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October 8th, 2009Inner Minx, Life Candy
Today is National Poetry day and to celebrate I’d love to share my favourite poem of all time with you, it’s called Phenomenal Woman and it’s by poet, author, activist, producer, actor, director and inspir-o girl, Maya Angelou. I have this poem hanging in the boudoir of the Pink Palace – buy yours here – so that it’s the first thing I read every morning and the last thing I read at night – I love it, hope you do too…
Phenomenal Woman
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a womanPhenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.Care to share your favourite poems, Minxes?
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October 6th, 2009Beauty Queen, Head Over Heels, Prod Love, Want. Need. Must Have.
X Factor is on the teev, it’s finally cold enough to work a dress and tights ensemble, Saturday afternoons are spent curled up on the sofa in PJs reading a book and much, much fun is had keeping warm on a chilly evening with boykind – Ohh October, how I heart you…
Things for you to fall in love with this month…
October is officially my month o’ love – I am at my most sassiest and minx-y throughout Autumn and Winter, so let the love-in commence with this gorgeous LOVE necklace – WANT. NEED. MUST HAVE. £15.00, www.temporary-secretary.com
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October 5th, 2009Girls On Top
Sassy Minxes, enter the Powder Room. A total go-to site where you can shake off the mundane. All you have to worry about is which corset would look best with your new cuban heeled stockings. Or which item of headwear is most complimentary to that beautiful 1940’s reproduction wiggle dress…
So, take a seat over there on the chaise lounge, remove your peep toes and have a mini tea cake as I introduce you to Zoe O’Neill, or when performing burlesque or out for a night in her corsetted best, you may call her Ella Jezebella.
Describe the lady behind the powder room in 5 words?
Fantastic, Dramatic, Sarcastic, Anti-plastic, Retro-tastic!What is the powder room exactly, Zoë and why did you set it up?
The Powder Room is an online retail boutique (www.enterthepowderroom.com), although we also operate out of markets and via “Powder Parties” in our home city of Perth, Western Australia. We specialize in Vintage, Burlesque and Pin-Up style and stock a range of fashion corsets, pin-up footwear, vintage reproduction clothing, accessories and headwear for all the Ditas, Marilyns and Bettys out there, or for the girls that revel in being female and want to whip themselves up into a living doll for a night! I felt there was a developing scene here in Perth, reflective of the neo-burlesque movement in the rest of the world, but that it wasn’t accessible to enough women whose interest it would pique. So we’re trying to bring it out of the dressing room and onto the stage!When did you discover you had a love for all things glam and burlesque?
Growing up on a diet of old classic movies like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Hello Dolly, Breakfast at Tiffany’s etc, it’s not hard to see where this long harbored love of beautiful and classic styles came from. Add to that my Grandmother being a bonafide 50’s/60’s beauty Queen and my mother being a mod princess, both of whom instilled a love of dance in me – and bingo. (See photos attached of Mother and Grandmother Dearest in their hey-day.) Being a dancer and all out drama queen myself, Burlesque is a veritable smorgasbord of what I love; decadence, costumes, dance, performance, femininity, sexuality, power…
What’s your fave product?
Difficult question! The first item I got in for myself was the Ella Jezebella ankle boots. Their namesake also comes from my own burlesque stage name, so they’re a definite favourite. I also love the Sailor Annie pumps. I’m definitely a shoe addict! I also adored last season’s Frenchie & Mistress Molly dresses though. And anything at all with polka dots!
What do you love about being a woman in the world?
When you are a woman, and aware of the power you can wield, there is no force that can stand in your way. Once you master yourself, and have that confidence and belief in your own abilities and your abilities as a woman, you are a veritable juggernaut! I love that in this day and age I can go head to head with ‘the boys’, on any matter, and know that I can (usually!) best them. And then I can come home, luxuriate, get dolled up, hit a dance floor and wield a totally different type of power that they couldn’t dream of possessing. It’s the best of both worlds!What’s your secret to success?
Passion, drive, guts and self belief. Do not let the shadows of doubt creep over you. You can be successful doing what you love if you really want to. You will, at some point, have to take a risk. But if you believe in yourself and what you have to offer, it’s not really too great a risk. I’d back my own horse over someone else’s any day!What 5 tracks would be essential to a Powder Room soundtrack?
Ooh, again, tricky. The list is endless but the first that come to mind right now…
Ella Fitzgerald ANYTHING
Harlem Nocturne (Sam Taylor version)
Funky Blues – Charlie Parker
And, maybe a bit of Ole’ Blue eyes right now!
Zoe’s super glam grandmother – holla!
Zoe’s equally glam-girl mod mum!
Who are your style icons and inspir-o girls?
Lauren Bacall, Grace Kelly, The fantastic mod girls of the 60’s like Edie Sedgwick, The hedonistic, roaring Flapper girls of the 1920’s and my mother and Grandmother.What are your five-must have life items?
1.   A fantastic pair of heels to dance in,
2.   Music to dance to,
3.   A best friend to dance with,
4.   A dance floor to dance on,
5.   And perhaps a handsome man to dance AT!Who and what makes you jump in the air happy?
My best friends – particularly those fantastic women that will throw on their party bests with me with no notice and clear any given dance floor; a sense of freedom and choosing my own destiny; a new pair of shoes; an Australian summers day; a challenge; an adventure.What’s your motto for life?
“Alis volat propriis” – also my first tattoo
“She flies with her own wings”.The PR Sassy List…
Website/blog: www.enterthepowderroom.com (of course!) also;
www.pinuplifestyle.com
www.etsy.com
www.polyvore.comBook: Presently, ‘Shantaram’. But generally old school Fairy tales and mythology – with all the grizzly bits left in!
Must-have
beauty item: Heels… or mascara
Movie: Chicago, Cabaret…
Shop: The Powder Room!
City: London – for the theatre, vintage markets, great transport and music scene
Hangout: Deville’s Pad in Northbridge, Perth. Also where I perform weekly as “Zoë Zodiac”, on of Les Sataniques, the in-house 60’s Go-Go dancers! - www.devillespad.com and www.devillespad.com/sataniques
What does the term Sassy Minx mean to you, Miss Zoë?
Be Fabulous. Never Aplogise. Never Explain. -
October 5th, 2009Beauty Queen, Prod Love
To coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness month, the lovely people at Elemis have created a limited edition collection called ‘Essential Beauty Secrets’. Presented in a pretty, pretty hot pink cosmetic bag, the collection contains four award-winning Elemis products, along with a 5 Step Breast Check guide to make sure you regularly monitor yourself for any abnormal changes.
The four Elemis prodz in this collection are…
Pro-Collagen Lifting Treatment Neck and Bust 15ml (in an exclusive pink Elemis boob tube)
Ohhh – you are going to LOVE this - it’s a lifting treatment that helps to minimise the signs of ageing and create a smoother, firmer youthful looking neck and bust. This treatment cream has been clinically proven to reduce skin crêpiness by 33%, firmer by 17% and with a 14% increase in the skin’s elasticity in just 28 days.Pro-Collagen Marine Cream 30ml
This Elemis best-seller is a revolutionary anti-ageing cream using the powerful marine extract, Padina Pavonica, to mimic the skin’s own function, transforming the complexion in just over two weeks. Clinically proven to reduce the depth of wrinkles by up to 78% and increase hydration by
up to 45% after just 15 days. This is the ultimate daily anti-ageing cream.Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream 30ml
To complement the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, this luxurious moisture-rich night cream helps increase Oxygen levels in the skin overnight by up to 41% after just 28 days and assists the skin’s natural regeneration process.
Papaya Enzyme Peel 15ml
This is one of my total hero prodz – it’s perfect if your skin is in need of a boost of radiance. The fruit enzyme actions of Papaya and Pineapple smooth, brighten and clarify the complexion by nibbling away at the build up of dead skin cells, revealing a glowing complexion. This non-granular exfoliating cream contains nourishing Milk Protein, anti-oxidant rich Vitamin E and marine algae to moisturise, repair and protect the skin.This limited edition set of prodz of loveliness is available to buy from www.timetospa.co.uk, selected salons, spas and department stores RRP £50 (saving £75)