Style Notes – Quick and Easy Halloween Costume Ideas (for people who hate dressing up)

The spookiest time of year is now upon us and I find that Halloween takes on an increasing presence each year in Melbourne. I personally LOVE a good themed event, and still get excited at the invitation to a costume party, but at the same time I know SO many people that are the opposite. Those that approach the effort of putting together and wearing a costume with more disdain and resentment than if you were about to get your wisdom teeth taken out.

For people who love throwing themed parties, I speak for all of us when I say that usually the most fun is had when everyone gets into it! That’s not to say you have to spend a lot of time or effort with a costume, but when it comes to the level of effort you put into a costume for Halloween, you basically want to measure up on a healthy middle range between ‘ghost’ aka. sheet with two eye holes cut out, and Heidi Klum, the ultimate OTT Halloween costume QUEEN. If you are still stuck on what to wear for that Halloween party you have on this weekend, here are some quick and easy yet effective Halloween costume ideas that will have you party ready in less time than it takes to decide what outfit you would’ve worn to a dress up party when everyone else would be in costume but you…

Images Via here and here.

Images Via here and here.

Because let’s face it, you don’t want to be this girl.

Image Via

 

Día De Muertos / Mexican Day of the Dead Costume

The perfect Halloween costume to make use of that flower crown you fell in love with. With this costume, you can wear basically anything neck down, but with the help of some strategic make up, teased hair and a flower crown, you are instantly transformed into a superb sugar skull. This costume does require a good hand with applying make-up, but before you give it a miss, take a look at some easy You-Tube step-by-step makeup tutorials like this video by ASOS. The make-up isn’t actually as difficult to apply as the end product appears. All you need are a few make up basics you most likely already own, a light foundation, red lipstick, black or grey eye shadow and black eyeliner. Because each skull face design is unique, you can make your design as simple or as detailed as you wish!

Image Via

Image Via

If you find the whole face is a bit too full on, you can even try a half-face style to tone it down. Once your make-up is finished, tease your hair, wear it down and add that flower crown. The best bit about this outfit is that neck down you can basically wear whatever you like! Go gothic with all black or wear a white dress to match your pale face. You could even wear a floral dress or colourful peasant style skirt!

 

Hippy / Flower Child

So you’re not too good at getting artistic with the make-up but still have your heart set on wearing that flower crown? A Hippy is a great costume idea, although technically not a traditionally scary Halloween costume (though some may beg to differ). But if scary costumes just give you the creeps, getting in touch with your inner flower child is a fun and amazingly easy costume idea. Nowadays, I dare say majority of new clothing styles are ‘vintage inspired’ and can fit into the category of bohemian or hippy chic. You most likely already own a few items that match the hippy or boho chic trend, the costume element is simply a matter or wearing all of these items  together at once. Whether it be a flowy top or kaftan, a fringed vest, colourful maxi or tie dyed anything,  simply add boots, platform heels or sandals with a flower crown or headband / bandana across your head. Accessorize with semi precious stone jewellery and throw on a few long necklaces and your done!

Bonus points for rose coloured glasses or aviator sunnies and any jewellery embellished with a peace sign. Think you can’t get in touch with your inner hippy? Let me tell you, if Miss J.Lo can look the part of a carefree, flower child as per photographic evidence below, ANYONE can. If you are still unsure on how to incorporate your wardrobe items to create a hippy chic look, google Vanessa Hudgens at a music festival. That is not a joke.

Image Via

Image Via

 

 Fortune Teller

If you don’t own any peace signs or managed to escape the hippy chic trend, you can always wear a flowy skirt, wrap a piece of material around your head like a turban, add a shawl, some hoop earrings and stack on as many rings, bangles and necklaces as you can and go as a a fortune teller! American Apparel featured a great fortune teller get up in addition to other great costume ideas on their Tumblr page. Bonus points for bringing along tarot cards or your very own crystal ball.

Image Via

 

Image Via

Pirate

Own a striped Breton top or a loose fitting shirt? Don’t place those winter boots in storage yet! Use your basic wardrobe staples to create a pirate costume. This is such a versatile choice because you can make your costume as simple or extravagant as you wish. Pair your top and boots with black leggings or black pants and add a vest or a thick buckled belt for extra penzance pizazz. Accessorize with hoop earrings and a bandana and practice your best Aargh! You can even further embellish your outfit with an eye patch, temporary tattoos, a fake sword, binoculars or a compass which you can find at many $2 stores in the kids or dress up section. For the finishing touch go Johnny Depp with your makeup and pack on that eyeliner like there’s no tomorrow!

Image Via

Image Via

My last suggestion if you don’t want to use any of your existing wardrobe pieces, a fun way to shop for a costume is to simply head down to your local op shop. You will be sure to grab a frightening find on the cheap!

So there you have it, easy and simple ways to pull together an effective costume in the most effortless way, hopefully using many items that you already own.  These are also very versatile ideas that you can customise depending on your personal taste and preference when dancing that line from Sexy to Scary costume.

As a result of these quick and easy costume ideas, you may even find yourself saving a lot of time you can now use to do other exciting Halloween activities like carving a pumpkin or learning the dance-move to Thriller, which are obviously both equally productive ways to spend your time in the lead up to Halloween.

Have a terrifyingly fun Halloween!

Love,

Melbourne Darling xo

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Roule Galette French Crêperie – Dining Review

It’s said that there is a little piece of Paris can be found in Melbourne if you were to head to the ‘Paris end‘ of Collins Street. Well I am here to debate that claim because I just had a wander down a little Melbourne laneway off Flinders Lane that I found to be très bohème and très Parisien. Scott Alley and the laneway across from it, Manchester Lane are fine examples of the cutest little laneways you can find hidden amongst the Melbourne CBD. Manchester Lane is where you will find hip new not-for-profit cafe Shebeen (which I can’t wait to try for myself!) and Lady Petrova, a store akin to a Polly Pocket pastel wonderland filled with one of a kind designer pieces handcrafted by fashion designer and store owner extraordinaire Petrova (whom you might recognise from the 2008 season of Project Runway Australia).

Across from this store is a quaint little French crêperie lined with colourful lights and a wooden facade called Roule Galette. Upon being seated we were greeted by a French gentleman who provided us with menus and water for the table. The menu was extremely extensive for a crêpe place and there was an extensive selection of sweet and savoury options in addition to a list of extra toppings you could add to your selection as well as a specials board. I will point out that it is worth reading the entire menu as we found it quite entertaining to see some of the names and descriptions of menu items possibly a little lost in translation… For example, goat’s cheese just doesn’t have the same appeal when it is translated literally from French to ‘goat dung’  and some descriptions in attempting to come across as poetically descriptive just ended up sounding a little odd, for example;  ‘where fresh strawberry prepared by my grandma flirts with the whip cream’, ‘where vanilla ice cream meet with melted chocolate under a rain of almonds’ or ‘where hot chocolate try to come in a pouch full of whip and ice cream’. But owners of Roule Galette, if you are reading this, please do not change these adorably funny descriptions in your menu, we loved it and felt it added to the authenticity to the foreign roots of the place, as though the crêpe store was freshly plonked here in a Melbourne laneway straight from the streets of Paris. To complete the romanticised European atmosphere, we could even hear the sounds of a jazz band floating through the night air. Well played Melbourne, very well played.

Roule Galette Exterior

Roule Galette Exterior

The staff we encountered at Roule Galette were entertaining and accommodating, happy to make alterations to the menu items. I ordered ‘The Piaf’ crêpe from the specials board with toppings including caramel sauce, bananas, almonds and ice cream. The waiter was friendly and jovial, serving my order but not before asking me if I knew who Piaf was and jokingly telling me I had to sing one of her songs before I could have my food (don’t worry, ears were saved that night and I was actually served my meal without having to belt out Non, je ne regrette rien). The crepe was beautifully presented and tasted delicious and decadent. The crepes were soft and with a nice, even consistency which I was thankful for after a recent visit to Breizoz French Creperie in Gertrude Street where the crepes looked fantastic but tasted what I imagined to be like eating paper thin crunchy autumn leaves through mouthfuls of air… not good.

Piaf Crepes Special at Roule Galette

Piaf Crepes Special at Roule Galette

On my visit I was dining with a large group of and staff had no problems when we had an extra few people join us later, and we didn’t feel any pressure to pay and leave right away. This is the cutest little place to wander to after dinner in the city for a scrumptious dessert. The crepes I had at Roule Galette were the closest thing I have so far found to the authentic French crêpes I encountered in France and I am so glad to now know of this sweet little spot. Collins Street can keep its ‘Paris End’; Manchester Lane and Scott Alley are my little pockets of Paris in Melbourne!

Roule Galette on Urbanspoon

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I Scream Nails for Miss Shop Cosmetics Nail Art Masterclass

Still regretting you missed out on the I Scream Nails and Sportsgirl Nail Art Workshop?

Regret no longer, I Scream Nails are back, offering a Nail Art Masterclass in conjunction with Myer’s Miss Shop department! Masterclasses run tomorrow, Saturday 26th October at the Myer Bourke Street store. There are three session times at 10.30 am, 1pm and 3.30pm where you can master the (nail) art of the leopard print design. The cost to attend is $20, but is redeemable on product, which can include the new Miss Shop Nail Art pens.

What are you waiting for? Get those fingers dialing Myer on 03 9661 1259 to book your spot ASAP as there are limited places available. Don’t forget to show off your fab designs!

Image Via.

Image Via.

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Style Notes – Spring Racing Carnival 2013

Spring Racing Carnival is in full swing and Melbourne Cup is just around the corner, but every Melbournian knows that it’s just as much about people watching as it is watching those horses. Spring Racing fashion can end up being a bit of a gamble in itself if you’re not entirely sure on what to wear, but these simple style suggestions should see you taking a punt on the fashion sweepstakes with great confidence.

Here are my top five bets on Spring Racing style:

  1. Key trends this season will be futuristic fashion with sharp monochrome pieces or graphic prints and patterns, pinches of metallic statement pieces and detail in unexpected twists and turns. You may find yourself not just saving the black and white for Derby Day this year.
  2. There will also be a fusion of futuristic fashion with ladylike details such as higher necklines, pastel colours, shift dresses and girly accents like diamonds and pearls as well as flower crowns!
    Wayne by Wayne Cooper Harlequin Chain Detail Dress. Available here.

    Wayne by Wayne Cooper Harlequin Chain Detail Dress. Available here.

    Jayson Brunsdon Black Label Transparent Floral Body Con Dress. Available here.

    Jayson Brunsdon Black Label Transparent Floral Body Con Dress. Available here.

    Seduce Diamond Girl Shift Dresss.  Available here.

    Seduce Diamond Girl Shift Dresss. Available here.

    Seduce Hypnotize Dress. Available here.

    Seduce Hypnotize Dress. Available here.

     

  3. Put those statement necklaces and earrings away girls! Unless your head wear is extremely simple or understated, you don’t want to overdo it with large earrings or a necklace that would clash against your choice of headpiece. A splendid cocktail ring or a collection of dainty and elegant gold, rose gold or silver rings may be all the bling you need to complete your race-ready look. I love Samantha Willis’ Fine China cocktail ring collection which uses white opal as the centrepiece, set off with a vintage, art deco flair.

    Samantha Wills Fine China Art Ring. Available here.

    Samantha Wills Fine China Art Ring. Available here.

  4. Its seems that this season you cannot get away from the two-strap stiletto heel, it is hard to find a single shoe store that has not started selling their own take on this popular style. With that in mind, do not forget you’ll most likely be sinking those thin little heels in grass all day, so my advice is to ditch the stiletto and go for a dressy pair of wedges (like the below metallic silver pair) or at least go for a thicker heel that will make it much harder for your tootsies to start sinking like they’re in quick sand! If you still have your heart set on wearing a pair of stilettos, take a look at Starlettos. Starlettos are rubber heel protectors you can slide onto the bottom of your stiletto heels to literally stop that ‘sinking’ feeling.
    Love Nikki by PeepToe Madrid. Available here.

    Love Nikki by PeepToe Madrid. Available here.

    Jo Mercer Chance. Available here.

    Jo Mercer Chance. Available here.

    Gorman After The Chase Heel. Available here.

    Gorman After The Chase Heel. Available here.

  5. My money on the millinery for this racing season will follow on from the key trends, in that we will see the futuristic and modern fashion trend through strong shapes and monochrome colour in fascinators or alternatively, soft pastel colours, flower crowns and Gatsby-esque 1920’s style headpieces. My word of advice is, don’t go for over the top, crazy expensive choices in headpieces (exhibit a). Instead, go for unique or custom-made. Looking at previous fashion on the fields’ choices, it’s not hard to see that most of the time, less is more, or more modest and elegant pieces beat over the top, eccentric headdresses that just start to look costume like. If your choice of millinery starts becoming a sculpture in its own right, think about how heavy and annoying that thing if going to be perched on top of your head for one long day. Instead, I strongly recommend not just picking a fascinator ‘off the rack’ from any department store or accessories stop, but if you are creative enough, head down to your local craft store such as Spotlight or Lincraft and make your own! If you’re not too much of a creative or crafty type, check out local designers selling gorgeous one off pieces. You can find styles that certainly won’t cost a fortune and be guaranteed a truly unique piece you won’t see anyone else sporting on raceday! Local Melbourne designer Horus and Harper have a selection of dainty headpieces with an ethereal quality you can buy via their Facebook page, as with Brock and Eddie who stock a gorgeous selection of modern, colourful and truly chic fascinators. For beautiful flower crowns, head to Lady Petrova, or for an especially authentic flower crown, head to a florist like the lovely Jaclyn Roma who can pick out flowers and a design to perfectly match the rest of your outfit and create a flower crown especially for you!
  6. Brock & Eddie Millinery. Available here.

    Brock & Eddie Millinery. Available here.

    Horus and Harper Headpiece. Available here.

    Horus and Harper Headpiece. Available here.

    Lady Petrova Flower Crowns. Available in store or enquire online.,

    Lady Petrova Flower Crowns. Available in store or enquire online.

The Spring Racing Carnival is a great excuse to try something new or be a bit experimental in your fashion choices, so have fun with it! Don’t forget to add a generous dose of SPF in your make up to ensure you don’t end the day with unsightly sunburn and whatever you decide to wear,  make sure you’re comfortable! You don’t want to look back on your day with your only memories being of how annoying that heavy fascinator was or sinking pair of heels were. Above all, you not only want to look gorgeous, but feel gorgeous too! Hope you fond these simple style tips helpful when putting together your race-ready outfit, now giddy up and happy shopping!

Love,
Melbourne Darling xo

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Frolic Yoghurt Fitzroy – Dining Review

When the trip to Yo-Chi was too far and the line at N2 was too long, I headed to Frolic Yoghurt Fitzroy for a fro-yo fix on a hot night. Self serve frozen yoghurt bars have recently been popping up across Melbourne like the rising popularity of those brightly coloured clay bead necklaces everyone is suddenly wearing.

Gossip Girl Fro-yo on the Met steps. Image Via.

Gossip Girl Fro-yo on the Met steps. Image Via.

I first came across self serve fro-yo spots in New York and if anyone watched Gossip Girl you’d certainly be familiar with Queen B ordering her mignions to fetch her favourite fro-yo treat. The stores generally follow the same set up, yoghurt is self serve, followed by the opportunity to add your choice of toppings. The price is determined by the weight of your yoghurt creation, where possibilities are only limited by your creativity and your budget. That being said, don’t forget about that last factor before you go crazy with flavours and toppings only to have the cashier hit you with a double digit price, because its not fro-yo etiquette to ask if you can take some yoghurt out! My advice is that if you’re not sure what the price is coming too, you can always start off with less rather than more yoghurt and ask an employee to weigh your cup before returning to add more if you wish.

Frolic Yoghurt Fitzroy is the second Frolic location in Melbourne (the first store is located in Camberwell) and it follows the same traditional setup. The aspect I most liked about Frolic was that while the toppings table included your usual chocolate and nut varietys including chocolate chips, lollies, M&M’s, Reece’s Pieces, almonds, and hot chocolate sauce, (where adding the element of heat makes all the difference) they also added a good dose of fresh fruit amongst their selection.On my visit they had caramelised bananas, rhubarb sauce, strawberries and lychees added in the mix and they didn’t overdose on Popping Boba / Tapioca Pearls / Caviar on steroids / artificial flavour balls I’ve seen at many other fro-yo locations that try to mimic the flavours of a burst of fresh fruit. Frolic had a good flavour selection of yoghurt to choose from, including coconut, strawberry, vanilla, chocolate and vanilla chai, which tasted exactly like a hot cross bun to me, so if you love a punch of cinnamon then you’d enjoy this flavour. I do want to go back and try their salted caramel with figs flavour which sounds delicious! Although at $2.20 per 100 grams, I thought the price was a little steep, considering this selection came to over $10.

My Frolic Creation - Strawberry, Chai and Coconut yoghurt with caramelised bananas , strawberries and hot chocolate sauce

My Frolic Creation – Strawberry, Chai and Coconut yoghurt with caramelised bananas , strawberries and hot chocolate sauce

The interior was bright and youthful and the late night opening hours will be handy for summer, so if you like your frozen yoghurt bars and don’t want to head out too far (or wait too long) than Frolic isn’t a bad choice.

Frolic Interior

Frolic Interior

Toppings Bar at Frolic

Toppings Bar at Frolic

Yoghurt Self Serve at Frolic

Yoghurt Self Serve at Frolic

Frolic Yoghurt Fitzroy on Urbanspoon

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The Lab Nitrogen Gelato – Dining Review

Walking down Bourke Street in Melbourne’s CBD I had to do a double take when I walked by a store that claimed to serve nitrogen gelato that didn’t appear to be N2. I was surprised to see the presence of nitrogen gelato spots in Melbourne suddenly double before my eyes!

On the surface, The Lab looked to me like a hastily put together rip-off of N2, trying to get in on the sudden trendiness of nitrogen gelato. The Lab featured the same concept as N2, the same science lab set up, staff wearing white lab coats and protective eye wear, and a display of empty glass beakers. The Lab featured the same black walls and uninviting, slightly awkward seating area (though in defence of The Lab, at least they actually had tables and chairs, albeit a limited number of them and there was no AstroTurf in sight.) They were also a little more technologically adoptive with their menu displayed on screens above the counter, but the menu phrasing ’1 scoop = $6, 1 serve = yumminess’ sounded all too familiar. The first time I saw this place I walked past with my nose in the air thinking ‘Ha! Imposter! You are no N2!’ But the second time I walked past a week later I thought, ‘Well until I’ve tried it myself, who am I to judge!?’ It’s only fair.

The Lab Menu

The Lab Menu

The Lab

The Lab

The menu offering was not as exciting as N2. On my visit the flavours on offer included ‘Milky chocolate with homemade brownies, Black Sesame, Salted Caramel Popcorn, Raspberry and Yuzu Sorbet and Ice Lemon Tea Sorbet’. I went with the Salted Caramel Popcorn. There were a handful of people inside the store, staff were friendly and the wait time was not long at all. The ice-cream was presented well, with popcorn dotted on top of the ice-cream and finished off with a swirl of caramel sauce. The taste test was where the Lab could have really made me ‘eat my words’ with my snooty comparisons of it to N2, but unfortunately for The Lab, I stood corrected. The ice-cream had a wonderfully smooth consistency but it lacked flavour and tasted horribly artificial. The cute looking toppings also didn’t help when it came down to the ‘crunch’. The caramel sauce was sickly sweet and overly runny and the popcorn tasted stale and nasty. I felt sympathetic for the guy who ordered before me, as while waiting for our order, he turned to me and said ‘I keep hearing about how good nitrogen ice-cream is, so decided I just had to try it!’ But after I tasted The Lab’s contribution to nitrogen gelato in Melbourne I felt like running back to find that man and reassure him, ‘it’s not all like this, I swear!’

Salted Caramel Popcorn at The Lab

I don’t mean to be too harsh, it’s not the worst ice-cream I’ve ever tasted and if you were like that gentleman in line before me who was new to the concept of nitrogen gelato, you would still find it exciting and intriguing to watch your ice-cream being prepared and suddenly appear out of a cloud of smoke. But just as N2 would not survive long term based solely on the novelty factor of nitrogen gelato, (the difference is their exotic and mostly amazingly delicious flavour combinations like their outstanding Crème Brûlée) once the novelty appeal disappears, The Lab’s ice-cream just does not cut it for me.

However, The Lab’s convenient city location is an advantage and if their menu changes weekly, hopefully they start to serve some more enticing flavours. I’d give it another try in a few months, as I think that would be the true test to see whether they are just trying to cash in on the sudden hype over nitrogen gelato or if they are actually serious about serving good quality ice-cream.

The Lab

188 Bourke Street,
Melbourne

(03) 9077 5354

Open Monday – Sunday, 12pm til late

The Lab Nitrogen Gelato on Urbanspoon

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Tangle Teezer: The Ultimate Detangling Hair Brush Review

Have you ever seen images or movies featuring the gentle and caring moment when a mother brushes her daughter’s hair?

Well in my house, despite as gentle and caring my poor mum tried to be, this experience was more closely aligned to a vicious fight to the death between one wretched hard brush and my knotted up mess of curls, narrated by my high pitched screams of terror!

The distressing relationship I developed with hairbrushes followed me into adulthood and I would do everything I could to avoid those spiky toothed devils. Don’t hold it against me, but for a long time, I thought you just don’t brush curly hair… Years later, since colouring and heat-styling has made my strands more Scarecrow than Mermaid, I thought it was about time to show my tired tresses a little more TLC, and my weapon of choice happened to be the Tangle Teezer.

Tangle Teezer Image Via

Tangle Teezer Image Via

The Tangle Teezer was originally seen on Dragon’s Den, when UK hairdresser Shaun Pulfrey, presented his invention and was surprisingly rejected by each of the business tycoons on the show. Since then, Shaun has had the last laugh with the Tangle Teezer becoming an extremely popular, award-winning product in Europe and America, gaining its reputation as the ultimate detangling brush.

I stumbled upon the Tangle Teezer in a magazine article that quoted Emma Watson referring to it as her favourite beauty secret. I had never heard of it before and went on to scour the internet for user reviews but to my surprise did not come across ANY negative reviews! Some even compared it favourably in comparison to the cult status Mason Pearson hairbrushes. I was a bit hesitant, how could this odd looking plastic brush work hair miracles? So, I decided to try it out for myself.

I shopped around online and found that Beauty Bay was the cheapest option, with free shipping to Australia. The total price came to AUD $15.20.

ASOS was another good option, a few dollars more expensive at AU $18.48 in comparison to Beauty Bay but still cheaper than the Tangle Teezer Australia website where it retails for AU $29.95.

Tangle Teezer Image Via

Tangle Teezer Image Via

ASOS also sells a couple of different variations of the Tangle Teezer, including the Aqua Splash $23.56 (specifically designed to be used in the shower) and the compact edition for $22.18. ASOS Australia also offers free delivery across Australia within 8 business days (excluding weekends and public holidays). If you decide to purchase from ASOS and are a current student, don’t forget to register as a Uni Days member here to receive an extra 10% off all ASOS purchases!

I purchased a Disco Purple Tangle Teezer from Beauty Bay and a Blue and Pink Dual colour Tangle Teezer from ASOS (because let’s be honest, getting to choose an awesome colour was the best part of ordering online). I found the ASOS purchase delivered extremely quick! ASOS stated I would receive it within eight days but I received it within 5 days, whereas Beauty Bay stated delivery within 14 days, and I received it exactly 14 business days after placing my order. Based on the delivery time and if you are like me, your eagerness to try this magical detangling hairbrush, for the small price difference, I still found ASOS to be the better choice.

When my Tangle Teezer arrived in the mail, I had never been so excited to wash my hair! The Tangle Teezer reminded me of one of those plastic Barbie hairbrushes you received when you purchased a new Barbie doll. Those treacherous brushes always turned Barbie’s perfectly styled hair into a frizzy mess, but I jumped in the shower and surpise, suprise! It glided through my wet hair effortlessly and pain free!

Barbie's Hairbrush

Barbie’s Hairbrush

After I teezed out the tangles and conditioner, I hopped out of the shower and dried my hair naturally. Once dried, out came that Tangle Teezer again, juuust to make sure I wasn’t deceived by first time luck. Even when my hair was dry, the Tangle Teezer glided through my hair easily, without causing any breakage! I find that the best way to use the Tangle Teezer is to start mid-way through your hair length, and brush out the knots towards the bottom ends of your hair first, as this is where you will find the toughest knots. Start again at the top of your head and you should then be able to glide that baby down to the ends of your hair with no worries (screams, or cries) at all! You can also use the Tangle Teezer to distribute leave in conditioner and any hair treatment products as you would with a comb. The only time you cannot use the Tangle Teezer is when heat is involved, so keep it far away from that hair-dryer!

No knotting, no pulling, no snapping no breaking. I love to be a sceptic and a pessimist when it comes to popular products but I now admit I do agree with all the positive reviews for the Tangle Teezer and have become one true believer in this product’s magic. Come to think of it, didn’t Hermione Granger pull out a Tangle Teezer from that beaded handbag of hers at some stage during the Harry Potter movies..?

The Tangle Teezer is also a wonderful cheap option when you are not willing to fork out hundreds for a Mason Pearson brush. While I honestly have never used one before, (I might need to save that for another day) this seems like the next best thing for budget conscious beauty babes and I would definitely recommend this as a worthwhile purchase.

Have you used a Tangle Teezer? Have any negative reviews to share? I dare you!

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Trippy Taco – Dining Review

I’ll admit, ever since a first (and hopefully last) visit to Taco Bill a long time ago, I approach ‘cheap Mexican’ food with caution; however Trippy Taco has restored my faith.

Trippy Taco is a popular Vegetarian eatery in Gertrude Street Fitzroy offering Mexican style street food that is cheap and delicious. It’s a small, busy and casual spot that welcomes patrons dining-in as well as takeaway orders. If you are dining in, you order at the counter then help yourself to water, cutlery and the range of hot sauces available for the more daring at the self service area. Staff sometimes don’t seem too focused on going out of their way to provide a high  customer service experience but food arrives very quickly and considering it’s a Vegetarian restaurant, the menu is extensive and the meals are fresh and filling. They also have a variety of Mexican beers available, in addition to Sangrias and Margaritas.

I really enjoyed the Tofu Asada Burrito (flour tortilla wrap filled with spicy chargilled tofu, mozzarella, goat’s cheese, salad, salsa, avacado and fresh lime) and the Special Quesadilla (flour tortilla with melted goat’s cheese, black beans, tasty cheese, salsa and avacado), finding them both to be flavoursome mixtures of tasty ingredients.

Special Quesadilla at Trippy Taco

Special Quesadilla at Trippy Taco

Trippy Taco is not to be compared with the dining experience or ambience you would find at Mexican restaurants like Fonda, Newmarket Hotel, Mamasita or Touche Hombre, however Trippy Taco is an easy choice if you are after a quick, cheap and hearty meal, especially if you are nearby on Smith Street or Brunswick Street.

Trippy Taco Interior

Trippy Taco Interior

Trippy Taco

t234 Gertrude St

Fitzroy, VIC 3065

View Menu online

Trippy Taco on Urbanspoon

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Melbourne Darling’s Weekend Picks 12th and 13th October

What a beautiful weekend it is turning out to be in Melbourne!

Here are some of the fun things to do in our glorious city this weekend:

Melbourne Festival

It would probably be a crime if I didn’t mention the event simply named the ‘Melbourne Festival‘ on this Melbourne based blog, because funnily enough this ‘Melbourne Festival‘ does not have anything to do with showcasing the best of black clothing,  the best of Melbourne coffee, or a celebration of our crazy, unpredictable weather. Instead, the Melbourne Festival, is an arts festival showcasing the best of local and international displays of dance, theatre, music, visual arts and multimedia through a series of events running from 11 – 27 October for 2013. You can take a look at the program guide online here.

 

GO Festival

This one is for the ladies, the GO Festival (Girl’s Only Festival) is a women’s lifestyle expo happening this weekend. The expo features an extensive range of exhibitors with everything from health and wellness services to beauty products to homewares and more. Along with a varied selection of  ’100% female focused products and services’ on offer to purchase, there will also be a range of free health and wellness workshops, cooking demonstrations and massage centres.

Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th October 2013
10am – 5pm

Expo Hall – Building 3,

Melbourne Showgrounds, Epsom Rd, Ascot Vale VIC

Day Pass:
Presale: $15 + $1.50 Booking Fee
On the day: $18

Concession:
Presale: $12 + $1.50 Booking Fee
On the day: $15

 

Saturday 12th October:

 

Suitcase Rummage

The Suitcase Rummage is on again, 11am – 4pm Saturday 12th October at Northcote Uniting Church Hall, 251 High Street, Northcote.

Suitcase Rummage, Image Via

 

Sunday 13th October:

 

The Big Kahuna Swap Meet

Image Via

Image Via

You’d be surprised by how many songs out there are written about a man and his love for his sneakers… OK so maybe they are all Hip-Hop rappers, but obviously there are many people in Melbourne who share the same sense of adoration for their sneakers, and if you are on of these people, then you need to get on down to The Big Kahuna Swap Meet this Sunday!

Sneaker Freaker Magazine and Globe skating brand are coming together to host one massive sneaker street party! What is a sneaker street party you ask? Don’t worry, it’s not a group of people playing their music from a beat box dancing in a street with dodgy sneakers thrown across electrical wires if that’s what you’re thinking (or was that just me?)

The Big Kahuna Swap Meet will not only have sneaker swap meet, where you can find yourself a fancy new sweet pair of kicks, but also includes a car and bike show and a vinyl record sale, as well as DJs and food trucks. Now a Sneaker street party sounds pretty fun right?

Here’s a song to get you ready for The Big Kahuna Swap Meet, a little song about one man and his love for his Adidas sneakers…

Find more details at their Facebook event page: The Big Kahuna Swap Meet
Sunday Oct 13th, 10am–3pm

1 Fennell St, Port Melbourne.

Free entry

 

Sunday Session at Mr Wow’s Emporium

Last month it was Mojitos & Cuban Sandwiches, this month it’s Tacos and Margaritas!

Mr Wow’s is at it again, serving serving booze and chews from afternoon til snooze!

Sundsy 13th October from 4pm

Mr Wow’s Emporium, 97b Smith St, Fitzroy.

 

 

The Fine Design Market

The Fine Design Market  is a fairly new independent craft and design market featuring a high quality selection of the best local designer goods. Occuring on the second Sunday of each month, for more information on the designers and stalls you can find here, head to their Facebook page.

10am – 3pm Sunday 13th October,
MC2, community precinct
Manningham City Square,
687 Doncaster Rd,Doncaster

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Muse of the Month October 2013: Kester Black director and designer – Anna Ross

Anna Ross

Anna Ross

Anna Ross of Kester Black nail polish is Melbourne Darling’s Muse of the Month for October 2013 because of her innovative and ethical contribution to the nail polish industry, her fun design sense and her go-getting entrepreneurial attitude.

If you haven’t heard of nail polish brand Kester Black, then you are about to fall in love…

Kester Black brings you everything you could ever want in a nail polish and more! All Kester Black nail polishes contain non-toxic ingredients and are made of a “Five Free Formula” meaning they are free from the nasty chemicals Toluene, DBP, Camphor, Formaldehyde and Formeheldyde Resin. The polishes are carcinogen free, making them suitable to be used by chemotherapy patients, pregnant women and children as well as being Australian Made, Animal Cruelty free and Vegan.

Not only does this superhero status nail polish brand contain a winning formula, but they produce a stunning range of striking nail polish colours. Take a look at their newest range for Spring and Summer 2013, ‘Tropicana’:

Kester Black Tropicana Range

Kester Black Tropicana Range

These colours just make me want to put on some denim shorts and eat a gelato on the beach!

I got to meet the lovely Anna Ross and ask her some questions about Kester Black, where she finds her inspiration and a few of her favourite things!

Where did the name Kester Black come from?

‘The name Kester Black came from my favourite place in the world, St Kester Bay in New Zealand. I was with some family friends close by and one day we took the boat out through the sounds and ended up in the beautiful St Kester Bay. We found out it only has one house there which is owned by a priest (hence the choice of the colour black). I just think that place is the pinnacle of  New Zealand beauty and I wanted my business name to have a tie with where I come from.’

Kester Bay, New Zealand (Image courtesy of Anna Ross)

Kester Bay, New Zealand (Image courtesy of Anna Ross)

What was the inspiration behind Kester Black?

‘Kester Black started as a clothing label when I was at fashion school. I wanted to continue it when I moved to Australia four years ago, however I couldn’t afford to buy new machines when I arrived. I began making jewellery just to keep my portfolio ticking over, with the idea I would one day get a job as a designer. I did eventually get my foot in the door in fashion but at that point I had worked so hard on Kester Black that I wasn’t really willing to give it up anymore. The move to nail polish was an unexpected progression. With such a strong desire to work with colour, I originally wanted to have nail polish to complement the silver rings I designed! Obviously it worked out really well, and I as a result I have come to absolutely love designing nail polish!’

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your journey so far?

‘That’s a really hard question as there has been so many. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to gain so many skills and develop so much knowledge about running a business, but I think the best part about it all, is getting to spend my days at home, in my own office, with my cat curled up on the desk listening to music way too loudly.’

What are your favourite things to do as a Melbourne Darling?

‘After having just spent 6 weeks in Europe, I realised Melbourne really is the best city in the world. I love having a wander along Gertrude Street on a Saturday afternoon and I really appreciate the unique stores in Fitzroy as it is hard to find such an assortment of small designers like we have here anywhere else in the world. On a Thursday or Friday night I usually meet up with friends on Lygon Street Brunswick East. There are some awesome bars along there like The Alderman, Mr Wilkinson and Atticus Finch to name a few of my favourites. On Saturday morning I usually have breakfast with my 3 housemates in Carlton North on Rathdowne Street or Lygon Street and in summer I love going to the Moonlight Cinema or heading to the Queen Victoria Night Markets for dinner and Sangria! That being said, I’m surprised I actually get any work done at all!’

Lastly, what is your personal favourite Kester Black product to wear?

I love the Floral ring, worn with Bubblegum nail polish.

As previously mentioned in my post about the stellar combination that is Kester Black Nail Polish and Trophy Wife Nail Art, the two close friends, Anna Ross and Chelsea Bagan of Trophy Wife Nail Art collaborated to produce the Nail Art Book in 2012.

I personally own this book and think it’s fantastic. The comprehensive and heavily illustrated step-by-step guide to 15 fabulous nail art designs and would recommend it to anyone who wants to try nail art for themselves, but may find it a little daunting (and for those who don’t like watching You-Tube video tutorials). I particularly like that the back of the book features a ‘Gloss-ary’, mentioning all of the nail polishes used to create the nail art designs, so you can go out and find the exact same shades they used to create the same looks. Have a peek inside for yourself here.

The two lovely ladies also worked together to produce two new nail polish colours, an Aqua colour called ‘Alimony’ and a glitzy gold glitter bomb named ‘Gold Digger’ I absolutely adore ‘Gold Digger’, it is an intense burst of fine gold glitter that covers the nail beautifully and completely, unlike many glitter nail polishes that appear on the nail as a very weak version of what they look like inside the bottle. My favourites from the Tropicana range have to be the shade ‘Bougainvillea’ from the Tropicana range, a playful and bright pop of purple and ‘Laguna’, a dark yet delicate shade of deep sea blue/green.

Anna Ross has shared with Melbourne Darling that she will no longer be designing jewellery for Kester Black, but instead will be shifting the focus of Kester Black entirely to nail polish. With that exciting news, stay tuned for the upcoming developments of this fun and spunky brand, (and what new and imaginative colours Anna develops next!) You can find a listing of your closest Kester Black Nail Polish stockist on their website.

In the meantime, here comes the hard question, which colour will you be wearing this summer?

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