Glamablog by Anna Christie - Sydney, Australia

For glamorous thinking women, aged 20 to 100.

Friday 27 May 2011

Moroccan Oil versus Kerastase Elixir Ultime

Moroccan Oil    
My hair is naturally wavy, salon coloured, and regularly exposed to stresses which include salt water, bright sun, sauna, occasional chlorine from pool swimming, and sometimes blow drying or straightening using my GHD hair straightener.
Coloured, treated and stressed hair needs more than conditioner and I always have on hand a good quality intensive hair treatment that really boosts the quality of my hair. 
(Note that the following advice will be of no interest perhaps to women with very oily or limp hair who  do not need to add moisturising products, and look to other solutions to normalise their hair - such as vinegar solution or beer rinses.)
About a year ago I started hearing lots of buzz about Moroccan Oil, from friends who were claiming amazing conditioning results from the hero product.
Friends with dry, wild, wavy or frizzy hair were reporting that Moroccan Oil smoothed their hair and gave it softness and shine. Battling as I do with similar hair problems, I had to try it.
Everything I heard about Moroccan Oil was true - it’s a great product. Unlike other smoothing products it is an oil, not a cream, not a silicone product, and not one of those sticky gel/cream hybrids, of which there are many, and which are mostly disappointing.
It is based on argan oil, from the Moroccan argan tree. Apparently this has been used by North African women for a very long time, and known for its benefits to hair and skin. Soon after Moroccan Oil , a number of other argan oil hair products started to come onto the market.
Kerastase Elixir Ultime - a product comparison
By the time I had finished one bottle of Moroccan Oil, Kerastase had launched its Elixir Ultime, which also contains argan oil, as well as camellia nut oil. (Camellia nut oil is also a key ingredient in Aesop’s Violet Leaf Hair Balm, one of my all-time favourite hair products - which nonetheless frustrates me greatly over a period of years because I love it and can’t do without it, but hate the jar, small portion size a mere 60 ml, and the price per ml)
Because I love Kerastase hair products,  I was immediately tempted to give it a try instead of the tried and true Moroccan Oil. As they are similar  products, I searched for points of differentiation.
In price, surprisingly Kerastase Elixir Ultime was slightly cheaper. This would not be enough to swing my vote if I preferred the product.
What WAS enough to swing my vote is that Moroccan Oil is a Made in Israel product, whereas Kerastase is Made in Spain.
Israel boycott a personal decision
It’s a personal decision for you whether you choose to use your consumer power to make a statement about Israeli human rights abuses in Palestine or Israel itself.
I don’t agree with Marrickville Mayor Fiona Byrne who has sought to introduce a municipality-wide boycott against Israeli products. I don’t believe the boycott can be imposed or enforced at municipal level, nor should it be.
But I do not understand how Israel, a religion-based State which represents Jewish people, a race which has contributed way more than its size in nearly every form of learning, and human rights, has become such an aggressive, unenlightened and undemocratic nation.  I do, however, have a belief that religion-based States are inherently undemocratic because the adherence to religion is built into their Constitutions and legal systems.
Up to you, but I am sticking with Kerastase.
A cruelty-free note
The Kerastase website says very clearly that the products are cruelty-free and that the parent company L’Oreal has not used animal testing for decades. Some cruelty-free activists argue otherwise, but I have not seen evidence of the claims. That is not surprising, as manufacturers have long hidden hidden their complicity in animal testing by relying on the suppliers of their source ingredients to do the testing.
Nowdays, a representation on Kerastase’s website about cruelty-free would constitute “misleading and deceptive conduct”. In Australia, we have the Trade Practices Act, a national law which contains strong punishments for companies who are found to be deceiving consumers. 
Would L’Oreal would be so sloppy to tell such a lie?

Product recommendation

Kerastase Chroma-Riche hair mask

As I said, a deep conditioning treatment is great when you have dry or coloured hair, or if you want it not to get dry or out of condition.

Kerastase or Frederic Fekkai are my two favourite brands. I find a lot of other hair products are just too highly fragranced, such as Redken.

I am currently using the Kerastase Chroma Riche hair mask, because salon hair colouring is expensive and I try to extend the life of my hair colour by using specialist products such as this.

Austerity note

If you can't afford a commercial product, egg yolk hair mask is amazing, and you can stiff whip the whites and do a simultaneous face mask at the same time - the latter is a proven brightening, firming and boosting skin treatment.

A Greek moment

There's no doubt you have to change the way you dress to suit the local environment. Here I am having a Greek moment, sticking to my love of black in Gail Sorronda for target tank with sequins (a favourite, I also have it in white), Carla Zampatti cotton skirt, gold accessories including my adorable Shy sandals with honeycomb effect block heel - so comfy to wear, yet chic and very different.

The weather, lifestyle, moral standards and local fashions cause us to subtly alter our usual Sydney style. Sydney is a city where you have a lot of freedom to express yourself. Also, the people are overall well-dressed and well-groomed in that expressive, unstuffy, occasionally glitzy and unrestrained Sydney way. Sydney my home town, I love you and the freedom you give me to be who I am and to express myself every day in my appearance.

Here I am having a Greek moment, a feature of which is high maintenance hair. Sure, the Greek women have cut back on hair maintenance since the Greek economic crisis hit. The prevailing crisis has caused job losses, dramatic pay cuts and even substantial pension reductions. Some university academics are having to wait weeks to get paid. Nevertheless, when in Rome do as the Romans do - or, when in Athens go to an Athenian hair salon and get a Greek style "do".

After the week swimming and sailing, with no comb or brush, my hair well-doused with conditioning treatment and UV protecting gel, it was undeniably wild and unruly, as you can see from the photo.

However, after a visit to the hair salon in Aghia Paraskevi, wild hair turned into Athens hair, complete with Greek style highlights (special note to Angela K, as this is a topic previously discussed by us).








From May to September, it's a hot place where people spend a lot of time trying to stay cool in the summer, so showing a bit of skin doesn't raise eyebrows. Long gone are the days of puritanical, stone-throwing village people and tut-tutting social police.


They do have a tad too much label consciousness, and too much clothing with English slogans, not enough colour and individuality. But they seem to like my kind of individuality.


I love Athens, it's my second home and always look forward to returning there.


As my step-d Annie says, "it's an underrated city", and highly recommended for a visit.

Sunday 22 May 2011

Bruised thighs to be expected on a boat

For those friends who are observant enough to notice my bruised thigh ( and I know you are many), don't worry about me. The rough and tumble of sailing and my attempt to climb on the yacht without the benefit of a ladder ( shore party had forgotten to lower ladder and I had decided to swim back to boat) have resulted in a few dark bruises.


Wardrobe notes include Trelise Cooper cotton red/white stripe jacket and French Connection navy shorts with red Birkos.


Bruised thigh

23 year old denim jacket back in action

Often one hears advice for decluttering one’s wardrobe, which usually includes the exhortation to throw away any garment you have not worn for one or two years, or even in the  case of one self-appointed expert, TWO MONTHS! If you have to throw away clothes that you have not worn for two months, it suggests that you have very dysfunctional shopping behaviour and the wardrobe memory equivalent to the memory of a goldfish.
If I had followed such advice. I would have long ago thrown away the heavy denim Scanlan and Theodore double breasted jacket that has been lying in wait since I last wore it, about 16 years ago. I would not even recall how old this jacket is, if it were not for the custom designed gold buttons with “Scanlan and Theodore 1993” in raised lettering.
1993 jacket makes 2011 come-back
Now, 18 years after buying it, the double-breasted denim jacket has come into its own in a big way, being my main jacket on a sailing trip through the Greek Islands. Sturdy, the perfect weight for chilly spring nights on the yacht or even during a sporty daytime sail with a stiff breeze,  it also worked well for a sunset drink at an island bar, while drinking ouzo on ice and watching the sun go down in the west, and shortly after, the full moon rising in the south east. That was last Sunday night in Hydra.
I do not have a giant wardrobe, and I like to keep things stored well, so what is it about that jacket that made it worth keeping?
It is a well constructed garment, well-stitched and made of a strong dark denim. But these qualities alone were not enough to warrant keeping it. The clincher was the fact that it fastens tight at the high waistline, pushing the bosom up and creating a good silhouette. No butch bomber jacket this, with awkward clumpy stitching and bulky seams. This was a keepable garment.
It was lurking on a large hanger in the depths of my wardrobe when the time came to plan my holiday wardrobe.
Holiday wardrobes are always a challenge I relish. Unlike when at home, with all of your clothes and accessories available to satisfy your every mood, on holidays you have a limited number of items, and a limited palette.

Hydra by night

The travel palette
Much as I Iove summer (and winter) white, it is not a good colour to travel with. Laundry facilities when on the road are never of the level of finesse that I require to maintain my precious wardrobe. White cotton shorts, linen pants and other white/cream garments were straight away eliminated (although I did pack one cream linen and lace dress for parties and special occasions, a Sonia Rykiel naval-inspired white cotton long-sleeved top and a cream stretch ankle length skirt which doubles as strapless dress).
The basic colours of my travel wardrobe are navy, black and red with some highlights. Denim really works.
Red Birkenstock sandals reinforced this theme, along with red nail varnish.
Some primary coloured silk and cotton scarves are providing an injection of colour.
Double-denim - how far can you go?

Anonymous double-denim wearer

When travelling, one may consider wearing outfits that are possibly unthinkable in one’s home town… for example, “double-denim”. Double-denim, the wearing of denim jeans or skirt together with denim jacket, has long been regarded as an unacceptable wardrobe sin. That was until about a season ago, when all the fashion magazines started to promote the look, which had been out of favour since the 1970s.
My foray into double-denim has occurred under the cover of anonymity in foreign places, where I walk unrecognised. I am going to give double-denim a good thrashing and get it out of my system before I return to Sydney.  Actually it’s not too bad in northern Spring 2011.
I do, however, draw the line. When going out with my husband KP, he wore denim jeans too. Hmm...Triple-denim.  A step too far, I think.
There is always something you pack but do not wear
When travelling, there are always a garment or two that are not worn. Packing for a holiday is not an exact science. One never knows exactly what to expect in micro-climates, social occasions, mood, and incidents such as accidental soiling or wardrobe malfunction.
So far, the items that are not being worn are those that are too warm or too formal.
Gaps in the wardrobe can be filled while travelling. I picked up an adorable, delicate layered ankle length cotton skirt from the local market that received a good initiation. It was just 20 euro.

Saturday 7 May 2011

Fashion law update: Collette v Colette

As widely reported in Australian print and television media, Australian fashion designer Collette Dinnigan has launched Federal Court proceedings against Colette Hayman and her company Colette Accessories Pty Ltd for misleading and deceptive conduct in the use of the name - “Colette”.
According to the Collette Dinnigan camp, Colette Accessories “signifies or represents, or is likely to signify or represent, to consumers in Australia” that it represents the Collette Dinnigan brand, and is seeking an order that they stop trading under the name Colette Accessories.
Collette Dinnigan is at the “pinnacle” of the Australian fashion industry, according to influential fashion writer and Editor of Harpers Bazaar Australia Edwina McCann, recently interviewed on a popular evening current affairs program. 
Her achievements are many, as a fashion designer and businesswoman. In 1995 she became the first Australian based designer to present a full scale ready-to-wear parade of fashion garments in Paris - fashion shows in Paris are strictly controlled by the Chambre Syndicate du Pret-a-porter. She won the Australian Designer of the Year Award in 1996 and the Award for Fashion Excellence of the National Retailers Association in 2008. She has an exquisitely appointed boutique in the Sydney fashion hot-spot William Street, Paddington and an equally lovely boutique in South Yarra.
In England, she has designed numerous ranges of lingerie for Marks and Spencer but in Australia she has almost no “high street” brand recognition.
Among the people who would be likely to shop at Colette Accessories, I would say she has limited brand recognition. She is, in fact,  so much at the pinnacle of Australian fashion that people who don’t shop at David Jones designer floor, or follow fashion seriously, would be forgiven for not recognising the label Collette Dinnigan. I tested my theory with a group of women aged in their 20s to 50s and true enough, a substantial proportion shook their heads quizzically and said - “who’s she?”
This in no way undermines her position as a leading Australian fashion designer who, in the early 1990s, was innovative and cutting edge, not so much for radical designs but for radically high quality. She has consistently produced high quality clothing of a certain style. Her trademark design features include sumptuous fabrics, beading and embroidery, and excellent workmanship including very fine seams and stitching of a kind not found on most Australian women’s fashions.
However, Collette Dinnigan does not have a broad range. She really only does formal wear and fine knits, with a very limited range in suiting usually in winter, and she pioneered fabulous limited edition lingerie made from silk satins and rare stretch laces sourced from France. There is no sportswear, no leisurewear and though her sub-speciality is lingerie, she has never to my knowledge ventured into swimwear.
Despite her admirable success, Collette Dinnigan just doesn’t have the broad exposure of many other Australian fashion brands.
Colette Accessories is defending against the claims, and appears committed to preserving its strong retail presence which, when the proceedings were commenced, included at least 19 locations including at the Sydney Central Plaza, 450 George St, Sydney, Melbourne Central, 211 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, 662 Hay St Mall, Perth and the Myer Centre, 91 Queen Street, Brisbane.
Colette with one “l” has fired back, saying that “the applicants have not developed any reputation at all in relation to accessories, under the name “Collette Dinnigan”, “Colette” or otherwise.” 
Colette has a point.
Although Ms Dinnigan's legal claim states that she has been involved in accessories and jewellery, a brief sashay through her store or franchise at David Jones reveals otherwise. There is not much to mention. Furthermore, though the mark Collette Dinnigan has been used in Australia in relation to jewellery since at least 2003, this has been in relation to high-end jewellery such as Autore Pearls, Swarovski crystals and Ellerston Gems.

The Colette Accessories outlets are brassy and tinselly, a kind of more flashy version of the successful Diva cheap jewellery chain. I feel that this undermines her argument that the very cheap jewellery and accessories chain Colette Accessories is likely to be confused with the expensive and very high quality of Collette Dinnigan. 
I am sure it must sting the South African born, via New Zealand, and now Australian fashion designer to hear her name - or a name very much like it - burst onto the malls of Australia’s big cities. 

Whether this is a sound basis for a legal challenge and attempt to shut-down the newcomer business is quite another matter. The claims that Colette Accessories is likely to mislead the public are the centre of the dispute.

I love Collette Dinnigan and have a number of pieces in my own wardrobe, and I am sorry to hear of this messy litigation. Collette could have, if she had wished, made the business decision to go mainstream in Australia, as she did in the United Kingdom. For reasons unknown to me, she did not.  Now, another Colette has done so.
I understand that the matter will be heard by the Federal Court in December, and it should be interesting.
In the meantime, do you shop at Collette Dinnigan or Colette Accessories? Let me know what you think about the likelihood of being confused by the two brands.