The Fashion Advocate was scheduled to open our ethical and sustainable pop-up shop in Hampton on March 25th, and the first restrictions hit on the March 23rd. I paid upfront for 3 months, it was the only way to secure the short term lease. I have until June 21 so only three weeks of open trade left now so come on down! And visit what has been an expensive storage shed for beautiful ethical Aussie fashion!
At the time, when I couldn't open, I went through shock, heartache, stress, disappointment. We'd hustled on our pop up plan for three months, then the two weeks prior to our planned open, we'd worked 12 hour days painting, moving, making, setting up, and prepping for the big reveal.
I watched the whole COVID thing unfold and I remained optimistic right up until I didn't have any choice. All the positivity and determination in the world, or guts to face any challenge head-on - couldn't change our situation. We were forced to keep our doors shut, and wait for more news.
A FEW WEEKS PASSED, I CRIED A LOT, AND DRANK WINE EVERY NIGHT, THEN CAME UP WITH AN IDEA - WHAT'S THE ONE THING I LOVE DOING MOST WHEN I'M STRESSED, DOWN OR STRUGGLING? FOR ME, TAKING THE TIME TO GET PAMPERED, SLOW DOWN, BREATHE AND LOOK AFTER MYSELF - IS WHAT MAKES ME RESET, REFOCUS AND FIND MY HAPPY AGAIN.
Now, with COVID, it's not as simple as popping out for a massage or a facial, so, we wanted to create an at-home pampering pack that not only made our customers feel incredible but also supported some of our favourite ethical, Aussie, independent beauty brands who were struggling too.
Our Vegan Beauty Babe pack is really special; out of the 10 beauty brands inside, only one is make-up (but organic vegan makeup), because I understand there's a lot of people who have no need for makeup.
BUT, ONE THING WE ALL NEED, IS SELF-CARE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THINGS ARE TOUGH. OUR PACKS ARE ALL ABOUT EMBRACING YOUR INNER BEAUTY, NOURISHING YOUR ENTIRE BODY, AND CARVING OUT SOME ME-TIME TO RELAX, AWAY FROM THE STRESS OF WHAT'S GOING ON OUTSIDE.
I designed the Vegan Beauty Box as a nod to a night in, to treat yourself with a little self-love, delicious skincare, glow-giving natural tea, refreshing body and face scrubs, mood-lifting aromatherapy oils, and deeply nourishing treatments. They're about taking the time to pause, and put things into perspective, and feel beautiful in the process.
Each box supports 10 independent, Australian made and vegan beauty brands too, so while we're helping our customers find a little slice of happy again, we're also helping our community of local brands. Sometimes we need a little chaos to remind us of what's important, and to remind us to slow down. There's always a silver lining to every situation!
It's valued at $280, but it's only $99, and we ONLY released 30!