Culture Archives - Page 5 of 12

July 14, 2014

Baby-G Releases Limited Edition Styles To Mark 20th Anniversary

In 2013, G-Shock celebrated its 30th Anniversary, and this year its sister brand, Baby-G, celebrates 20 years. To mark this special anniversary, Casio Baby-G is taking a trip back in time with a renaissance of the classic DW500C model. The retro-inspired BGD500 series will flashback to the touchstones of ‘90s style while still toasting modern, millennial tastes.

Baby-G Releases Limited Edition Styles To Mark 20th Anniversary

Casio launched BABY-G in 1994 as the sister brand to G-SHOCK. The original DW-520 model inherited the shock resistance and toughness of the G-SHOCK in a smaller case to fit women and pop colouring expressing the design concept of “Tough & Cute” and oh how we went crazy for these back in the day. Gaining popularity, especially among young ladies in their late teens, the BABY-G blazed a trail for digital watches to become a part of women’s fashion. Since then, the lineup has been expanded with continually advancing features and designs.

Baby-G Releases Limited Edition Styles To Mark 20th Anniversary

Today, BABY-G is causing one hell of a stir among the fashion-forward, as it makes one of the biggest fashion accessory comebacks we’ve seen for quite some time! We didn’t need convincing – we wanted in on sporting the latest time-keeping trend with this white and rose gold model, which you can find online here: http://baby-g.monacocorp.co.nz/watch/product/1813

Baby-G Releases Limited Edition Styles To Mark 20th Anniversary

The 20th Anniversary BGD500 series is based on the original styling of the DW-520, the first ever BABY-G watch. It features a simple square form that symbolizes the watch’s toughness, a protector that gives an impression of its shock resistance, and a cute roundish “G” logo. The new watch is also water-resistant up to 200 metres.

The anniversary line-up includes models in three colours: the turquoise blue used in the original DW- 520; black, which is the brand colour of G-SHOCK watches; and the same yellow used in the limited edition model of the original DW-520. The packaging is printed with “20th Anniversary” and two stars, completing this watch as a special release befitting the 20th anniversary of the BABY-G brand. The range also features the BGD501-2, a watch that will sweeten any arm party with a cotton-candy-coloured light blue band sporting pink accents.

The Baby-G 20th Anniversary product hits shelves this month. Visit Baby-G.monacocorp.co.nz for more info.

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

June 29, 2014

Gurlinterrupted In Beauty, Culture

NailSnaps App Turns Your Instagrams Into Nail Art

NailSnaps App Turns Your Instagram Photos Into Nail Art

Have you ever Instagrammed a stunning pair of shoes, your cat, the perfect sunrise, or even a glamorous selfie that you wouldn’t mind seeing more often? Thanks to NailSnaps, now you can! The soon-to-launch app allows you to transform your favourite Instagram shots into a set of nail wraps (translation: you can now dominate those #NailArt and #PhotoOfTheDay hashtags.).

In fact, NailSnaps lets you turn any digital photo into one-of-a-kind nail polish stickers you can apply yourself in minutes for custom, wearable art.

NailSnaps App Turns Your Instagram Photos Into Nail Art
Here’s how it works…

The app allows you to upload pictures as one continuous image, with a different part of the photo appearing on each digit, or with the same picture repeated on all five nails. Then you can print out your design into decals, which can last up to a week or longer.

As mentioned in the promotional video, NailSnaps went through a Kickstarter process to meet the budget required to launch, and with donations flying in, not only did they hit budget, they went beyond it! The moment all brandbackers (that donated) have received their prototype nail stickers and NailSnaps finalise their test run, the app will launch. That’s any day now!

NailSnaps: Turn Your Instagram Photos Into Nail Art!

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

June 2, 2014

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

Book Review: The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby

A novel based on the true story behind Jacqueline Kennedy’s iconic pink suit…

The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby is about the making of the Chanel-esque pink suit and matching pillbox hat Jackie Kennedy wore to the parade in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963. Much of Jackie’s wardrobe, including the pink suit, came from the New York boutique Chez Ninon where a young seamstress, an Irish immigrant named Kate, worked behind the scenes to meticulously craft many of Jackie’s memorable outfits. It was a favourite suit of Jackie’s, which, stained in her husband’s blood, became a symbol of innocence destroyed. The US vice-president’s wife, Lady Bird Johnson, remembered it as “a bundle of pink, like a drift of blossoms, lying in the back seat”.

The Pink Suit taps into our enduring fascination with what women in the public eye wear. Whilst penning her novel, Kelby discovered that two of the dressmakers at Chez Ninon, the Park Avenue atelier that made the suit, were Irish. Kate Sheridan, an emigrant from Co Mayo, did the finish work among the other “mice of the backrooms”. While little else is known about Sheridan’s life, Kelby’s sharp detailing of her toil over the raspberry-pink bouclé fabric gives a certain nobility to that more frivolous side of politics – what presidents and first ladies wear.

Book Review: The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby

While the two never met, Kate knew every tuck and pleat needed to create the illusion of the First Lady’s perfection. And when the pink suit becomes infamous, Kate’s already fragile world – divided between the excess and artistry of Chez Ninon and the traditional values of her insular neighborhood – threatens to be torn apart.

A very unusual take on the Kennedy assassination and the icon that was Jackie Kennedy. This book very much focuses on the time, money and effort that went into creating and maintaining ‘the wife’ as the nation’s sweetheart. The story barely involves the wife at all, choosing instead to focus almost entirely on the design and creation of the iconic pink suit that was worn on that fateful visit to Dallas. The novel is based on the actual Irish seamstress who was integral in crafting the suit in question as well on the fashion house Chez Ninon. The author makes it clear that although Kate and the fashion house were real people the image of them presented here is her own fictionalised take on their lives and attitudes, however for the most part she does an incredible job of breathing life into these characters (with some lovely little cameos from Coco Chanel and Martin Luther King).

the pink suit

As with Nicole Mary Kelby’s previous work, White Truffles in Winter this is a gorgeously sensual novel. The textures, scents and weave of each fabric becomes integral to the plot and characterisation here. The subplot surrounding Kate’s own love affair with her homely butcher allows Kelby to draw in more of the wonderful descriptions of food that made White Truffles such a delight.

The Pink Suit is a fascinating look at politics, fashion, and some of the most glamorous women in history, seen through the eyes of a young woman caught in the midst of an American breed of upstairs/downstairs class drama.

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

June 1, 2014

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

Sia – The Musician, Artist & Visionary behind ‘Chandelier’

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, better known mononymously as Sia – the Australian-born singer/songwriter behind the video that’s got everyone talking…

Chances are, if you’re familiar with Sia’s work it’s probably for some of her more recently released music – such as Titanium (with David Guetta), Elastic Heart and of course her latest release Chandelier. Or perhaps you’ve unknowingly heard Sia’s music with her plaintive voice soundtracking TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy or Six Feet Under. If not through TV, you’ve still heard her work, albeit oblivious to the fact, via songs she’s penned for the likes of Beyoncé (“Pretty Hurts”), Rihanna (“Diamonds”) or Britney Spears (“Perfume”) to name just a few. Or maybe you’re one of the 1,900,000+ people who’ve watched Sia’s stellar performance on the Ellen show via YouTube. But if like me, you’ve been a longtime admirer of Sia, you’ll have noticed a massive shift in artistic direction in her video ‘Chandelier’ and the obvious intention to shun the spotlight, instead directing the centre of attention to the song’s subject.

Sia - The Musician, Artist & Visionary behind 'Chandelier'

I first fell in love with Sia [see: obsessed] back when she was lead vocalist with Zero 7. From the moment I heard her sing, her breathtakingly haunting voice had me captivated and intrigued to know more about the elusive songstress. As she created hit after hit, album after album (from Only See & Lady Croissant to Healing is difficult & We Are Born), all within the slightly more underground music scene, Sia was securing her rightful place amongst the music industries best. I went on to import every album she made within a week of its release (back then, downloading music was not an option) and my obsession with Sia was reignited with every new song released – the likes of Death by Chocolate, Breathe Me, Buttons and The Girl You Lost to Cocaine – each one pulling me back down the rabbit hole, mesmerising and always resonating in one way or another…

If until now you couldn’t quite put a face to the name, Sia would be delighted as she has no desire to be famous. Despite showing her face in past music videos and press imagery, she won’t be doing the same with the campaign for her forthcoming album ‘1000 Forms Of Fear’ (due to be released on 8 July), instead choosing to focus her energy on creating slices of visual art through her videos, as well as her live performances. Premiered last month, the video for her first single ‘Chandelier’ features 11-year-old reality TV star and dancer Maddie Ziegler (of ‘Dance Mom’s’ fame) sporting a blonde bob wig (Sia wants her blonde bob to become her trademark) channeling the song’s unhinged despair via the medium of modern dance. As you’ll see here in her performance on the Ellen DeGeneres show where she and Maddie recreate the video, this time with Sia performing the song live whilst stood at the back facing the wall, creating possibly the first example of proper performance art on mainstream US daytime television:

In a rare and candid interview in Dazed, Sia spoke about her recently released video ‘Chandelier’, dancer Maddie & her vision…

On her video ‘Chandelier’ and the polarising artistic direction…

“I’m addicted to reality television and it finally paid off because I had been watching Maddie for years and I’d always been drawn to her – she has something very magical and otherworldly. She’s like a regular 11-year-old kid and then when she starts dancing it becomes a whole other beast. I’d been waiting for an opportunity to work with her and then I saw (choreographer) Ryan Heffington’s show, KTCHN, and it was so mind-blowing. I’d seen photos of it on Instagram and was like “what the fuck is this, it looks really interesting”, so finally someone randomly invited me. I’d been Googling this show for ages and I couldn’t find it, it’s like this weird secret. So I went and it was so outstanding I immediately approached Ryan about executive producing that show and taking it to New York. It’s very special art; performance art and dancing and general weirdness that I hadn’t seen in ages. So anyway, we had discussions about that and then it was time to make a video for Chandelier. I’ve directed videos before and they were okay. Daniel (Askell, the director) and I had actually made my first video ‘Breathe Me’ together”

“Basically I plan to put different people in blonde bobs, because the concept now is to create visual art”

On what Maddie represents in the video:

“Well that’s not really what I was doing when I conceptualised. I already have a much larger concept for this album and for how I’m going to present it and that was: I don’t want to be famous. If Amy Winehouse was a beehive then I guess I’m a blonde bob. I thought ‘well if that’s my brand, how can I avoid having to use my face to sell something’, so my intention was to create a blonde bob brand. Throughout this whole thing I’ll put a different person in a blonde bob and either they lip-synch while I’m doing a live performance or they perform a dance or do some sort of performance while I have my back to the audience, as with Ellen. I recently recorded a bunch of stuff for VH1 where a 78-year-old woman wears the blonde bob and is lip-synching on a treadmill. Then there’s a black boy that Ryan choreographed a dance for, who’s not a dancer, and he’s in the blonde bob. Basically I plan to put different people in blonde bobs because the concept now is to create visual art. I know I can sing and I know I can write songs but this is my time to create visual art. Directing all these live performances is really exciting now. If you look back to any of my more poppy songs, most of the lyrics are about being fucked”.

On the Ellen performance being a piece of modern art, with Sia sort-of-present, yet absent at the same time:

“I just said ‘I want to build this set in your studio, I want to bring Maddie out’. It was exciting for her because she’s on a mainstream TV show too. Ellen was super amazing about it and the crew were so wild. I know that at the beginning of the day they were overwhelmed by my vision and were scared they wouldn’t be able to pull it together in the time frame that we had. But by the end of the day everyone was so excited to be a part of something that was a little bit different. The day before in rehearsals Ryan asked if I wanted Maddie to interact with me and I was like ‘what an excellent idea’, so he had her climbing up my back and doing the little curtsey. It’s a real collaboration. I’m directing the live things alone, but with the videos I plan to always bring Daniel with me because I need that kind of support.”

On the strange juxtaposition of having a child interpreting the lyrics to a bleak song:

“I guess I’ve always done that. Historically if you look at the majority of the videos I’ve had a hand in, like ‘Buttons’ had this poppy fun vibe with the disturbing facial manipulation. I don’t know, I thought it would be fucking cool basically to have this little representative, this little dynamo. I wanted to put all different types of people under those wigs and she’s an amazing beginning. It’s not a representation of a little me though. There was something in The Guardian about my parents neglecting me and being drug addicts and I was like ‘yeah, my dad liked to party but I wasn’t horribly neglected and they weren’t drug addicts’. I’m the drug addict in the family!” (Sia is sober now).

On how much guidance Sia gave Maddie for the video:

“There was this period right before I hit bottom and got sober that I wanted in there and so when Ryan was asking me what I wanted from Maddie I said I wanted her to be like on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I thought it would be really fucking cool to have this little child imparting this adult experience. Then, if you watch the video closely, you’ll see a painting my godfather did of me right before I got sober where I was just like absolutely fucked. I sent him a photo of me one morning and at the time – this is how disturbed I was – I thought it was funny that I’d woken up with messy hair and had my mouth guard in from grinding my teeth, and now when I look at that it’s a grand reminder to never go back. So I put that in there because a lot of the art in my videos is my art that I own and my sponsee’s bits and pieces.”

About ‘Chandelier’ obviously being about dealing with somewhat ‘messed-up’ feelings, yet the songs Sia writes for other people are quite obviously nothing like those she writes for herself:

“When I write promotionally, I guess I give away the songs I’m less connected to. ‘Chandelier’ I wrote intending to create a pop song for someone else and then literally I was like ‘uh-oh, I’ve just written a pop song for me’. I’m acting a lot when I’m writing for other people. I feel like I slip into a role and obviously I can write from past experiences, but as I said earlier I’m addicted to television. I love TV and I love movies and I pull so much content from the drama in all of those mediums and put them into songs.”

On where we can all get the ‘Sia’ blonde bob:

“They’re about to go on sale on my website [laughs]. I think they might even be available now.”

Sia is hands-down one of my favourite singer/songwriters; and one that everyone should know about! Hopefully through this editorial, if you didn’t already know of Sia – you will now. Or if you have recently discovered Sia, but weren’t aware of just how many albums she’s released – you’ll be able to go back and enjoy all of her previous work.

Sia’s haunting, thought-provoking & distinctive vocals are second-to-none and she’s unquestionably one of the most talented musicians of our time. She’s simultaneously quirky, seemingly fragile, soulful and artistic, yet wilful, candid and a creative genius.

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

May 12, 2014

Gurlinterrupted In Culture, Fashion

Inside Grace Coddington’s Apartment

Recently the WSJ took us inside the home of fashion icon and Vogue‘s creative director – Grace Coddington. And while they focused more on Miss Coddington’s collection of nudes and her penchant for being a hoarder, our focus was on solely on everyone’s “dream best friend”. This once-in-a-lifetime insight into Grace Coddington’s world coincides with an online auction she’s curating this month with Auction House Paddle8.

Better known for her Midas touch when it comes to clothes and creating fashion editorials both magical and enchanting beyond our wildest dreams, Grace is indeed a self-proclaimed hoarder. Her Chelsea apartment and weekend home in the Hamptons, of which she shares with her boyfriend – hairstylist Didier Malige, is filled with collections of photographs (mainly nudes), English ceramics, cardboard boxes (orange Hermès and black-and-white Balenciaga being her favourites) folk art and (admittedly this cemented our love for her) anything to do with cats.

Inside Grace Coddington's Apartment

Coddington’s modelling career began with a nude photograph back in 1959, so it’s really no surprise that Grace was approached by Paddle8 to curate an auction centred around nude photography. As told to Tim Blanks of the Wall Street Journal during their interview… Coddington assumed that when Alexander Gilkes, co-founder of the online auction house Paddle8, first approached her it wasn’t because of her knack with nudes. “I thought it would be fashion pictures, so I said yes, and then it turned out to be portraits,” says Coddington. “If there’s one thing I’m known for, it’s ‘Don’t crop a picture.’ I want the feet in it. So portraits weren’t working for me. And they didn’t want fashion pictures—I guess they don’t sell for as much—so then they said nudes.”

“We felt it was the best way to celebrate the artist and the quality of photography,” says Gilkes. “Strip away the clothes and focus on the nude.” Hence the title of the auction slightly arch in light of Coddington’s role as the creative director of Vogue: “No Clothes.”Even though she was keen to curate something within the area for which she is best known, she made peace with its polar opposite by reconceptualizing the nude as a kind of canvas for her work. “We start out on a fashion shoot with a girl who has no clothes on, and we build from that: the hair, the makeup, the clothes. But she starts with nothing.”

Grace more than exceeded our “dream-best-friend”expectations – wonderfully down to earth, cat-mad, eclectic and passionate . . . everything we imagined and more. Oh, and if you missed the video of her cooking steak and potatoes with Elettra Wiedemann last year, it is as much a “must-see” as the photographic entry into Grace’s apartment…

Inside Grace Coddington's Apartment

Photo credit: The Wall Street Journal

Ange x
Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

May 7, 2014

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

Divergent: A “No-Spoiler” Book Review

You may ask, given my claim of being a fan of YA Fiction (yes, it’s my secret guilty pleasure) why is it that I’ve not read Divergent until now. Well, I’m actually into book number nine of another YA series, however due to the launch of the Divergent movie, I thought I better jump on into the book, as I’ve been told by many-a-fan that reading the book is an absolute must, prior to seeing the movie.

For those of you that have not yet read the book, nor seen the movie – a brief synopsis… In Divergent it’s a dystopian world, set in the future. Society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives.

Now, what I’d like to do for those that haven’t read the book or seen the movie, is attempt to give you my own personal take on Divergent WITHOUT spoiling the ‘journey’ or the ending. So here goes…

To give you my super short summary (so short in fact, it’s tweetable! “In a futuristic world, girl leaves family for exciting new life, learns it’s not easy, tries to stop villain destroying government.” Boom! 130 characters – and they said a book review wasn’t tweetable!

Divergent book review

Ok, now for my more in-depth take on Divergent… Beatrice Prior lives in a futuristic Chicago divided into five distinct factions. Each faction believes one virtue is best (and of course each faction believes their virtue to be the best & most important). Abnegation is all for self-sacrifice, Amity hearts peace, love & friendship, Candor is pro ‘keepin it real and tellin it like it is’, Dauntless believe bravery is the ‘be-all-end-all’ and Erudite believe knowledge is key – ya can’t beat intelligence! Now, of these five factions Beatrice must choose one, aaaand here’s where things get really interesting…

Beatrice must choose between staying with her family and being true to who she feels she really is and where she belongs. Bottom line – she can’t have both. So, as teenagers do, Beatrice makes a choice completely left-of-centre that surprises everyone. You see Beatrice grew up in an Abnegation family, however she decides to join another faction – Dauntless. She chooses this other faction partly because they’re kinda the cool kids (piercings, tatts & leather jackets) and partly because she doesn’t feel she’s selfless enough; and because of this, doesn’t think she would make for a good self-sacrificing Abnegation member. Oh, and then there’s the small case of Beatrice’s test results having showed that she’s Divergent – meaning she doesn’t really fit in with any one faction. Being Divergent isn’t exactly the norm by the way, nor widely welcomed with open arms – in fact quite the opposite.

But joining Dauntless isn’t just about showing up and saying “I choose Dauntless” and boom you’re in! All the initiates have to train hard and compete to get into their faction. Along the way, Beatrice takes a new name – Tris (well nickname is probably more accurate) and meets a myriad of new people. She makes some new friends – Al, Will, and Christina; and she makes some enemies – Peter and his not-so-nice minions. Plus there are the teachers, such as the ever so slightly evil [see: scary as hell] Eric. Oh, and then there’s Four (but I’ll let you read all about him yourself). Tris has to compete to get into Dauntless, but not only does she have to compete to get in, she also has to ensure that she never divulges that she’s Divergent – this is key!! There’s drama, intrigue, suspense and some kissing (between her and the previously mentioned Four). So, pretty much your standard high school experience with a whole lot more ‘weird & crazy’ thrown in.

And the twists and turns just get better… Tris figures out that the Erudite faction plans to overthrow the Abnegation government and that they’re going to do so by mind-controlling the Dauntless army. Now remember how I said earlier that Tris isDivergent? Well in being Divergent Tris can’t be brainwashed. Which means if she plays her cards right, she can potentially destroy the villain’s plans and in turn, hopefully rescue a whole heap of people. That sounds a lot simpler than it is, but like I said, I don’t want to tell you the outcome, nor do I want to pinpoint the jaw-dropping deaths, violence, who it affects and how, nor whether she manages to actually foil the villain’s plans in book number one, but lets just say that there are a whole heap of ‘didn’t see that coming’ moments throughout the awesome journey that is Divergent.

One tiny snippet of info that won’t ruin the story in any way whatsoever, but is quite cool to know – the book ends with the city in complete and utter chaos, a cliff-hanger as they say, that will leave you desperate to know what happens next; and the best part is, you know the sequel is already out, so there’s no agonising wait for the next book.

Now I haven’t seen the movie yet (I sure plan to though) so I can’t say whether it lives up to the books standards, but what I can say is, because I read the book first I got to discover, understand and adore the complex character that is Tris and get an in-depth understanding of Roth’s intense dystopian world. I was left with a tonne of questions and a tonne of excitement (which I believe is how a book should leave you feeling). Although it’s hard to review Divergent from a ‘no spoiler’ stance, what I can tell you is there is so, so much to love about this book and I 100% recommend you get on to this series ASAP!

Divergent is a fast-paced, easy-to-read book filled with intriguing, loveable characters that you can’t help but feel a connection with. It’s as fabulous as die-hard fans say it is and more! Bring on Insurgent and Allegiant.

Ange x
Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

May 6, 2014

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

The Ultimate Mother’s Day Gift Guide

As you know, Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Sunday 11 May marks the day to celebrate all the unsung heroes out there – what would we do without our mum?

We know it’s tough to think of the perfect gift – something special, meaningful and guaranteed to make mum smile from ear to ear, so we’ve done the work for you by creating the gift guide to beat all gift guides. This Mothers Day “present-prompter” is bound to have at least one item (maybe even 2 or 3 items) that will end your search for the perfect gift…

Natures Beauty Bag – Carberry and Co

The Ultimate Mother's Day Gift Guide

We reckon your mum will love this! It’s by far the coolest sampling company to hit NZ shores (and thankfully one that doesn’t lock you into ongoing monthly subscription).

Carberry & Co is the modern equivalent of the historical General Store, complete with old-fashioned values of quality and personal service.

Carberry and Co find and source their NATURAL BEAUTY product ranges from established companies worldwide with proven track records and traditional methods. Many of their suppliers subscribe to the “do one thing and do it well” ethic, therefore guaranteeing consistency with natural products and lasting quality.

“Carlton” and “Beryl” Carberry will guide you through the handpicked product inventory, delivering a discerning shopping experience reminiscent of times gone by.

Carberry & Co gives you NATURAL BEAUTY brands and service you can trust and rely on. What an exciting surprise for mum to discover, and delivered right to her doorstep. The super-cute eco-friendly bag it arrives in is adorable too; we’re still using ours to store all our daily beauty necessities in.

So what are you waiting for? At only $35 this ‘Natures Beauty Bag’ crammed full of amazing natural and organic beauty products is an absolute steal! Head to www.carberryandco.co.nz to peruse all the amazing products contained in each beauty bag & order yours now.

Remington Salon Pro Curl Revolution

The Ultimate Mother's Day Gift Guide

Give your mum the gift of “Hollywood curls” every day with little to no effort on her part. Introducing the Remington Salon Pro Curl Revolution. This innovative curler is designed with a built-in motor that rotates the barrel automatically, enabling mum (or you, if she lets you borrow it) to effortlessly achieve superior curls in just minutes.

Perfect for tresses of any length, this hot wand curls hair in both directions, creating a polished look from any angle. Heating to between 120°C – 200°C, the Curl Revolution heats up in just 90 seconds and is made with ceramic technology to help evenly distribute heat, protecting your hair time after time. It’s safe to say it’s the gift that keeps on giving. RRP $119.90

LUSH – You’re A Star

The “You’re A Star” package is filled with products that LUSH’s most famous customers have bought, so that you can bring Hollywood into your mums home. Gwyneth Paltrow was bewitched by Ceridwen’s Cauldron, Angelina Jolie needed Helping Hands and Eva Green took some time out to visit a Floating Island. I could go on, but LUSH doesn’t like to brag about all their Hollywood friends.

You’re A Star contains: Dream Cream Body Lotion, Dreamtime Luxury Bathmelt, Aqua Mirabilis Body Butter, Ceridwen’s Cauldron Bath Melt, Therapy Massage bar, Skin Shangrila Moisturizer – trial size, Silky Underwear Dusting Powder, French Kiss Bubble Bar, Blackberry Bath Ballistic. RRP $119

Don’t worry, if the ‘you’re a star’ pack is a little out of your price range, LUSH has created many Mother’s Day packs for you to choose from, starting from as little as $14. Head to www.lushnz.com for more info https://www.lushnz.com/shop/product/category/path/1036_1037/mothers-day-gifts

Mr. W & Me

The Ultimate Mother's Day Gift Guide

Ok, show me a gal of any age that doesn’t love shoes! If you have a super-stylish mum who adores shoes, “Mr. W & Me” stocks a boutique range of high quality women’s shoes.

They’re sourced and made as far away as Italy but they’re based right here in New Zealand. This means affordable leather shoes delivered promptly to your door for free throughout New Zealand. They only stock limited quantities to ensure your mum always stand out from the crowd. Visit www.mrwandme.com to see their full range. But be warned – it’s pretty damned impossible not to buy a little something for yourself!

MOR Mother’s Day ‘Enchanted Umbrella’ Gift With Purchase

The Ultimate Mother's Day Gift Guide

It’s no secret that around here, MOR Modern Apothecary is one of our all-time faves, and this Mother’s Day MOR is doing something that, if you’re not already their number one fan, you soon will be! MOR is giving you a gift with purchase when you spend $50 or more on any two MOR products – a beautiful umbrella to keep the rain away. Featuring windproof fibreglass ribs and a retractable metal arm, this sturdy accessory comes complete with it’s own case (we won’t tell if you want to keep the umbrella for yourself).

There are so many enchanting MOR gift sets for you to choose from this Mother’s Day and to ensure you get this free gift with purchase, you might just have to buy something for mum, aaaand perhaps a little something for yourself.

Here’s a few Mother’s Day gift sets to ponder…

Enchanted Duet gift set containing a triple-milled soapette and vitamin enriched hand cream in the fragrances – Marshmallow and Blood Orange $24.99
Correspondence Duet gift set containing a triple-milled soap and argan oil rich hand cream in the romantic scent of Kashmir Petals $24.99
Cherished Trio gift set – a trio of Cherished Hand Creams containing Vitamins A & E and Shea Butter in the alluring scents of Marshmallow, Blood Orange and Belladonna. $34.99

MOR Modern Apothecary products are available from Redcurrent, Smith & Caugheys and various boutique gift stores.

The Style Guide – Angela Stone

The Ultimate Mother's Day Gift Guide

Take a journey through the evolution of style with New Zealand’s top styling consultant, Angela Stone. Discover and create your own look signature look, uncover elegance and the power that fashion possesses to transform you and your confidence.

With over 25 years working in the industry, Angela Stone knows a thing or two about how to dress. We reckon this Mother’s Day it’s mums turn to indulge in the world of fashion and discover her own style success.

The Style Guide is a fashion bible and one that I’m sure mums any age would love to receive this Mother’s Day. RRP$39.99

Savar’s Limited Edition Nourishing Body Lotion

The Ultimate Mother's Day Gift Guide

Sávar’s Limited Edition Nourishing Body Lotion is super hydrating, wonderfully nourishing, anti-aging, non-greasy and fast absorbing. This premium 500ml body lotion is great value for money and the perfect solution for all skin types including dry and sensitive.

Enriched with exotic skin-benefiting ingredients such as New Zealand evening primrose oil, organic fig and passionflower, this beautifully fragranced stunningly presented body lotion smoothes and protects skin leaving it wonderfully soft, nourished and hydrated.

The Savar Nourishing Body Lotion $49.00, is made in New Zealand, comes in beautifully presented glass packaging and is available at www.savaronline.com & selected leading retailers.

Davines – Naturaltech Range

The Ultimate Mother's Day Gift Guide

Seriously one of our all-time favourite hair care brands. Every single davines product has the most intoxicating scent and every product works miracles! If your mum is a bit of a Leo – obsessed with only using the best when caring for her mane (or maybe she’s not a Leo at all, she just loves her locks) then she will, without a doubt, appreciate a Davines product. Believe us when we say ‘once you’ve tried a davines product, you’ll be hooked for life’.

Arriving in salons now… the new davines Naturaltech Replumping range, which uses plum phytoceuticals and hyuralonic acid to revive tired hair and give it fullness and elasticity. It also smells good enough to eat. The Naturaltech range is also available in Energizing, Nourishing, Purifying, Calming, Detoxifying, Rebalancing and Well-Being.

You’ll find davines hair care products in all top salons (such as www.dryandtea.com) or head to www.facebook.com/BoutiqueBrandsNZ to find out more.

UNTOLD by Elizabeth Arden

The Ultimate Mother's Day Gift Guide

Want to spoil mum with a beautiful fragrance this Mother’s Day? UNTOLD by Elizabeth Arden is the answer! A luxurious and modern floral composition, UNTOLD celebrates the sophistication and intrigue of the multi-faceted modern woman. From her vibrant optimism and refined femininity to her mysterious aura and magnetic sensuality, UNTOLD takes you on a journey through the many facets that together, make her genuinely beautiful. With its sparkling and fruity introduction, radiant floral heart and mysterious addictive warmth, UNTOLD captures all that a woman is. RRP $112 (50ml). Available from Farmer’s, selected pharmacies and department stores.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Ange x
Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

April 3, 2014

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

Ooh, Makeover! Gurl Interrupted Got A Major Revamp. New logo, New Look, New Website

Why YES… We have done something new with our hair – thanks for noticing! Ok, it’s a lot more than a makeover… Welcome to a completely new ‘Gurl Interrupted’. You’ll notice things around here don’t look like they used to. Gurl Interrupted has had a comprehensive overhaul. From top to bottom, it’s more beautiful, bespoke and au courant…starting with a new visual identity. See, Gurl Interrupted is a big believer that great style doesn’t stand still. It grows with you, and should reflect who you are and where you’re going. After months of researching, planning & designing, the result is a fresh new look and feel, resulting in the ultimate fashion, beauty, lifestyle destination.

Don’t worry, everything you’re used to seeing on Gurl Interrupted remains, just tszuj’d a little [see: A LOT] and reformatted into a shmancy new magazine-style website. And while the focus on fashion & beauty will continue, you can expect to see a whole lot more!

We hope you like what you see! But let’s not live on hope alone, how about some feedback… What do you think of the all-new Gurl Interrupted? And what you want to see more of going forward? Tutorials? YouTube videos? Technology updates? DIY? Event coverage? Out & About? Book & Film Reviews? Hey, all these topics will definitely be getting more attention on Gurl Interrupted anyway, but it’s important to know what you want too – so click around, check out the new digs & leave us your feedback in the comments section below…

Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

April 2, 2014

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

Discovered THE ESCAPIST Yet? Discover & Win!

Discover worlds within worlds. Whether you’re a young adult that loves YA fiction or an adult addicted to YA reads (heck yes, I’m the latter!) you’re going to love my recent discovery – the ultimate Facebook Page that not only has all the latest and greatest on young adult fiction, you can also win the hottest YA books as they hit the bookshelves, receive insider info on upcoming ‘book to movie’ releases, get an insight into your fave authors and much, MUCH more. I was so excited when I discovered this fab FB page, I just had to share it with you!

Introducing THE ESCAPIST on FACEBOOK – your ‘Young Adult fiction insider’. Enter a world that is ‘the ultimate escape’ via HarperCollins’ Publishers.

Yes, I’m an adult addicted to YA fiction. Come on, who doesn’t love fantastic reads such as the Divergent series?! Never read a Twilight novel? [see: been living under a rock]. Not yet entered the magical world of Spellcaster? How about The Hunger Games? Well, if you haven’t read any of these books [see: probably lied if you said no] you’re seriously missing out! I read a myriad of books and follow many different authors. I love autobiographies, fashion & beauty related reads, true crime, mystery and thriller novels, but for the ultimate escapism, to enter a world totally different to anything I will ever experience in my lifetime, I love a good YA series. Afterall, reading is the best form of escapism, and who better than a YA insider, such as The Escapist, to keep you informed of on all things ‘young adult fiction’.

Head over to The Escapist on Facebook, hit the ‘like’ button to ensure you’re alerted when new comps & giveaways go live, when the hottest YA novels are about to hit the big screen and get to know the authors of your fave YA reads via The Escapist’s online interviews. Head there right now and you might just be quick enough to win yourself a copy of Disruption by Jessica Shirvington.

For more information & to be in to win, follow the ‘jump’ to: THE ESCAPIST

Sharing is caring. You’re welcome xx

Ange
Gurlinterrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

March 28, 2014

Gurlinterrupted In Culture

OMGTEA!

It’s no secret I’ve recently made quite a lifestyle change. Eating healthier, exercising regularly, losing weight (in a healthy way, not the “I’m doing a gimmicky diet” kinda way, and just focussing on my health & wellbeing in general. Since taking this new ‘healthy living’ stance I’m now obsessed with discovering amazing new things that can be used as a catalyst for change, things that will help me on my journey, or at least make the journey as fun and easy as possible. Such as fast and effective YouTube workouts, juice cleansers, ‘raw’ meal options, well the list goes on. My latest discovery – OMGTEA. Now before you go all ‘waving your finger in a Z formation’ and saying ‘uh uh those diet teas aint no good’, read on…

OMGTEA takes a long-term approach to health based on nutrition, fitness and wellbeing. They don’t make any claims to dropping a tonne of weight in a week and they’re not a fan of popular diets and fitness programs that make claims like ‘eating bacon for breakfast every morning is fine because you can balance it out by fasting for one day a week’. Seriously? The sodium content in one serve of bacon alone is more than most adults need in a day. As far as fasting goes for health or weight loss, not only is this confusing for your metabolism, but an extreme form of deprivation that doesn’t nurture how you feel about your body.

Basically what OMGTEA claims to do is improve digestion and cardiovascular health, and in turn you should experience increased energy, decreased sugar cravings and suppressed appetite. The physical effects range from weight loss to improved clarity in skin complexion and reduced cellulite. Their teas do NOT contain senna (a horrid ingredient that causes short-term weight loss via its laxative effect) and for this reason I decided to give OMGTEA a whirl.

Now I’ve only recently started drinking OMGTEA regularly, but so far so good. I’m not an ambassador for OMGTEA, nor do I yet know what the long-term results are, however, since taking on my new healthy lifestyle some of you have asked what I’m doing, what my fitness regime is, what I’m eating, drinking, etc, so I’m simply sharing my experiences along the way and so far, I’m kinda lovin OMGTEA.

If you’d like to know more about OMGTEA head to: www.omgtea.com

If you have any health, fitness or just general wellbeing tips – I’d love to hear about them, so please leave me a comment below and let me in on some of your best tips and tricks.

Ange
Gurlinterrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye

Culture

Gurl Interrupted

Latest News

Tags