Dateline: Singapore Chanel Cruise Collection

The quick recap in 10 words: Circa 1913 boyish chic with a ’50s colonial cricket-inspired twist.

The inspiration: Karl Lagerfeld said that Coco Chanel—and how she looked when she opened her first boutique in Deauville in 1913—was the main inspiration for this collection. The night before the runway show, Lagerfeld invited guests to the courtyard at the famed Raffles Hotel to screen his short film, Once Upon a Time. The black-and-white 18-minute movie, which reflects his reimagined idea of Coco’s life back then, starred Keira Knightley alongside Chanel model muses like Stella Tennant, Saskia de Brauw and Lindsey Wixson. (Historical note: The Singapore Sling was invented at the hotel in 1915 by Ngiam Tong Boon, a Hainanese bartender working at the Long Bar in the hotel.)

When in Rome… I tried my first Singapore Sling at the hotel where it was invented.

The palette: Beige, white, ivory, black and navy blue.

 Key silhouettes: High-waisted, wide-legged pants, jumpsuits, long belted knit tunics, short jackets, pencil pleated dresses, graphic black-and-white jogging pants and pleated tops.

The fabrics: Cotton, tweed, latex-gilded lace, knit, crepe de Chine, beaded and lacquered straw.

What’s the shoe everyone will covet; plus the Chanel bag that stole the show? Read on…

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Cruising along…

I haven’t read Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians yet, but I feel as if I got a glimpse into the fabulously OTT Asian jet-set scene when I attended Chanel’s recent cruise collection in Singapore. Unlike other fashion spectacles—where the front row is lined with international press and A-list European and American starlets—this outing felt more like a gigantic love letter/trunk show for Karl Lagerfeld’s seriously committed “Chanelites.”

Chanel “superfans.”

There were some notable style scribes (Carine Roitfeld and André Leon Talley), one American celebrity (Dakota Fanning) and some Asian film stars (Rinko Kikuchi, Fann Wong, Zhou Xun and Gwei Lun-Mei), but the majority of the 1,200 people at the show on May 9 appeared to be A-list shoppers who wore their loyalty literally from head-to-two-toned pumped toe. While some travelled from Hong Kong, Bangkok and Malaysia, many of the moneyed set were from Singapore—a city The Wall Street Journal recently called the “world’s richest city.” According to Global Language Monitor, it also ranks eighth in the world’s fashion capitals.

At the afterparty held at the Loewen Cluster—a collection of buildings that at one time housed a nutmeg factory as well as British army barracks—I sidled up to two Chanel-clad young women or, as Kwan calls them, “CRAs.” After a little banter about the cruise collection’s chic pencil skirts, high-waisted wide-legged pants and the adorable—and highly covetable—No. 5 “fragrance” clutch, I asked them what they did for a living.

The Chanel No5 clutch. One word: adorable.

Read on to find out just how these two stylish women fund their fashionable—and enviable—wardrobes.

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The Couture de Minnie nail polish line. Image courtesy of OPI.

By Caley Skinner

Get your wallets out Disney queens! OPI has announced the June release of a Minnie Mouse-inspired line of nail polish. The new line is anything but mousy, with five exciting shades including bubblegum pink, fuchsia, white with red glitter, crimson, and sparkly strawberry. Last summer’s Vintage Minnie Mouse polish line explored old-school Minnie glam, while this year’s Couture de Minnie line is all about runway trends, from textures to colours. From a fashion-forward mouse to your fashion-forward fingertips! [OPI Press Release]

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Well hello again ELLE Canada readers! I’m back for another week of blogging from the intern desk, and this week we’re all about summer beauty. We’re talking about glowing tans, glossy hair and perfect pedicures as we prep for the hot and sunny weather we’ve been desperately waiting for since the last snowflake fell. Read on to find out what beauty projects I’ve been working on in my last few days in the office!

Pops of colour for your summer beauty palette. Photography by Geoffrey Ross.

Being an intern at ELLE Canada means reaching out to some of the most influential beauty brands in the biz, editing images, writing captions and building the galleries we know you love perusing on ELLECanada.com everyday. From our massive summer prep packages to more simple beauty projects for the season, the lineup for summer beauty is something you won’t want to miss. As ELLE girls, we’re in love with bold lip colours, bright nails and golden bronzers that help us look our best on the beach, and we just couldn’t resist sharing them with you. Plus, we’ve taken your picks for best products in our beauty grand prix that organizes your favourite creams, sprays and more by category and price. Stay tuned this week for our summer prep package and start collecting the must-have products of the season on ELLECanada.com’s beauty channel.

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Photos courtesy of the Stillwater Spa.

As a beauty writer, I’m lucky enough to test out and write about the latest products and treatments like it’s my job (which, funny enough, it is). But one of the most rewarding parts of the gig is getting to share the heap of advice bestowed on me with occasionally inquiring friends and family (because friends don’t let friends go without lip liner). But what’s even better is the chance to share experiences with loved ones, mainly the shameless promoter of all my write-ups: my dear mom.

My mom and I were invited to test out the Bestie & Me treatment at the Stillwater Spa, as part of its Mother’s Day spa packages. Always the obliging source – ask her about the countless times she agreed to be interviewed by my classmates in journalism school, – my mom packed up her bags for a relaxing night together at the luxe Park Hyatt Toronto, followed by side-by-side pedicures the next morning.

Click here to read on about the luxe side-by-side pedicure treatments Stillwater Spa!

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Kate Hudson poses at the 2013 ELLE Style Awards. Image courtesy of Cover Media.

By Caley Skinner

With Mother’s Day approaching (May 12th, sons and daughters!), it was only fitting that Almay spokeswoman Kate Hudson pair up with her famous mum, Goldie Hawn, in a promo video. In the video, the two sunny blondes discuss their relationship – Kate reminisces about rummaging through her mother’s makeup case as a child and falling in love with beauty products. When asked about Mother’s Day gifts, Goldie cites her only daughter: “The fact that I got a girl is one of the great gifts that I was given.” Watch the video here! [CocoPerez] [People]

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Photo courtesy of The Spa @ Equinox Fitness Club.

TORONTO: SPA CALLING
Status: Opens this week
What: A relaxing sanctuary at the newly opened Equinox Fitness Club in Toronto, The Spa offers a luxe menu featuring 24-carat gold and caviar facials, seaweed wraps and microdermabrasion, with Rodial skin care products.
When: Opens Monday April 29.
Where: 199 Bay St., Commerce Court West, Toronto.
Buzzworthy notes: Head from your body-toning Pilates class to a Sculpt Facial appointment without stepping outside: The Spa @ Equinox offers access to the fitness club on the day of your spa appointment, plus a range of luxe facial and body treatments to indulge in a well-rounded “me”-day.

TORONTO: REEL TIME
Status: Screens this week
What: The official launch party of Toronto recording artist Kirty’s music video, Run River Run.
When: Tuesday April 30; doors open at 9PM, screen to take place at 10PM.
Where: El Mocambo Tavern, 464 Spadina Ave, Toronto.
Buzzworthy notes: Directed by Matthew DeFilippis and Elisia Mirabelli, whose most recent short film, Pretty Thing, will be screening at the Cannes Film Festival as part of Telefilm’s Not Short on Talent program, the underwater-shot music video is the Ryerson grads’ latest cinematic venture.

Click here to read on about more fashionable events taking place this week!

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Anne Hathaway’s iconic pixie cut. Image courtesy of Cover Media.

By Sarah Thompson

Who has the most inspiring haircut of all time? The beautiful Anne Hathaway has won the coveted title of “Most Influential Film Hairstyle” for her short pixie cut that first appeared in the 2011 film One Day. Jennifer Aniston took second place for her blonde waves in Along Came Polly, while Audry Hepburn took third position for her signature updo in the film Charade. The unconventional winners were decided by a survey conducted by Universal Pictures UK and the Hairdressing Council of Great Britain, who have also determined that 1 in 10 women change their hairstyle after watching a leading lady in a film. Would you chop your locks in homage to you favourite movie star?  [Huffington Post] [Vogue UK]

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OPI Liquid Sand Nail Lacquer in Jinx. Image courtesy of OPI.

By Sarah Thompson

The Bond Girls are back in the form of 6 new shades of nail polish from OPI inspired by the James Bond Films. The new hues range in colour from glittering pastels to deep undertones and have a set of Bond-inspired names – Solitaire (sparkling white), Pussy Galore (pastel pink), Tiffany Case (shimmery blue), Vesper (dark purple), Honey Rider (glittering gold) and Jinx (bright coral). These new nail lacquers will be sold at professional salons and spas across Canada ($10.95 per bottle), starting in May. Bonus: The sand-textured, matte finish of the polish means no top coat, cutting a few minutes off your manicure for a unique look and feel.

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The vibe: Deeply rooted (we mean that truly, as you are literally tucked inside the super steamy Soufrière rainforest) one of the tiny country’s most luxurious hideaways, The Rainforest Spa at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort is equal parts cortisol-lowering and visually stimulating. To strut between appointment ‘huts’, you’ll patter over wooden bridges and once settled and swaddled, there’s no need for your therapist to start the music, because the chirpings of the forest’s birds and bugs (less of the latter, we promise) provide the most organic soundtrack.

The treatment: If you’re looking to restore your stressed-out, glow-free visage, the Natura Bisse Awakening Facial (60 minutes, $185) delivers in spades. You’ll start with a mind/body exercise, as you’re prompted to inhale Natura Bisse’s Aroma Nectar Relax Oil—three times. Once you’re filled with whiffs of all things tranquil and idyllic, your therapist dotes on your face with a series of face massage techniques that begs the question, “Why don’t I do this at home right before be—oh right, I’m lazy.” And then before you have a moment for your brain to wander further, you’re quickly (and ever so gently) jilted back into serenity via the strokes of the softest paintbrush in the world across your face. Then, suddenly, a precious vial is cracked—and the contents of the brand’s Oxygen Concentrate is massaged across all the high planes of your face and into all the nooks and crannies. A single serving just for you. After that, an incredibly gentle peel is smothered across your face while your therapist massages your hands and feet. Once that party wraps, you’re topped up with eye cream (again, super delicately applied), tinted moisturizer and of course, SPF. The SPF 30 Daily Defense Oil-Free Fluid feels super light, so you can carry on with your beach business.

Read on to find out the best poolside beauty treatments at the resort.

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