These days, it’s hard to find jewellery and accessories that are even remotely original.

The Internet is your best friend when it comes to sourcing jewellery that is unique and affordable, and one of my favourite sites for this is Shop Moose.

Shop Moose is a local site that showcases the work of Australian designers. I’ve bought a couple of pieces from the site in the past and have always received comments and compliments on them.

My current favourite collections are from Drink Me, Alice (I already own the Sugar and Spice earrings and Original Bluebird pendant) and Jess Viscarde (how cute are the Fly Free earrings, pictured here?).

Shop Moose also has a fibre collection of handmade textile and paper products, as well as ceramics and art.

By Caroline Warnes

For many people today it’s a case of the fewer wires, the better.

Bluetooth headsets are becoming increasingly popular with anyone who wants to make and receive hands-free phone calls on their mobile phone without having an annoying headphone cord running from the headset to the phone.

The Motorola S9 Bluetooth headset can be paired with a Bluetooth mobile phone to make and receive mobile phones, however because it’s a stereo headset, it’s also designed to be used with music devices as well. The sound quality is better than what you’ll find on Bluetooth headsets that are intended for use with voice calls only.

Currently the S9s are being sold bundled with a Bluetooth iPod adaptor, which means you can also pair them with your iPod - great news for use at the gym or during any other physical activity.

Click here to find offers on Motorola products near you.

By Caroline Warnes

These days one of the most sought-after looks for going out hair is the big, bouncy supermodel look made famous my the likes of Gisele Bundchen (she truly has great hair, non?).

Also known as bed head, the look has lots of volume and movement but not too much structure - it should literally look like you just got out of bed.

Unfortunately, achieving this look isn’t as easy as, well, getting out of bed. Many of us have to contend with lack of volume, frizziness and poker-straight hair.

The video below shows you how to achieve this look at home using only a curling iron (find offers near you) and styling wax (Priceline is having 20% off the Fudge styling range - details here).

(Photo courtesy of Gisele Bundchen’s official site)

By Caroline Warnes

“Paris” stars Romain Duris as Pierre, a young French man who is suddenly confronted with his own mortality when he finds out he suffers from a rare heart disease. His sister Elise (played by Juliette Binoche) moves into his apartment to care for him.

Pierre starts to observe his fellow Parisians and over the course of the film his own story intersects with that of Elise, his neighbours and co-workers. The film is a beautiful homage to the city of Paris and opens nationally on April 17.

This week we have 10 double passes to preview screenings of “Paris” to give away. The tickets are valid for the weekend of April 11 to 13. To be in the running to win, all you have to do is email competitions@lasoo.com.au with the word PARIS in the subject line and tell me in 25 words or less why you’d like to see this movie. Entries close next Wednesday.

Competition terms and conditions

By Caroline Warnes

These days many of us have more remotes than we know what to do with.

Often you can have one for the television, one for the DVD player, one for the games console, one for the set-top box and so on - and keeping track of which remote does what can be difficult, not to mention the clutter can be unsightly.

That’s where universal remotes such as the

Logitech Harmony 525 step in. The 525 is the entry-level member of the Harmony range, and performs the basic functions of a universal remote for minimal cost (it carries a recommended retail price of $99.95).

You can use the remote to control up to 12 of your components (Logitech has a database of nearly 200,000 devices to choose from). The remote syncs with your devices using the included software - this process couldn’t be simpler.

You can then choose scenarios on the LCD screen such as “watch TV” or “watch DVD”. Pressing one of these buttons will then perform the required sequence with your devices, for example if you select “watch DVD” it will turn on your TV to the right channel, turn on your DVD player and your AV receiver and start the disc.

The Logitech Harmony 525 is a fantastic entry-level universal remote that makes your home entertainment as easy as pushing a button.

Click here to find offers on Logitech Harmony remotes near you.

By Caroline Warnes

From its humble beginnings in Sydney just last year, Earth Hour has now spread to the rest of the country, as well as around the globe.

Earth Hour is an event that promotes the reduction of carbon emissions by encouraging households and businesses to turn off their lights for one hour at 8pm this Saturday.

Last year it was a Sydney-only event but this year the hour will be recognised in overseas destinations such as Bangkok and Tel Aviv, as well as other Australian cities.

The night is going to be marked by some fun events in cities around the country.

Sydney

* The Harbour is expected to be the focus of much of the Earth Hour action - it’s not often you get to see those city lights go dim for an hour (icons such as Sydney Tower, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House will all be powering down for the event). The weather is expected to be fine and mild on Saturday so a foreshore picnic is a great idea.

* In Northbridge, there will be a candlelight picnic for local residents at Warners Park Environment Centre.

* There will also be an event at the Silverdale Business and Community Centre in Warragamba, offering residents free snacks and a lucky door prize. You can also enjoy a special candlelight dinner to celebrate Earth Hour.

Melbourne

* More than 50 restaurants are hosting candlelight dinners, including Circa, Pearl, Verge, The Prince and Movida.

* Tatura Pub is hosting a pyjama party - if you bring a black balloon to symbolise your carbon footprint, you’ll receive free drinks!

* The Eel Festival on the Lake Bolac foreshore takes place on this day and is a completely acoustic and energy-free event. There will be a concert and art expo celebrating indigenous culture.

Other Australian capital cities supporting Earth Hour are Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra, and each city will also host local gatherings and events to celebrate the night. If you’ve already organised an Earth Hour event, you can publicise it on the official website.

By Caroline Warnes

Hats are one of those fashion items with which I have a love/hate relationship.

This is mostly because not everyone can wear hats. And honestly, more often than not I am someone who can’t wear hats. Hats tend to make a very bold statement and can look fantastic if worn with the right style and attitude.

However randomly chucking a hat onto any old outfit for any old occasion (for example, wearing a jaunty top hat to work) can be a sad sight to behold indeed.

All that being said, I am partial to hats at times, particularly when attending the races.

The Autmun/Winter collection from Helen Kaminski has already caught my eye, especially the dressage collection, which features three styles - Regan (the classic top hat), Brendalyn (the derby bowler) and Lady, as pictured here.

The Regan style in particular would make a stylish addition to most winter racing outfits.

The rest of the Autumn/Winter collection also has some eye-catching pieces - you can check it out here.

By Caroline Warnes

Launched late last year, the Nokia N82 mobile phone is a similar model to the N95 smartphone, with a few notable additions.

Just like the N95, the N82’s specifications are impressive - including a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens, GPS functionality and built-in wireless LAN (802.11b/g).

However the design is slightly different to the N95 - the N82 comes in candy bar form rather than with a slider - and also included is a Xenon flash, which will give you better photographs.

The Nokia N82 really earns its title of smartphone - other inclusions are an A2DP Bluetooth stereo, FM radio and VGA video capture. In other words, when it comes to multimedia phones, the N82 is right up there.

If you’re looking for a capable mobile phone that will allow you to take quality photographs, listen to music and browse the web, the Nokia N82 is truly worthy of your consideration.

Click here to find offers on Nokia mobile phones near you.

By Caroline Warnes

These days it’s not just women who realise the importance of looking after your skin -an increasing number of men do too.

The Nivea For Men range offers some inexpensive skincare products that you can pick up at your local supermarket and chemist.

New additions to the range include the eXtreme Comfort Shaving Gel (RRP $6.99), which helps the blade glide smoothly across the skin to achieve a very close shave while protecting against irritation; and the eXtreme Comfort Post Shave Balm (RRP $11.50), which moisturises and smooths the skin after shaving.

Both eXtreme products contain the Natural Micro Tec formula, which helps to maximise the effectiveness of the natural ingredients chamomile and licorice root.

Another great product in the range is the NFM Moisturising Body Lotion (RRP $5.90) which is formulated with Vitamin E and aloe vera specifically for men’s skin. Visit the Nivea website for more product information.

I personally haven’t tried the range (for obvious reasons!) but I passed some samples onto my father, who considers himself to be quite the 80-year-old metrosexual, and he gave them all the thumbs up.

We have 10 Nivea For Men prize packs to give away, each consisting of the eXtreme Comfort Shaving Gel, the eXtreme Comfort Post Shave Balm and the Moisturising Body Lotion. Each prize pack is valued at over $24.

To be in the running to win, all you need to do is email competitions@lasoo.com.au with the word NIVEA in the subject line and tell me in 25 words or less which NIVEA For Men product you’d like to try, and why. Entries close next Wednesday.

Competition terms and conditions

By Caroline Warnes

These days it seems that just about everyone and everything is involved in the climate change issue, so why not your underwear too?

Kayser has teamed up with environmental organisation Climates Coolers to produce the new Kayser Cares line, which uses environmentally friendly bamboo fibre.

Bamboo requires less water than cotton and can be grown without fertilisers or pesticides, making it much friendly for our planet. Bamboo fibre is also very soft, breathable and anti-bacterial - it can even kill bacterial on the skin, which causes body odour, so it acts like a deodorant.

A percentage of the profit from the Kayser Cares range goes to Climate Coolers, an organisation that helps women to fight against climate change.

The Kayser cares range consists of a cream cami (RRP $19.95) and matching briefs (either shorts, bikini or g-string, all RRPs $14.95).

Kayser products are available from Myer and specialist lingerie stores nationally.

By Caroline Warnes