The Tamesis
There are so many fashion products available online that after first seeing them on the small screen, it can be refreshing to try them on in-store. Enter Just Browsing: We’ll take you inside the fitting rooms to preview the latest collections from some of our favorite high street and contemporary brands. When we walk into the shop, we’ll discuss fabrics and quality, fit and feel, and more. Happy scrolling (and wandering)!
Before I became a writer, Chanel beauty felt like the kind of luxury you admired from afar. The interlocking double Cs have a special appeal—perhaps because they happen to mirror my own initials. Long before I worked at a magazine, I was haunted by its glossy ads, which featured the coolest names in fashion, from Kristin Stewart to Lily Rose Depp, and mesmerized by the dazzling palettes and lipsticks housed in sleek black packaging.
Fortunately, after a few months of FashionMy best friend Ashlyn (a Leo friend who treats celebrations like a competitive sport) gifted me my first Chanel beauty treasure—a tube of Rouge Coco Flash that’s small enough to serve as a chic trinket, perfect for sneaking makeup touch-ups between meetings. It felt symbolic, like a rite of passage: I finally had the lipstick I’d been advocating for while working on the magazine I’d profiled it for.
Like Kismet, a Chanel fragrance and beauty boutique opened around the corner from my apartment in Williamsburg. I pass it twice every day on my way to and from get off work Fashion As I hurried toward the L train, I peeked through the window at headquarters. Nearly three years on, it remains a visual allure; though I didn’t actually get inside until my lease was over and I packed up everything to move. Taking a look in store and browsing the new denim collection felt like a fitting farewell.
From already-loved classics to new arrivals for spring, there’s plenty to consider if you want to plan your visit, or at least add something to your shopping cart. Ahead is everything that catches my eye inside the boutique.
skin centered
While Chanel’s makeup gets the most attention, its skin-care products have real benefits, not just designer cachet. Consider the Le Lift Flash eye mask—the very one used to prep the models’ skin backstage at Chanel shows. The formula is super flexible and serum-soaked, rich in low molecular weight hyaluronic acid, which absorbs quickly and is a great balm for my dry winter skin. That they’re selfie-worthy is just an added bonus.
