Lust-Haves: Headphone Mania.

As much as I love my standard Apple earphones, my inner street urbanite is lusting after some proper headphones! (I might also need some high tops, a vintage band t-shirt, and hipster backpack to look more like the part).

Clockwise from top left:

Urban Ears Plattan in Grape

On Earz Lounge in Red

Sennheiser PX 200-II in White (Collapsible)

Audio-Technica ANC1 in White

Bose QuietComfort 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones

Lust.

Giveaway Winner!

As always, I'm fashionably late in attending to my life responsibilities, so I've just drawn the Shu Uemura Ultime8 Cleansing Oil giveaway winner now - a whole six days after the fact. Without further ado, the winner (thanks to random.org) is....

AMANDA!

I legitimately spent 10 minutes trying to find a congratulations meme that just says congratulations. What a first world problem.

Anyways congrats lovely, I'm shooting you an email....now! I also want to say a big thank you to those who took the time to enter, you guys are awesome.

xx. 

Lust-Haves: Pop art!

I think it's safe to say that everyone and their grandma can easily recognise Andy Warhol's iconic artworks. If you are one of the rare people that can't, here's a Google image search I prepared earlier. Known for their bold pops of colour, NARS has used his work as inspiration for their new Holiday Color, Pop and Silver Factory collections! Eyeshadows, eye & cheek palettes, lipglosses, nail polishes, and gift sets have undergone the Andy Warhol treatment - and true to form, it's fun, irreverent and colourful. The collections will be available in Australia exclusively from Mecca Cosmetica in about a month's time (14 October). 

Here's a few snippets of the collections: 

Images via Musings of a Muse, Bella Sugar, College Fashion

Lust. 

Giveaway Time! Shu Uemura Ultime8 Cleansing Oil.

Shu Uemura is one of my favourite beauty and cosmetics brands - I could write love songs about their eyelash curler, but I don't because I am not a songwriter, plus I think professing my love to an inanimate object in song would just make me "crazy weird" instead of "cutely weird". You may also remember my conniption over their limited edition collection a few months ago. 

If you share my love for the brand, you will be happy to hear that a new cleanser has joined the coveted Shu Uemura family. Introducing: the Ultime8 Cleansing Oil, combining the powerful yet gentle cleansing of Shu Uemura's famous cleansing oils with higher skincare benefits - all in one step! It treats your skin while it cleanses, thanks to the 8 botanical oils in its formula. 

Each oil brings a different skincare benefit - after 4 weeks of use, users have reported that their skin felt revitalised, more translucent, more radiant, nourished, refined, smoother, suppler and moisturised! 

Want to try out this cleansing oil? You have come to the right place! The lovely people at Shu Uemura has kindly offered you gorgeous Wendy & Co. readers a chance to win one 150mL bottle of the Ultime8 Cleansing Oil, valued at AU$65! 

To enter, all you have to do is make a few clicks and type a few words! 

Like my Facebook page (it is newly set up and feeling very lonely)

And leave a comment in this post with your name and your email address!

Terms & Conditions

This giveaway will run for 10 days, and will end on Wednesday 26 September at 11pm AEST.
This is open to Australian readers ONLY.
The lucky winner will have one week to reply to my email and provide their mailing address. Otherwise I will draw a new winner.
I will be verifying each entry, and drawing the winner using a random generator.

Good luck!

Lust-Haves: Wang-ed.

Hi lovely people, have you been keeping up-to-date with New York Fashion Week? If not, it's happening right now, like right this second. My favourite show so far has been Alexander Wang, otherwise known as "It". If you ever want to amp up your coolness factor, you just have to ask yourself, WWAWD? (What Would Alexander Wang Do?) Actually it should be WWAWW - What Would Alexander Wang WEAR? And the answer will always be circuitous - You wear Alexander Wang, of course! Who else could make their models glow in the dark?

Images via Style.com

Lust.

Review: Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser.

You may remember that I bought the Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser when the Kiehl's Chatswood Chase first opened. No? I don't blame you, because I wrote about that a month ago - this really shows how bottlenecked I am in my blog post backlog. 

You may also remember that I have a less than friendly relationship with facial exfoliators, and have been faithful to my Kosmea Daily Facial Exfoliant, the lone rose among the many exfoliants I've tried. I don't want to be premature (not that I really am because this post is way overdue), but I think I may actually love this Kiehl's find even more! 

 

This exfoliator is a dream for those with sensitive skin like yours truly. The formula is mildly foaming, and is made of such purifying and soothing ingredients as Amazonian White Clay (which also helps reduce the appearance of pores), Aloe Barbadenis, and Diatomaceus Earth (try saying that five times really quickly). It does say it's specifically formulated for normal to oily skin types, but this dry skinned girl has not gone dryer from using this baby. 

This is a really gentle exfoliator, and I find that a tiny dollop (about the size of your pinky nail) is enough to cover your face AND neck. Economical for the win! Gently massage it in a circular motion (try to move in an upward and outward direction) for best results. The cleanser is ridiculously true to its claim of being non-stripping - my skin feels as smooth as a baby's bottom afterwards. 

The best thing about it is that I can use it in the shower! In fact, the lovely sales assistant at Kiehl's TOLD me to use it whilst in the shower. And who am I to disobey?! I was also told that it's not a problem to use it everyday, but I'm extremely risk-averse so I use it every 2-3 days.

A 150ml bottle of Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser can be yours for AU$30, making it a no-brainer. It is really good value for money considering how little you need per use. 

What gentle exfoliators do you swear by? I swear by this one, so give it a go!

Lust-Haves: Vogue's Fashion Night Out Edition.

Can you believe how fast this year has flown by? But this is one of the few weeks where I say that with happiness and a 'spring' in my step (deal with it, my puns are only going to get worse). Why? Duh, it's Vogue's annual Fashion Night Out (VFNO) this Thursday! So I hereby present to you a list of my extra excite-worthy events happening on the night. 

ASOS

Powerhouse online shopping site ASOS is hosting a pop-up store at Martin Place. There will be special offers, treats, competitions, and copies of the latest issue of ASOS Magazine on hand!

Benefit Cosmetics

The Benefit counter at Myer George Street is offering us ladies a free Havana Face Powder when we buy 2 products or more in one transaction (one of those has to be the It's Real Mascara).

Burberry
Want to win a classic Burberry Nude Trench? What a silly question, Wendy. Be in-store at their Flagship Store between 6.30 and 8.30 for your chance to win! 10% of all the purchases made on the night will also go to the Burberry Foundation.

Chanel
Chanel has created a new makeup collection exclusively for VFNO! Visit the Chanel Makeup Studio in Myer George St to check out Les Twin-Sets de Chanel, a collection of 3 matching lip and nail duos available exclusively on the night.

Clinique
Clinique is getting into the VFNO spirit and holding a pop-up event in Westfield Sydney! They're giving away a free travel size sample of a customised 3 Step regime and an eye mask with every Even Better Eye consultation. Better yet, have a picture with the Chubby Stick Mascots and you could win all 16 shades of Chubby Sticks!

Fleur Wood
Visit the Fleur Wood store in Westfield Sydney for an exclusive viewing of their Summer '12 collection. They are also holding a lucky dip - win anything from 50% off your total purchase, to a free styling session, or a signed copy of Food Fashion Friends. If you can't make it to the store, be sure to keep a lookout for a limited number of goodie bags making their way throughout Westfield.

Kookai
Kookai (Sydney Central store) are not doing anything flash, but who needs flash when you have 20% off full priced merchandise? Excludes sunglasses and leather apparel.

Mimco
Mimco is joining the 20% storewide party, but they are really getting into the VFNO spirit. 1960s-themed wait staff will be in-store with vintage cameras, but they will have me at "candy buffet". Also join Mimco's Facebook treasure hunt for some fun!

What VFNO event are you most looking forward to? You know where I'll be ;)

Lust.

Lust-Haves: Blinded by the Light.

I'm not going to harp on about the weather again, but Sydney has been very generous with the sunshine in the past week! And as much as I love my trusty Ray Ban clubmaster (may they never go out of style), I am looking (geddit?) for some retro cat-like eyewear to jazz up my Summer stylin'.

Clockwise from top left: 
The Row Cat Eye Acetate Sunglasses

Sportsgirl Mistress
ASOS Metal Full Frame Cat Eye Sunglasses in Gold

Karen Walker Anytime Crazy in Tortoise

Elizabeth and James Lafayette Cat Eye Sunglasses in Black

Stella McCartney Oversized Cat Eye Sunglasses in Burgundy

Lust.

Lust-Haves: Spring Colours.

Spring is really just around the corner! How do I know? Well besides owning a calendar and possessing some sort of Southern Hemisphere weather knowledge, I've been smacked in the face with pastel hues and floral patterns every time I've walked past a clothing store in the past month. That being said, Country Road has put out one of the best spring collections (in my humble opinion). Their newest female Casual collection is a delightfully sweet mix of sherbet hues and both structured and slouchy fits. It just screams effortless sports luxe; it's what Country Road does best!

Images via Country Road

You can shop the collection HERE. 

Lust.

Lana Del Rey Looks Thrilled in H&M.

I haven't really followed the comings and goings of Lana Del Rey, but one thing I do like is her 60s, mod-inspired Twiggy-esque vibe. So when H&M nabbed her to be the face for their fall-winter campaign, I was really interested to see if H&M would design a collection to match her persona, or make the clothes wear her. Judging from the newly released lookbook, I'm afraid it's the latter. She has the same facial expression in every picture, and all those Next Top Model episodes have finally gotten through to my brain: Lana was completely "dead in the eyes"! That being said, I would buy all the clothes*, all the clothes!

Images via Fashion Gone Rogue

What's your verdict?

*Except for the white fur collared coat. 

Lust-Haves: Rockcandy.

I want candy, I want candy... Rockcandy that is! Hello Darling's new "nail art innovation" has all the qualities to make me bring out my credit card. It has a unique mix of being both luxe and fun looking - what other nail polish range can make your nails look like caviar (in the best way) and fairy bread? 

Here are my picks:

Millions & Billions

Sugar Coma

Cake At Midnight

This collection of rockalicious nail bling retails at AU$24.95 each. Shop the whole range here!

Lust.

Lust-Haves: Crystal Clear.

The Olympics are still in full swing, and while there have been some misses - Australia's unexpectedly average performance in the pool, Channel 9's appalling coverage, Badminton players purposefully losing games - there are many great things to come out of these games. Now, this is not a post about the German gymnastics team (but you should really click here for some eye candy) or a recount of Michael Phelps' legendary legacy, but about one of my true loves - fashion! 

British designer brand Charlotte Olympia (what an apt name) has designed a truly lust-worthy Perspex clutch for the 2012 games, available exclusively on Net-A-Porter. Using London as the inspiration, this clutch has clever interchangeable satin pouches, which depict the Union Jack, a crown and the city's skyline. And it has a badass spider clasp. This gorgeousness can be yours for a cool £475. Sadly that relegates the clutch to my "can drool over but never own" list. 

     

Sigh. Lust.

Kiehl's New Chatswood Chase Digs!

For some reason, I hadn't ventured into the Kiehl's forest of skincare goodness bar the godly Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. But when a brand spanking new Kiehl's boutique opened up in Chatswood Chase, I couldn't resist at having a peek and coming out with one more product to try - the Deep Pore Daily Cleanser from their Rare Earth collection. A full review will be coming up soon!

In the meantime, I will leave you with some snippets of the new boutique. When the store had its 'opening ceremony' a few weeks ago (that was a very lame Olympics pun), my body was running to some delayed internal clock and I completely missed seeing Sarah De Bono cut the ribbon. Fail Wendy. But the store itself is gorgeous and the staff are super friendly and helpful.

Before I go, I also want give a little plug to the Kiehl's Australia website - in case you can't make it to Chatswood Chase. Not only do they offer free shipping to orders over $70 and whack in some samples with every order, but they have an ingenious idea to help you find the perfect product. Behold the "Shop By Concern" tab:

Whether you have dry skin, fine and damaged hair, or want to whiten your skin - a Kiehl's solution is just one click away. Kudos to the web design team!

Lust-Haves: The Pink Olympics.

This post is a day late I know, but I have been bunkered down with a cold for 4 long, long, long days. Being confined to bed (which I have named Ryan, as in Ryan Gosling... don't give me that look) has given me a huge case of cabin fever. And plenty of time to watch the Olympics!

From the official logo and pink-tinted Union Jack merchandise to the equestrian cross-country markers and hockey field sidelines, London has gone seriously pink-happy. And I'm not complaining! In fact, I think it's time to inject a bit of Olympic pinkness into my own wardrobe. In true London 2012 spirit, I'm sourcing my inspiration from my favourite British brand - Topshop!

From left to right:
Sleeveless Silk Shirt (£38.00)
MOTO Neon Oversized Sleveless Biker Jacket (£48.00)
Nails in Adrenalin (£6.00)
Union Jack Shopper (£10.00)
Lips in Idol (£8.00)
Knitted Spray Ladder Jumper (£38.00)

Lust.

Lust-Haves: Hairy Business.

Don't let the title of this post scare you. Don't let it remind you of Austin Powers' chest, THAT scene from the 40 Year Old Virgin, or Brazilians (the wax, not the population - you can think about people from Brazil, they're unfairly attractive). I am talking about the hair that resides on the top of my head, and I have a confession to make.... 

I have not had a haircut in over a year. In hindsight I should've gotten at least a trim before I ombre dyed my hair 7 months ago, but I was impatient and didn't bother (that coupled with having an impulsive streak really doesn't help me in many areas of life). Now my hair is a mess of tangled bristly strands that I'm sure even Rapunzel would recoil at. Evidence:

Yeah, not pretty. Hair masks and smoothing sprays have helped, but it's time for the scissors to come in. Being in the round-faced crew means that only certain lengths and styles will prevent me from looking like a cherub faced prepubescent.  So I've combed through the interwebs and "trimmed" my hairspiration to a few styles:

Images sourced from Google Image

Pigs must be able to fly because I now have a picture of Selena Gomez on my blog. If you have more haircut suggestions for me, let me know in the comments!

Lust.