When it comes to country venues, Bracu Estate is in a class of its own. An afternoon of new-season fashion, the latest beauty innovations, great food and excellent wine is a great way to celebrate spring. Just 40 minutes from downtown Auckland, this stunning venue is set in an Italian-inspired olive grove, where our fabulous guests spent four hours in our company with their friends and colleagues, sipping champagne and a pre-season rose that is a joyful ode to sunshine, long lunches, and precious moments. Editor Trudi Brewer shares the BeautyEQ Long Lunch in Bombay Hills.
Menu and wines
From the luxurious Piper-Heidsieck on arrival to a pre-season summer-inspired rose, and a famous Marlborough chardonnay. This excellent wine selection at Bracu was expertly paired to complement a delicious and leisurely lunch. Rose lovers were starstruck by Rockburn Stolen Kiss Rose, 2025. One sip of this blushing rose stole hearts. Available for a short season, this rose is a joyful ode to sunshine, long lunches, and precious moments. For chardonnay fans, Jules Taylor Chardonnay is one of the unsung heroes of the South Island. Not your classic bold and buttery style, Taylor instead prefers a Chardonnay with delicate freshness and breezy fruit flavours that express the vineyards in which they were grown. This elegant white wine converted even the most die-hard chardonnay-bashers. Matched with a bountiful lunch, it began with homemade, warm focaccia bread and a selection of Bracu homegrown olive oils, including the new Bracu chilli-infused olive oil. The main course was a take on a classic New Zealand lamb rump. Medium-rare, the lamb was infused with delicate flavours in a bed of sweet kumara mash, roasted onion, and minted peas, all served in a red wine jus, accompanied by crispy kumara chips to add a nutty bite. The dessert was the perfect palate cleanser: Limoncello cheesecake with berry compote, cookie crumbs, and house-made vanilla ice cream. The food at Bracu is not only generously served, but it’s always absolutely divine.
BMW X-Series
Famous for its superior driving experience, the BMW X-series range spans compact to large SUVs and performance M models, available in hybrid, EV and petrol variants. Sam Wyke, Sales Manager of East Auckland BMW, an expert in BMW driving, shared how BMW meets the diverse needs of drivers as the ideal car for around-town driving, while offering a comfortable and luxurious ride on road trips with friends. Our guests spent the afternoon with a new BMW X1. Our guests had a one-on-one guide to its agile handling, elegant interior, and colour options, discovering how it’s equally suited as a well-rounded family ride as a stylish everyday option for a busy career woman. As well as a sharp deal on the new BMW X1S, one lucky guest won a weekend with a new BMW, lunch for two at Bracu Estate, a set of his and hers Narciso Rodriguez fragrances, and a voucher for a Life Pharmacy beauty service, valued at $1,640.
Beauty
Fragrance
Two of the finest designer fragrance collections, from American fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez and the late, great Japanese designer Issey Miyake, provided our guests with the perfect experience to discover the world of luxury brands. An opportunity to find and buy a new spring scent, a moment to step out of their fragrance comfort zones with the selection of delicate musky-floral offerings from Narciso Rodriguez, and the bright aqua freshness that Issey Miyake perfume is famous for. Both brands are offering a luxurious gift with purchase on the day, as well as a generous offer on some of the most popular fragrances in New Zealand.
Glam by Manicare
Adding a lash to enhance your natural beauty instantly elevates even the most natural-looking makeup. Our guests got to see the results firsthand during one-on-one lessons with makeup artists, who demonstrated how Glam by Manicare lashes can be made to appear fluttery or natural, offering a ready-to-wear solution and a professional edge to any makeup style. Attached by a lightweight, flexible band and a small amount of invisible glue, once in place, the result is both real and ultra-comfortable to wear. Glam by Manicare is in a class of its own, offering the ultimate in press, set, and forget, natural-looking lashes that you can wear both day and night.
No7
We had the privilege of sharing the UK’s number one selling beauty brand, No7, which has an exclusive new home in New Zealand at Life Pharmacy. Offering up innovative skincare solutions at an attainable price. The team had four ranges on offer, featuring a collection of top-selling products. The latest, Future Renew, helps address the daily damage that living and breathing in our modern world causes to our complexions, including protection from the harsh New Zealand UV light. Each collection addresses the concerns of all skin types, including sensitive skin, correcting wrinkles, dullness, dryness, and brightening. Another major for the brand, No7, has dialled down the fragrance, making this the ideal skincare range for those with sensitive skin as well. Each of our guests was able to find a product that suited their skin’s needs, concerns, and budget.
First fashion show
Featuring collections from local and international designers, our guests had the opportunity to plan their spring wardrobes with fashion from Trelise Cooper, Ruby, Taylor Boutique, Sills & Co., LeDoré, Augustine, Tuesday Label, Contain Boutique, Gorman, Deadly Ponies, Kathryn Wilson, Mi Piaci, Sunglass Bar, and more. From casual holiday ideals to classic workwear and a touch of party, the first fashion show left our guests wanting more.
Look 1: Ruby dress. Saint Laurent sunglasses from Sunglass Bar. Kathryn Wilson heels. Look 2: Ruby dress. Kathryn Wilson heels. Look 3: Sills suit. Juju and Co bag. Mi Piaci heels. Look 4: Sills set and jumper, hat and bag from Sills and Co. Mi Piaci heels.
Look 1: Ruby denim set and top. Loewe sunglasses from Sunglass Bar. Kathryn Wilson heels. Look 2: Trelise Cooper dress. Kathryn Wilson heels. Look 3: Top, jeans, sunglasses and heels from Contain Boutique. Look 4: Mossman dress from Contain Boutique. Loewe sunglasses from Sunglass Bar. Mi Piaci heels.
Look 1: Gorman top and dress. Mi Piaci heels. Look 2: Gorman knit and dress. Kathryn Wilson heels. Look 3: Tuesday Label skirt and top. Loewe sunglasses from Sunglass Bar. Deadly Ponies bag. Mi Piaci heels. Look 4: Tuesday Label suit. Jacquemus sunglasses from Sunglass Bar. Mi Piaci heels.
Look 1: Tuesday Label jumpsuit. Kathryn Wilson heels and bag. Look 2: Tuesday Label dress. Celine sunglasses from Sunglass Bar. Look 3: Taylor dress. Boots from Contain Boutique. Givenchy sunglasses from Sunglass Bar. Look 4: Taylor dress and jacket. Kathryn Wilson heels.
The Fashion finale
Look 1: LeDoré suit and shirt. Kathryn Wilson heels. Look 2: LeDoré trench and pants. Kathryn Wilson heels.Look 3: Augustine cami, blazer, pants and bag. Look 4: Augustine dress. Deadly Ponies bag. Kathryn Wilson heels.
Look 1: Gorman dress and bag. Kathryn Wilson heels. Look 2: Gorman dress. Kathryn Wilson heels. Trelise Cooper jacket and pants. Attico sunglasses from Sunglass Bar. Look 4: Augustine dress. Saint Laurent sunglasses from Sunglass Bar. Kathryn Wilson heels.
Look 1: Augustine dress. Kathryn Wilson heels. Look 2: Kivari dress from Contain Boutique. Look 3: Hailwood shirt an skirt. Cutler and Gross optical from Sunglass Bar. Mi Piaci heels. Look 4: Hailwood dress.
Look 1: Hailwood dress. Jacquemus sunglasses from Sunglass Bar. Kathryn Wilson heels. Look 2: Trelise Cooper dress. Kathryn Wilson heels. Look 3: Coop dress. Kathryn Wilson heels. Look 4: Trelise Cooper dress. Givenchy sunglasses from Sunglass Bar. Kathryn Wilson heels.
Our guests
An afternoon in an olive grove, enjoying fine wines, great food, fashion and the latest beauty innovations, is a world away from the hustle and bustle of our guests’ busy city lives. From corporate tables to lifelong friends, taking time out of their busy schedules at one of Auckland's most tranquil venues made our event a joyful and uplifting afternoon.
Editor Trudi Brewer and style director Louise Hilsz wore outfits by Trelise Cooper and heels by Kathryn Wilson.
details
Decorated in gorgeous florals from The Little Flower Shop, the venue was filled with the scent of spring, heightened by the new stunning Keepsake candle collection from Ecoya. Each guest left with a goodie bag valued at over $200.
See all the action from our spring event here.