic products photographed, and ready to share! Stay tuned, and by all means, please share any other beauty or hair care finds in the comments below. 

xx Jenelle 

Isabel Marant Scarlet

Isabel Marant Scarlet

Isabel Marant Scarlet Boots, Witchery Waterfall Tee, Isabel Marant Sequin Vest, Dr. Denim Jeans, Kailis Pearl Necklace 

After I bought these boots, which ticked the box of 'having lusted after for months and found on sale' Nadine (of Modern Girls in Vintage Pearls) commented that she looked forward to seeing how I style them. Well Nadine, this post is for you. Shot weeks ago, first thing on a Sunday morning, sleepy eyed and with a hint of the Sunday morning grimace. 

For the first 'blog-post-wear' I went for all black but textural. Actually to list cotton, denim, leather, suede, pony hair and sequin together sounds like a recipe for overkill, but sticking to black on black, it works. This vest is one of my unnecessary pieces, it serves no function other than to accessorise, and yet I seem to pack it to take with me whenever I relocate. There are so many sequins sewn into it it is something like chain-mail or a birds feathers. I love to wear all black and keeping things interesting with textures makes all the difference. This sequin vest thrown over a silk top or dress adds weight, layered under a blazer adds a flash of sparkle. Had I bought it in another colour I would have sold it on eBay years ago, but in black, it is less over the top and more grunge. Think Blondie not Beyonce. (PS. As I JUST DON'T GET Beyonce, NEVER think of me and Beyonce, please. Just don't!)

One of my favourite ways to mix black textures is with a lace top or dress and leather motorcycle jacket. As I have just decided to keep my leather pants, I look forward to pairing them with a chunky black long cardigan waiting for me to come collect it from storage when I visit Adelaide in May. I am SUPER excited to get back there, if not to see everyone, to stop thinking about my boxes of clothes. (Mum, I am looking forward to seeing you too, but I admittedly think about my boxes quite a bit. Particularly the Hermes, Moschino and silk pieces I left behind. Sorry.) 

So that is my tip… buy it in black, mix up the textile and team with a natural hair and makeup look to avoid any issues with looking 'goth'. 

Oh, and Rock and Roll, NEVER Pop-RnB.

xx Jenelle

Shots by Mario Recchia

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Josh Goot AW14

Josh Goot AW14

Last week I caught on that Josh Goot had released the Autumn Winter 2014 lookbook, which I of course in keeping with tradition, had to share. That muted refined pallet, the digital breakdown prints and the return of the rose! I love the v-neck black dress with the silvery rose print. I like the return of minimalism, as I admit to having found the marble and palm prints a little over powering, which ultimately is beautiful, but when it becomes over saturated in the FROW's of even the Perth shows, I turn away. I love the wear-ability of this collection, these are pieces to combine for years to come, and yet there are also interesting and refreshing silhouettes. Inspired by 17th century Dutch Vanitas (right on, if you know of my obsession with these paintings via my dumping them on Tumblr you will know how thrilled this makes me. Bring on dark romantic florals), Goot uses heavier wool, leather and flicks of metallics. The 40's style double breasted coat is a perfect throwback to accompany the midi season lengths this season too. 

No matter what, this man always creates something stunning and inspired. The full look book is up on the Josh Goot website now. 

xx Jenelle

Beauty: Dry Body Brushing

Beauty: Dry Body Brushing

I vowed to post one 'Beauty' post per month this year, but in the last month to six weeks I have tried a whole heap of products to share, so this month I have more for you. For those of you who have read my other beauty reviews and stories you will know I try to use products in my skin care routine which are as natural as possible. I am finding that this is easier to do with skincare, but not as easy when it comes to hair care and cosmetics. More on cosmetics and hair in the next post, but for now, having good skin is like having an excellent canvas. After all, the skin is our biggest organ.

Dry Body Brushing
I recently picked up a bamboo dry body brush, which had been on my list for a long time to try. I got this one for under $20 at the local health food store, but you can also order them online (eg here). As long as the bristles are made of a natural fibre, you are onto a winner.

Why Body Brush: 
Well, it opens the pores to release toxins, promoting circulation to activate the lymphatic system assisting it to process the lymph fluids. Basically this means that those toxins can be processed through say the liver and the waste can be eliminated properly, rather than sticking around. This is why you must brush in a circular motion from left to right starting from the feet, moving upwards toward the heart- the same direction the lymph fluid travels. The lymphatic system does not have its own 'pump' like the heart does, so stimulating it through muscle stimulation via exercise and massage help get it working. Brushing also helps stimulate circulation. If you have bad circulation you may experience varicose veins, water retention and fatigue. By massaging the skin the brush stimulates blood flow which in turn activates oil and sweat glands moisturizing the skin.

Body brushing is known to help target cellulite as well, which is caused by lack of blood flow and lymph drainage leading to fluid retention and toxin build-up in fat cells. This build-up stiffens the septa (connective tissue) which then pushes down fat leading it to break through the dermis giving the dimple like effect which no one wants. It also probably goes without saying that using the brush exfoliates the skin to prevent ingrown hairs and remove dead skin cells, naturally leading to smoother skin with a more even tone.

How to brush:
 Brush in a circular motion from left to right, starting from the soles of the feet moving up toward the heart- likewise from the palms along the arms to the heart. Don't brush too hard, then jump in the shower/ steam room and later moisturize with a good oil like coconut. Rinse the brush with hot water regularly to get rid of dead skin cells and make sure that the brush is left to dry properly. You can also spray a little Tea Tree Oil spray once a week to kill off any bacteria.
I recommend brushing in the morning, showering then moisturizing with a good natural moisturizer or coconut oil. It is a calming way to start the day- weather you do it for a few minutes or up to 20. I guess the main thing is that it means you are spending time massaging, invigorating and caring for your body, which is a positive promotion of self love and appreciation.

If you don't feel very comfortable in your own skin, (at least this is how I have felt in the past), learning to look after it, and yourself is a really important step into letting those body hangups go. Now, don't get me wrong, you aren't going to suddenly have a Miranda Kerr like body, but it is a good step toward that glowing, healthy skin. Trust me people notice. If you have ever had someone notice your tan (lack there of or faux) it is evidence that healthy glowing skin does not go unnoticed.

Combine body brushing, or exfoliation in general (remember my last post testing out the fun natural coffee scrub Frank?) with drinking water throughout the day, eating healthily and regular exercise and you are looking after yourself. Probably don't scrub if you have weak skin (I am NOT recommending this to anyone who is suffering from sunburn, or say my Nanna who has super weak skin), to prevent unnecessary damage.
Respecting yourself is a really valuable place to start in gaining respect from others, and encouraging this of others toward themselves too.

xx Jenelle

New Season

New Season

Maddison Brown for Elle Magazine shot by Beau Grealy, Styled by Nicole Bonoython-Hines

If you are anything like me and have welcomed the new addition to the Australian magazine world with the beautiful but accessible publications- Elle Australia, then you would have already seen these images. I have not moved on. Not at all. As I go into planning mode for the coming cooler to cold months this beautiful editorial is there earmarked on my dresser as the go-to for inspiration. New season basics in clean modern lines reach for a feminine take on masculine inspired power dressing. As I hit confirm on an order of simple and cheaper basics such as a grey midi skirt, roll neck black sleeveless top etc via the ASOS sale, this was what I had in mind. Of course I would love to have the cash to spend on the Bassike pieces I tried on recently and fell further for, but I have got to stash some dollars into savings, so this isn't going to happen anytime soon. But that doesn't mean I can not find a way to channel inspiration into my personal style in a less taxing way. I encourage people to shop around for good quality, but not to be afraid that their clothes are simply inexpensive. I love luxurious products, but prefer to mix these in with simple basics. I get sick of some of my clothes quickly, so have learnt not to be afraid to offload them down the line. 

As it is still warm, leather pants can wait but sleeveless tops (later perfect for layering) seem very welcome. 

xx Jenelle 

COSMO

COSMO

Now vest / Forever New shirt and bag / Glassons sateen pants in Cosmo / Betts brogues (similar from ASOS) / MinkPink sunglasses / Rings c/o nonComplex / The Horse watch

For someone who was once a self-confessed anti-pink kind of gal (for no real reason), I've been lusting over a lot of pink lately. Mainly pastel pink because of my previous declaration of love for a solid pastel and black/white wardrobe, but this cosmo pink begged me to join my collection of Glassons clothing so I obliged. Sue me.