Last week I wrote about this gorgeous silk jumpsuit from Witchery here and reported that it would be in stores next month.

Well, the shipment has arrived early and is selling out of stores very, very quickly.

I had my eye on it for Melbourne Cup but didn’t think it would arrive in time so made other plans. Then I received an email on Wednesday telling me that the jumpsuit had arrived early and I almost fell over myself running to my nearest Witchery store. (Yes I really have nothing better to do with my time.)

Unfortunately, they had already sold out but I managed to locate some stock at another nearby store.

In the end I settled on the black version as it will be more versatile. I plan to team it up with bronze accessories (belt, clutch, heels, ring) and a black straw fedora for the races.

The cut is quite voluminous and flowy so to add some structure it would look great with a wide belt cinched around the waist.

The Witchery jumpsuit retails for $149.95.

By Caroline Warnes

Mobile phones have become something of a status symbol so it doesn’t come as much of a surprise to hear that Motorola plans to release a ultra high-end phone.

“High end” in terms of phones generally means you will pay around $1000 for the handset. However Motorola is taking it to extremes with the Aura, which is expected to be priced at around $3000 when it arrives in Australia in December.

How is the manufacturer justifying that jaw-dropping price tag? Well, it isn’t for the reasons you might expect. First there is the circular LCD display, which is covered with a sapphire crystal lens to protect it from scratches.

Then there is the opening mechanism, which is a rare rotator design. It uses 130 ball bearings to open smoothly.

When it all boils down, those two elements are what you’re paying for here, as the feature set is very basic. There is a 2-megapixel camera and 2GB of memory but not much else - no 3G, Wi-Fi or anything else we’ve come to expect from the higher (and even middle) range of mobile phones.

This phone is obviously going to appeal to anyone with some excess cash to burn, but for the rest of us, will just be a pipe dream.

Click here to find offers on Motorola mobile phones from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

Ovarian cancer is a cause that has been receiving some long overdue attention lately.

You may remember hearing that Witchery is currently running a major push to raise funds and awareness for the cause with its white shirt campaign.

Local cosmetics brand Napoleon Perdis has just announced it is joining the fight.

Net proceeds from the sale of every DeVine Goddess Lipstick in Hera (pictured here) will be donated to Ovarian Cancer Australia.

The DeVine range is Napoleon’s signature series of lip colour and is enriched with herbal extracts and anti-oxidants. Hera retails for $30.

By Caroline Warnes

When it comes to skincare, I really think it pays to be fussy about what you use.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that buying the most expensive product on the market will automatically give you the best results, but in my opinion, once you find a product that works, it’s worthwhile investing in it, no matter what the price (within reason, of course).

Unfortunately it’s a sad fact of life that lots of the brands that many of us have success with are at the pricier end of the spectrum.

I do love me some Dermalogica, particularly the Treatment Foundation and Daily Microfoliant, but buying these products at a salon can set you back many, many dollars.

The good news is that SkinCareStore is positioning itself as the local version of Dermalogica Active Moist pictured here (it’s a light, non-greasy moisturiser) is currently selling for $56, which is a saving of $20 from the salon.

By Caroline Warnes

These days, many of us want to make a fashion statement with our mobile phones, digital cameras and other electronic accessories.

The new Luxe range of digital camera cases from Lowepro offers a fashionable alternative to the more traditional carrying options.

The Luxe is made in soft leather and comes in four colours - eggplant, light teal, black and pink. It can even double as very small purse for night - space is provided inside for memory or credit cards.

There’s also a detachable wrist strap so you can use the case both ways.

We have four Lowepro Luxe cases to give away to Lasoo members - one in each colour - valued at $39.95 each.

To be in the running to win, email competitions@lasoo.com.au with the word LOWEPRO in the subject line and tell us in 25 words or less which colour case you would like to win, and why. Entries close next Thursday.

Find more information on local stockists of Lowepro products here.

Competition terms and conditions

Myer is giving you the chance to win a $20,000 store gift card.

To go into the draw, you will need to buy one of the featured Olympus digital cameras before Christmas Eve and then enter your details online.

The full range of featured cameras can be viewed here and includes popular models such as the MJU1040 (pictured here), the MJU1030SW and the E-520 digital SLR twin lens kit (which you can pick up for $899 after the $100 cash back offer).

Entries close on Christmas Eve and the competition will be drawn on December 30.

The just-released Mju 1040 from Olympus is an entry-level model that is the manufacturer’s most affordable yet.

Carrying a recommended retail price of just $299, this model is already proving popular given Olympus’ strong reputation in the compact digital camera arena.

Features include 10.1-megapixels of resolution, 3x optical zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD display. High quality images are practically assured, given the Olympus TruePic III image-processing engine as well as the inclusion of Intelligent Auto, Shadow Adjust and Face Detect technology.

And then there is the Mju 1040’s very stylish design. Not only is it very slim and compact (it weighs just over 100 grams), but it also comes in three fashionable colours: Mirro, Phantom and Hot Chilli (that’s silver, black and red in laymans’ terms).

Buy an Olympus Mju 1040 digital camera from Myer before December 24 and you will go into the draw to win a $20,000 store gift card. More details on the competition here.

Click here to find offers on Olympus digital cameras and accessories from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

Mimco is one of those labels with which I have a love/hate relationship.

On one hand, I love a lot of the designs, especially the famous Button Wallets, but on the other hand I do find it slightly overpriced for a mid-range Australian label.

That’s why the news of a Mimco online sale is music to my ears - the label rarely holds sales so this one is really manna from heaven.

It’s only on selected items from the range - which you can view here - but there are still some nice items amongst it all.

I do like the Mod Button Clutch, pictured here, which is on sale for 50% off at $99.95.

By Caroline Warnes

Although I am a big advocate of saving your feet with flat shoes for the most part, there are times when only high heels will do.

For example, in my opinion, wearing flat shoes to any major horse racing meet, no matter how nice they are, just won’t cut it.

Unfortunately, the heels that I prefer tend to be so ridiculously high that I end up with aching feet. (I’ve tried, but mid-height heels just aren’t for me.)

Luckily, there is a way you can give your shoes a little more mileage. I love Party Feet, which are reusable gel cushions you can simply slip into your heels.

There are several different products in the range, depending on your particular brand of high heel hell: the straightforward gell cushions for the balls of your feet, heel cushions as well as heel shields, slingback strips and gel blister plasters (all to help with blisters).

I haven’t tried it, but the Cool & Refresh Spray is also supposed to be good for tired, aching feet.

The Party Feet range can be bought at most pharmacies.

By Caroline Warnes

If looks are any indication of success, then the Canon EOS 50D digital SLR camera should be a world-beater.

It looks almost identical to the Canon EOS 40D, which proved to be immensely popular when it hit the market late in 2007.

The 50D is not intended to be a replacement model for the 40D. Instead it builds on the features and functions of the earlier model to present a package is slightly superior, but also slightly more expensive.

One of the most noticeable differences between the two models is the improvement to the LCD screen on the 50D. It presents images that are far more lifelike and detailed than before, and also comes with an anti-reflection coating so viewing in bright light isn’t a problem.

Another new inclusion is Creative Auto mode, which is an advanced automatic mode. Canon has also made improvements to auto focus and face detection functions. Unfortunately, one noticeable exclusion is video recording.

Given its exceptional predecessor, most aspects of the EOS 50D’s performance are excellent. Most noticeably, the upgrade to a Digic 4 processor gives improved image quality, as does the 15.1-megapixel sensor (up from 10.1 in the 40D).

Click here to find offers on Canon EOS digital SLR cameras from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes