The weather here in Melbourne has been diabolical of late. One day it is so hot and humid you’d think you were living on the beaches of Thailand (if only!), then the next a cool change comes in and we are pelted with hail, temperatures of 12 degrees celsius and flooding streets! If there is one thing the weather of the last month has taught me, it is always be prepared.  Prepare for an onslaught of air-conditioning, makeup melting off your face, then the drying heat of the Australian sun.

My secret for keeping both my makeup intact and my skin well hydrated is the constant use of a facial mist. Not simply a bit of a water spritz, but a multi vitamin spritz that smells amazing, wakes up my face, sets and re-sets my makeup as well as giving me a veil of delicate fragrance to sleep in.

Their are two products always on hand at home and in my handbag so I’m sharing them with you to help you keep the melting heat or drying winter conditions at bay.

Steal 

The Face Shop, Pure Water Facial Mist. RRP $9.99

This comes in a few different fragrance choices including a fresh ocean type scent. I’ve chosen Jeju Flower which is light and refreshing. It comes in a 70ml plastic spritz bottle, so it meets the standards for carry on luggage at under 100ml. The packaging is light and slender so it doesn’t add unnecessary weight to your handbag.

Ingredients list: (I’m including this as I know many readers have various allergies to products and I believe it is important to make informed choices)

water, butylene glycol, honeysuckle extract, rapeseed extract, glycerin, alcohol denat, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, octyldodecth-16, peg-60, hydrogenated castor oil, ppg-26-buteth-26, peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, ethylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, disodium edta, fragrance.

Splurge

Vani-T Energizing Multi Vitamin Facial Spritz RRP $33.50

Housed in a brushed aluminium canister, this bottle comes in a bit bigger at 100ml, just making the cut for carry on liquids on flights. The canister helps to protect the contents from light which could cause quicker degeneration, and does stop it from heating up in your bag as quickly as its plastic counter part.

The mist itself is divine! Fragranced with Damascas Rose, it quickly become addictive for me and I find myself spraying morning noon and night.

Ingredients list:

Water, polysorbate 20, glycerin, aloe vera leaf extract, vitamin B, Vitamin C, rose damascena flower oil, lemon myrtyle leaf oil, lactic acid, phenoxyethanol, potassium sorbate, benzyl alcohol, citral, eugenol, geranoil, linalool.

Verdict

If I had to choose between the two the Vani-T Multivitamin mist is my favourite, but I save it for my face and décolletage. I find myself using The Face Shop alternative more on my body for a quick refresh as it doesn’t have the same nourishing ingredients as the Vani-T Mist.  If you are looking for that quick pick me up that has the added advantage of nourishing and hydrating your skin, I really recommend trying the Vani-T mist for a handbag must have.

This weeks inspiration comes in the form of footwear. Glorious, artful, marvellous footwear. All of the things I won’t be wearing for a while as I broke my toe on Saturday.

So while I wallow in my self induced misery (I kicked a chair I’d moved and not put back where it belonged), I’ve put together this fabulous list of all the wonderful shoes I want to be wearing and their no less impressive flat counter parts.

Polka dot twins 

Spiked up Sisters 

Friends of Flame 

Glitter Girls 

Jackpot Cherries 

For the circle skirts.

………….

Now I’m off to the shops in the one pair of pool side flip flops I own to try and hunt down something even remotely this stylish!

For many of you this will be your first week back to work or at least back to your usual routine. To help ignite your creative spark when it comes to opening those wardrobe doors, I’ve put together four very different looks. From downtown casual to the stark white minimal of a fresh start; there is something in each of these to give you a different take of your stylistic self for 2012.

Just prior to Christmas, I spent a little time exploring some stores in Melbourne I hadn’t yet had the pleasure of playing in. I was particularly eager to visit a small optical store in Fiztroy with an exceptional collection of vintage glasses; Che Eyewear. Now I don’t wear reading glasses (although I have them, I haven’t worn them in ages) I do have an addiction to buying cute sunglasses.

Given that so many of my favourite cats eye and bejewelled vintage glasses are now being reproduced at alarming price tags; I wanted to find out what was available in the way of deadstock originals. So I spent some time with the wonderful owner of Che, Rose.

Rose and her family own the business and aren’t just your usual optometrists, but serious vintage collectors. Tired of the same old, sub par experiences on offer; Che have created a beautiful boutique experience where choosing the perfect pair of glasses becomes and adventure in style and in time. Inspired by her Great Aunt’s love of a killer frame in the 1940′s, Rose uses images of this lovely lady and her delightful specs all around the business.

I’ll let the pictures do the talking….

Rose was simply lovely, both helpful and knowledgable. In fact she is one of those people you feel you already know, such was our shared enthusiasm for old world designs and quality. All of the stock is new-old stock, which means the frames are in tip top condition for their age and can be fitted with almost any prescription. The price range was incredibly reasonable, and certainly far more kind than many of the (far less impressive) reproductions I’ve seen.

If you wear glasses, including sunglasses; this is one place to add to your Places to Visit list. After all, you can visit Che Eyewear for eye examinations too – a great way to get your eye check bulk billed while in the most pretty of vintage stores!

I haven’t been brave enough to count how many shoes now live in my wardrobe.  I know that there are quite a number that should really never been worn outside of a photo studio for fear of permanent injury… yet I do.  After weeks and weeks on my feet and suffering from the most hideous swollen legs and crippling foot pain, I called an end to stupidity. Could I find cute and comfortable shoes?

Given that I think my podiatrist and osteopath have me down as their future retirement plan, I know I can’t give up my fancy heels; besides which it is too damaging to my psyche. But finding heels of a manageable height with good width, comfortable foot bed and retro looks as well as something I can dance in? The hunt was on.

The problem with so many of the cheap and cheerful shoes out at the moment is that they are just cheap really. There is nothing cheerful about how much pain you are in after an hour or two. When you consider that many of my events mean standing for a 10-12 hour day, then spending another 5 hours on the dance floor, you can imagine how medieval most shoes feel at the end of that!  While I haven’t yet put these through the ultimate test of one of those events, I have worn them for a 5 hour straight session of standing up on ‘stage’ presenting. And they didn’t kill me!

Shoes – Wittner - “Mood” in black or red suede. (Damn you internet shopping, I found another three gorgeous ones on the site while just looking for this link!)

Price – $159.95

Available – Instore and online

Features – Ankle strap (a must have for dancing), sturdy square design heel, cushioned foot bed, black suede with self bow.

Comfort Factor – Very good! I bought these with the express purpose of not being crippled after a 10 hour stun of standing at events. So far, they aren’t as good as flats of course, but right up there with the more comfortable end of heel wearing.

If there is something you’ve been dying to find to fix your vintage wardrobe, but just haven’t found; add your request and let’s see if we can find you your own Vintage Style Find o’ the Month.