Cart Curator #46 - What in the Willy Wonka?
How to curate an ear stack, the Paris Fashion Week show we're obsessed with and a Sydney tequila bar.
Hi CC friends,
Jess is finally back from Berlin and managed to score several seats next to her on the plane to get a good 8 hours of sleep and is without jet lag (so far…).
We have had so many lovely emails off the back of our last few issues with feedback. So many of you loved the candle holders Jo included in her collaboration issue last week.
Keep it coming!
Enjoy,
You Asked For It
You know that we love a statement earring here at Cart Curator, and have given many recommendations in the past. This week's YAFI comes from a reader who, like us, is looking for some simple, but not basic, earrings for the other holes in your ear.
Both Jess and I have several piercings on our ears, in fact, I (Nic) actually have 11 across both ears, and we are always ready for more. Whilst we love to switch around the earrings in our firsts, we love to keep the other holes with more simplistic pieces that look chic and cohesive but don’t take away from whatever earring we decide to wear that day. We’ve given you both some of our go-to brands and specific products, so you can either shop our suggestions or have a browse yourself.
Starting with a sleeper that we both have in several holes. They might not look like much but these 24k Gold Plated Sleeper earrings from Lovisa are the perfect basic hoop for your stack. These perfectly hug the ear, and look great both down the lobe or in the upper ear in a helix.
Lovisa’s sensitive ear and surgical steel range (you’ll find them in little cartons like the below image in the store) are such great value if they have several holes to fill.
Our next suggestion is also on the more affordable end. Alana Maria Jewellery has an excellent range of studs, including some great dangly numbers which can add a bit of variation to your typical sleeper or stud - particularly when worn in the mid-section of the ear. Our pick is this Baguette and Round double earring (pictured below) or this Marquise stud which is subtly different. I (Nic) might be biased because of my engagement ring but the marquise is such an underrated shape.
Our last recommendation is Covetear, who also have a Brisbane and Byron studio outside of their online store. Although a bit more on the pricey side, if you can make it into their stores the piercers will help curate your ear for you, so you can make selections based on what will not only suit your current pieces but look great for your ear shape. Thinking about the upper lobe, if you want to make it look like you have more piercings than you do, something like their Diamond Petit Trilogy creates this illusion.
Popshop
Our favourite pop culture or industry moment of the week.
If you’ve been haunted by the Willy Wonka experience in Glasglow that has gone viral, then we give you permission to skip this harrowing story. If this is the first time you have heard of this, then keep reading.
It’s a tale of chocolate (or lack of it), the Unknown (we’ll come back to this) and scam artists. Let us take you on this magical journey.
On the 27th of February, “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” opened in Glasglow Scotland hosted by a company called the House of Illuminati (suss). Ticket holders had purchased the £35 (almost $70 AUD) passes to the “immersive experience” which promised to indulge guests in a “chocolate fantasy like never before”.
“Dive into the whimsical of Willy's Chocolate Experience!, a place where chocolate dreams become reality. Book your adventure now and embark on a journey filled with wondrous creations and enchanting surprises at every turn!” - promised, illiterately, the website.
They weren’t wrong about the expecting surprises part. When the hundreds of parents and their excited children turned up at the warehouse, it was a golden ticket they were holding, it was a one-way pass to disappointment.
Firstly, nothing looked like the AI-generated imagery on the website. The room was vast, with odd props scattered throughout the space.
If you want to see it in all its glory, take a walk through the space.
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Hosts in the form of hired actors guided guests through, where they were introduced/jump scared by the “Unknown”. If you’re thinking - I don’t remember that one from the Willy Wonka movies then you’re not alone, he was a made-up villain for the purpose of the experience - a rival chocolate maker who lives in the walls of the factory. Not at all terrifying for the children.
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Afterwards, kids were taken to what looked liked a meth lab where an Oompa Loompa in a questionable costume served up a single jelly bean and lemonade (yes, no chocolate).
Quickly realising (perhaps it was all the kids crying?) just how badly this was going, organisers cancelled the event about half way through the day. All jokes aside, parents were obviously fuming about all of it, with some even calling the Police to the event. If you want a full recap on the drama, The Cut has a great piece.
Since this has gone viral several of the actors have come out to talk about the experience, which includes AI-generated gibberish scripts, and not being paid.
House of Illuminati director Billy Coull has come out to apologise, blaming “technical issues”. We’re not buying it.
Add to Cart
What’s sitting in carts, or what’s been checked out.
Jess
I have recently become obsessed with all things H&M (especially their latest A/W drop), so much so that Zara has nearly completely dropped off of my radar. I love the biker boot trend that we are seeing coming into Autumn and this cowboy boot feels like a very cool and wearable take.
These boots also retail for only $89.99 which is a great price for this kind of piece even when you compare to Zara which is a similar quality and would always retail for significantly more.
DISSH Stevie Black Bubble Mini Skirt
This is my formal petition to bring back the bubble skirt which is such a fun style that I definitely wore in the 00’s after purchasing from somewhere like Supré. Maggie Marilyn has led the resurgence of this trend in the AUS fashion scene with their green striped style which I absolutely love but for my level of willingness to wear colour I think this DISSH number is more my speed.
I definitely think this is one that I will be purchasing in the foreseeable future and would love to try styling with leopard ballet flats, a tee and cardigan or a leather jacket.
Nicole
Kookai is creating some great work to play style tops (think nice top with jeans) at the moment and this Ariel Buckle Top is the crème de la crème.I love the open back and one shoulder details, and at $130 I think this is fairly good value for such a chic top.
Sizes are very limited online (I’m crossing my fingers for a restock) but I can see that stores are still holding stock.
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Everytime I need to purchase something for the kitchen, I always think there is such a missed opportunity for brands to create aesthetic (but still reliable) products for this part of the home. Asides from the Smeg kettle, pretty much all other categories of your kitchenware essentials are basic and boring - usually in black/white/stainless steel.
I’d seen American cookware brand Our Place on my feed over the last few years, but it wasn’t until they launched into Australia last year that I genuinely considered buying their range. I love that the cookware comes in colours (I personally love the Sage and Spice), and I have their Always Pan 2.0 (their best seller) coming in the post currently.
Beauty Counter
Prod of the week.
Jess
Gillette Venus Snap Extra Smooth Razor 1 Up
Transporting a razor while travelling can be excruciating - especially if you are someone who prefers a head with any kind of moisturising properties that gets sticky, takes forever to dry and proceeds to get everywhere.
I picked this product up in the UK a while ago but it has recently become available in AUS and honestly thank god. Essentially this is a normal size razor head with a smaller size handle that comes in a handy dandy travel case - Gillette, love your work.
Nicole
My Mecca Max Skin Tint (which I’ve spoken AT LENGTH) about how much I love ran out last week, and because I much prefer to buy my makeup in person, I couldn’t be bothered with ordering online (I know, sounds counterintuitive) so I made an emergency trip to Chemist Warehouse to find a temporary replacement.
I've seen this all over social media, and I actually don’t like it when a product is shoved down my throat, but then as a PR I also think that if a company is investing money into PR then they must back the product.
All of this aside, it was about $10 and the Chemist Warehouse was mostly foundations, so this was the only tint I could find. Let’s just say this is comparable to not only Mecca, but other skin tints you would happily pay 7 times the price for. Noting that the tube is small (30ml) and the colour range is lacking, but if you can find your shade it's well worth it for the dewy finish it leaves.
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One to Try
Recent openings and discoveries.
We love tequila, so when we came across the newly-opened Centro 86 which dubs itself as an “Extra-Ordinary” Tequila Bar, we knew we needed to try their five different types of Margarita and 100 hand-selected tequilas (obviously not on the one night).
Located on Pitt Street in Sydney’s CBD the drinking hole comes from the team behind Sydney bars Cantina OK, Bar Planet, Tio’s and The Cliff Dive - so you know you are in good hands here.
Lottery Win
A girl can dream.
LOEWE Double-frame aviator-style sunglasses
I (Jess) am obsessed with these sunglasses and the fun double frame style. I have such a soft spot for a lighter toned tortoiseshell and think these are a cool statement piece to dress up an otherwise boring jeans and a tee outfit.
Consumables
What we can’t stop binging.
If you liked Netflix’s Cheer, then you have to check out this documentary that follows Australian dance academy Brent Street.
I (Nic) danced all through my adolescence so I have some affection for the dance process, but regardless if you are invested in the art or not, it’s a very good watch and you will most likely end up binging it like I did. It’s only 5 episodes, but within that time you get invested in the dancers, their journeys and their lives.
Watch it for yourself on Prime.
IYKYK
Super specific recs and niche hyper-fixations.
If you aren’t across just how iconic the first collection from the new Creative Director at Chloé, Chemena Kamali, we’re here to let you know why you need to know all about it.
As the brand has moved through several head designers (Lagerfield and Philo notably), each bringing their own incarnation to the brand, it feels that the version of Chloé that the fashion world fell in love with is finally back under Kamali.
Her debut collection demonstrated that she completely understands the essence and DNA of the brand, slightly bohemian but with an edge, ethereal and feminine but energetic.
Watch Chloé quickly become the hottest brand off the back of this show.
If you’re new to Cart Curator, take a read of some of our recent editions.
Cart Curator #45 - In collaboration with Joanna Fleming
Cart Curator #44 - Madame Web Bites
Cart Curator #43 - Taylor’s Touchdown
Cart Curator #42 - Sophadopha and Mug-gate