Cosmetics, Carbs and Chit-chat at SSG Manor.


The 3 C’s of a Friday afternoon blog post.  I think there are 5 C’s for diamonds, but I was trying to keep my title short for a change.

Days off usually end up being busier than I think they will be.  They end up being a marathon of things you’ve put off for ages.  Thankfully, today was rather relaxed.  With the heat outside, I had no choice but to take things slowly.

I had my first hot cross buns of Easter 2010 today.  I have been exercising extreme restraint to have kept away from them for this long.  These are the Belgian chocolate ones I bought from Coles yesterday.

Verdict – they need to be subtitled as chocolate muffins shaped as squares with a yeast cross on the top.  They are that rich.  These differ from Coles’ regular chocolate hot cross buns in that the regular ones are still a spicy bread but with choc chips in the dough and a cocoa cross on the top.  These Belgian babies are chocolate through and through.

I shouldn’t have eaten two.  That was being greedy as I’ve had no training with regular hot cross buns or Easter eggs yet.  I had to have a lie down to recover from the sugar and chocolate rush.

Fortnuately, I survived and made it to my hairdresser in Chinatown.  She’s Korean and lovely.  It’s a minimal chat establishment, which I greatly appreciate.  I like sitting down and tuning out for a few hours and sleeping with my eyes open.

The thing about this though is that I find myself very susceptible to magazine advertising and their more than subliminal messages.  I haven’t bought a lipstick in ages, haven’t felt the need or urge.  I haven’t worn any in ages.  But somehow. the hours with Shop ‘Til You Drop and InStyle changed all of this.

Compelling me to walk up George Street to Priceline and walk out again with the exact same shade as advertised on Julia.  For reference, the shade is Red Revival.  I am not blonde or blue eyed so I’m really hoping the shade works or at the very least I receive some kind of Revival.  Perhaps it was my red theme yesterday that did it.

Whatever the reason, perhaps I should be glad that I wasn’t under the influence of InStyle because the first lipstick ad in this month’s issue is rouge Coco.  I have been advised I was practicing false economy in the purchasing of the Maybelline (read and weep, American readers – Maybelline is $17 AUD and Chanel $50 AUD – it is Highway Robbery charged at the inflation rate of Zimbabwe) but I often find myself underwhelmed with my super exxy makeup purchases.  The expectation will be less with a $17 lipstick and perhaps the satisfaction greater.  I get Priceline points too.  

I will report back on lipstick’s Revival abilities and general performance after The Anniversary Dinner.  Which, incidentally, is shaping up to be an extravaganza of epic proportions.  In a manner reminiscent of a Hollywood Event, the dinner will have Conscience.  Becasse is observing Earth Hour tomorrow night.  So we will have dimmed lights (not complete darkness, for ‘safety reasons’) for an hour from 8.30pm.  The other Hollywood element is that I have somehow managed to assemble an entirely new outfit for the evening.  Don’t know how that happened.  More tomorrow.

I sometimes try and be informative and demonstrate some awareness of current affairs in my blog.  So here goes.

Because I mentioned Zimbabwe before, did you know that Zimbabwe printed their first $100 trillion note in January 2009, when the inflation rate was 213 million percent?

I won’t complain then about how my favourite green tea now costs 25% more than it did 4 years ago.  Had to get emergency supplies in Chinatown today.  In the background are my new Ikea spice jars (for my sumac) – $3.49 for 4.  Ikea are big on price freezing and turning back the price of everything by 5 years so I don’t think I made an inflation affected purchase there.

In other news:

I only just found out that my favourite body scrub has been discontinued.  I should have been suspicious when they were going for half price but I am very upset.  It was a L’Oreal one and did everything it was supposed to do at a good price in a practical squeeze tube package.  It turns out L’Oreal no longer make any body scrubs.  First they removed my favourite mascara, Voluminous, from Autralian and South East Asian stores and now this.  I was that mad woman in the Rite Aids of New York City in January 2009 buying Voluminous in Carbon Black like there was no tomorrow.

To their credit, L’Oreal seem to be honest in their advertising.  Have you noticed the fine print in the ad for the new Double Extension mascara?  “Photographed with lash inserts for consistency”.  Yes, sitting at the hairdresser’s when language is a barrier really does make you a more observant reader.

Anyway, I have been brave and have bought an alternate product.  It’s from St Ives (background) – will advise on how it compares later.

The joys of having a decluttered room.  All my pedicure things were in one spot, easy to find and easy to put away after use.  No dramas, just the ability to get the job done.

I haven’t had a cheese scroll from Baker’s Delight in ages.  This is for afternoon tea.  While we were there, Mr SSG and I managed to sample their real Hot Cross Buns.  Will definitely be getting them for Easter – but next week.  I’m recovering from the chocolate version.


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