Cart Curator #32 - Bring Back Black Friday Stampedes
A Miu Miu dupe, Christmas homewares to nail your tablescape and a $1K knick-knack
Hi CC friends,
Jessica celebrated her birthday over the weekend, which involved a jam-packed social calendar including Nicole coming down to Brisbane.
We did drinks at Gerard’s Bar to celebrate Jess (this was a last-minute venue after the original was cancelled the day before lol) and a recovery breakfast at Industry Beans in Newstead - which is a favourite of ours. Make sure to order the Iced Matcha which was soooooo good - not too sweet, not too earthy.
And lastly, thank you for all your great feedback on the gift guide, we love that you enjoyed reading it as much as we liked putting it together.
Enjoy,
You Asked For It
This week's YAFI comes from multiple requests for work and uni bag options which honestly is a hard one because everyone has such different needs and I feel like when you are younger you would happily opt for something less functional and maybe even a pain to carry around for the sake of looking trendy. However, as you get older and have to cart around a laptop on public transport, the balance between chic but also practical becomes much more important.
First up is, you guessed it, our favourite bag that we both own the July Everyday Large Tote. We will die on this hill, this is the ultimate travel and work bag with dedicated spaces for your laptop and water bottle plus other pockets and a zip closure. This bag is just super practical and honestly doesn’t look bad for the office either especially given the new range of colours that have just launched including the dark brown (below). Something to also mention is that this bag is machine washable, and if you've ever had your lunch spill in your back you will be counting your blessings that this isn’t leather.
Next, we have the Emilia Large Tote from Oroton which fits into the mid-range price point and is available in both black and camel. The tote is pebble leather and has a zip closure as well as internal pockets for keeping all your work essentials safe. You can never go wrong with Oroton.
Lastly, we are throwing in an option that is definitely on the pricey side for anyone out there who is happy to spend a bit more on an item like this. The A-ESQUE Grocer Tote Deluxe is Italian soft pebble grain aniline leather with a suede lining and x2 internal zip pockets. Leaning towards the more fashionable than practical, this bag will still fit a laptop and all the essentials while still looking beautiful - one to be more careful with if you want to keep it looking in good shape.
Have a YAFI? Leave a comment or get in touch directly at cartcuratorsubstack@gmail.com
Popshop
Our favourite pop culture or industry moment of the week.
We (our bank accounts) barely made it through this year of the BFCB sales which had us discussing. Why does it feel like they get earlier, bigger, more chaotic, and overwhelming every single year?
ICYMI (which is nearly impossible with the volume of texts and emails from brands) Black Friday is an annual shopping date when retailers offer large sales and discounts to kickstart the Christmas shopping season. The OG Black Friday was a one-day-only event, where many brick & mortar retail stores significantly reduced their items - specifically technology, white goods, and homewares - which saw hoards of Americans running over each other to get their hands on the limited offerings.
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Honestly, we feel it is time to bring this energy back because now the Black Friday madness has gone too far. It started with the introduction of Cyber Monday, a follow up date to encourage online shopping, but has since then continued to grow and grow and grow until it has now the four-days have become even bigger than Boxing Day.
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These days Black Friday sales are predominantly online, with retailers vying to cut through the noise of the millions of other promotions available to shop by trying to outdo each other. This means each year we see bigger sales, which start earlier and earlier before Black Friday every year, and it feels like a competition on who can get there first with the best offer. Honestly, it is madness and this year when combined with the need to save where possible (cost of living crisis etc etc, etc), we were more overwhelmed than ever which only resulted in decision paralysis.
But, it clearly works as a cash injection for retailers, with online sales up between 10-25% from last year. In fact, Shoppers were tipped to spend over $6.3 billion on the BF sales this year up 3 per cent on last year, according to research by the Australian Retailers Association shared on AFR.
We’ve both been addressing our shopping habits this year, which we’ve spoken about in a past issue, as there is nothing worse than feeling like you’re being chased up the hill by a “limited-time only” sale and scarcity mindset that the item is going to sell out before you get your hands on it.
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If you feel like you missed out on buying something or are just feeling overwhelmed by the whole experience, you’re definitely not alone out there. Take a deep breath and wait until Boxing Day, because here we go again.
Do you think the BF sales are getting sillier? Or did you score some excellent deals? Let us know!
Add to Cart
What’s sitting in carts, or what’s been checked out.
Jess
Love Stories Chrissy Boxershort-Style Shorts
Like the rest of the world, I’m currently Miu Miu obsessed (a previous lottery win item may or may not have made its way into my cart during Black Friday) but for the most part, a lot of the items are something I would never buy because they fit into the trend-led vs classic piece category and as a result do not warrant the price tag.
Love Stories have always been a favourite of mine and these silky boxer shorts definitely lean heavily into the Miu Miu aesthetic at a fraction of the price. I don’t know if I’m trendy enough to style these into a look meant for the outside world, even with endless inspo from the likes of @rachelle.rowlings so these would be destined for my sleep wardrobe which I wouldn’t be mad about.
P.Johnson Red and Off White Team Cap
I love everything that P.Johnson does including this jacket that I have been lusting after (not going to happen) and today they have released their newest drop of their caps. I love the two tone design and these are perfect for every season styling them with leisure wear or for the beach in Summer or with sneakers, jeans and an oversized coat in Winter. You can’t go wrong.
NOTE: this hat has already sold out (yes even with launching this morning). But, keep your eyes peeled for a restock/the next drop!
Nicole
Jo Malone Pine & Eucalyptus Candle
As I live interstate to my family (and my partner lives overseas from his) I’ve come to realise that it is going to be rare that the month of December, and Christmas, will be spent in my own apartment. For this reason, I just can’t justify spending and buying Christmas decorations and definitely not a tree. When I came across this festive candle from Jo Malone I immediately knew that this Christmas morning inspired scent would be the perfect way to bring that Holiday feeling into my apartment. Am I delusional or is $115 for a candle not that bad?
If you’ve been stuck with the pleasure (or pressure, depending on how you view it) of hosting Friendsmas or Christmas this year than run to Kmart because their Christmas dining range is *chefs kiss*.
These pink and red wavy placements are only $7 for a set of two, and there is also a matching table runner for only $10 and these fun napkins at $5 for a 4 pack. These are festive, whilst not being too red/green/sparkly with snowflakes/penguins/reindeer that mean you will be able to re-use these during the year. They are also very reminiscent of some of the other wavy placements and table settings you can get for about 10 times the price.
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Beauty Counter
Prod of the week.
Jess
Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blur + Smooth Tint Stick
I’m gradually starting to test out more and more Fenty Beauty and I cannot say how impressed I am with everything I’ve tried so far and the Eaze Drop Blour + Smooth Tint Stick is no different. I’m not usually a stick base product gal because in my mind a stick foundation often equals heavy coverage and a cakey finish but this product could not be any further from that.
To apply this one I put a stripe on each cheek, down my nose, across the forehead, and my chin, then use a big fluffy bronzer brush to blend and I’m left with a beautiful, lightweight, and luminous finish in all of 30 seconds. Fenty Beauty’s shade range is also doing what all beauty brands should already be so a great brand to support.
Nicole
Mecca Max Mini Mix Eyeshadow Palette in Disco Friends
You all know how much I love the Mecca Max makeup range. It’s unbeatable for fun, price and quality. When I was perusing in Mecca over the weekend, I was instantly drawn to this 6-shadow palette because of the iridescent two-toned green shade in the top right corner. It comes out a little sheer, and just a sweep of this across the eye-lids will instantly transform your make-up into a party appropriate look.
It is also the perfect colour for my brown eyes, with the flecks of green shimmer. There are also two matte shades in this palette which gives some more everyday options. I’ll definitely be wearing this to all my various Christmas parties and events. The quality of the shadows (buttery, pigmented, easily blendable) are actually very excellent given the $20 price point (great for a Chrissy gift too). Bring back the eyeshadow palette honestly (but also don’t judge for me how many I own/don’t use).
One to Try
Recent openings and discoveries.
We’re clearly really starting to get into the Christmas mood (Jess has actually had her tree up since early November), and would going to see Love Actually in Concert not be the most perfect Christmas date night? Essentially, they play the movie (which you should be watching in December at some point anyway) and have a live symphony orchestra perform the soundtrack whilst you watch. Tickets are available in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and NZ between December 15 - 24 and start from $60, which you can buy here.
Lottery Win
A girl can dream.
Ooft. I (Jess) love an unnecessary knick knack so this natural stone tic tac toe set is screaming out to me. This actually came about after looking for an elevated games board to form part of my lounge room decor but at over $1,000 this one is out of the question for the foreseeable future.
IYKYK
Super specific recs and niche hyper-fixations.
If you are anything like we used to be, we used to exclusively buy wine based on how chic and fun the labels were. Now, not saying we don’t instantly gravitate to the coolest label on the shelf, but without a doubt we will always use the app Vivino to ensure we’re picking up a bottle that is at bare minimum also going to taste good. Vivino is an easy to use app (the world’s most downloaded wine app apparently) where you simply snap a photo of the label of a bottle of wine while perusing the bottle shop and it instantly spouts out a user-reviewed rating.
We go for anything over a 4 (which is pretty rare to find at under $50), but you can also see the taste profile and more detailed reviews. It is such a game-changer, and will quickly change up your wine buying experience.
If you’re new to Cart Curator, take a read of some of our recent editions.
Cart Curator #31 - Our 2023 Holiday Gift Guide
Cart Curator #30 - Alice McCall's Fashion Faux Pas
Cart Curator #29 - Let's play catch up on the Kardashians