Happy Friday

These are my Happy Friday photos for this week … they are from the 1950’s, the top one is for Junior Bazaar and the second one is Grace Kelly also for Bazaar.

So fun and girlie and that therefore makes them so Sassi.

[Photos 1 and 2]

Have a fantabolously glamboyant weekend.

Love,
Sassi
Your Pop Culture Gossip Girl

A Bored Siren

Clearly the world wasn’t jumping up and down in excited glee when Paris launched her latest perfume, Siren, because there haven’t been that many posts about it and StyleFrizz’s anecdote “bored out of its synapses, Paris Hilton’s solitary neuron decided to throw another party” made me nearly snort water out through my nose as I read it!

Paris’s sixth scent (nine including the men’s) sees her move on from being a fairy to a Mermaid.  She won a FiFi award for Celebrity Perfume of the Year and from an imagery perspective she’s deserving (you know how much I lurve girlie ad campaigns) and apparently they sell like hotcakes (source).

The scent is a tropical floral fragrance with notes of vanilla bean and creamy musk produced through Parlux Fragrances. Inspired by the seductive creatures of ancient Greek mythology whose enchanting music lured sailors to their death.

She does try very hard but even she looks bored below!

[Source]

Love,
Sassi
Your Pop Culture Gossip Girl

Pink Hibiscus Skin Care

Natalie Aroyan is the extremely talented lady behind the Australian skincare brand Pink Hibiscus.  Her stuff is good, really really good!  Nat’s products are favoured by local celebs such as Jackie O and Bessie Bardot but that’s not what is going to make you buy them, you’ll buy them ’cause they’re good!

Nat’s products were the first products that I’ve used with essential oils in them.  It took me a little while to get used to the cleanser but I experienced no breakouts; I’ve always been wary of putting essential oils on the face for this reason.  I loved the Replenishing Face Cream and Eyelights Eye Balm, I use them every evening after cleansing and toning.

The Eyelights Eye Balm is fragrance free and is enriched with Cucumber and Chamomile extracts to soothe and cool the skin as well as Vitamins A and E for extra nourishment and protection.  And the Moisturising Cream is enriched with Vitamin E and the essential oils of Organic Lavender, Palmarosa and Organic Sweet Orange.

My favourite product is her Tropical Mango Body Souffle, it smells heavenly, slips over the skin easily and doesn’t leave an oily residue, it’s yum, yum, yum!  With a creamy base of  hand whipped cream and enriched with Vitamin E and Shea Nut Butter sounds so edible doesn’t it?  The Souffle also comes in Coconut and Frangipani scents and Hand Souffles.

If you want to pamper yourself in a DIY fashion, you seriously cannot go past her Body Smoother and Tootsies Smoothing Foot Mask.  I use the Body Smoother prior to turning the shower on, using it on my dry skin I find is much more effective and it doesn’t scratch.  Application is easy because it’s a cream formula and therefore doesn’t dry out your skin.

Containing Ground Walnut, Papaya Extract and a regenerative combination of Essential Oils, the Body Smoother is an affordable way to regenerate the skin and prepare it for spray tanning or simply to improve the skin’s texture, boost circulation and assist in the management of cellulite.

The Tootsies mask is a little bit messy and I haven’t perfected the art yet of how best to use it except sitting for 10 minutes on the edge of my bathtub while the mask dries.  But once again, it’s well worth the effort, feet feel so lovely and soft. Afterwards I slather on some foot cream and pop some socks on and voila, fabulous feet!  The other option is to put a towel down while you’re watching tele and have a bucket of water next to you to rinse them off with after the 10mins.

The foot mask is infused with the essential oils of Organic Peppermint and Organic Lavender and the French Argiletz White Clay is layered with Ground Pumice to exfoliate your feet.

And her Purifying Mask left my skin feeling so soft and cleansed.  But be warned, it’s messy.  I put the mask on once a week before I have a shower so that I can wash it off in a confined environment, the clay is dark and I get it everywhere when I’m rinsing it off but it’s so worth it.

The main ingredient in the Replenishing Clay Mask is Australian Organic Pastel Pink Clay and is beneficial to all skin types. It balances stressed and sensitive skin while aiding in overall firmness.  It draws out impurities, is rich in iron and minerals and is especially effective on mature skin.

And what I didn’t realise was that we should always keep the clay mask refrigerated!  Lucky it’s cold and wintery here!

This is such a good quality and affordable skincare regime, I seriously can’t rave about it enough.  I do like some of my products in tubes or pump bottles, particularly the face products, but Nat is addressing this and will be introducing some of her products in pump bottles, tubes aren’t feasible right now because her products are handmade.  And her body souffle, I would definitely love to see that in a bigger pump or lotion bottle.

And I’m excited to have Nat on board as a guest editor, she’s going to have a regular Skin Care column providing you with lots of advice and tips on how to keep yours in tip top shape.

Love,
Sassi
Your Pop Culture Gossip Girl

The Girl Next Door

Guest Editor, Emma Andrews

Imagine being swept away to live in New York City in a fancy apartment, drink cappuccinos at your leisure, shop at Tiffany’s, stroll through Central Park or travel to the Hamptons for a romantic getaway. What a perfect Sex and the City moment that is!

For Eve Gallagher, the central character of The Girl Next Door, it’s not so perfect when she’s whisked away to New York with her husband who’s off to start his dream promotion.  Eve is a little daunted about leaving her English country lifestyle behind as well as her family and friends.  Her husband, Ed, on the other hand is not quite sure what the fuss is about.

Eve and Ed find the perfect apartment and settle into their new home.  The problem is, Eve is left to roam the streets of New York alone while Ed persistently works overtime.  Her only comfort is her elderly neighbour in apartment 4B, Violet Wallace.  While Eve is thrilled to have a new friend who she can confide in, she soon discovers that Violet is hiding a few secrets of her own and needs a friend more than anyone.  What comes to the forefront is a story of unbearable pain and heart wrenching sorrow.

Elizabeth Noble takes her readers on an intricate and sensitive journey by delving into the lives of the residents in a modern New York apartment block.  Not everything is as it first appears. Jason and Kimberly in 6A have fallen madly out of love; David and Rachel are happily married but harbour a dark secret; Charlotte is a single girl with low self-esteem and a desire for love; Emily is successful and pretty but isn’t ready to commit to a relationship; Madison is a confident fashionista who has a jealous streak; and Trip is a procrastinator who is sponging off his wealthy parents.  This unusual mix of people being swept into common ground is what makes this book enthralling.

Eve is so desperately unhappy that she is determined to turn things around by trying for a baby. She falls pregnant almost immediately, and things seem to look up.  She and Ed look forward to their future together until a traumatic event changes their lives forever.

Jason and Kimberly have a demanding daughter who is their only common interest.  Their unhappiness intensifies and Jason forms a crush on his neighbour, Rachel.  When this backfires, Kim makes a drastic decision which will make or break their marriage.  Rachel is in love with her loyal and devoted husband David.  David however is hiding a terrible secret that could rip their family apart.

Emily and Trip form a close bond and embark on a complicated and turbulent relationship.  Trip is forced to reassess his life and Emily must decide if Madison, her jealous neighbour, is right about Trip’s infidelity. Charlotte on the other hand is more than happy to see the doorman, Che whom she’s secretly fallen for.  Surely he feels the same way and she will find true love at last!

The beauty of this novel is that Elizabeth Noble uncovers new twists and turns in the residents’ lives which intertwine and leave you wanting more.  While she only touches very simply on some of the characters, she develops her main characters beautifully.  You can’t help but feel a sense of attachment to the people who’s lives are so intricately played out.  I know I wanted to fly straight to New York and experience this for myself.  The city is painted as a wonderfully interesting, exciting and colourful place where your life could be changed for better or worse.

I recommend The Girl Next Door as an easy winter read when all you want is a bit of ‘you’ time.

Available now: Penguin, RRP $32.95.

Love,
Sassi
Your Pop Culture Gossip Girl

MAC-Pretty

I love the pretty pictures that MAC Cosmetics snap for their collections. MAC recently released their “Colour Craft” collection and they are just so pretty (the top three).

I have also posted a stack of other photos that the very clever and make-up obsessed Temptalia released as iPhone wallpapers, which one is your favourite?

[Source]

Love,
Sassi
Your Pop Culture Gossip Girl

Happy Friday

Happy Friday everyone … how awesome is this image?  It’s a pink tree, I couldn’t be happier ’cause I love trees – seriously, I have a minor obsession with them, I love watching them especially when it’s windy, it’s like they come alive with different personalities, you know like the ones in Harry Potter?  Okay, okay I’m going now, I’ve lost my leafy plot.

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Love,
Sassi
Your Pop Culture Gossip Girl

Are you a shoe princess?

Of course I had to have a copy of this book to read, just for the cover!!!  I’m such a sucker for girlie cartoons, I guess that’s not hard considering I am a cartoon myself

Emma Bowd’s first fiction story, The Shoe Princess’ Guide to the Galaxy, is definitely a fun read, seriously how could it not be, it’s about shoes!

First time mum, Jane Meadows trades in her Manolo’s for nappies, and all things baby.  Jane is a shoe addict, she has 100’s of pairs but once Millie is born it’s time for them to sit neglected on her shelves while she does her best to get through each day as a new mum.

The scene is set at the beginning with descriptions of Jane’s various shoes she’s worn through the different stages of her life.  And seriously how many of us have bought a pair of shoes that were too big or small just because they were ‘to die for’? *hands up*

No story is a story without friends and Jane’s three closest friends are all very different; there’s the man-eating Rachel, who thinks Jane is taking retro chic just one step too far. The lovely Liz, who’d give anything to be in Jane’s pram shoes and unlucky-in-love best friend Fi who thinks she’s found THE one in Marco.

Jane finds salvation in her new world from her local New Mothers Group, a very elderly neighbour, and a duo of bloggers dedicated to shoes and celebrity gossip.  Jane and her besties are addicted to the Shoe Princess’s blog and that was the one thing I wasn’t overly enraptured with; the ‘blog posts’ at the end of the chapters … I don’t really know why, I think I didn’t want my story to be interrupted.

I also found the information on making the shoes really interesting, there’s a lot of work that goes into making a shoe!

Emma is an Aussie although she lived in London for 11 years, she’s previously written two non-fiction books: A Passion for Shoes and A Passion for Handbags.  In real life Emma’s alter-ego the ‘Shoe Princess’ maintains a real blog at www.shoeprincess.com.

Allen & Unwin are giving away a pair of designer shoes, enter here.

Available now:  Allen & Unwin, RRP $23.99

Love,
Sassi
Your Pop Culture Gossip Girl

Christy sizzles

And speaking of YSL, how hot does 40-year old original Supermodule Christy Turlington look in Yves Saint Laurent’s Fall 2009 Campaign?  Black & White campaigns are popular, and I love the slash of red on her lips, makes a simple statement!

And here she is in the Fall/Winter 2009 Bally campaign, talk about being popular!

[Source] [Source]

Love,
Sassi
Your Pop Culture Gossip Girl

Kate Moss conflict

Does anyone else find it a tad strange that Kate Moss is the face of YSL fragrance, Parisienne when she has her own range of perfumes?

I would have thought it would be a conflict but may be because it’s Kate Moss, it doesn’t matter.  I love collaborating and I think the mixing of brands (Kate Moss is a brand) is fantabolous, especially for us (think H&M) but I’m conflicted over this one … I’m sure there are many more examples, so tell me where you’ve seen other brand ‘conflicts?’

[Source]

Love,
Sassi
Your Pop Culture Gossip Girl

Now it makes sense …

Everyone’s been talking about the waxen like advert campaign image of Madonna released last week for Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2009 campaign (first photo below) but here are the rest and it all makes sense.  It’s very different from Louis Vuitton’s usual type of campaign imagery and I kinda like it.

So what do you think now that there is a story being told?

[Source]

Love,
Sassi
Your Pop Culture Gossip Girl