New digital camera.

Super-excited today because, after days of delay due to the snowshine, my new digital camera  -  a Samsung ES28  -  has finally arrived (!). However, it's supposed to be a Christmas present from my parents, so I won't be able to use it till the big day, but in the meantime I can lust over the specs and the oh-so pretty colour:

Details:

• 12 megapixel
• 27mm wide angle lens
• 5x optical zoom
• 2.5" LCD screen

Can't wait to take some pictures of my Christmas purchases with this beauty, as well as a plethora of travel shots once I jet off to Vancouver for a few months.

Christmas beauty shoot (& blonde).

Here are a couple of shots from the Christmas beauty shoot I organised for my university's student newspaper:

My friend Ruth Wildman did the photography, I did the make-up / styling, and we both modelled (mainly because we failed to find any models last-minute who could do our limited time slot, whoops).

Also, as the second picture shows, I decided to go blonde a couple of weeks ago. In case anyone wants to try the same, I used two packs of Schwarzkopf Live XXL Color Absolute Platinum and Superdrug Colour Effects Wash-in Wash-out Ash Blonde. 

Oh, and I'm getting a new digital camera for Christmas, having been without one for a few months now, so expect some pretty pictures of my recent spoils very soon.

Insanely delicious, hideously unfair.

A sample from the new limited edition Myla 10th anniversary collection, composed of black satin, black feathers, Swarovski crystal detail, and finished off with a hand-made berry satin bow:

Ah-mazing.

You're welcome.

A beautiful present for you all:

I do love Lanvin.

Beauty shoot.

Just thought I'd share a shot from a beauty shoot I organised for my university's student newspaper, featuring the purple smoky eye and nude lip:

Photographer: Patrycja Marczewska

Model: Jade Greyul

Bleurgh & hello again.

Firstly, apologies for the recent lack of posting  -  it's sparse enough as it is, I know  -  but I've just been rather overwhelmed this past month with university malarkey, as well as carrying out my role as Beauty Editor at The Mancunion (my university's student newspaper). I could post for the sake of posting about meaningless rubbish that doesn't interest me, but that would be sad and contrived.

Anyway, excuses over. Now, on to the main point of this post: Lanvin. You see, I opened my Vogue newsletter today to find the first official image of the eagerly anticipated Lanvin for H&M collection. Behold the general awesomeness

Image Source: Vogue Online

Fashion dream come true.

Having attended the utterly fabulous Vogue Fashion's Night Out last night, look what I spied on the Vogue website this morning:

http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/fashion/street-trends/100908-isabelle-dann--fashions-night-out.aspx

McQueen. C'est tout.

Recently, I purchased this Alexander McQueen ring  -  made of gold-tone brass, enamel, and Swarovski crystals  -   as a sort of "well-done-for-working-all-summer-and-not-killing-anybody" present to myself:

It cost too much, it was utterly frivolous, and now I won't be able to afford food for a while, but hey, that's fashion. The important thing is that I love it and will wear it for years to come, and with pretty much anything to boot. Some of the people I know hate the ring because they think it's too morbid, but the conflation of death and nature in all its beauty in the ring strikes me as a celebration of life rather than an obsession with death.

Iridescence is hot.

Today was my last day at Kabiri in Selfridges, but I haven't left the brand empty-handed. The other day, I purchased a souvenir of my time working with the brand in the form of this Fred Butler iridescent hair slide:

I just think that this is the coolest piece, as well as something that you just don't find in Topshop, which is always a plus when buying jewellery. I'll be wearing it for the Vogue Fashion's Night Out on 8th September.

Oh no.

I think I actually really need this By Malene Birger blouse, £145:

Jeez.

Lady Dragons.

Considering that I work at Selfridges, I thought it was about time I visited the much talked about Shoe Galleries. So, I went for a wander during my lunch hour and lusted over the Louboutins, cooed over the Choos, yet mantained an affection solely from afar due to currently completely unattainable price tag.

However, in the Velvet and Glass gallery, I came across the Vivienne Westwood Lady Dragon shoes, £110, in all their wondrous jellified glory. Now, my only issue is deciding between the following delicious colour combinations:

Pretty literature.

In order to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Puffin, six classics have had their covers undergo a designer makeover. My favourite is the ornate 3D cover for The Secret Garden, designed by illustrator Lauren Chid:

Other titles receiving makeovers are: Oliver Twist by artist Sir Peter Blake; James and the Giant Peach by sculptor Antony Gormley; Treasure Island by architect and sculptor Frank Gehry; Around the World in Eighty Days by architect David Adjaye; Little Women by fashion designer Orla Kiely. The books go on sale from 2nd September at £100 each. With only 1,000 copies of each title available, snap yours up swiftly.

I like masks.

Especially these Vanessa Tugendhaft bracelets, available at Kabiri:

Made from 18k yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and set with white and black pavé diamonds, these bracelets (all the same size, despite picture discrepancy) are truly stunning. Stand-out yet subtle, unique yet classic  -  perfect combinations, surely?

Also, I have my heart set on the rose gold necklace version, complete with a single white diamond:

Somebody... pretty, pretty please?

YSL beauty bomb.

Suddenly, I have all this Yves Saint Laurent beauty love, so I'm going to condense it all into one juicy post for your viewing pleasure.

Firstly, I have found my best-ever mascara in the form of Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils in "Noir Radical", £21.50. I have achieved good results with Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara and Dior DiorShow Extase, although neither compare to this YSL baby. The formula is luxuriously thick and creamy yet doesn't clump, the colour the most intense black around, the brush sumptuous in size  -  plus the packaging is ridiculously sleek and glamorous:

 Also  -  a first for mascara, I've found  -  the product smells wonderful, a fresh and slightly citrus-y scent, very similar to that of the brand's Top Secrets Flash Radiance Skincare Brush.

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Secondly, I am now working in very close proximity to this beautiful creature in giant cardboard poster form and it pleases me greatly:

Although Karlie Kloss' face is oh-so compelling, you may also notice her nails, a French manicure painted in two colours from the new YSL "Rock and Baroque" nail collection. Unsure about how to apply such a creation? Invade the YSL beauty counter in Selfridges in London from 5th-18th August and visit their pop-up nail bar, where a beauty specialist from the brand will give you a "Rock and Baroque: manicure for £15, the cost of which is redeemable against all YSL products.

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Oh, man. Yves Saint Laurent beauty is just too beautiful.

Sale splurge.

May or may not have accidentally bought a beautifully structured lingerie set from Agent Provocateur the other day. See the top half in all its architectural glory below:

Image Source: Agent Provocateur

It was on sale! And in my size! I had to.

Scuba-dupa.

I'm jetting off to Lake Como, Italy, in September with some girlfriends, and so I'm on the lookout for a beautiful piece of swimwear. This neoprene bright blue bustier bikini by Lisa Marie Fernandez is oh-so tempting, and currently in the Net-a-Porter sale for £275 £110 and it just happens to be in my size...

... What's a girl to do?

New poll + Kabiri.

Vote away, people! I want to know all about your favourite autumn / winter '10 trends.

Also, I had my induction today for my new job working at the Kabiri concession in Selfridges. The brand  -  which sells jewellery  -  is ridiculously cool, selling a variety of individual designers from all over the world. Stocking fashion, costume, and fine jewellery, with prices that range from £20 to £70,000 (yes, that's the correct number of zeros), there's something in this place for everyone.

Paradoxal.

The new Chanel nail polish, "Paradoxal", hits beauty counters on 13th August. A dark violet / grey colour with a subtle shimmer, this shade is like a night-time version of "Particulière". Wear it with the pared-down muted chic of autumn / winter '10 to add a touch of glamour to your look.

Dior couture delight.

One of the most intriguing trends of autumn / winter '10 is the strong presence of colour usually reserved for spring / summer. The Dior a / w '10 couture show was a stunning example of such visuals, with grand designs in a rainbow of colours set against a fiery floral backdrop:

Images Source: Style.com

Fake fur reigns.

Having further familiarised myself with the autumn / winter '10 trends in this month's Vogue, I just had to make a quick post in homage to the Chanel collection. The abundance of fake fur injects this season with a serious shot of arctic old-school glamour, plus the enormous real iceberg on the runway surpassed the audience's expectations of drama from Karl Lagerfeld: