London Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week is barely over that it is already time for London Fashion Week to kick off. I received my BFC accreditation earlier this year and have since then managed to get my hands on a few invites, including a front row seat at PPQ and an invite to their after party!  If this wasn't exciting enough, I will also be helping Stylist Magazine cover the event for their website, stylist.co.uk. Oh, the perks of being an intern... Now if you'll excuse me, I have an outfit to put together.

Should I expect to see any of you there? 

- Elodie x

IMATS London 2012

Last Saturday I attended the International Make-up Artist Trade Show, most commonly known as IMATS, at the Alexandra Palace in London. Rachel and I thought we'd beat the crowd and go early, meaning that we managed to have a good look around the stalls and do a fair bit of shopping, before it got too hectic. We then headed to the press lounge where we were treated to an extensive brunch buffet, manicures and massages, courtesy of Royal & Langnickel. It might have been the first time I went to the famous make-up show, but it sure isn't the last. IMATS 2013 couldn't come soon enough!

And purely because I love seeing what's in other people's shopping bags and I assume you do too, here is what I came back with :

Royal & Langnickel kabuki brush, Illamasqua SOB cream blusher, MAC Reflex Pearl, MAC Pro card,

 Illamasqua Whack nail varnish and Liquid Metals in Berber and Electrum, Real Technique contour brush, 

MAC Morange lipstick, Silk Pro Greenline brush set c/o Royal & Lagnickel, Crown C208, C210 and C250-1 brushes,

Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Femme, MAC Twinks eyeshadow, Illamasqua eyeliner pencil in Adamant and Cane.

Don't forget to check out my Facebook page if you want to see more pictures of the day.

Did you go to IMATS? If so, what did you get?
- Elodie x

Marni at H&M

After Versace, Marni is the next designer to team up with H&M. The Italian fashion label, known for its colourful, bold prints, unconventional silhouettes and quirky accessories is a favourite amongst fashion lovers around the globe - me included!

And if you were worried about this collaboration only being a far cry from the luxurious label, here is what creative director and founder of Marni, Consuelo Castiglioni had to say about the collection :

"I'm very proud of the result. Everything has the same level of quality, craft and attention to detail Marni is known for."

To top it all off, Marni and H&M picked out no other than Sofia Coppola to direct the commercial. Set in a luxurious villa in Marrakech, the short film follows British actress and model, Imogen Poots, as she parties the night away. It is chic, modern and exuberant. In short, it is everything Marni stands for.

This will be the first time Marni, which doesn't have any diffusion line, will be accessible to high street shoppers. After seeing the first few shots in VOGUE Russia, I absolutely cannot wait for the look books to come out! I'll make sure to share my favourite items with you when they do.

The collection will be available in selected stores and online from March, 8. I guess you'll know where to find me on the 8th.


What do you think of the collaboration so far? Can I expect to see you in the queue? 
- Elodie x

PMD Personal Microderm Review

As you may remember from my Best of 2011 blog post, one of my (numerous) new year resolutions for 2012 is to take better care of my skin. Although I am pretty fortunate in that department and don’t suffer from severe acne, I have very dry skin, which can look incredibly dull during the Winter months. When I noticed some flakiness and breakouts around my chin and nose, right after Christmas, I knew it was time to take action.

Enter the PMD Personal Microderm, « an at-home microdermabrasion device that uses Aluminum Oxide Crystals and a vacuum suction to smooth away dull and rough skin texture, soften fine lines, wrinkles, blemishes and acne scars ».

To be honest, my first reaction was to go “too good to be true”. A professional microdermabrasion treatment costs around £100. I was pretty sure the PMD would not compare. Boy, was I wrong.

How it works :

The PMD Personal Microderm comes with 2 types of exfoliating discs - blue ones for sensitive skin (the ones I used) and green ones, for trouble spots and normal skin. The discs also come in two different sizes, to accommodate hard to reach areas, such as around your nose, and larger areas on your face and body.

The treatment itself is fairly easy and painless, as long as you follow the instructions given in the enclosed DVD. And I strongly advise you to watch that DVD several times. Because the PMD is no joke, people!

It is comparable to a professional treatment for a reason. If you do not religiously follow the instructions, you will scrape your skin. I learned the hard way, the first time I used it. I got slightly overzealous on my chin and was left with a scab for about 4 days. After that, it all went swimmingly, the secret being to never go over the same spot TWICE. That’s really the key to a successful treatment. I did mines at night, before bed, in addition to using the PMD Daily Regeneration System. Any redness was gone by the next morning and I did not experience any discomfort at all.

The results :

Three sessions later (the treatment should only be done about once a week), the results are undeniable. The texture of my skin is refined, almost all flakiness is gone. I haven’t had a breakout since I started using the system and I can tell that my moisturizer sinks in a lot better and that my foundation and concealer glide on a lot smoother. As cliché as it may sound, my skin feels and looks cleaner, healthier. My sister even said I looked airbrushed… not quite true, but hey, it was nice to hear!

I’m really glad I decided to give the Personal Microderm a go and I can honestly say that I am going to keep using it as part of my weekly routine. The system works and if you suffer from larger pores, acne scarring or simply dull skin, I strongly encourage you to have a look at the PMD website.

I am really curious to know if any of you have tried the PMD and what your experience of the system was. Let me know in the comments!

- Elodie x

Haute Couture S/S12 Highlights

Christian Dior

Basil Soda

Armani Privé

Chanel

Atelier Versace

Elie Saab

Giambattista Valli

Zuhair Murad

Maxime Simoëns

What have been your favourite dresses of Couture Fashion Week? 

Pictures courtesy of Vogue.fr.

- Elodie xx