OOTD- VIP for Oakes Day

Another super overdue Spring Racing Carnival post! This is just a quick recap on my outfit of the day for Oakes Day. For those of you who are not Australian, or even Melbournian, Oakes Day is one of the race meets during the Spring Racing Carnival. The carnival which more famously hosts the Prestigious Melbourne Cup. Oakes Day is traditionally "Ladies''s Day", so the dress code is a little more free than the other meets, so it is  a great opportunity to show your creative flair, and love of colour.

I received a very last minute ticket to Oakes Day, so unfortunately time did not really permit me to search for the perfect outfit. I was treated to a divine day in the fully catered Home Straight Marquee, which is situated in the centre of the racecourse. The food was catered by the Atlantic Group, so it was obviously outstanding. I was also fortunate enough to have my hair and makeup done by a Napoleon Artist and limousine chaffered to and from my home. Talk about a princess day, I felt so spoilt and blessed!

Now... the outfit! I decided to stick to easy black with my backless tank from Bardot, and I teamed this with a pop of rose gold metallic with this stunning Willow skirt, I managed to score last minute. The shoes are a strappy pointed toe find from Forever 21 (BEST $25 EVERRRR). I pulled the look together, tying in the rose gold from my skirt with my accessories. The bracelet which you can barely see in the image is from Mimco, and my clutch (not pictured) also featured rose golds accents. My fascinator was DIY (a result of my frustration of the lack of affordable selection the weekend before the races) .

I had a truly special day and feel so fortunate and blessed to be able to spend it with some pretty great people.


Jen xox

OOTD: Melbourne Cup Mon Bijou Event

Overdue: I KNOW! Apologies for this. I just wanted to give a quick recap on an Outfit of the Day I wore to an event on Melbourne Cup Day. For those of you don;t know, the Melbourne Cup is the crown jewel in the Spring Racing Carnival. It attracts attention from all over the world, as well as an array of swanky guests and on lookers. For those of you who have been, you will know that unless you score a marquee ticket, a day in General Admin can make you wonder why you bothered at all. Those marquee tickets require much planning and organisation to purchase before they sell out (something I do not posses), not to mention the price is quite steep for Cup Day, as this is the main event.

In saying that, I opted out of the General Admission uhhhh "fun", and attended a party celebrating the cup at the luxe venue Mon Bijou. Sipping Chandon definitely beats being pushed and shoved out in the full sun at Flemington.

As I was not directly at the races, there was a little more leeway to have some fun with my outfit and be a little more modern. I wore a one shoulder jumpsuit from Portmans (Serena Jumpsuit), with gold chain belt also from Portmans. Shoes are my beloved patent Louboutins and my clutch is a glo mesh treasure I rescued from my mother throwing into a garage sale years ago. My head piece from Kookai is my favourite part. I felt like Cleopatra for the day!

I am unsure of the exact details of my friend's outfit, although I know the top is Bec and Bridge and the belt is Kookai.

The Lowdown on Balm Cleansers

If there is only one thing I am truly obsessive about in my appearance, it is my skin. I have said this before. Not that there is anything particularly bad about my skin, in fact I have been quite fortunate thus far. I feel like this is all the more reason to take care of it. You can spend countless hours trying to perfect your biggest imperfections, or you can spend less time enhancing the features you have been blessed with. Less time, less dollars. WIN!

In saying this, I am always on the quest for the ultimate skincare routine. Lately my attention has been turned to Balm Cleansers (thanks Caroline Hirons). There has been so much hype in the blogging world recently surrounding these thick consistency cleansers, particularly since Eve Lom's offering rocketed to the top of the lust have list of beauty and skincare junkie world wide. I will admit, I have been wary of the Eve Lom. As luxurious and expensive as it is, it baffles me that this product contains Mineral Oil. (I will blog more in detail on ingredients to watch out for soon). A great alternative which has been also quite hyped, is the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm. This luxurious balm, is still quite pricey, however it does not contain Mineral Oil, so it receives two big thumbs up from me. 

Okay so, what on earth is a Cleansing Balm? These curious cleansers seem scary at first I'll admit. They are thick and oily and pretty much go against everything you were ever told about what you should put on your skin. They are also meant to be massaged into dry skin (whaaaaaat?). After working this product into my skin and around my eyes, check yourself in the mirror. Yes that goopy smudgy makeup mess is you! Giggle. This point in my cleansing routine never fails to terrify my boyfriend, of which I find much enjoyment in. After working this product in and dislodging as much makeup as I can, I wet a face washer/flannel with warm water and start to remove the balm. The texture of the face cloth also gently exfoliates the skin and grips onto the balm for easy removal. This step is crucial. You could simply splash some water over your face, but remember how I said how the cleanser was oily.....? Yes, that's right. Hey, look if your into the oily look by all means, rock the oily residue however you like. For the rest of us who are firmly anti oil, face washers are the way to go. I bought seven, so I have a fresh one for every day of the week. You obviously do not want to be double using a face washer. Mmmmmmmm...bacteria. Now I like to use my Emma Hardie, in the evenings to really help remove all of my makeup. It is amazing as a first cleanse, and I like to follow up with a gel cleanser on my Clarisonic, just to give my skin a good scrub and prep it for the lotions and potions that will follow. 

In terms of my Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm? It is love. The 100ml tub has lasted me several months now and is still going strong. I really don't need too much product. I find that a little really spreads a long way, particularly if you start in the centre of your face where the most makeup is and work in outward. The product is scented with a herbally- citrus scent so I find it very refreshing and pleasant. I find my skin feels clean, but not squeaky and overall has improved the glow in my skin. According to the Emma Hardie website, if left on for 10 minutes this product doubles as a hydrating mask. I love a double duty product! I really recommend this product for all skin types (Oilys don't be afraid!). However if you are on a budget, I have noticed a lot of more affordable options popping up this year so there are plenty of alternatives on the market.

INGREDIENTS: Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-8 Beeswax, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Sorbitan Stearate, Palmitic/Stearic Triglycerides, Limonene, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Silica, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Flower Oil, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Aqua (Water), Lecithin, Linalool, Butylene Glycol, Octyldodecyl PCA, Menthyl PCA, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower Oil, Geraniol, Moringa Pterygosperma Seed Extract, Farnesol, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Disodium Phosphate, Citral, Citric Acid, Citronellol.