Cart Curator #56 - Roxy's Big Bootcamp Boo-Boo
Why the PR maven is coming under fire, a Kmart beauty rec and a new sneaker purchase.
Hi CC friends,
Jess is currently in Sydney for AFW, and we attended our first AFW last night with an event for CC favourite Mode Mischief.
The brief was 90’s minimalist, and we did a recap on the Cart Curator Instagram. Again, shameless plug, please do give it a follow.
Enjoy,
You Asked For It
Our YAFI this week comes from a reader who is chasing a chic, but also affordable belt. We all know that a belt is a wardrobe essential, but even more so in the cooler months where we lean into jeans and trousers. I (Nic) am also a big fan of cinching in a jacket or blazer with a belt.
Up first is a recommendation from CC favourite & Other Stories. Their Leather Waist Belt is $99 and is as classic as you can get without going boring.
This is 100% leather and in our opinion if you are going to drop more than $50 you should be paying for a leather fabrication. Big fan of the flat edge of the buckle, which can add a little something to your outfit.
If a square buckle is more your kind of thing, this Classic Leather Belt from Cos is simple, yes, but not basic. At $89 again this may be a splurge for some, but is 100% Italian Leather.
Next, for something a little more trend-led we have this Organic Slim Belt from Witchery. Big fan of the bean like buckle and the skinner silhouette, which look great styled with a blazer like the image. At full price this is under $130, but at the time of writing is 30% off at The Iconic. P.S.A Witchery’s latest winter collection is very good, one to watch.
Lastly, I know we were searching for affordable options but I just couldn’t resist including this YSL Oval Buckle Thin Belt. Am I delusional or is $480 pretty good for a designer belt, particularly one as classic as this?
Drop us an email (cartcuratorsubstack@gmail.com) or comment to have your YAFI answered!
Popshop
Our favourite pop culture or industry moment of the week.
What to do when a seasoned PR ends up in a PR crisis of her own?
This week we wanted to discuss how PR maven Roxy Jacenko has come under fire on social media due to a controversial high-value giveaway she was running in conjunction with her Bootcamp program.
As PR’s, we’re very familiar with Roxy Jacenko but if you aren’t as familiar with her, she made a name for herself on the scene originally through her PR business Sweaty Betty, and has ended up amid many a scandal over the years (does anyone remember the mystery poo jogger - or too niche?).
Onto the current drama.
With the soft closure of her PR business and the move to Singapore with her family, Roxy set her attention to her marketing and business bootcamp program: Roxy’s Bootcamp: the “ultimate online courses for those wanting to build, level-up and grow their brand and business”.
To grow her platform, Roxy was running a giveaway that offered people the chance to win a $10 million home in Sydney’s beachside suburb Cronulla, with runner-up prizes including a Rolex and a Hermes Birkin Bag. To enter, you had to purchase access to the bootcamp, starting at $29 for one month access (one entry), up to $499 for 36 months of access (equivalent to 500 entries).
Immediately questions were raised as to how Roxy’s Bootcamp could afford to give away such high-value prizes. After some digging from sleuths in the T&Cs, it was revealed that only a small number of entrants could actually go on to win the house. It transpired that an entry bought you a ticket into another pool, a second lucky dip which was managed separately. So the chance of winning the major prize was 1 in 31,125. Clearly, many felt duped. I will say that with a quick Google, the odds of winning the lottery (8 figures) here in Australia is 1 in 8,145,060. Food for thought.
With Roxy cleaning in the firing line, she jumped on her socials to explain, provide an update and share that she will be personally refunding all 7,000 entrants.
To recap: she’s so stressed she’s down to 49KG, the trade promotion came off the back of a DM from two randoms who had the idea to run the giveaway, she then entered into a business partnership with those two, she felt uncomfortable with the idea from the get-go, and now she will be personally refunding all 7,000+ entrants to right the wrongs.
Following this, the other two partners who co-own Roxy’s Bootcamp and were apparently the masterminds behind the giveaway quickly responded. They claim her video is misleading, and their relationship with Roxy has completely deteriorated since partnering, including her locking them out of all Roxy’s Bootcamp socials.
“Her accusations that we do not intend to give away the prizes or pay the guaranteed $250,000 prize are simply wrong and defamatory and are extremely concerning to us.
'Just because she wants "out" of this business does not mean that the public should not get the benefit of a prize draw they signed up for”.
Roxy is yet to respond. Stay tuned as this will most likely play out as publicly as possible (luckily for us).
Add to Cart
What’s sitting in carts, or what’s been checked out.
Jess
I have always been a fan of the Converse One Stars but this suede version quickly made their way into my sneaker collection. This pair are now a staple in my everyday wardrobe with their slightly more platform sole which makes them super comfy to walk in vs something like the Adidas Samba or even regular Converse which can often feel like you are walking barefoot (not in a good way). I’ve been loving styling these with a baggier pant (one of the exact pairs I will go into below) and a hoodie or cardigan as the weather cools down for something super casual and comfy.
These pants were an in-store find for me which I feel is becoming a rarity for Zara with the chaos that is their shop floor. I have been hunting for a pair of casual throw-on pants that are a bit more inexpensive and look good with a tee, hoodie, knit etc, and these have filled that gap in my wardrobe and I haven’t been able to stop wearing them since.
Nicole
Another cardigan rec from me after the Glassons option last week (which you guys seemed to like based on the clicks).
This cardigan is the perfect winter option for a “jeans and nice t-shirt” top. Don’t let the styling on the website fool you, this cropped number would be much better paired with dark-wash denim or leather pants.
Simple and elevated. TICK.
Poppy Lissman Slaydrian Sunglasses
Jess actually included this in a Winter Wishlist she created for me on Carted, and as soon as she shared it with me I knew I needed these.
Aside from the ridiculous name, these are so chic and classic. You can’t go wrong with tortoiseshell frames, and the rounded frames are right up my alley. I currently only have one pair of sunglasses at my disposal, so I think these will be a desperately required purchase for my wardrobe. If you’re someone like me who prefers simple outfits for the everyday, sometimes all it takes is an accessory, like sunglasses to elevate your look - which these would do.
Beauty Counter
Prod of the week.
Jess
Kmart OXX Cosmetics Makeup Organiser
Okay slightly random one from me and not technically a beauty product but a new one for me that has been a godsend for my lack of organisational skills and for keeping me tidy while travelling. Following a product explosion on my last international trip, my multiple makeup bags have been retired and I was in search of a new storage option for makeup and brushes however with all the fancy options out there that promise the best storage solutions this is just one thing I won’t be spending $$$ on.
I picked up this organiser from Kmart which is just one big compartment and the bag itself was next to nothing. Given the one big compartment, it’s surprisingly easy to find all of your products and even easier to tidy up after meaning fewer products sprawled across the hotel countertops which I am always guilty of.
Nicole
I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest OUAI fan and had a slightly traumatic incident with their recent launch - the Hair Gloss - so when I was gifted this from a friend (shoutout Issy!) I was a little sceptical at first.
Sure, I’d tried the shampoo/conditioners and have dabbled in the fragrance offering, but nothing had ever stuck in my routine. I’m currently in between Keratin appointments, having stretched right to the end of my 6-month span in between treatments, which means my hair is back to its frizzy, difficult-to-tame self. A generous 5-6 spritzes of this on my damp hair pre-blowdrying has made a world of a difference, and it also has the iconic OUAI scent (I will say they do scent well).
Leave-in conditioner is not a haircare step I usually have, typically going for an oil to smooth post-wash, but I have been very impressed with this one.
One to Try
Recent openings and discoveries.
I (Jess) am a self-proclaimed ramen fanatic and could eat this multiple times a day (my favourite is a classic Tonkotsu). This new ramen restaurant is giving real Japanese vibes complete with their ticketed ordering system and has been drumming up a huge amount of people keen to try it out (as you will see below).
One I’ve added to my list and will need to try urgently.
Lottery Win
A girl can dream.
Maison Viltier Magnetic Diamond Ring
As of late I (Jess) have been obsessed with adding new rings to my jewellery collection and this diamond ring from Maison Viltier has captured my attention. The 18k gold and diamonds aren’t too in your face, okay they are slightly but I feel this would be such a classic everyday piece to work into a ring stack.
Consumables
What we can’t stop binging.
We loveeeeeeeeee a phenomenon that takes Tiktok by storm and shows the power of the platform and what the creators on it can do. The latest trend to grace our (and we’re sure your) FYP came from @girl_on_couch and what started as a joke has quickly become what is going to be the song of the Summer (or our Aus Winter).
Okay so you can see the original video below and this alone is a banger and has been stuck in my (Jess) head since first viewing it. We’ve also included a couple of our favourite remixes for your listening pleasure.
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IYKYK
Super specific recs and niche hyper-fixations.
I (Nic) stayed at an Airbnb over the weekend for a wedding and when I went to make myself coffee in the AM they only had this as an option. Tempting I thought, I never treat myself as I’m usually a black coffee kind of girl (the shittier the black coffee the better IMO, give me one of those pots that's been sitting in a diner all day American style).
Anyway, this was such a treat that when I did the grocery shop this week I picked up a packet as a fun winter morning warmer in place of a cafe bought coffee - so also cost of living appropriate.
If you’re new to Cart Curator, take a read of some of our recent editions.
Cart Curator #55 - The only Met Gala Recap You Need
Cart Curator #54 - Call Her Married
Cart Curator #53 - Hot, not Cold, for Katy Perry
Cart Curator #52 - One Year of CC!!
Cart Curator #51 - In collaboration with Gaby Howard