Instant Goddess gets red-carpet chic with fancy frocks, luscious locks and a good old workout for the cutest Oscars party in town

The week kicked off in true Instant Goddess style with all the glamour and glitz of the Oscars and of course, our annual Baby Oscars Breakfast. For those of you unfamiliar with our Oscars Breakfast you have to dress your little one in costume from one of the nominated films. This year provided slim pickings for our dressing-up box, so we ended up with our fair share of tigers from the Life of Pi, a couple of Indians, one Queen Elinor from Brave, one Unchained cowboy, a few Zero Dark Thirty combatants and possibly a French peasant. A motley toddler crew, as I’m sure you’ll agree! And in true Hollywood style, there was even the obligatory punch-up; no handbags at dawn over a gold statuette for our A-list, just a good old fashioned wrestling match over one red double decker bus.

‘Zero Dark Thirty’ checking their weapons before they leave for the red carpet;
a tiger with the controversial red double-decker.

‘Life of Pi’ superstars.

‘Gracie Unchained’ on the red carpet, and ‘Queen Elinor’ from Brave ready to hit the red carpet in all her finery. 

Virgos Lounge

Keeping to our theme of glitz and glamour, I’ve come across a fabulous, show-stopping UK label called Virgos Lounge.  Focusing on occasion wear, it’s all about exquisite beading, embellishment, pops of colour and eye catching design… definitely red carpet-worthy in Hong Kong! But one word of warning; these dresses are selling like hot cakes as they are so affordable, so by the time you read this your particular object of desire might have sold out. If so, watch them on Facebook for updates on new stock. You pay only £10 (approx $120) for international delivery – simply select the International10 shipping option on checkout. Virgos Lounge is one to watch, so fastest finger on the mouse, Goddesses! 

From left to right: Caroline Dress $1170, Denise Dress $1120, Midnight Blue Dress $1050, Andrea Dress $920.

Tangram

So enough of the black tie dressing, what are we going to wear now? Local label Tangram, a firm Sassy favourite for its bold use of colour and striking patterns, has recently launched its Spring/Summer ‘13 collection.

My favourites from the lookbook are below and in particular I am loving the orange print shorts and pink shirt in the same print, obviously not worn together (although if you’ve got legs like mine you won’t be sporting the shorts any time soon) but you can definitely give the shirt a whirl!

Left to right: 1. Louise long sleeve tunic $1500, Isa silk shorts in orange dash print $1500; 2. Vanessa long sleeve silk shirt in pink dash print $1800 and Jules palazzo pant in beige $1600;
3.Vanessa long sleeve blouse in pewter grey $1300, Mina short skirt in black $1,500. 

Also worthy of closer inspection are the long tunic shirt and wrap Palazzo pants, below. The shirt is complete with a painstakingly hand stitched back panel across the shoulders. It comes in cream, aqua, colbalt blue and yellow. The colours really don’t do the shirt justice here – in real life it’s a fabulous striking cobalt blue and next door is its yellow counterpart tucked in; but the yellow I saw in the studio is a zesty sunny bright yellow. The “Jules Palazzo Pant” wrap trousers are also worth a second look – below in black and petrol blue and above in beige – they are also available in a toasted tobacco (think terracotta). I’m assured by Tangram’s designer, Paola Sinisterra, that they are super comfy and extremely flattering.

Long sleeve tunic made from viscose and cotton $1500, and Jules palazzo wrap pant in tencel, linen and rayon $1600.

Check out Tangram, also on Facebook. Or email [email protected]

Massimo Dutti

One of my favourite Hong Kong high street labels, Massimo Dutti also gave a preview of its Spring/Summer ‘13 collection last week.

Looks that will work now

From left to right: 1. brown jacket $2490, white long sleeve linen T $290, black pants $890, brown sandals $1290, sunglasses $690; 2. shirt $690, jeans $690, brown leather bag $1990, suede moccasins with tassel $1290; 3. blue shirt dress $1290, brown leather bag $2490, sandals as before; 4. shirt $690, trousers $890, bag $1990.

Worth closer inspection

From left to right: 1. silk shirt with zip $690, cream straight trousers $690, two tone court shoes with chain $1290; 2. striped top with pockets$890, stretch trousers $690 3. water green pleated silk shirt $650, white cropped twill trousers $690 4. navy cotton crochet top $590, white cropped trousers $690, braided slipper $1290

Oh, what to accessorise with?

As always the accessories at Massimo are always worth a gander and these in particular warrant closer inspection.

 Two tone court shoe with chain $1290, aviator acetate sunglasses $690, crocodile print clutch $690.

Hair

Now if you’re a regular of Instant Goddess you’ll know that we LOVE a bit of instant gratification and shortcuts to glam. So when, I discovered British Hairdresser Zoey Findlay, who comes to your home (or you can go to her place in Happy Valley) I thought it only right to share her details with you. Especially because her prices are so REASONABLE! Also even though I’m a brunette myself I’m ALWAYS getting asked about recommendations for hairdressers that are good at blonde hair colour, and although only recently established, Zoey already has a loyal following of blondes over the moon with their colour at a fraction of the price that they would pay in a HK salon.

Price list is here.

Call 6899 2560 or email [email protected] to book an appointment.

Let’s get physical 

Now, I do love a bootcamp and there’s a new one in town. If you’re looking to shift that baby weight or just lose some general wobble then this is for you. It’s run by Caroline Coombs who specialises in Pre and Post Natal fitness. Having a 1 year old baby herself, and putting on a not-to-be-sniffed-at 31kgs when she was pregnant, Caroline fully understands the pressure we put on ourselves to shift that baby weight. She says she is “living proof that no matter how much weight you’ve put on, you can and you WILL get back to the weight you were before, and I make it my mission to help anyone who wants it!”

She promises a ‘good as new’ body with her Bodyback Bootcamp Sessions which will improve your current fitness level, improve strength and conditioning and build muscle to literally burn that fat off you, Goddesses! The sessions are held outdoors and primarily consist of using your own body weight and interval training exercises, inspired by METAFIT training which is currently taking the UK fitness world by storm. Sessions are suitable for all fitness levels as every exercise can be adapted accordingly, for both men and women and for all ages.

Caroline says, “you need to be prepared to work hard but in return you WILL see RESULTS!” So don’t say we didn’t warn you about the hard work bit!

Best of all is the bargain price. Caroline is running an introductory promotion of only $1,000 for 10 sessions to be used within 3 months and should you introduce a friend who also signs up for 10 sessions, you will receive 2 free!

Sessions are held on Tuesdays at 8pm in Hong Kong Park, and Thursdays at 8pm in Happy Valley. Start date is to be confirmed, so please email Caroline at [email protected] or call her at 9438 9558 if you are keen to join.

Midweek Meal Inspiration

This week I give you: Chicken Scaloppine with Pancetta & Mozzarella from our friends at Australian Good Taste. This one is not only simple to make, but simply delicious. The classic, fail-safe combo of tomato, basil and melted mozzarella once again doesn’t disappoint and is oh-so-comforting. And of course, it’s not too taxing to make and can be ready in a flash. Full recipe here.

Yogi Tea saying of the week: “In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends.”

Instant Goddess saying of the week: “I’m digging deep in the face of adversity… shopping is so much easier than dealing with people.”

Until next week Goddesses, remember you are ALWAYS worth it! XX