Coast A/W12

 

Last week I ventured to The Claridges Hotel for Coast’s A/W 12 press day and a plush press day it was.

Hosted in one of The Claridges most decadent rooms, the glamorous collection of Coast's occasion and evening wear were displayed on mannequins and rails. The A/W line which begins to feed in stores at the end of June sees many beautiful dresses, shoes and jewellery which can cater for any event you may need such items for.  With a range of colour, material, shapes and styles it works for all. Silks, sequins, beading and satin dominate the collection and there are some incredible vintage pieces across the collection too.

My highlights include ALL (impossible to choose one I think you will agree) of the pink and nude shade dresses with intricate sequin detailing. So pretty and perfect for any party. See below for further dresses, shoes and pieces of jewelry to get excited about.

Rocking Red with Rococo

This week I visited the Space N.K press day to satisfy all my beauty needs and satisfied I was. As well as testing many a beauty product, I walked away with a rocking manicure courtesy of Rococo from their new Rock&Royal range.

Labelled as ‘Monarchy meets Anarchy’, the new set combines three of Rococo’s signature shades to create the perfect nail kit for the pending Jubilee weekend and a patriotic summer. Shades include Lab Nude 1.0, V.I.P and City Slick and the set is priced at £24 available from Space N.K online and in store.

Aspinal of London Appoints Mollie King as Ambassador

Mollie King is the next stylish celeb to put her fashion foot forward and have a namesake ‘it bag’ to her credentials. Luxury brand Aspinal of London has appointed Mollie as their new Ambassador, creating a must have piece for the modern and preppy girl about town.

Stylish and perfectly proportioned, the namesake ‘Mollie Satchel’ comes in three colours and is handmade from the finest Italian calf leather. Designed to epitomise the quintessentially British style of Aspinal of London, Mollie has already been seen toting the bag (below), fulfilling her 'royal duties' to the brand.

 

I have to agree the new ‘must have’ satchel is perfect for the modern day ‘Carrie’ providing all the space she could need, even for her laptop!

The Mollie Satchel is £450 and is available from Aspinal of London online and in selected stores around the UK.

Summer Ready Hair from Oribe

 

This month I was introduced to a new hair care range from Oribe, also new to Space N.K. Being an Oribe virgin I was super keen to put the new range to the test especially the Après Beach Spray. Filled with excitement I popped along to the Space N.K store on Broadwick Street in London for a demonstration and product launch.

At the launch we were shown how to create the perfect curls using hair grips and the Oribe Crème for Style product and also how to create amazing volume using the Dry Texturizing Spray. Literally the best demonstration I have ever seen.  The first demo was a girl who had naturally straight hair. Strands of her hair were sectioned, smothered with the hair cream, curled using the hairdressers finger and fastened to her head with a grip. Left for 30 minutes and blow dried the stylist then revealed the bounciest curls fit for the catwalk.

The second demo was a little impromptu, a fellow blogger jumped at the chance to have her hair volumized using the Dry Texturizing Spray. The stylist parted her hair into sections starting above her ear and through and beyond her parting, spraying the root to create incredible volume. The best things about this: her hair was still soft, even with the product in and smelt incredible.

Keen to try both products along with the Oribe Après Beach Spray I welcomed the goodie bag and went straight home to begin testing. Using the Oribe Crème for Style I recreated the curly do and was delighted to see what I looked like with natural looking curls. Following the simple instructions from the demonstration and with the help of my flatmate it was as easy as described. For a different look, I used the crème by sliding it through the ends of my hair and scrunching it to create a natural wave which also worked a treat.

The Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray has to be my favourite of the range as I crave volume and find this very quick and easy to use. You can section hair any way you choose, follow with a quick blast of the spray and boom you’ve got volume.

Last but by no means least; the Oribe Après Beach Spray has found itself a pride place in my summer beauty collection. I was lucky enough to enjoy a quick break in Devon at the same time in March that we had an amazing few days of hot weather. I seized the opportunity to use the spray and sunbathe (obviously). Sun and sea friendly, it gave me some fantastic waves. I thoroughly recommend the brand and now have a collection of stylish hair tools for a beautiful hot, summer (a girl can dream).

The Oribe collection is available in Space N.K stores and online. Product prices through the range vary between £18 and £54.

Bee Mine Please

On Thursday morning I swung by the Monsoon Fusion and Burt's Bee launch on Oxford Street to see the pretty collection and it did not disappoint.

The two power brands have collaborated to create the 'Bee Mine' collection which consists of a gorgeous 'Bee Mine' Playsuit priced at £58 and (my personal favourite) a cute grey 'Bumble Bee' jumper priced at £38 amongst other pretty pieces. What's more is any customer purchasing either of the two items gets a wild seed flower packet to help keep the bees alive and a Burt's Bees honey lip balm (a beauty essential for nourished lips).

The 'Bee Mine' collection is available to purchase online and in selected Monsoon stores now.

My Favourite Video

As an LA lover and a Kurt Geiger lover the new S/S 12 campaign video has been a huge inspiration to me. Enjoy the colours, the shoes, the bags, the palm trees, the clothes and the hair. J’adore.


For shoes and accesories visit Kurt Geiger online.

Versace & H&M Collaborate

Today will see the launch of Versace and H&M’s exclusive, and may I say glamourous collaboaration online and in store in the UK.

Following a very successful runway show in New York with guests including Blake Lively, Chace Crawford, Jessica Alba and Selma Blair, the brand new colllection stays true to Donatella’s beautiful style bringing together different styles from the Versace archive. Key highlights from the collection include the slick and stylish leather gold studded jacket and dress, the chic purple, black and orange dresses, and the gorgeous black strappy heels.

Take a sneak peak below and get your mouse ready to start purchasing online at 9am today if you are not able to get to a store stocking the collection.

Shoe Lust

Now that the Christmas lights in the West End (London) are lit, I am hitting the shops with one thing in mind ... I need to compile my list for Santa, aka mum and dad. My first trip so far led me to Kurt Geiger and the first item I saw, loved and inevitably must share are these gorgeous red satin peep toe shoes from KG Kurt Geiger called Diane. At £90 I decided not to wait and snapped them up for the Christmas party season but there is still time for you to add to yours! Match them with a pair of jeans, white tee and a blazer, or for a super chic look pair with a cocktail dress in black.

London Fashion Week S/S 12 - Packing Heat by Damaris

During London Fashion Week S/S 12 lingerie designer Damaris hosted a screening of a short fashion film called “Packing Heat” starring the beautiful Liberty Ross, directed by Johnny Green. A collaboration that once again brought fashion to the big screen with an exceptional and cold performance by Ross modelling the gorgeous, and not to mention uber-sexy lingerie collection. The S/S 12 Damaris collection focuses on shape and sculpting the body using bold block colours, seam- free silhouettes and deep plunging neck lines. Watch the dramatic journey of Ross and the use of weaponry in the short film below:

All That Sparkles

Shoes are my weakness. Imagine my joy when the new Miu Miu glitter classic pumps followed the A/W11 advertising campaign all the way into stores ... who can resist such feminine pretty shoes? At £370 they are a steal, and they come in blue, pink, orange a fuchsia - perfect to pair with any dress this party season. 

Dear Santa ... Please may I have them?

London Fashion Week S/S12 - Anya Hindmarch

For S/S 12 Anya Hindmarch showcased her new collection at the old abandoned Strand tube station during London Fashion Week last month. An incredible presentation and collection called 'Lost & Found' that housed all the gorgeous leather bags and purses you could wish for. Think colour blocking for S/S12, bright blues, reds, greens and yellows. 

The decor was very retro, and inside the fashion haven stood a black and white print photo booth, Anya's Kiosk stocked with sweet treats, postcards and key rings, a British cafe that served fine cuisine, and even a traditional London busker. My heart wants the black studded purse. It fast became the first thing on my Christmas wish list.