vogue...

We know, it’s soooo un-PC for us to be promoting smoking… but who can deny it… the right cigarette on the right girl… can be, no, IS glamorous… (see: above specimen).

This summer, ra! ra! is obsessed with iconic brand Vogue Ephemere! Produced in Russia (where else?), the slim line cigarettes are a world away from those dirty fat Camel Lights dispersed from 80’s Spanish vending machines. And like all good brands de jour, Vogue is doing limited edition collaborations… so vogue.

We don’t yet have our hands on the newest collaboration by French designer of graffit fame Etienne Bardelli (above), but we are SMOKING! with the African inspired iridescent snake skin packaging Ephemere Azur & Ephemere Topaze by Jean-Pierre Ollier.


See also previous designs Bleue, Lilas & Menthe designed by the Russian modern artists. Named 'Unveiling an inspiration' these packs feature the paintings of Maria Pogorjelskaya, Anna Platonova and Olga Polikarpova.




Due to their long, thin, femininity, we here at ra! ra! sarcastically refer to them as 'bitch sticks'...

That Way In-Kleined

Browsing through her archives ra-rette recently stumbled upon a classic old favourite: Steven Klein’s ‘Domestic Bliss’ shoot, featuring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, for W magazine, 2005. Think of it what you will, but ra-rette is Number One Ambassador for gender stereotypes, of which ‘Domestic Bliss’ is the ultimate portrayal…






New York based Klein has hit a New Romance tabloid hot spot again with his most recent shoot for W, featuring newlyweds Bruce and Emma Willis, in his stripped back, evocative creation of ‘Honeymoon Hotel’.






Be inspired, intrigued, shocked and delighted by his vast collection of endless collaborations.

www.stevenkleinstudio.com

sex... art... imagination... creation...

xxxx

The Sun Also Rises

ra! ra!’s preparing to relocate - we’re heading to Spain for the summer! And before anyone embarks on a Spanish summer adventure (or Paris too for that matter) there is some obligatory reading one must undertake - Hemmingway’s, The Sun Also Rises.

Set in the 1920’s, the book tells the tale of the doings of wealthy ex-patriate writers who are living in Paris and their escape to Spain for the Pamploma Fiesta. They fill their time with inconsequential drinking, dancing and outright debauchery. Though some of the themes and plot might be a bit tragic (escapism of the Lost Generation, Jake rejected by the love of his life due to erectile disfunction from WW1 injuries), the reading itself sets the tone perfectly for the summer ahead.

Café De La Paix

Ra-rette recently returned from a weekend in Paris with her bestie, The Kittycat and she just had to share with you Café De La Paix. When The Kittycat, an ex-inhabitant of beautiful Paris, suggested they go for oysters and champagne, of course ra-rette smiled and agreed.

One of Paris’ most famous café’s, designed by the same Garnier that designed Opera Garnier, Café De La Paix is old world luxe to the max. The highest, most ornate ceilings a girl could imagine, the quiet hum of French spoken and the distinctive clink of silver cutlery on fine china plates, the unmistakable sounds of decadence.


This quaint table for two is where they devoured fresh oysters from the seafood counter & sipped on Moet & Chandon Rosé. And to complete the afternoon the girls floated (you know that heavenly post-afternoon-champagning float) to the pedicure parlour for a glossy coat of OPI Big Apple Red polish on their paws.

A perfect afternoon in Paris.


http://www.cafedelapaix.fr/

Savour The Glamour

Saturday afternoons are made for old movies. Nothing makes a girl feel more fabulous than viewing the perfectly groomed stars and sets of era’s gone by, the pop of champagne or dripple of scotch in every scene, always a drink at the ready.

And nothing encapsulates beauty and glamour more than Sophia Loren, Marlon Brando and a 1960’s cruise liner. Who would have thought faux clad wood could look so good? But alas, it does, in ‘A Countess from Hong Kong’ (directed by Charlie Chaplin).

The perfect beauty inspiration for Saturday night preparation!

xxx

Drink Up Beauté!

Ra-rette is in LOVE with Fauchon! And she’ll find any excuse to combine her love of food & beauty… so here it is.

Beauty is not just skin deep, what’s on the inside counts too you know! So start sipping girls. Heavenly French providores Fauchon (www.fauchon.com) have invented a range of Beauty Teas. Match your tea to your beauty needs: there's The Slimming Tea, The Beautiful Skin Tea and the Anti-Aging Tea.

Fauchon, ‘Paris on your lips’…who could resist?

xx

Doctor! Doctor!

Last Wednesday was a perfectly sunny day & Miss Ra-rette was dreaming of days gone by. The days when not only fingers but lawns were manicured too, when milk was delivered in glass bottles with foil lids, when woman wore gingham aprons and kitchen appliances were all shades of pastel. The days when martini hour still existed before the sun had set & the crackle of the wireless radio kept romance dancing.

And as Ra-rette dreamed, she put the finishing touches of her new Chanel ‘Fire’ red varnish on her nails and then set to the kitchen to lovingly prepare her working man his evening meal. Until…. aaaahhhh! Calamity Jane! Ra-rette burnt her fingers on the hot steam from her pie! Yeeeeouch!

She grabbed the frozen peas & wrapped them in her pretty apron & placed them on her fingers until the pain finally subsided… quite quickly thanks to the Gin & Valium she’d placed earlier on her bedside table for later that evening.

But then what? No ra-rette wants angry scars on her hands! She asked me quietly while we were collecting the mail if I could share with her my list of wonder creams for woman injured whilst undertaking the duties of the home. Of course I congenially smiled & agreed….

Top 5 Emergency Lotions & Potions

1. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant (www.elizabetharden.com.au)
2. Ella Baché Cream Intex (www.ellabache.com.au)
3. Palmer Cocoa Butter Formula Vitamin E Scar Serum (www.etbrowne.com)
4. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair (www.esteelauder.com.au)
5. Arnica Cream (www.brauer.com.au)