Six Brunettes to celebrate

Alison Brie  plays sweet/perky/smart Annie on NBC's Community, but you might also recognise her from Mad Men too. A beautiful brunette whose star is rising.

Kat Dennings is famous for her quips and one liners on Two Broke Girls.  You might remember her from a bit part in Sex and the City - let's just say she gave Samantha a run for her money.

Kristin Davis voiced Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends.  However, I loved her on Melrose Place; ahhh, the crazy, bitchy vixen of the 'hood.  Then she changed zip codes and went onto play SATC's Charlotte.

Mayim Bialik inspired me to get one of those hats with a turned up brim which also had a flower affixed to the fold.  Yeah, Blossom.  Mayim now plays Amy Farrah Fowler, bestie to Penny and girlfriend of Sheldon Cooper.

Rashida Jones is the daughter of Quincy Jones, but don't let her familial lineage fool you.  Her subtle comedic timing won me over during her tenure on the US version The Office.

Zooey Deschanel Almost Famous, Elf, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 500 Days of Summer and New Girl. Loved Zooey in all of these.

It's good to be a brunette and besides it looks like we get to have all the fun.

Honorable mention goes out to Natalie Portman, Anne Hathaway, Mila Kunis, Ginnifer Goodwin and Camilla Belle.

Who are some of your favourites?

Image sources:

http://www.babyzone.com/mom/celebrity-babies/mayim-bialik_218832

http://www.1zoom.net/Celebrities/wallpaper/163583/z151.4/

http://www.go4celebrity.com/kristin-davis-007-1280x800.htm

http://www.zimbio.com/Allison+Brie/articles/WD-0D68QepQ/Alison+Brie+Humpday+everything+else+mattered

http://pictureszz.com/zooey-deschanel-wallpaper/2012/07/

http://jootix.com/DesktopWallpapers/1146/unknown/1400/1050/

Kleins Perfumery - a place to take a break from the grind

I often don't feel like I get transported to another place or time when I enter most shops.  It's safe to say Kleins Perfumery, located in Fitzroy, isn't just any store.  Yes, it's sandwiched between two Souvlaki shops, but that's besides the point.  Whenever I enter Kleins I think of myself as Alice in Wonderland unwittingly stumbling upon delectable delights.

A few weeks ago I visited Kleins with the hope of walking way with something from Bites' lip range, which I did, but I also walked away with a lasting impression. And a good one at that.  Kleins Perfumery is small, but packed to the rafters with all sorts of pleasantries.  Candles, chapstick, makeup bags, random toiletries - you name it, they have it. I recognised most of the brands, because I've seen them at Myer and David Jones; however, I'd rather to give my money to a company filled with patient, friendly and passionate people who know a lot about what they carry.

The space is unique, sweetly decorated, almost whimsical and has touches of flora and fauna.  Oh, and T.C., a.k.a. Top Cat lives there too.  I didn't get to meet him, but I hear he comes into the store every night in order to get a bite to eat and bid the guests adieu.  T.C. is even incorporated into their their branding - further solidifying his treasured presence.

Last Saturday Will and Laura welcomed me into the store to take pictures and ask questions when time permitted. During the moments I snapped away with my camera, I made sure to keep my ears pricked up in order to catch conversations between Laura, Will and the guests.  When it was quiet, they talked shop and when it was busy, well you get the picture.  During one of their exchanges, Laura helped a woman find a gift for someone who was turning 60-years-old.  The thing is, the woman had a tight budget and she was also told gifts weren't expected, but she felt terrible turning up empty-handed.  Laura listened and chimed in with meaningful suggestions; in the end, the customer bought a couple of handmade soaps and a scented candle.  Personal, thoughtful and not at all over the top; a pressure-less sale and a satisfied customer.

I didn't want to take away too much of Will and Laura's time during their work day, so the lovely Gemma, also of Kleins, answered a few questions for me...

What do you feel is your beauty philosophy?

• Less is More. It is worth investing in good quality products that will love your skin.

 How do you go about choosing the lotions, potions and perfume you carry in your store? E.g. personal experience, travel, memories, etc.?

• We carry products that we love and use ourselves.

Tell me more about TC's story and how he came to reside at Kleins.

• TC was born in the lane way behind the store. Andrea the owner gradually tamed him as a kitten and now he is our much loved store cat.

 Which product is your favourite and why?

• Currently loving Neal’s Yard Remedies as it is a new brand for us and it is so dedicated to its principles.
• Bite Beauty – also new and incredible philosophy “beauty that’s good for you”.
• Lastly, Dr Hauschka – fantastic skin care.

If you had to pack a bag right now for an unexpected holiday, which five beauty items would you grab and why?

• Dr Hauschka Lip Balm to keep the lips nourished and protected
• Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Zinfandel – quick, easy, long wearing and good for your lips
• Juliette Has A Gun Purse Bullet – a chic travel atomiser so your perfume is always on hand
• Neal’s Yard Remedies – Melissa Hand Cream – a great size and beautiful fragrance
• Apivita Express Beauty Mask – Pink Clay for a little relax and a deep clean

 What's your favourite in-store experience with a customer?  And why?

• We love taking customers on fragrance adventures and showing them scents they never would think to try themselves. The element of surprise is so enjoyable and sharing it with our customers is very rewarding.

When the lovely Will and Laura aren't at Kleins, they both also work as makeup artists.  Feel free to pick their brains about application, colour matching, etc. whenever you visit.  Also, on top of managing the store and painting pretty faces, Will's double majoring in marketing and business at a local university.

Can't make it out to Kleins Perfumery?  Then, please take a peek at what else I spied during my visit.

Whatever Wednesdays: Veet's Easy Wax Electrical Roll-On Kit

Waxing, it's not glamorous, but we compel ourselves to take on the challenge. To be honest, I've never waxed my legs; when I was 11-years-old I was handed a BIC razor and a bar of Ivory soap. I didn't know the ins and outs of shaving and I learned by doing and by cutting myself, a lot. With time and practice I moved onto the fancier Venus razor and even tried out Schick's Intuition. Shaving gets old after a while - however, the lack of shaving can come in handy during the winter - our lyrca tights manage to stay in place! About a month ago I was tasked with the challenge of trying out Veet's Easy Wax Electrical Roll-On Kit. The timing was impeccable [insert sarcasm here], because I just shaved and had to wait two weeks before I could even think about waxing. At this point I would like to profusely apologise to my personal trainer Casey who had to handle my legs at their hairiest.

So, what can you expect to find in your kit?

You'll also receive a cradle for your applicator to rest in, a power cord, one wax refill with roller attached and several wax strips.

Word to the wise: it takes about 30 minutes for the wax to heat up properly.

What do you need to do before waxing?  Well, I'm glad you asked.

• Make sure your legs are dry and free of lotion.
• Hairy leg(s), it's a must!  The hairs need to be at least 2-5 mm long.
• A shot of vodka (optional).
• One paracetamol (also optional).
• An open mind.
• Last, if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, again.

1,2,3..

Let's get started...

1. Apply the wax in a downward motion making sure to follow the direction in which your hair grows.

2. Press firmly and glide the roller down your leg; the wax will evenly flow from the applicator.

3. Grab a strip and place it directly on the wax you just applied.  Make sure you leave some room at the bottom of the strip to grab ahold of.

4. Rub the strip several times.

5. Pull your skin taut with one hand, then grab the strip with your free hand and pull the strip towards you. Work quickly in order to get the best results.

If you find errant wax on your legs, use the finishing wipes to clean it off - water won't work.

What did I take away from this experience?  Well, it wasn't perfect because I'm new at this and it further affirmed my impatience.  As for the hairs I missed during many passes, I shaved those off the next morning.  Since waxing my legs I've found that I don't have to shave as often as I did before and it provides me with five extras minutes to snooze-in.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Veet's Easy Wax Electrical Roll-On Kit:

• $39.99 AUS

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 8 out of 10 bags – once the hair on my legs grow back, I'll definitely give it another go.

Likelihood to purchase again:

• The refill kit is pretty inexpensive (retails for $15.00 AUS) and will last approximately three waxing sessions.

*Beauty Directory and Veet

provided me with free full size samples in exchange for this review.  Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

A glimpse at the lips: Chanel Glossimer in 166 Amour

Flecks of micro glitter swim about Chanel's Amour 166, but it's not in your face; it's reminiscent of a holographic formula.  The light reflecting particles help to enhance the soft coral shade and when you put your lips together you don't feel any grittiness. I added Amour to my rotation a few months ago, but managed to let it slip through the cracks.  It's not because I didn't love it - let's just say my attention span (or lack thereof) got the best of me.

Oh hey, what's over there?

Chanel's Amour is the grown up sister to MAC's Wonderstruck.  Amour is bigger in size, a touch more expensive, comes with a doe foot applicator (in lieu of a brush) and lacks the vanilla scent.

Ultimately what drew me to buying Amour was the advertising.  I just had to have the colour as seen on the model's lips.  Don't you think it's amazing how well an advertising campaign can drive sales for a brand?

Touches of Spring, a whiff of the famous Chanel boucle jacket and that doggone bone, er, gloss tightly held between her teeth.  It's mine, not yours!

That war or inner-monologue waged in my head until I decided to make it mine (too).

I don't get a strong coral hue on my lips thanks to the fact they're pretty pigmented - it's nothing a little foundation can't fix.  Amour sticks around for a solid three hours, unless I decide to eat or drink.  Then, I can most certainly expect the colour to fade away quickly.

Chanel's Glossimer is light, a tad sticky and easy to apply.  Perfect for those days when you just need a little colour to brighten that smile of yours.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Chanel's Glossimer in 166 Amour:

• $45.00 AUS / $29.50 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 7 out of 10 bags – pricey for what it is.

Likelihood to purchase again:

• Autumn 2012 looks oh so inviting.