The Nail Files

Cara Delevingne for i-D Magazine Winter 2012
Photographed by: Angelo Pannetta 

Whipping up a new glossy mani can be fun, right? Dealing with bubbling, chipped and cracked nails… not so much. Not to mention when I sneeze and the polish on my fingernails chips, while my toenails can survive a nuclear war! If these polish perils are getting you down, let's take matters quite literally—into our own hands. These five tricks will help you to nail your next outfit. After all, what subject should be more important to you than your cuticles?

First things first— get your hands on a rapid-dry nail polish! If you've never had a professional manicure before (like me) I recommend Sally Hansen Insta-Dry, for the best price and quality combined. And it's fast drying! Don’t believe me? Here is a list of things longer than waiting for your nails to dry:

 Pacsun Summer Collection 2015

• Justin Bieber’s Chest Hair
• Kim Kardashian’s marriage to Kris Humphries
• The pause Dora the Explorer gives after asking a question
•  Minute rice
• Voldermort’s nose
•  Lindsay Lohan’s total time spent behind bars
•  Paris Hilton’s singing career

1. PRIME TIME
Priming your nails by using a base coat is a must, in order to achieve a smooth, even surface. The CND Sticky Base Coat has been crowned 'Queen' for a reason. As the name implies, Stickey dries with a tacky feel, helping your polish to stay on even longer! 

2. WITH AIR COMES CHIPS… (LITERALLY. HAVE YOU SEEN SMITH’S CHIPS RECENTLY?!)
Like when you make a batch of cupcakes and lightly tap the mold on the counter to release air bubbles, the same should be done with your nails. By tapping your nails on a solid surface, you will remove the bubbles which lead to cracked and chipped nails. 

3. LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS
The nail artists whose life’s work (in the form of mini masterpieces) grace the covers of Vogue and Vanity Fair, have the best advice when it comes to sealing your nails. A top coat protects your colour from chipping, cracking and falling short of your mani expectations. The experts recommend Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, which is specially formulated to form a silky, solid coating (with that salon glossy finish!)

4. THE BEST TIP OF ALL
Nails often begin to chip from the tips, so when applying the top coat, drag the polish up and over the edge

5. MAINTENANCE 
Two days later, add an additional top coat to you nails. Then continue adding a thin layer of clear polish every day after to make your nails last for weeks!


Whether I’m running out the door for work, uni, gym, soccer or New York Fashion Week (ugh, I wish), a girl-on-the-go needs perfect nails fast! Because when it comes to manicures, I prefer a hands on approach. Nailed it!

Xx

A Bucket List to Die For

We've graduated primary and secondary school together, swung off ropes into lakes, we were seventeen and dancing queens, performed Britney Spears 'Piece of Me' in front of our year level in our pyjamas. We've watched countless hours of chick flicks, roughed it in a tent from Darwin to Alice Springs and were scared skinless watching 'The Conjuring', (spending majority of the film curled up in our chairs screaming). Needless to say we hope the good times keep on coming! So with our twenties ahead and no sense between the two of us, here's our bucket list to be completed by 2025!

Jet Set Go

Michael Kors Jet Set 6 Shoes of the Season 

It's no secret that I love airports! Something about the excitement of jet setting off around the globe, buying makeup in duty-free, right down to the complimentary chocolates you get in flight. Airports are also a great place to go celeb-spotting while you wait (hint: they’re the ones attempting to go incognito with baseball caps and sunglasses, which inadvertently draws attention since normal people do not do this). Since my dad lives over the other side of the country, you’re likely to find me 40,000 feet above ground, sobbing hysterically while watching Marley & Me. I was told to shut up on the plane recently because I was weeping so much. (Sorry to the person who was sitting next to me). This was all while the guy seated 2 rows in front acted like a first class pain in the ass, requesting them to remove the rice from his prepacked fried rice. I even love the sniffer dogs at airport security, who have a great taste in perfume, and can always distinguish between my two signature fragrances; Coco Mademoiselle and Chanel no. 5.

Ariana Grande for Teen Vogue February 2014
Photographed by: Sebastian Kim

Airports also hold memories of flying back from a summer in Thailand 4 years ago, having contracted typhoid fever (again, sorry to the person who was sitting next to me). I got off the plane wearing a sequined halter top, elephant gaucho pants, with hundreds of tiny braids in my hair. An outfit that would have seen Coco Chanel turning over in her grave more than her company’s recent release of its sneaker line (see here). They say fashion is the most powerful art there is. ‘It shows the world who we are, and who we’d like to be’. Just like gaucho pants show the world I’d like to major in drum circles or overthrow the government promoting veganism and Greenpeace. I was so unwell upon arrival; that I lay in the middle of the airport floor, while air hostesses stepped over me. It wasn’t until I got home from hospital and saw 1 unread message of ‘Hey! I think I saw you at Melbourne Airport?’ that the memories came flooding back. Honestly, 4 years is not long enough ago for this to stop being embarrassing- I owned gaucho's, and that will never be erased. If this experience has taught me anything, it’s how to look fly while you fly: the rules of keeping comfortable while you travel in style! (Gaucho pants not included).

RULE #1 - KEEP CALM AND CARRY-ON 

ALWAYS pack a comfortable sweater or jacket in your carry on. Even if you’re travelling to the tropical Bora Bora, aeroplanes love to blast the air conditioning so extreme, you may question whether you caught the a flight to Alaska by mistake.

RULE #2 - SUNGLASSES ARE NOT JUST FOR A SUNNY DESTINATION

A good pair of sunglasses instantly hides the bags under your eyes from the lack of sleep you got on the plane. (Now that I think about it, I wish the bags under my eyes were Louis Vuitton!) It’s a bonus if you’re travelling somewhere warm!

RULE #3 - TIGHTS ARE NOT PANTS!

In the wise words of Blair Waldorf, leggings and tights may be comfortable, but opt for your fave pair of black skinny jeans or blue jeans instead. Next to the electric chair and the 'hotseat', economy tickets rank first as the most uncomfortable, so wear your most comfortable pair of pants!  

RULE #4 - 'BALLS ARE TO ME, WHAT PURSES ARE TO WOMEN'

A good bag is not simply a bag - we feel naked in public without it! Take a chic handbag for all your carry-on items to instantly add glam to your airport ensemble. 

RULE #5 - I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SAY THIS...

Airports require a bit of walking, so opt for a cute pair of ballet flats or boots, rather than your fave heels . If you do go for flats though, remember to pack a pair of socks for the flight. 

Thanks to her crazy schedule that sees her flying around the globe, Kendall Jenner has earned sky-high fashion cred for her airport ensembles. Proving it is possible to get to your destination comfortably, and look totally stylish while doing so! 

Xx

The Trials and Tribulations of Growing Up

Photographed by Arthur Elgort for Teen Vogue

As of May it has officially been 6 months since I graduated from high school! And in these last six months I've learnt a lot (how to survive on food other than toast for starters). Some of these things I wish I had known 6 months ago, and to be entirely honest, I did know them. I just didn't listen! So to all of those 1 year my junior, I'd like you to listen when I didn't. And to believe me when I tell you that every great chick flick is set in high school, and pretty soon, you won't have Cher Horowitz, Cady Heron and Blair Waldorf to show you the ropes. Instead, let me be the one to answer all your questions.Because if you've ever wished that you could see into the future, or for a magical genie to answer all of your questions, then your wish is at my command! 

Photographed by Arthur Elgort for Teen Vogue

This time last year I was in the midst of 'Mad May', trying to combat assignments and tests, and cram in as many parties as possible. I felt like I couldn't juggle one more commitment or my mind might crumble and fall like the Roman Empire. And I seriously couldn't afford that, because unlike a computer, I couldn't just 'back up' that English essay I'd memorised the night before. So when teachers and parents started pressing the issue of 'what I was going to do next year', I felt like I really didn't have time, or that I would think about it later. To all those seniors in high school, let me tell you that later never comes! While it may seem like life after high school is the last thing you want to think about after your eyes are stinging from staring at Biology practise exams all night, and your hands are shaking from all the caffeine you drank to stay awake, career options are actually pretty important. Put as much thought and effort into this as you will into your graduation dress, because after all, this is your money and you want college to be a worth while experience!

Photographed by Arthur Elgort for Teen Vogue

So now that I've got you thinking about whether you'd like to undertake a Science degree, or perhaps chemistry has become more of a chem-mystery and you have no idea what's going on, and you're counting down the days until you can burn your text book at the stake in a ceremony similar to the Salem witch trials. But let me pose something I know a lot of teens considering going to university haven't properly looked into: a gap year or TAFE! I personally took a gap year to mean "I have no idea what I want to do and can't be bothered going to uni so I'm going to take a year off to chill" or "I want to volunteer and build toilets for school children in Africa". I am neither types of those people. But a gap year doesn't have to entail sitting at home and continuing to be a check-out chick, or travelling over seas to a foreign country. It can mean taking a year to find out what you want to do, because what you choose should be something you enjoy, and not something you think will earn lots of money or you'll get good holidays. (Although they are pretty great perks!) If you are considering taking a gap year, make a list of 12 things you want to do (that's one for each month). Your list should consist of things that will challenge you and put you outside of your comfort zone, but are also achievable. If you were interested in art in year twelve; volunteer as a makeup artist for school plays and community musicals, start a blog or website displaying photos you've taken, volunteer to help paint family members or friends that are renovating their homes, apply for jobs at craft stores, audition for plays or modelling roles. It's also important for you to consider other career paths or courses you may be interested in, and not to limit yourself to things you know you like. After all, this is the year to try new things! Now onto my second proposition. If you've looked into university courses and can't seem to find one which fits, then TAFE courses are a perfectly good option as they provide a much more hands on approach. Or can act as a pathway into university course if you don't reach the requirements.

Photographed by Arthur Elgort for Teen Vogue

Finding out what you want to do doesn't have to be hard. During the ad breaks of Pretty Little Liars, Google courses, take quizzes, explore gap year options, because the answer is not going to come to you. Unfortunately, you don't get an epiphany one day and suddenly know exactly what you want to do. 

Now that all the pre-graduation stuff is out the way, I have one more thing to share. One in five university students drop out by the end of first year! That's 20%. And realistically, this means many of you will drop out or seriously consider it. Loads of first years find they hate their course, because it's not what they expected. Without your crowd of friends to back you up, no doubt you'll soon find yourself saying "I wish I was back in high school". But things get better as you finally start to recognise a few faces, and come to terms with the fact that Hollywood lied to you when they told you that uni was a way to get drunk and party 24/7. In saying that, most universities allow you 2-3 months to withdraw from the course without having to pay. So if you do feel like you've chosen a course as awful as the results of the 'Kylie Jenner lip  challenge', make sure you to take action before this date!

College is a great experience! But it's also important to remember it isn't your only option. Gap years and TAFE courses are also great alternatives. Whatever decision you make, ensure it's the right one for you and it's well thought out.

     

Want to try out a Yoga Class? "Namaste in Bed"

Courtesy of Victoria's Secret Sport

'Hi I’m Gabrielle'

'I’m vegan'

'Oh my effing God! Is that a rat… in your bag?!'

'His name is Marxism. Marx for short. I found him in Brunswick. I’m a Buddhist. Do you want a vegan brownie?'

I had a brownie at a party once. It was totally indescribable; it felt like I was flying. There wasn’t any pot in it though- it was just an insanely good brownie.

'Ummm… no thanks'

It's my first lecture at university and to be honest, I don’t know if this friendship is going to work out. I don’t watch independent foreign art house silent films at the Sundance film festival. I like ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’- sue me. And having lunch with her at the vegan café every day? I’ll leave college a militant veganista. Anaemic and proud! In fact, why not get my hair dreadlocked while I’m there?

Marx’s owner had her hair shaved on one side, with a cool pink streak running through it, and was staring down at her pineapple socks.

'This is younger twin brother by 2 minutes. Underneath his loser façade, and the part of him that hates the world, he’s actually pretty cool'

'How is it humanly possible that you’ve become even more of a bitch since becoming a Buddhist?' he said 

'I ask myself that every day'

I was staring down at my new black leather Guess flats

'I would never wear those. Did I mention I’m a vegan?'

Only 400 times

'You know what I’ve been thinking about?'

'Organic vegetables? Overthrowing the government?  Greenpeace?'

'Yes actually! How did you know?'

Oh, just a wild guess.

'And I’ve got this tattoo on my wrist. It means Namaste in Hindi. You know, because I practice yoga'

Finally!

In case you ever meet someone similar to Marx’s owner, and don’t have veganism, Buddhism or independent film festivals in common, here is your guide to becoming a dedicated yogi like myself (or faking your way through an awkward conversation 101)

My first yoga class was perhaps not my most elegant memory. For starters, the instructor had one of those really annoying 'fake calm' voices that sound like a cd

'Moving into downward dog. This pose will build inner peace and relaxation'

Really? My arms are burning and all I feel is anger and frustration

'You seem tense' she said

'Yeah-I was born that way'

Even if you consider yourself more a high intensity sports person (like me!), here are 5 basic yoga moves you can master at home!

AB WARM UP

COBRA

  THREE LEGGED DOG

   FORWARD FOLD

   HANDS TO HEART

   CRESCENT LUNGE

 TWIST

Namaste 

Debutante Ball

Photographed by: Frederico De Angelis for TeenVogue

I’m probably not the girl you imagine when you think of a debutante. I’m not the descendant of European royalty, the daughter of the French ambassador or entitled to a trust fund large enough to run a country. I’m also a feminist. And as a feminist, I was hesitant at first to ritualistically tell the world I was pretty and ready for marriage. Debutante Balls would be just another addition to the long list according to society of the ways I’m doing ‘feminism’ wrong. For starters I shave my legs, I’m not a lesbian or a vegan, I’ve never burned a bra and I know by heart every word of Eminem’s degrading rap songs—sue me. That was until I realised that dressing up for a ball doesn’t make you a bad feminist, since feminism is about empowering women to make their own choices. Yes I took part in an event that may seem anachronistic to some, but is it such a bad thing for small divisions of society to continue this tradition for one enchanted evening? This isn’t like your wedding day: cotillion only happens once in a girl’s life!  So at sixteen I traded my converse for a corsage to become part of the rich history involved in the female experience of coming of age. And I wanted it to be something out of a fairy-tale tale— like Romeo and Juliet. I know Romeo died, but he died for something compelling, and I wanted my debut to be something to die for!

For 200 years the first Debutante Balls were held at Buckingham Palace, as a way for upper class families to announce their daughters were eligible for marriage. It seems my mother facetiously suggesting that I “marry a rich husband” to solve whatever idle adolescent drama I was experiencing at the time, may not have been too far removed from the young aristocrats presented to the Queen. This continued up until 1958 when Prince Phillip announced the whole thing was “bloody daft” (I think he’d probably get along well with Grandfather, who was on to his 3^rd glass of Moët) and Princess Margaret complaining “every tart in London was getting in”. The night was followed by a whirlwind of parties, with debutantes introduced to eligible bachelors (and prevented at all costs from being swept off their feet by the 18^th century version of a ‘bad boy’ with tattoos and a motorbike).

Today, the International Debutante Ball is considered the most exclusive in the world, presenting “the luckiest young women in the world” according to the New York Observer, into high society. These are the girls written about on Page 6. They ski in Vermont and sunbathe in Santorini. Their names have been on Harvard’s acceptance list since birth, and when they come of age, designers like Ralph Lauren send personal sketches of gowns for them to choose from. There’s something so illustrious at the thought of sipping Veuve Clicquot cocktails at their invitation-only after party at the Waldorf Astoria in New York— something that does not translate AT ALL into the ‘Real Teens of Ringwood’ parties I’ve been to thus far. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not spend my Sweet Sixteenth finding out people were fraternizing on my favourite sofa. 

Classy.

Photographed by: Frederico De Angelis

Whoever said ‘money doesn’t buy happiness’ has obviously never been a debutante. I used to be a total tomboy, spending my weekends skateboarding and wearing anything that wasn’t pink, frilly or a dress. I never truly understood the bond that exists between women and shoes until I went shopping for the Ball. Since then, I have been steadily increasing my collection; enough to keep a small country afloat and second only to Imelda Marcos. On the night I was questioned by my mother on the safety of my heel height, and offered suggestions to switch to a more “sensible” pair. Um… I wear five inches or I wear nothing! I can say this because I’ve tried out “sensible” when I succumbed to inebriation, and surrendered my dignity to buying a pair of Crocs.

They say “You can never know a person until you walk a mile in their shoes”, so in making my debut into society, I wanted to be like a princess, wearing the highest, most glamorous pair imaginable. After all, if a commoner from Tasmania can become the Crown Princess of Denmark, who can argue a sixteen year old can’t dream of poufy chiffon ball gowns and tiaras that aren’t made of plastic? All I’ve ever wanted is a modern fairy-tale. Mary Donaldson has it— and everyone knows I have much better shoes! 

 

It’s easy to see Debutante Balls exactly as they appear; elegant, classy, imposing— by the mid 80’s however, girls continuing the tradition were presented not in Buckingham Palace, but in downtown London nightclubs like Wedgies. Ah! Even wearing gloves I’d still want to wash my hands. Like every regretful fashion choice made in the 80’s, debutante’s hair wasn’t just teased— it was pissed off! And the only girl caught dead wearing white was Madonna in ‘Like a Virgin’ (accessorised by a lacy lingerie bodice and ‘Boy Toy’ belt) that would have seen aristocrats retracting the photograph from Page Six faster than the Queen could yell “off with her head!”

“You have such beautiful hair Gabby!’ praised my mum. ‘It reminds me of Mia Thermopolis”

Now that I think back on that…I really hope she meant AFTER her princess transformation. As much as I wish I could say a real life debutante is far from the lame teen comedies where the girl with the frizzy hair and braces suddenly becomes the belle of the ball, this is actually a pretty good descriptor. I had my braces taken off and my thick, dark hair twisted into an elegant up-do. As the ladies lined up with glamour and poise to be formally announced, I crossed my fingers hoping that I wouldn’t trip over the yards of frothy tulle in true Jennifer Lawrence fashion. And I can successfully report that no debutantes were harmed in the making of the Ball.

“I’d like to present Gabrielle Capes, escorted by Joash Veith. Miss Capes has thrived in her position as president of the student council and youth of the year finalist. She hopes to work as a columnist for Teen Vogue or as a lawyer; that way if anyone ever gets on her bad side, she can unleash her inner Erin Brocko-bitch and haul their butt into court!”

After 12 weeks of intensive ballroom dancing lessons, wearing my gorgeous white dress and elbow length gloves, I really did feel every bit the star of my own Cinderella story. As I curtsied to the panel of esteemed guests, accompanied by my knight in shining Armani, I began to direct the movie I was starring in at the moment; the movie that is my life. 

Xx