LFF BEAUTY: OMOROVICZA TRAVEL SET REVIEW C/O URBAN RETREAT BEAUTIQUE

My skin was in a bad state post-LFW -  too many coffees and sugary snacks fueling me in between the shows had led to break out round my jawline and a general dullness that I couldn't shift. Urban Retreat Beautique kindly sent me an Omorovicza Taupe gift set to review recently so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to trial the products. I have been using Lush skincare religiously for the past 5 years – my skin is quite sensitive – so I was nervous that the products might be too harsh. I hadn’t heard of the brand before but some reading up informed me that Omorovicza is a Hungarian skin care company which uses ‘Mineral CosmetologyTM’ - a patented mineral-based anti-aging system - that the beauty editors are raving about. 

 The set contains the following products:
· Deep Cleansing Mask 15ml
· Queen of Hungry Mist 30ml
· Cleansing Foam 30ml
· Illuminating Moisturiser 2ml sachets (2 per bag)

I used all the products daily over a course of 1 week to trial them thoroughly. I was relieved to find my sensitive skin loved the gentle and natural nature of the products – I even used the Queen of Hungary mist to remove traces of eye make-up and it didn’t sting as removers often can.  The Cleansing Foam had a lovely creamy texture that lathered nicely and left my skin feeling clean but moisturized – no post-lathering skin tightness! My favourite product in the kit was the Deep Cleansing Mask – satisfyingly tingly, I could really feel it working to deep clean the London grime out my pores.  I am still using the products in conjunction with my Lush skin care – nothing beats Lush ultra bland cleanser for removing make-up in my opinion, but the cleansing foam has become a morning staple for me. And the best part? My break out cleared up within two days of using the products - which never happens. The deep cleansing mask must have worked it's magic. 

Urban Retreat Beautique currently has a great offer on Omorovicza products – spend £50 or more and receive the Taupe Gift Set free. 

LFF LFW SS14 STREETSTYLE: PINK CLASH

For day 2 of London Fashion Week, I tried a little pink/red colour clash thing, inspired by this Jonathan Saunders look from his AW13 collection. My pink coat was trend premonition purchase in the Topshop AW13 sales - 40 quid and my best sale buy to date! The pillar box red shift dress is from the Next AW13 collection - they have so many fabulous pieces in store for fall, you really must pay a visit.  

LFF AND #FiorelliHandpicked‏

I'd like you to meet my new partner - she's called Jasmine. Before you raise an eyebrow - Jasmine is actually tote bag, and a very beautiful one at that. LFF has been 'paired' with this classic, structured style by Fiorelli, as part of their #FiorelliHandpicked campaign to celebrate the launch of their AW13 collection. Over the coming weeks I will be sharing how I style my Jasmine grab bag, where I take it and what I put in it. Described by the Fiorelli team as 'A staple style to take you from day to night - the Jasmine bag has room for a change of fabulous shoes, transform your style with Jasmine...' , the Jasmine marks a change of style for me. I have been wearing cross-body bags for the majority of 2013, but with top handle bags making a return for autumn/winter, I think the Jasmine will prove to be the perfect accessory to sharpen up my look. 

Keep checking LFF to follow my journey with Jasmine, I'm sure we will be very happy together!

LFF EDITS: DEBENHAMS AW13 FOOTWEAR COLLECTION

I'm in the mood for all things fabulous right now - so when Debenhams asked me to edit my top 5 pairs of shoes from their AW13 collection - I found myself drawn towards a curation of colour-pop pointed toe courts. At the top of my wishlist are Dune's iridescent reptilian 'Burst' courts (no.2) - I think their appeal lies in the fact they look like they belong to Ariel from the Little Mermaid. Animal prints are a huge trend for the season and can be easily introduced into your look through accessories - try Carvela's fabulous hot pink 'Astro' courts (no.1) for an update on the classic leopard print. A metallic court is wise purchase because it will work with just about every colour palette - Call it Spring's rose gold and silver courts (no.3 and no.5) are a great buy.

1. 'Astro' heeled courts, Carvela, £120.
2. 'Burst' metallic courts, Dune, £85.
3. 'Schapp' rose gold courts, Call it Spring, £12.60.
4. 'Blazing' twisted heel court, Dune, £89.
5. 'Schapp' silver courts, Call it Spring, £31.50.

LFW SS14 ASHISH SHOW - IN LFF TEN

Some brands you just have a natural affinity with, and for me one of those designers is Ashish. Like Paloma Faith, Delilah and Ellie Goulding, who all frow-ed at the SS14 show, I see myself as an Ashish girl - although the reality is - I'm just not cool enough to pull of head to toe sequins. I have been lucky enough to attend the catwalk several seasons in a row and I really appreciate the label's strong handwriting that rarely deviates to accommodate trends. Without fail Ashish Gupta's shows deliver humour, distressed denim and sequins in their thousands. The invite for the SS14 show was a festival wristband, a clever touch, creating the feeling of entering the best party at LFW. For the new season Gupta had received special permission from the ultimate in pop culture - Coca-Cola - to use the brand's logo, appearing on look after look in the show (festooned in sequins obviously). There were also multicultural references in the form of ethic jewelry, Cambodian crowns and Arabian inspired fashions. My personal show highlight were the faux-supermarket sequinned carrier bags that read 'Disco' and 'S&M' instead of well know chains (it doesn't take a genius to work out what these are a play on) - I actually laughed out loud when they appeared on the catwalk. Here's the show highlights in LFF 10: 

LFF OUTFITS: LONDON FASHION WEEK SS14 DAY 1

When I woke up and saw the miserable weather conditions for day 1 of London Fashion Week on Friday - the last thing I wanted to do was put on a pair of killer heels. Bad weather brings out the comfort dresser in me, so my Nike Air Vortex trainers proved to be a lifesaver. I teamed them with my leather skirt that I picked up from a charity shop in the summer and my new Topshop neoprene sweater - neoprene being an ideal fabric for aquatic weather conditions! My fab chain strap bag is courtesy of Dune at Debenhams. Debenhams sent me the bag to review and it proved to be the perfect choice for Fashion Week. It has lots of compartments inside which were perfect for storing my business card, phone, etc and expandable zip detail that enabled me to fit bulkier essentials inside - like my umbrella. Plus the metallic finish is luscious and picked up lots of compliments!

Pictures by Katie from Glass of Fashion blog

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EUDON CHOI SS14 SHOW - IN LFF TEN

The Eudon Choi show was held in the the historic 11-12 Carlton House yesterday - designed by John Nash, no less. The London-based Korean's show was packed to the rafters, unsurprising since Eudon Choi's pitch-perfect AW13 collection was the talk of LFW last season. The show achieved what I think to be quite hard feat - it was serenely beautiful - yet extremely wearable and commercial. The looks were ready to step off the runway and into wardrobes. As promised, I've edited my show pictures down to the LFF 10 show highlights, here's Eudon Choi SS14 at a glance:

LFF EVENTS: LONDON FASHION WEEK SS14

I'm excited to be covering London Fashion Week for the 4th season on La Fashion Folie and I'm planning to make it my best to date. This time around I aim to be more focused in my approach to coverage - I've got my hands on some great tickets for exciting shows - but I won't be posting reams and reams of photographs on here (you've got Style.com for that). Instead I'll be editing each collection I preview down to my top 10 looks/ pieces/ show moments - and I'm (rather unimaginatively) naming this feature 'LFF in 10'. See it as your manageable guide to fashion week- SS14 at a glance if you will. The new-season coverage can often be overwhelming, so hopefully this approach will make interpreting the upcoming trends less daunting (for me and you!). To kick-off my coverage here's a sneak peak of what you will find in my LFW bag - I'm going for practicality this season and carrying a cross-body number to leave my hands free to photograph all the action.

Metallic bag c/o Dune at Debenhams 

1. My iPhone to share the latest happenings on LFF's social media channels.
2. Almonds for snacking - food is unsurprisingly scarce in the vicinity of Fashion Week!
3. My iPhone charger - when my iPhone dies, so do I (over-reaction?)
4. A pad and pen to jot down show notes.
5. My oyster card (in my super stylish Sarah Forsyth holder) - essential for getting across town to the different show venues.
6. Vaseline - you might be air-kissing, but you still need moisturised lips.
7. Show tickets - no ticket - no show!
8. Business cards - London Fashion Week is a great networking opportunity. 
9. Marc by Marc Jacobs shades - perhaps wishful thinking in this climate, but designer shades add much needed polish to my fashion week looks.

Be sure to follow all the action on my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook channels over the coming few days. Let's go! x

LFF LOVES: UGG AUSTRALIA SMOKING SLIPPERS

Newsflash: I think I've found the perfect autumn/winter flat. There's nothing worse than freezing your tootsies off in flimsy ballet pumps when the temperature drops, which is why I think UGG Australia's range of sheepskin-lined flats is ingenious. The brand have designed a selection of on-trend smoking slippers featuring signature sheepskin footbeds. UGG Australia were kind enough to send me a pair to review - I selected the navy Alloway studded slippers (navy is one of my favourite colours to wear in winter.) All credit to UGG Australia- this is one beautiful pair of flats. They feel sturdy and wonderfully made, whilst the hardware detail add a high fashion edge. But the real selling point is the sheepskin lining - pillow-soft, like walking on a luxuriously fluffy carpet where ever you go. I'll be wearing mine colour blocked with denim and my navy coat once the autumnal chill sets in - will you be picking up a pair of UGG Australia slippers for winter?

1. Surface to Air navy Sabina coat, Avenue 32, £390. 
2. Current/Elliot patched skinny jeans, The Outnet, £98.90. 
3. Markus Lupfer loves Hillier squirrel sweater, Net-a-porter.com, £265. 
4. Python embossed clutch, Banana Republic, £69.50. 

LFF OUTFITS: EMBRACING BROCADE

Brocade may have had it's fashion 'moment' last autumn/winter, but it will always be one of my favourite fabrics to wear. When H&M launched its collaboration with fashion heavyweight Marni last year, I picked up a skirt and the below t-shirt in opulent gold and purple brocade fabric - and have worn both countless times since (remember when I wore the skirt to London Fashion Week?). The collection was a sell-out, but you can still find pieces on eBay and designer resale sites like Vestaire collective from time to time. When my lovely bloggy friend Annie invited me to the BBC proms at the Royal Albert Hall yesterday, a short wardrobe panic ended up in me wearing my failsafe brocade tee with some hastily pulled together accessories. My chain-strap bag is a recent purchase from Vince Camuto - a New York accessories brand that has recently opened its first UK store on Kensington High Street. Are you a fan of brocade?

Tee- Marni at H&M {try Ebay!}. Trousers - Zara. Chainstrap bag - Vince Camuto. Metallic flats - Dorothy Perkins. 

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