Caramel-o bear

Thick, gooey, luxurious caramel is irresistible in any form. Make like Kaiser Karl at Chanel and wear yours fluffy and furry back with shades of chocolate and (ice) cream or drizzle it over good vanilla ice cream, between slithery crepes or slip between cookies a la smittenkitchen. 

We are deeply in love with their recipe for Deep, Dark Salted Butter Caramel Sauce. Just try and resist … and whilst you’re at it, be sure to check out their Ten Tips for Making Caramel and How to Make Perfect Caramel). Too scrumptious!

Chanel images via style

Quick Bites: Chanel ROARS, Mini-Minogue arrives, Eat Pray Love & spray

• Behold the sheer size and beauty of the magnificent golden lion that stole the Chanel F/W 2011 show. The staggering centerpiece, created by set designers from the Paris Opera, was a tribute to the label’s founder Coco, whose star sign was Leo. C’est Magnifique! dailymail

• Dannii Minogue has given birth to a Mini-Minogue named Ethan Edward Smith. The Australian singer, 38, and model boyfriend Kris Smith, 32, welcomed their son in a Melbourne hospital on July 5. Congrats Dannii and Chris!

• As with most successful novels, the bestselling memoir “Eat, Pray, Love” has been made into a movie starring Julia Roberts. Not so usual however … the release of fragrances inspired by the book. Fresh has released a trio of scents in packaging similar to the book cover. “Eat” captures the scents of Italy and is food focused with notes of Italian lemon, basil and bergamot, plum, caramel, meringue and vanilla. “Pray” goes for the spiritual with notes of incense, rose,patchouli, amber and musk. “Love” showcases the writer’s time in Indonesia and includes notes of jasmine, sandalwood and mango blossom. The fragrances will be available from July 15, with the movie release in August. And that’s how to do mega-marketing 101! luxist

Quick Bites: Chanel, Naomi & net, Victor Demarchelier, Dree Hemingway

• We first heard rumblings of this rumour mid-last year, but suddenly the whispers have resurfaced with a vengenance! Could Karl Lagerfeld’s tenure at Chanel be coming to an end? Could Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz be his heir-apparent? Too exciting!  grazia.com.au

• Naomi Campbell and net-a-porter.com have joined forces to host a two-week sale (now on!) of pieces from Campbell’s runway shows staged to benefit Haitian relief efforts. net-a-porter.com

• New York’s Clic Gallery is showing Victor Demarchelier’s (son of Patrick) debut photo show “Creating Images” (above left). Until April 4, 424 Broome St., NYC, (212) 219-8006) www.clicgallery.com / style.com

• Lane Crawford’s Spring/Summer 2010 campaign, THE PORTFOLIO, features the divine Dree Hemingway (above right), the great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway and “It Girl” muse to Alexander Wang. Take a peek at the behind-the-scenes video. lanecrawford.com

Eye spy

I have always been partial to a dramatic black eye. Sexy, timeless and classically stylish nothing adds more to a face than a dark, smouldering eye lined in a wet slick of black ink.

Next season, it’s a mandatory makeup addition with makeup maestros flicking, slicking and painting eyes in deep, dark stormy hues for the AW 2010 collections. Whilst some are a little risky to attempt at home (see Chanel!) I’ll be seeking inspiration from Louis Vuitton’s La Dolce Vita cats eye and Julianne Moore’s 60’s macquillage in A Single Man.

My tools of choice? Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner (its super-fine felt tip gives great eye, dries instantly and doesn’t budge), Nars eyeshadow in Eurydice (electric aubergine and graphite) and Enormous Mascara by Beauty Society. Blinking fabulous and utterly smoking.

Left to right: Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Julianne Moore in “A Single Man”.  Images via style.com

When Carrie met Coco...

Sarah Jessica Parker has been Coco-fied! We love her in Chanel Couture, a fluid lemon silk satin column dress with gilted camellia detail at the bust. Direct from the runway, SJP has simply never looked more regal.  Coco would be Carrie-d away…

Images via style.com & instyle.com 

My not-so-secret lust affair with the Coco Cocoon

With only five sleeps until I depart for Paris and my faithful old suitcase waiting patiently to be packed, I find myself slightly jumpy, distracted… a little like a Siamese on a hot tin roof.

Why? Because although said suitcase has accompanied me loyally on many a journey, it is difficult not to entertain the idea of a far sexier and luxurious travelling companion. Something a little chicer, more polished –perhaps in an inky, plush, quilted lambskin, lined in blood red satin with slick ruthenium hardware finishes.

Voila! Chanel’s new Coco Cocoon Quilted Trolley Bag, the piece that will make my luggage pop and that has stolen my fickle fashion heart. With it’s release a week away, and Lily Allen holding onto it for dear life, sadly it won’t make the flight and my trusty Samsonite will once again be by my side. Perhaps if I remove my glasses and squint hard enough, I can pretend it is Coco Cocoon moving romantically toward me on that conveyor belt instead of my cruddy, clapped-out old faithful in its place.  

Sigh, swoon and aim high at www.chanel.com