My Everyday Skincare Routine | Morning and Evening with Plantae Skincare

I admit it. I'm really lazy. And in this reputation-ruining confession, I'm coming clean about the fact that old me was so lazy, I couldn't even be bothered to wash my face before bed (don't worry, I brush my teeth. Even I'm not that lazy). Disgusting, I know. But all this changed one fateful day via Instagram DM's.

In Conversation with Elle Ferguson: fashion blogger extraordinaire and all-around dream girl

I didn't think it was possible for me to love Elle Ferguson more than I already do, but that's exactly what happened when I read a quote from her from the September 2017 issue of Cosmopolitan Australia (where she was subsequently announced as Cosmopolitan's Woman of the Year - Social Media Fashion). And then again when I caught up with her for this feature. 

What strikes me most about Elle is how down to earth and authentic she is - "Instagram is actually my life that I'm photographing. I take my audience on a journey of my day, from going to breakfast, to an event... it's literally all the things I do." (Cosmopolitan, September 2017). I don't think I've ever related to anything more! It's something I've always felt about my own social media, and I love that a blogger and social media personality of her caliber said this. Just goes to show why Elle is at the top of the game with successful blog They All Hate Us (that she runs with her BFF Tash Sefton - the OG twosome that has been inspiring me for since they launched 10 years ago) and their online shop of curated pieces, her own Instagram that boasts of 628K followers, various projects with brands, and now the soon to be launched Elle Effect. And when she's not busy with all of that, she's jetsetting around the world and hanging out with the stars (seriously - we did this interview just shortly after Elle was at Kim Kardashian's house, hanging out barefoot in her kitchen getting something from the fridge!) 

Elle Ferguson is truly a force to be reckoned with.

Ten Things

It's been a hell of a week. One of the hardest days of my life yet. I'm wishing people were more mindful and compassionate, and I want to be too. The people in my life are amazing and I'm so excited to be sharing that with you more. This ten things roundup is weird because I currently feel like I have no words for this week, yet have so much to say at the same time. 

Also in the spirit of Thanksgiving - a problematic holiday, I know - but nonetheless I'd like to take a moment to be thankful for so many good things this year like my family, new city and job, friends, good food, trains, flowers, and my cat. 

The Fall Edit

On a scale of 1-10, how in denial am I that summer is coming? I'd say around 12... in denial enough to spend my Sunday morning tucked in bed and dreaming of layers and knits and mulled wine. Not even peony season can salvage me from my summer dread. COLD WEATHER 4 EVER.

Chanel's Collection Libre 2017 Numeros Rouges: Rogue Allure N°4 Lipstick

If you ask for my honest opinion, I'd say that it's both a blessing and a curse that Chanel is conveniently located in Britomart. Just got off the train station? Chanel. On your way to dinner? Chanel. Going out for drinks? Chanel. Checking out the Saturday market? Chanel. I mean, how am I supposed to go about my day when Chanel is right there, its doors open and welcoming, with promises of treats inside? 

Joy 2 The Wild: Spilling the tea on T2 Tea's Christmas Collection

It's ironic that I'm spilling the tea (if you've never heard of this expression before, here's a quick lowdown on this beautiful saying) on T2 Tea's Christmas Collection, but no tea was literally spilt in the making of this photo. And I'm really just bringing this up because I sent this photo to my tea loving friend Rachel and she said she's always wondered if I ever spill tea on my nice white sheets. The answer is no! I never spill tea (or coffee or juice) when in bed. Years of blogging and being lazy in bed with a drink has trained me for this.

Grand Mercure Auckland: My Grand Story

Is it possible to get emotionally attached to a hotel? Because I think I am. So much so that I found myself actually procrastinating writing this as I didn't want the experience to be over. Or maybe I was just busy last week... but I digress.

I stayed at Grand Mercure Auckland over the Labour weekend and it was the most magical staycation I've ever had. Two weeks later and I'm still dreaming about it, feeling the warm fuzzies as I went through my photos and started writing this post.

Meet Girlboss Jess Molina | Serendipity Ave

"You’ll dream bigger dreams, and experience great pain and failure. But you know what? At 21 you will become a magazine editor, just like you’ve always dreamed of. The first time you see your magazine in a shop, you will cry as you hold it in your hands. Seeing it there, beside your favourite magazine titles, is a magazine you helped created. And you will fail at that. 3 years later and the magazine will collapse. You’ll be devastated for months, until you realise that your publication closing down is what needed to happen to make way for your biggest dream.  You’ll host a national TV show that recognises you as an influential person in your adopted country and you’ll be heavily involved in writing the script. You’ll even see yourself in a popular TV series. You’ll realise that your purpose in life is to tell stories."

What an honour to be interviewed by the babes over at Serendipity Ave as part of the Girlboss series on their blog. I talked about still not having a boyfriend at 26, my guilty pleasure, and cried as I wrote a letter to my 15-year-old self. Read the full interview here.

Ten Things | October Edition

1. That first sip of coffee in the morning though... I found myself extremely dependent on coffee last week. I love coffee, but could never drink too much of it as I get the shakes. But last week I was just so tired everyday and have discovered the coffee machine at work does a delicious mocha. So I've been sipping that liquid gold twice a day and I feel like I finally get the coffee obsession that this country has. And I'm really looking forward to tomorrow so I can have my mocha!

In Conversation: Shoshana Sachi is taking over Hollywood and we are so here for it

I was lucky enough to chat to writer and filmmaker Shoshana Sachi over the weekend. I follow her work closely and love seeing her doing her thing in LA so I'm pretty excited for this interview. Get to know Shoshana in the interview below and be inspired by her words. 

Currently...

... fresh out of the most epic bath I've ever had. At midnight I decided it was time to crumble the bubble bar that's been hiding in my suitcase. Best. Decision. Ever. And second best decision of the day (but more on that in a bit)! I'm currently still at Grand Mercure Auckland and to be honest I think the only way you'll ever pry me out of this hotel is if you physically drag me out. Maybeeee. Anyway, the point is, is that the bath was exactly what I needed to relax and pause for a while. It's been a busy couple of weeks and I'm finding it harder to 'switch off' lately so at midnight I made a conscious effort to clear my mind and focus on my breathing, the quietness, and how the water feels against my skin.

High Tea Amber Ale is the drink for tea, beer, and chocolate lovers

When I was told that this new brew was made with tea, I didn’t know what to expect. As someone who is not really a fan of  beer or tea, this taste testing was going to actually be testing me. WORDS by Caitlan Johnston.

Life Lately | September Edition

Just a little life update. Here is September's roundup!

L'assiette: The best french toast in Auckland

I'm calling it now. L'assiette in Britomart does the best French toast in Auckland. Unsurprising because the French really do know their food! I've consumed many french toasts in my life, but nothing compares to this.

That night I went viral again

I've always thought that if I ever go 'viral' on the interwebs again, it would be for my leaked HOT AF NUDES (just kidding fam. This is a wholesome environment and I have no nudes... yet). Who would have thought it would be election related?

I peaked on Twitter last night. The #1 trending hashtag in New Zealand right now is #decision17, the top tweet in that mine. At the time of writing this, that tweet has been seen 43,170+ times in less than 24 hrs. 661 people have liked it, and 260 people have retweeted and it's been entertaining to read the captions from the retweets.

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Envy Metallic Matte

Estee Lauder Pure Envy Metallic Matte in Brushed Bronze is a mouthful to say. Pun intended. Good thing I'm more of a blogger than a vlogger because can you imagine how many takes I'd have to do to get that right? Alas, I've completely fallen in love with this lipstick that I'll probably do anything for it at this stage, including and calling it by its full name and all that.

Ten Things - New Zealand Fashion Week Edition

I haven't done one of these in a while. Probably for the best to be honest, as I went through a period where I literally just did ten things on every post that I should have renamed my blog to that. LOL. So let's bring it back! Photos are from my phone. I clearly have a future in runway photography... if you want some blurry shots HMU. lal

1. The winter bugs seemed to have made an appearance over fashion week this year. I was powered by nurofen, otrivin, strepsils, and manuka honey for most of it that I feel like I should have gotten them to #sponsor me this year. LOL. I also felt like everyone's mum with a supply of all this in her bag (yes I carried the honey even because commitment) and handing out strepsils to those who need it. I distinctly remember the wonderful Apela Bell rushing past me in between shows and us only having time for a catch up hug. I bitched about how sick I was and offered him a strepsil. His face was like??? Seriously you have some?? It was glorious.

2. My outfits this year were all last minute and 100% recycled from my wardrobe. I didn't have time to pre-plan and think about it. Literally threw all this crap in my suitcase (I live in Auckland but stayed more central for the week) and hoped for the best.  I'm actually very proud of the fact that I did not buy anything new for a look and just rolled with what I've got. Hi, I'm Jess and I'm an outfit repeater.

3. I feel like I've been going on and on about the Lela Jacobs show but honestly it was more of an experience than a fashion show. It also blows my mind how out of all the seats in the house, I wound up next to Chrissy O, the first lady of vintage herself, and also one of the most fascinating humans ever.

4. Big big thank you to my friends Simon and Lio for hosting me in their apartment. I stayed with them for the week as their places was a 30 second walk from my work and a few minutes walk from most shows at the venue. They've been such lovely hosts - not giving a crap that I'd rock up midday and rush to get ready, leave my makeup in their sink, haul this massive suitcase in their living room, ask to keep borrowing the steamer (because when I threw all the clothes when I was packing I did not think about creasing and shit lol), and many more things that make me a #housepest more than a #houseguest. Thank you for making sure I had a warm bed and fluffy pillows, a blanket AND gadget chargers nearby, for giving me a call at 3:30 am when you realised I wasn't home yet and being worried as hell about me, and for playing Britney Spears while I got ready and zipping my dress up and telling me I had great legs. You guys are the best. Truly.

5. Speaking of people, this year I found myself flying solo to most things. I guess because going to fashion week was more of a last minute thing for me this year, and also in the past I was rocking up from Hamilton so always had people with, I just sort of rocked up alone and went with it. But like I said in this post, what always makes fashion week so memorable for me are the people I encounter along the way. It was so nice catching up with old friends in between shows, meeting new people (looking at my squad from the Huffer party. Benny, Hannah, Zakk, and Jess - you guys are the beesknees), and getting to know people you already know on a deeper level. Shoutout to my babes Angela from A Style Collector, Sophie from Nana Wintour, and Pascale and Nami (and Vicky!) from Serendipity Ave. What a good bunch.

6. Can we just take a minute to talk about how freaking amazing Not For You's music was at the New Generation show? A few years back at Wellington Fashion Week (RIP), I think it was Trelise Cooper who blew me away with her music selection and had me actually jamming along. Well, as discreetly as you can packed in front row with all of the peeps. But at new gen this year I got into it. I had a little boogie in my seat. Discreetly, of course. But not discreetly enough that someone from across the runway sent me a snap of it. Oh well. The models were definitely into it as they oozed swag down the runway. If it's good enough for them...

7. All my dreams have come true. The Madisons brought back #overheardatnzfw on a blog post and it's glorious. This was my favourite part of fashion week for years now and you can still see all the tweets here. Prepare for some LOL's.

8. Ended the week on such a high note after Huffer. I am completely besotted to millenial pink and red combos now! Also that after party. I haven't partied that hard since moving (actually a lie. It was the NZ Social Media Awards the week before fashion week and that was a big night too) and I've forgotten how much I love to party. I got down with the #youth and shit (is it still cool to get down nowadays? Asking for a friend) and ended the night with a celebratory Mcdonald's feed - cheeseburger combo, 20 pack chicken nuggets and all - and waited for an Uber outside Britomart. That was another mission and a half!

9. Absolutely loved being part of #teamthread! While I've occasionally written for Thread over the years, it was so nice to spend the week writing for her. I've forgotten how much I loved writing and stringing words together, and how much I thrive in fast paced environments. Once upon a time when I was a magazine editor, I lived for the rush of articles with a quick turnaround and writing about things as soon as it happened. Thank you, Megan, for the opportunity. I am so grateful!

10. Perhaps the best part of fashion week for me is the inspiration to create. To celebrate the art of it all. Because fashion is probaby my favourite form of art. Everytime I attended a show, I couldn't help but be in awe of the fact that I was literally stepping into someones vision and seeing that come to life. What an honour, that is. I wasn't going to go this year as I had just started a new job and didn't want to take time off work so I didn't register for delegation, so I'm truly humbled by the invites. Thank you to the designers. I've seen first hand what goes on behind the scenes, and know the hard work and time and effort and heart and soul that goes into a show so thank you for letting me be part of that. What an absolute privilege it is to be a tiny spectator in all of this.

Huffer is #twodecadesdeep

I drunk texted myself at 4:41 am and said "Huffer puffer. We huffed and we puffed". Even in my intoxicated state, I was thinking about writing and I clearly wanted to make that pun happen. Hey, it's not my fault Huffer sounds like puffer. And boy were there puffer jackets for days. 

This was my last show for New Zealand Fashion Week this year so I was ready to go hard. This one had an after party and then an after after party! I haven't had a big night like that since moving to Auckland (actually no, I lie. The week before fashion week was the NZ Social Media Awards and that turned out to be a pretty big night too) and it felt so good to just dance like I was 18 again. The night ended with a delicious Mcdonald's feed and an uber mission to find a friend's car somewhere near the Silos. Top night. 10/10 would do it again. 

Full write up over on Thread NZ. Photo by Annupam. 

K Road Presents

 K Road Presents is a show I look forward to every year. I love K'Rd and its inhabitants and I love the creativity that comes with the territory. The show this year was a bit different, but still very K'rd nonetheless. The video installations varied for each label, and I especially found the Lost and Led Astray to be relatable and so freaking awesome. I covered it for Thread NZ and stole the image from the article as well as I only did Instastories and forgot to save them. Day 3 feels for sure.

Lela Jacobs - Being Idle Being

Lela Jacobs was so goddamn magical and I'm not sure if I'll ever get over it. This wasn't just a show, this was an experience. I left the silos after feeling like all my senses were just so alive. Anyway. I have no words. Well. I do. You can read more here. Photo from Megan Robinson of Thread NZ. Thank you to the team from Plantae for the invite. 

Mitchell Vincent Collection

Mitchell is one of my most favourite people in the world and has long been a dear friend of mine so to say that I'm proud of him is an understatement. Last year, I saw firsthand the amount of work, thought, and heart dedicated to making a runway show work when I helped him out behind the scenes and it's an experience I'll always be grateful for. This time around I was back on the other side of things again, writing about the show for Thread NZ. You can read my full review here. Photo by Annupam. 

New Generation Group Show 2017

Tuesday was all a go for New Zealand Fashion Week Day 2 and boy was she a busy one. I had back to back shows in the afternoon with the last show finishing late in the evening. I was staying closer to the city and as I came home that night, I was buzzing. I had all these stories to write and I aimed for the quickest turnaround possible. The New Generation show was my second one for the afternoon. After rushing from Katherine Victoria, grabbing a quick coffee, and meeting new people, I was on my merry way to this show. See my full review over on Thread NZ. Photo by Annupam. 

Mountfort

Dreamland. The word echoed louder in my head with every model stepping out the runway last monday night. Mountfort's debut effort is every bit dreamy as it is functional. I'm so excited to be writing for Thread again and loving that going to events like these are now way more accessible for me. You can read the whole article here. I found out this weekend that this article was this month's most read piece on Thread so thank you so much X

New Zealand Fashion Week: Favourite Memories Through The Years

With New Zealand Fashion Week just around the corner, I thought I'd reflect on my favourite personal moments from it throughout the years. It's been loads of fun so far and I think a lot of what makes it such a memorable experience for me are the people I've shared these weeks with.

I particularly remember skipping class and piling into a car with friends. We did a cute little roadtrip from Hamilton, and stopped by Mcdonalds at Huntly on the way because food > fashion. I think this was my first ever fashion week since moving to New Zealand in late 2009, and as I sat at the VIP lounge drinking all the bubbles I could (I believe I called it the 'bubs' on the blog too. Cringe ensues.), I not only drank the free booze, but drank in the moment as well. Also note this photo is very 2013 Instagram filter and I love it. 

Oh, Sunday

Dunkirk

Let’s make this clear right now – this is not the kind of film where you just sit back, relax, and tune out as the story unfolds. And I mean that in the best possible way.

Heartlines