Cart Curator #69 - Are you ready for this Jelly (shoe)?
An array of flats from practical to fashionable, another Billie Eilish consumable and the ultimate IYKYK pantry staple.
Hi CC friends,
Jess has returned to Berlin for a couple of days before heading back home to London and settling into a routine (love a holiday but god the lack of structure can make you spiral). If you are interested in seeing what she got up to in Amsterdam you can take a look here - and thank you to everyone who sent over recommendations!
Meanwhile, Nic is still very much in Sydney, enjoying the slight warming of the weather (but not too much, because she is also heading to the snow for a quickie in a few weekends).
AND PSA Carted, the shopping app that we can’t stop talking about (sorry, not sorry) is now available on Android. So if you haven’t been able to try this out, you have to download honestly it will change the way you shop - not that we need to tell you any more.
Finally - we also hope everyone is staying safe out there during Mercury Retrograde. This is us riding out the storm.
Enjoy,
You Asked For It
You Asked For It is back! It feels like it has been a while since we’ve done one of these it feels like. But keep the questions coming through!
Ok, so our YAFI this week is around cute flats. Flats are both of our go-to’s and are slowly becoming just as versatile as a sneaker in our wardrobe. Office? Approved. Weekend activities? Approved. Dressing up? Approved.
Our first recommendation may be a controversial one, with the Iro Sandal from Ancient Greek Sandals.
Jess loves and I (Nic) am just not quite sure yet. Last season we saw the Alaïa rule the shoe game with their mesh flat that saw brands from Alias Mae to Therapy do a take on the sold-out style, but this season is going to be allllll about the jelly sandal à la The Row.
Now The Row version hasn’t launched without a bit of drama with multiple cases of the shoes breaking after the first wear so this dupe from Ancient Greek Sandals may be a better, not just cheaper, option. Watch this space, maybe Nic will change her mind.
Our next recommendation feels like a slightly more palatable version of the jelly flat, with the Natasha Flat from Raye. Cute, simple and fun.
Up next we’re going to a more “basic” option, but let’s be honest - one you will probably get the most wear out of. The Parker shoe from Shop-Pêche, a very reasonably priced brand from New York, comes in black and white, and you can’t tell me these don’t look comfortable, despite not being real leather.
Moving on to our next recommendation, with another unique sandal, the Rosemary Crochet Ballet Flat from Alohas. These would be such a fun option for summer, worn with a light wash denim in jeans, or a pair of shorts - or even a jort to balance out the masculine proportions. I (Nic) haven’t seen anything else like it, and I feel like most shoes just all look like different iterations of each other.
These are also very similar to the $1000+ Magda Butrym crochet flats - win!
Add to Cart
What’s sitting in carts, or what’s been checked out.
Jess
CHARLES & KEITH Wisteria Elongated Top Handle Bag
It’s no secret that I am a fan of the bowling/east-west style bag that we have been seeing continually launch from brands including Prada and Miu Miu. This cost-effective take on the trend is one of the best I have seen to date and it’s from none other than CHARLES & KEITH.
I love that this one has longer straps so it can be worn over your shoulder and not just carried as a top-handle bag which means you will get a lot more wear out of it and repurpose it for more than just events.
After lusting after and deciding to start saving for a Cartier watch for my 30th birthday (which is still a couple of years away mind you) I last year came to the realisation that I don’t need to spend $5k plus on a watch that TBH I probably won’t even wear every day. Once I settled on this I started looking elsewhere for similar styles and settled on a SEIKO that I ended up purchasing in Singapore for well under $1K.
As we have seen this year there have already been a few brands launching some great-looking watches at super reasonable prices and the next brand to do so is CENDRÉ who has released this amazing style in both silver (below) and gold which gives off the vibe of a Cartier. If you are in the same boat as me and don’t know if you will actually wear something like this every day - or maybe you even own an Apple Watch and you are looking for something a bit dressier for different occasions this could be a great option and honestly - people won’t be able to tell the difference.
Nicole
My Mum Made It Babydoll Blouse
Sydney is teasing me with the slightly (ok, only ever so slightly) warmer weather, and it now has me thinking about some key pieces I want to add into my wardrobe this summer.
With the resurgence of Chloe and the modern boho trend, I feel like we are going to see many pieces in this style over the next 6 months.
I love the idea of a babydoll blouse, but it is a piece that can be hard to wear, especially as an adult going into the office. Even though you don’t look like a big baby, you can feel like one. My tip would be to pair it with more masculine items, like a chunky black loafer or baseball cap to balance it all out. Although, this would look equally as cute when worn in a matching set like the image.
Another bag! Remember many, many months ago when we spoke about how we feel clutches are having a comeback? Well, now I am finally ready to purchase one and the Alma Bag from Brie Leon is top of my wishlist.
Whilst the black or chocolate brown would be the more practical options, I just can’t get the silver version out of my head. I will flag this is not leather, but if you are chasing a bag that you can confidently leave on a table next to wet drinks, and are happy to expose to all the elements, then perhaps that is not the worst thing in the world?
Push the strap inside for your standard underarm clutch, or string over your shoulder for a hands-free option. Style inspiration below courtesy of Paloma Crawford on TikTok.
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Beauty Counter
Prod of the week.
Jess
La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water Face Mist
Probably around 10 years ago I was sickly obsessed with this product and would use it in the majority of my extensive makeup application process including to wet the brush before applying highlighter for an intense, bright finish.
Now with a much more minimal routine and in the current sweaty European heat I’m obsessed with this once again to just refresh skin whilst out and about as well as pre skin care for that ultra fresh feeling.
Nicole
Norsca Finger Lime & Gardenia Deodorant
This is a chic recommendation for a very not chic beauty category.
I recently picked up this Norsca deodorant in Woolies, for two reasons and two reasons only:
We ran out of deodorant
It was on sale, and therefore the cheapest option
Now, deodorant just needs to be functional to be good, and this is exactly that but also smells soooooo good. It is finger lime and gardenia, and is just SO good. I’m not sure if Norsca has recently undergo a fancy rebrand, but even the packaging is a step up from your Doves or Rexonas.
We’ve seen a big category overhaul in the toothpaste category in grocery stores over the past few years - think HiSmile and Gem - so is deodorant next? I’ve also seen that Gem, yes the just mentioned toothpaste brand has launched a range of “skin loving” deodorants in scents like Coconut & Vanilla and Vanilla Macadamia. I’m yet to try these, but they sound just as good. If this category is getting a refresh, I’m so here for it.
One to Try
Recent openings and discoveries.
How f****** good is cannoli.
Anyway, Melbourne institution Cannoleria have finally opened their flagship store. Located on Lygon Street (of course) in Carlton.
Previously you could only get your hands on their freshly piped traditional Sicilian cannoli across Melbourne’s Market scene (Preston, Queen Victoria, South Melbourne), but they have finally opened up their own store front.
If you didn’t make it to Italy this Euro summer (don’t worry, neither) then hopefully this can fill that cannoli shaped hole in your heart.
Lottery Win
A girl can dream.
Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Split Ring
The things I (Jess) would do for this ring are incredibly varied and many as my and the worlds obsession with Elsa Peretti continues. To be fair up until recently I had no idea who Elsa Peretti was outside of the Tiffany & Co. collaboration but my recent devouring of all things in the British print space had me reading a feature on the artists life and her other works outside of this collab - definitely worth a read up on her background!
Anyway slightly off topic but this ring has a firm grasp on my mind and this chunky, sculptural style is just such a unique piece that I think would be perfect as part of anyones jewellery collection for years to come.
Consumables
What we can’t stop binging.
At this stage we don’t know anyone who isn’t obsessed and even slightly questioning their sexuality after last weeks release of the Guess remix featuring Billie Eilish.
You know how we at Cart Curator feel about Billie, having devoured her recent Chicken Chop Date episode, but this remix and the accompanying music video has further fuelled the obsession and secured Billie as an it girl of the moment.
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IYKYK
Super specific recs and niche hyper-fixations.
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Okay - you may be thinking well duh. But doing my (Jess) first UK grocery shop had me realise how much of a staple this is for me and how much I really really miss it when I don’t have it in my pantry or even worse - when I am eating out.
Simarlarly to the mini Sirarcha tubes on a keyring that swelled in popularity a few years ago Amazon in the UK has little mini Maldon branded pinch tins that they sell and once I’m back in the UK I will be immediately be checking out for all future travel.
If you’re new to Cart Curator, take a read of some of our recent editions.
Cart Curator #68 - The Fashion Games
Cart Curator #67 - Do we need to stop re-making movies?
Cart Curator #66 - Who Did He Date Not Marry?
Cart Curator #65 - Witchery and Love Potions
Cart Curator #64 - High fashion, goes low-fi
OK but why were my supre jelly sandals cuter than The Row and 90% less???