Chanel

Beauty update: Chanel Rouge Noir



Chanel Rouge Noir limited edition

Chanel has unveiled an entire line inspired by its classic Rouge Noir eggplant nail polish. (If you’re old enough, you’ll remember its debut in Pulp Fiction.) Chanel’s COMÈTES COLLECTIVE member Ammy Drammeh “brought out all the nuances of Rouge Noir in order to better highlight its complexity”, including an eyeshadow and blush quad, a mascara* (my pick) and a dramatic matte Rouge Allure velvet lipstick. And you can find the OG Rouge Noir nail polish here.* (more…)



Shop the post: summer sale picks



Studio Nicholson shirt

OMG OMG it’s actually happening. That rarer-than-rare event. A proper, more-than-one-day sweltering heatwave! In London! This calls for a rethink of my ‘Tods Girl Summer’ wardrobe since the ‘summer knits’ and waterproofs don’t quite fit the 30-degrees-and-rising brief.

Thankfully, the sales are starting, so I’m here to help with a couple of hot-in-the-city pointers. While the multi-brand sites aren’t great for sale purchases did everyone freak out ahead of the tariffs and panic buy? there are some good discounts if you persevere. (more…)



The gel moisturisers I’ve tried and love



Skin Rocks The Light Moisturiser - a lightweight gel moisturiser

It’s gel moisturiser season and I’m into it.

When the heat rises, gel creams are quick to apply, light to wear and sometimes cooling on the skin. Despite being lightweight, the ones I recommend offer a good level of hydration with their added vitamins, ceramides and hyaluronic acid. (more…)



The culture of fashion: how the catwalk soundtrack got its groove



Michael Clark Bodymap fashion show - photograph by Robert Rosen courtesy BodyMap

Models! Clothes! Music! Fashion show soundtracks are increasingly part of shaping a brand’s identity. And in the digital era they’re about to become even more important…

The year was 2017. Kim Jones was menswear artistic director at Louis Vuitton. At the appointed hour, his first models sloped onto the Paris runway in iterations of slouchy 80s overcoats, baggy flannel trousers and Basquiat-style suits with untucked shirts. Then the kicker – internet-breaking Speedy holdalls emblazoned with red-and-white Supreme logos. And to add the crucial fourth musical dimension: Honey Dijon’s mix of Sound Factory bangers including Chez Damier’s Can You Feel It (MK Dub), completing the downtown New York nostalgia trip.

Since then, other notable catwalk soundtracks have included LaQuan Smith’s AW23 Ballroom fabulosity-fest; Benji B’s eerie David Lynch-like Chromatics mix for Jil Sander SS25 and Saint Laurent’s long-term music collaboration with DJ SebastiAn – so integral to the brand, they packaged it as a box set and sold it in Saint Laurent stores. (more…)