1. Refillable Mini Perfume Spray
Picked this up in Sephora in Kuala Lumpur a couple of years ago for about $6 but it went into the draw without getting used during the frenzied unpacking session until I recently rediscovered it. Simply take your favourite spray perfume, remove the spray nozzle, attach the spray tube to the bottom of the mini spray and pump. It's that simple and you always have your fav perfume in a size that's portable enough for the smallest of bags. The one downer is that on some perfume sprays the nozzle doesn't stick out high enough to use this. My first attempt was with Prada Candy which was unsuccessful. Escada Born in Paradise however worked perfectly :) They don't appear to have the same one on line but this one is very similar and quite possible cuter. And don't forget Sephora will be opening in Pitt St Mall in December. Yay! Buy a few to avoid mixing scents.
2. Bun Booster
I'm pretty crap at doing hair if I'm honest. This gadget makes styling a smooth bun a whole lot easier. $5 Equip Accessories. Buy here.
3. Travel Scales - For anyone losing or maintaining weight who travels a lot these are great. I'm onto my second pair after Mr SFH left a set in New Orleans a couple of years ago when we needed to make a very hasty exit (long story!). Compact and light so they don't impact your baggage allowance to much. I can't find the exact ones I have but these are pretty close from EBay.
4. A US Address - Lot's of retailers don't ship to Oz and don't take Australian credit cards Grrrr - I'm looking at you North Face! Then there are the items that are prohibited from being shipped here - Gucci Cosmetics and Matis skin care to name a couple. Even more have exorbitant shipping costs. You get get around all these bottle necks by getting your own US address. Many companies make a business out of receiving and on-forward you precious items to you but this is the one that I use. It's free to register and you can start using it straight away :) Look out for their welcome email with some great offers for first time users after you register.
5. Handbag Hook - Keeps precious cargo off dirty floors. Hundreds available on EBay so you should have no trouble finding one you like.
6. Eyelash Extension Mascara - I have crap eyelashes and I can't put on fakies so this is an easier option. Results are not as dramatic but much more user friendly. There's a few brands on the market but BYS is my choice.
7. Denim Hemming Tape - You know how it is, you need your jeans to be different lengths sometimes depending on the shoes you are wearing. Get them professionally hemmed to the longest length you would wear for your highest heels and use this temporary tape when you wear them with flats or lower heels. Simples! Buy here.
8. Stiletto Protectors - I work in North Sydney which is unfortunately plagued with cobblestones and pavers. I have no idea what the Council was thinking but I'm not impressed and more than the odd expensive heel has come a cropper as I've been hurrying through these streets. I'm not a fan of the plastic heel caps because they are just to obvious and ruin an otherwise stunning pair of heels. These wraps however are very discreet and provide moderate protection. They are not cheap but think of them as insurance against expensive shoe repairs. Buy here.
9. Stackable Suitcases - Whenever I travel, shopping will always be on the agenda, in fact I think most of my previous wardrobe was purchased overseas. To overcome the dilemma of needed more luggage space on the return trip buy two suitcases of the same brand that stack neatly inside each other. Stack them when you are packing for the outward trip and pack the inner smaller suitcase. When your shopping ouweighs the inner case simply start using the bigger one. I use the Samsonite Cosmolite in 81cms and 75cms. There are exy so wait for a special. I got mine at 40% off from Myer.
