So. During last week I tweeted that World was collaborating with Number One Shoe Warehouse:

Yes, that is a screenshot from my iPhone, I am a dickhead.

ANYWHOOZLE, as you can see I have previously had my heart broken my designer/chain store collaborations.  Saben is a wonderful brand that makes gorgeous handbags.  I only had one problem with their Warehouse collaboration: shit quality. I mean, I know I’m not going to get handtooled leather bathed in the tears of virgins for $59.95, but the materials were really terrible.  The bags looked incredibly cheap.  Against my better judgment (and keeping in mind the 12 month money back guarantee) I ordered one online. It felt yuck to the touch, which just makes no sense to me because I have bought and currently own several synthetic leather-look bags that really do feel and look like leather!

I also felt sad panda when Max collaborated with…someone (if you can remember, it was a NZ designer, please do pop it in the comments) but that was mainly because it just wasn’t to my taste/didn’t suit me.  There was a lot of draped satin and edginess, as I recall, and because I am approximately the same height as a garden gnome, it was not The Go.

Well, I love shoes and I love World (from afar) and I was willing to learn to trust again.  I went on the Number One Shoe Warehouse website, here and looked at the shoes. I am too scared of the might of World to borrow any images, so you’ll have to go to the website.  Things looked promising. I love Dusty Springfield’s hair, so maybe shoes named after her were a great idea, I mused. Or those Edie Sedgwick ones. Admittedly I have two pairs of summer sandals, but the red ones are really lovely. Ahhhhh. New shoes.

So, after brunch on Saturday I asked my boyfriend whether he would mind if I just popped in for two seconds at the Lambton Quay store to have a briefest of brief looks.  I literally just wanted to do a lap of the store and leave. Well, my first impression was “where are the shoes?”. There was very little signage in the window. Also, as it was 12pm I’d expected either a scrum of girls or an empty wasteland littered with abandoned boxes and one very sad little shoe all by itself.  Instead, there were a few people in the store as usual, one of whom was trying on a  veritable mountain of shoes (none of which were from the World collection).

The shoes were set out on a clean, uncluttered display and were the same colours etc as on the website.  I just…didn’t feel it.  I had absolutely zero desire to even pick one up.  They didn’t look shoddy (although there was no effort, in my opinion, to create any fanfare or specialness around them either), they just…were.  And after several days of deep contemplation, I know why.

You want cheap shoes? Number One Shoe Warehouse.  Need really trampy shoes for a Halloween costume? Number One Shoe Warehouse. Need shoes to glitter as per my DIY tutorial? Number One Shoe Warehouse. Are you going to France in midwinter and realising you shouldn’t wear flip flops in Paris because the French will judge you and you won’t get into Chanel? Number One Shoe Warehouse.

Want ambience, desirability and full on XXX shoe lust? NOT Number One Shoe Warehouse.  I’m sure lots of girls (and possibly a few boys) will have snagged a pair and will love them for ever and sleep with them on their pillow for several weeks, because there’s very little chance of getting World designs for $100 – $200 (except in the sales, and then only if you’re lucky). And I think there’s also a good chance that in approximately three weeks when the collaboration is sold out (if it isn’t already, although based on Saturday I will be surprised) I will regret not shaking off the Shoe Warehouseyness and buying a pair.

There’s just something not right about buying World from a place that smells like plastic and petroleum.  I think my “take away”, to use awful corporate bigwig speak, is that designer items (for me at least) need that extra cache to create desire. If they’re easy to get, and cheap, I won’t really want them. If World had put those identical shoes in their own stores, I no doubt would have walked past and then stuck my greasy little face to the glass to peer at them and make grabby hands. That’s as close as I would have got, mind you.

How do you guys feel? Does bringing designer collaborations into the chain stores strike you as a very good idea, or are you confused and tormented like me?

EDIT: I saw the PPP Twitter feed which led me to http://cleo.msn.co.nz/cleonews/8294110/bag-some-kardashian-style. Yes. Hannahs are stocking bags designed by the Kardashian sisters. How do you feel about THAT?

Hi denizens of PPP-city!

My Mum sent me an email the other day with a suggestion for a blog post (which, by the way, I am always happy to receive).  She had recently purchased some opaque tights from our friends at Glassons and had discovered that they are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

I didn’t think I could write an entire post about those tights (although truly, they are great) but it did inspire me to write a post about things that are better than you’d expect.

The first things are makeup. Now, we pay a lot more for cosmetics in NZ than our friends in the Americas and Ye Olde Englande. I recently bought a Revlon nailpolish in Canada for $3.97. The same polish here is $18. So my grubby makeup-loving hands are always looking for a sweet deal. Sometimes it’s just not the same ordering from Ebay and you need a hit, like, right now, you know?

I think my top two surprise makeup items have to be BYS eyeshadows and ELF lipglosses. ELF gets a lot of play on Youtube, and it’s easy to see why.  While this ain’t no Chanel, the one I have is pigmented, not sticky (PET HATE) and lasts a decent amount of time. And, unlike Chanel, it costs less than $10. Wait for Bling to have a sale and it’s even cheaper. ELF also does eyeshadow brushes that don’t shed and do a pretty good job of blending.

BYS eyeshadows can be found at Bling or Glassons and again, are super super cheap. Good level of colour, however there is quite a lot of fall out if you don’t tap the brush properly. Just be ready to do a clean up. These really show their good side if you blend and blend and blend and blend, and I think they’re a great way to try new colours or looks without blowing tons of money on something you might not use again.

In terms of clothes, rather than recommending somewhere really horribly cheap, I’ll recommend a dark horse. Many moons ago, when I was a pre-teen/awkward teen Megan, I occasionally got clothes from Just Jeans and they were a special and much-loved item (thanks Mum!). Then, somewhere between 16 and 27, I stopped liking anything they made, ever. However, boredom will eventually lead me back into any store, and a few months ago I wandered into Just Jeans. Now I am at the point where I have put a ban on myself, because if I go into that store I will buy something every single time. And it’s reasonably priced! I mean, we’re not talking Jay Jays cheap but we’re not talking the laughable “we don’t realise we’re a chain store and our clothes are mediocre quality” prices you often sometimes see at Max*. I definitely don’t love everything in the store but it’s worth checking out, particularly as summer rolls in and our tolerance for boho increases exponentially.

Shoes. They hold a special place in my heart and BELIEVE I own some cheap shoes. Front runners at this time are the mauve suede heels from Rubi Shoes (in the back of Cotton On) that cost $15. The world loves those shoes and has no idea they were so el cheapo (well…I guess you guys know now). Generally however, cheap shoes are a false economy, because they feck themselves so quickly that you end up replacing them. The key is to find a balance between cost and quality, and I personally believe that Zensu, stocked at Hannahs, is a good balance. They don’t do very edgy designs but I do have a killer pair of stacked heel, bright orange, patent sandals that they released last summer (and which I wish I also had in the black). Unlike Hannah’s terrible Pulp line**, these last, and look good. They aren’t super duper Number One Shoe Warehouse cheap, but then they also don’t give you foot cancer. Just wait for a sale – there’s always a sale at Hannahs eventually.

Finally, undies.  A while ago, I bought two push-up bras from the good people at Cotton On.  They were on a deal, so I think they were about $15 each, which as you ladies know is BARGAIN TOWN for a bra. Naturally, I expected them to last about 5 minutes. I do use a lingerie bag to wash my bras, and I do have quite a few in circulation, but these have lasted incredibly well (and fit just as well as my much more expensive Bendon bras). I’ve also bought underpants from Cotton On during one of their deals and they are lasting really well too – excellent for bulking out the drawer so you can wear something nice even on wash days!

Do you have any items where you said “wow! That’s better than I thought it would be!”? Leave a comment and let the PPP kids know so we can try it out too!

*I’m just saying: don’t try to charge $150 for an unlined, polyester tunic dress. I can go to Glassons or Dotti and get comparable quality for much, much less.

**I have bought Pulp brand shoes before and every single time I have had to return them because they were unfit for purpose. Seriously – I think I tried at least four different pairs over several years.

Jo asked me to review this self-tan product, and since the weather has changed sufficiently that I can wear tights in the event of an almighty tanning disaster, I agreed.

There isn’t much description on this product, but POD states that it is “Advanced Puraceutical skincare to protect your beauty and enhance your wellbeing.” The blurb on the tube goes on to describe the product as “An all-in-one liquid tan that tans, moisturises, protects and nourishes the body naturally”.

First off, let me say that “puraceuticals” made me laugh out loud. Then I felt bad, because maybe it was a real thing, Megan. You don’t know everything! So I Googled it. Nope, POD made it up. It means products “which are pure (without toxins – such as parabens, sulphates, and harsh chemicals) and over the counter (pharmaceutical or cosmeceutical) anti-ageing skincare”. Their website is actually a great read if you want to learn more about natural skincare, without all the nasty stuff that I usually rub into, onto and around my skin repeatedly and every day.

Okay, so I read the instructions (apply a generous amount, massage in, apply daily until desired tan achieved blah blah) and got stuck into it. The product is white, which alarmed me slightly because I like to see where I am putting the product and therefore usually choose products with a tint. However, no need  to be alarmed because as soon as I started spreading the product onto my legs it became clear that it was super thick. You know sunblock? Similar to that (possibly because of the SPF but I rather doubt it). Although this was a bit strange at first, it kind of worked out for the best because you could see where the stuff was going, and it forced you to really rub it in, thus cutting down on streaking.

Now, I like my beauty products to be pretty fail safe, so in the name of science and this review I just bunged the stuff on. I didn’t do the whole “careful strokes using a tanning mitt” system because, seriously, I don’t want my fake-tanning regime to take that much time. I mean, I rubbed it in properly and I half-heartedly exfoliated in the shower beforehand, but I didn’t get professional about it.

And here’s where I put the puraceuticals tag behind me, because this stuff went on pretty damn evenly. It has a smell that I would describe as “herbaceous”, which unfortunately still fades to “fake tan”. However, it wasn’t too strong and I didn’t feel concerned that others would find me offensively stinky. On day one I did have some early concerns that I would turn a bit orange, but I think in the end it was okay. I used it for a second day and I would say that was almost too much tan for me (and I am naturally olive), and perhaps started to look a bit fake. Personally, I’d rather use this once and then use a gradual tan product to keep it topped up for a while.

This product also didn’t cause any rashes or itchiness, and in my opinion did a good job of keeping my legs nicely moisturised all day. Worth trying, although it’s $55 Australian, which puts it at the higher end of the spectrum for me.

Shall we gloss over the part where I failed to write a single post all through January? Okay, great, ‘cos I have some super important stuff to talk about this week. Like moisturisers and shoes. And biscuits! OMGZ!

For my birthday last year I treated myself to some very fancy French face cream. It was tres lovely but also totally expensive. However, it seemed worth it because it made my skin look and feel like angels had been kissing me all over my face. I was into it.

It also lasted AGES and so you can imagine my horror when I was in Auckland two weeks ago and ran out of my angel cream. Times were desperate, ladies. I needed angel skin in order to make an effective impression on the people I was working with! So, in the hope that the power of my face cream would last through a day or two of different, cheaper, more readily available face cream, I went to Farmers.

There were approximately 50 million different moisturisers that were aimed at me. What to choose? In the end, I followed my heart and chose a moisturiser by Natio (I am a HUGE Natio fan. Buy the handcream in the green tube and thank me later).

It’s now two weeks later, and my skin still looks like angels have been kissing it. This is what I bought:

The much cheaper Angel Cream

It cost less than $30. I also have the eye cream and moisturising face mask which are also both superb. My skin is hydrated and plump, I haven’t had a single break out, and it smells really nice. The packaging says it is a good base for make up and this is completely true – all of my make up has been going on smooth and delicious. I work in air-conditioning and am prone to dry patches – not with this stuff! I really cannot rave about it enough! It might not be an anti-aging as my fancy face cream, but I think we’ll just go with aging gracefully and call this one a win.

And now for shoes. I went to Sydney a coupla weeks ago (yes, I am soooooo jet-set) and bought some shoes. They’re super pretty, and I have been wearing them lots, but what I have realised is this – winter is nearly here in W-town. How much longer can I realisitically wear my tan platform sandals for? By April I’ll be in my heavy coat and boots again. So, I need some boots for winter that will fill the space in my heart that is currently filled with tan sandals.

There are two contenders (and by “two contenders”, assume I will buy either these boots or something similar but much, much cheaper, not that I will only buy one or the other):

1. The AWESOME short boots I saw at Shoe Connection. I believe they’re from the Jeffrey Campbell line and they’re a different colour on the front and the back. This is a terrible description. If I can sneak a photo I will edit the post, but what I love about them is the quirkiness, the heel height, and the texture. Delish.
2. The red knee-high boots I saw at Briarwood with the leaf pattern stamped into them. I lust for them (why aren’t the pictures on the damn website?) but they are $600, which I accept is ridiculous unless these boots are guaranteed to last me the next ten years and snag me a pony. I should probably avoid trying these on and instead buy plain black boots which will be suitable for a larger number of occasions.

Does anyone else have dreamy shoes they’re eyeing up at the moment? I promise I won’t buy them (there’s no room for any more shoes at my casa – except winter boots).

And finally, we come to biscuits. But not just any biscuits, no no no. Remember my introduction photo? Yeah, that was me chilling in Paris. Well, while in Paris I also went to Laduree, home of the most delicious food I have ever eaten. I had macaroons. They were so good that I felt bad for eating them.

When I came back to Wellington, I missed those macaroons a lot. I imagined myself in Paris, stripy tops and berets as far as the eye could see, scoffing Laduree macaroons every day (in my dream this was not unhealthy) (also, I suited berets which is not the case in real life). Imagine sad violin music and a montage of me eating other biscuits and either looking mournful or throwing the biscuit into a corner and then sobbing hysterically into my hands – that was my life without macaroons.

WELL, fear not for my mental health, because guess what? Moore Wilsons has macaroons! Not from France, vous comprenez, but from Wellington. I assume that at least one of the people making them is French because her name is Helene with acutes and graves over every “e”. I can’t do that kind of fancy typing on WordPress. Sorry.

Look at the box. That's a real wax seal right there.

They are super delicious. My favourites are the raspberry and the lemon, but you can also get vanilla or chocolate, or a mixed box:

This just makes me want to go and buy a box right now...

They’re less than $10 for a box. So if you’re feeling sad and lonely, there’s a service I can render…that is, a recommendation to get down to Moore Wilson’s. For macaroons.

That is all. Tell me about your shoe dreams/best ever cheap cosmetics/favourite treats so I can try them all!

(For future reference in the event I go missing, please refer to these super-fly blogs to tide you over:

• http://www.theglamourai.com/
• http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/
• http://www.saucyglossie.com/
• http://www.leblogdebetty.com/en/

And for some giggles such as I do not usually provide anyway:

• http://thebloggess.com/
• http://www.2birds1blog.com/ (although they are currently away writing their book).

Don’t hate me for being busy!)

In my intro post I asked for suggestions regarding what I should write about. Theresa, all the way from Koala-land, suggested I write about how I put an outfit together. Initially I was hesitant: I don’t know that I am qualified to tell people how to get dressed. However, since I am new here, I figured I should write for my existing audience, and obviously I know what I do to dress myself. So Theresa, this one’s for you.

First off, I usually choose one thing I feel like wearing. Often this is the shoes. Tonight it was a particular jacket. I think this works for me because it’s like a focal point and it stops me saying “I have nothing to wear”.

Then I guess I usually “theme” my outfit, which sounds weird but works. For example, on Friday my overall look was a wee bit Diane Keaton in Annie Hall (but obviously modernised). If you think about it, when you go into stores you will never see a  mannequin dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. That wouldn’t capture the imagination of the customer, so the store gives each outfit a “direction”, like “alpine princess” or “boho glam”. In fact, large chain stores like Glassons or Sportsgirl give their entire shop a direction, because it creates a cohesive look that is easy for the customer to get into. And that’s how you ended up buying into the “Navajo warrior queen” look.

When in doubt (or running late for work), I use a palette of colours. Three is a good number: one focal colour, such as red, and then two more neutral colours that can be repeated, like cream and dark grey. I learnt this at Glassons as a merchandising trick. The outfit looks neat and pulled together, but doesn’t look like you just gave up. This is also a good way to learn how to print-mix!

Accessorise the hell out of your outfit. Do I ever leave the house without some kind of accessory? Nope. Accessories are usually pretty cheap, and in my experience they are the thing most people will comment on.

Little tweaks make a big difference: sometimes rolling up my sleeves, pinning my hair up, or wearing a shirt tucked in instead of hanging out will make me love an outfit that I was just planning to throw in a heap.

Think about the last time someone complimented your outfit. I know exactly what I was wearing the last time someone stopped me in the street to tell me they liked my outfit…and now I know it’s a winner. A compliment means you have found a good look, so you can replicate this in different colours and patterns.

Buy things that have a point of difference. It takes a while to build up a good basic wardrobe, but once you have it’s time to get some conversation-starters in there. Use them as a building-block. For example, I have a full cotton skirt that features cream  silhouettes of ladies dancing around the hem. The skirt has a very definite 50s, ladylike look and so I carried that through the rest of the outfit.

Finally, make sure your clothes fit, they’re in good condition, and that you feel confident in them. 90% of a good outfit is the strut!