Sarahs Style Emporium

Swoon Lifestyle

sarahsemporium — Sat, 19 May 2012 21:32:37 EST

I am well and truly back on the party circuit and there is nothing that thrills me more than receiving an invitation in the mail – yep, paper, an envelope and a stamp. Remember those?

The invite for the Swoon Lifestyle launch arrived and I was immediately excited. A boutique specialising in a carefully curated selection of emerging and established designers, with a focus on the retail experience for the customer, Swoon promised fashion, accessories, homewares and boutique teas.

I was definitely emotionally affected by the concept.

Keegan and Brahman

Brahman & Keegan, Swoon founders, hosted friends at the opening last Tuesday night, serving champagne and macaroons to toast to their new retail space, showcasing a range of styles, aesthetics and innovations from designers local and abroad.

Me with James Banham and Dan Smith

Irish from Style Zilla and I

While the store was super crowded (so nice to see all the fashion people in one spot!,) I did notice a gorgeous orange skirt I’ll be going back for, and the stunning Elgar and Lyle jewellery on display. The teas were deliciously scented and the macaroons (salted caramel, anyone?) worth the trip to Auburn alone.

Swoon
109 Auburn Road
Hawthorn 3122

Images thanks to Swoon and Meagan Harding Photography

Social Media Switch Off

sarahsemporium — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:59:46 EST

I use social media A LOT. My mother regularly tells me to put the phone away at the dinner table and I can't sit through a movie without sneaking a peak in the dark at least once. Yes, I'm addicted. But it is also a part of my job. As a community manager, I need to be 'on' 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But what happens when all that gets too much?

My most recent post for FRANk Media talks about the stress invovled with being 'on' all the time, and the companies using this for thier latest campaigns.

~

Take a break...

Snack favourite Nestle KitKat will this week launch a new campaign, Social Break, that will automatically send updates to subscribers’ social media accounts, minimising the stress that comes from updating multiple social platforms.

Launching in Singapore, the downloadable widget allows a user to have updates sent on their behalf to nominated social media accounts including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, including liking posts you are tagged in and retweets. While the app is a clever marketing gimmick, it also highlights a growing problem – especially among Gen Y – that being social media addiction or stress.

With so many social platforms now part of our daily lives, more and more people are feeling the pressure of maintaining a social presence with just over half of respondents to a recent survey indicating that being in constant contact on social media was interfering with their job, studies and ‘real’ life.

Time to Switch Off?

While the KitKat app is designed to make things a little easier for users by updating their social networks for them so they appear connected, Kangaroo Island’s most recent campaign encouraged users to take the 24 hour switch off challenge, disconnecting from all their social media networks on April 28 for the sake of their own mental health and our society.

A number of bloggers took up this challenge, taking a full day to have time out took advantage of a widget developed by Kangaroo Island to advise users who visited their social media platforms that they were having the day off.

This initiative followed research indicating that heavy users of social networking sites should have at least one ‘offline’ day a week, in order to counteract our 24/7 ‘online’ lifestyles.

But I’m Lonely…

These initiatives to simplify our social lives come just days after a report in the Sydney Morning Herald discussed how almost a quarter of Australians are living alone and are lonely, often turning to social media for friendship, connections and confidants.

We no longer make eye contact with people whilst walking down the street; we sit at restaurant tables glued to our mobiles and we email people sitting three desks away. But online, we never have to be alone.

Together, Alone.

So which is it? Are we become a society of isolated individuals, chained to updating our social media networks and immersed in others’ lives through a series of status updates and tweets? Or are we lonely and seeking meaningful human interaction which, in the wake of our busier than ever lives, is only possible via social networks?

Hair Stylings of Lexi DeRock

sarahsemporium — Sun, 13 May 2012 22:14:29 EST

Last week I was invited to Don't Tell Mum, a retro inspired hair salon in Thornbury, for a lesson in retro and vintage hairstyles by the fabulous Lexi DeRock .

You would imagine having a name like Lexi DeRock would raise expectations and I was not disappointed. Lexi was very clever in the hair styling and makeup departments, a highly skilled teacher, AND she has spent copious amounts of time in Paris. Amazing, no?

Originally from America, Lexi has spent time in the city of love, honing her craft in all things hair, beauty and fashion, before coming down to Melbourne and working with Don't Tell Mum. The salon is decked out with a car (yes, A CAR), hair accessories, clothing and all things 50s, 60s and 70's.

After checking out the store, it was time for our lesson to begin and I was perched in front of the mirror, ready to rock and roll. Having decided on a 50s style (this is one of my fave era's of fashion!), we planned on doing pin curls at the front of my head - 3 in fact - which is the easiest way to start out when you are learning (just in case they don't match!)

Now, I will confess, I thought the whole thing would be easy. I thought I was pretty savvy in the hair styling stakes but it turns out I was a little bit wrong. While it's not hard per se, it certainly will take some practice. We started with curling using a flat iron (to create body), then sectioned and backcombed and prepped for the curls.

And this is where it got complicated. I had to twist and contort my wrist to get the angles of the curls right, then pin and tuck the curls without squashing them. I think we did this about a dozen times. (And I thought I was a quick learner!!)

But while I felt I wasn't getting it, Lexi assured me I was picking up the technique rather quickly. Sooner, rather than later, I had three barrel curls atop my head and was looking every bit the vintage pin up - minus the make up and the outfit.

Lexi gave me a copy of her book, Decades of Style, so that I might take a step by step guide home to further practice my skills and hone my technique, including make up stylings! You can pick it up at The Vintage Garage and Sixties & Seventies, both vintage stores located on Smith St Fitzroy, on online.

Check out this fab video put together by Jennifer Estrada (on an iphone 3 no less - talented girl!) and visit Lexi at the Don't Tell Mum salon in Thornbury before she jumps on a plane back to Paris next month and you miss your chance to learn from a pro. She will return at the end of June though, so use your forward planner if you are busy til then. Don't Tell Mum are also a full service salon (with a retro twist) so if you are in the area, so stop by!

Thanks to Lexi and Tracy for having me at the salon and teaching me the tricks of the trade!

MBFWA - Aurelio Costarella

sarahsemporium — Sun, 13 May 2012 21:16:56 EST

Aurelio Costarella at MBFWA. Photo by Jennifer Estrada

MBFWA - Dylan Cooper

sarahsemporium — Sun, 13 May 2012 21:12:49 EST

Dylan Cooper at MBFWA. Photo by Jennifer Estrada

Kitte Accessories Sale

sarahsemporium — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:09:00 EST

1/68 Maitland Street,
Glen Iris
Ph: (03) 9824 4254

MBFWA - Jayson Brunsdon

sarahsemporium — Wed, 09 May 2012 09:13:52 EST

Jayson Brunsdon at MBFWA. Photo by Jennifer Estrada

A[WEAR] Prahran Mission Fashion Event

sarahsemporium — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:38:52 EST

Always one to support a good cause, Prahran Mission is now even closer to my heart because I work just around the corner and visit once a week.

Plus, fashion favourite (and someone I am thrilled to call a friend) Philip Boon, is involved, along with students from the Whitehouse Institute of Design, so you know it will be a quality event for a cause.

Purchase tickets by May 26 and go in the running to win a double pass to see The Temper Trap.

Dove Nutri-Oil Serum

sarahsemporium — Sun, 06 May 2012 10:37:47 EST

NUFFNANG PRODUCT TALK

I have two very good friends who are hairdressers. While this is of immense benefit to me (I am so lucky to be able to get my hair done every six weeks without the worry of a hefty salon bill), it also means that they are often telling me about products I should be using/trying/loving all the time.

Given my hair type (fine, 'limp' at the best of times), I am a product queen. I need volume, texture, shine, oomph - whatever the day calls for - and I am not going to get it on my own.

Recently I have been playing the volume game - the say the higher the hair the closer to God (or some such thing) but after seeing the super sleek ponytails at last weeks MBFWA, I am heading back to the straight and shiny side.

My hair is very naturally curly, so I often wash, blowdry and straighten it everyday. I know this is bad for my hair. My hairdresser friends tell me its bad for my hair. Worse - often I wash, dry and straighten, then fill it with product to give it that dirty, dishevelled look. Crazy right?

But since I am back on the straight and narrow, smooth and sleek bandwagon (and have a deep new brunette look to maintain), I tried Dove Nourishing Oil Care Nutri-Oil Serum to see if it helped.

The pack talks about dry hair needing more than just moisture (which is typically what you get from conditioners) and how essential nutrients are what will restore shine, softeness and that super smooth look we all want. With almond and coconut oils that claim up to 99% smoother, shinier hair, I was intrigued.

Directions indicate 3-5 pumps of the miracle liquid - on wet or dry hair - depending on hair length, but I kicked off with two knowing how far a serum goes and that there is a fine line between smooth and sleek, and a greasy mop.

Applied on wet hair, blow dried and straightened, my hair felt (and looked!) fab. A touch (maybe half a pump?) more to smooth those fly aways and I was good to go. The product didn't leave my hair feeling heavy or greasy at all and I was pleasantly surprised, given my experience with serums in the past has turned me more towards creme based forumulas.

Even the next day, my hair didn't have the usual oily base I have come to cover up with dry shampoo and volume powder. I could happily have pulled it back into a ponytail and an Alice band and been on my way.

Verdict: it actually works. Well, at least on my hair.

You can try it too, as I have 4 Dove Nutri-Oil serums to give away. Jsut comment below about what hair type you are and the first four will receive the product.

Easy as straight, shiny hair with Dove Nutri-Oil.

Touche Hombre

sarahsemporium — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:13:17 EST

After the fab night out at Style Review on Monday, the week of fun and fabulousness continued with the launch of Touche Hombre on Thursday evening.

With Mexican food the seemingly hottest cuisine in town at the moment, a point of difference at any establishment is important. Touche Hombre, located on the corner of Lonsdale St and Tattersalls lane opposite QV, provided it in spades and put on a party some won't forget for a while - even with the aid of tequila.

Fashion Journals' editor Leah White with Tamara Perenic and the Touche Hombre donkey

A donkey greeted guests on the street before waitresses handed out cocktails like candy. Tequila was the beverage of choice, and as the room filled up, and it was more difficult for the waitresses to get through, the bar became the place to be as the bar boys dipped glasses in salt and mixed drinks.

The food was served in small morsels - corn on the cob with spices, various taco tasters and tostatidos hovered on trays above heads while waitresses squeezed through. You had to be quick to try these bite size bits.

You can only book for lunch on Fridays - the latest trend in restaurants is not taking bookings - but when you are as cool as these guys, chances are, you don't need to.

www.touchehombre.com.au
Images thanks to AMPR