Beauty and Books

Sometimes it seems like everything I love hails from the little country across the English Channel called France. When I think about iconic looks and modern day aspirational women I can’t help but think of the French, from Brigitte Bardot to Catherine Denueve… Garance Doré to Caroline De Maigret, they all have a certain… je ne sais quoi. 

I’ve been loving the skin care from the brand La Roche-Posay since I tried their Effaclar 3-Step Anti-Blemish System last year, this Pigmentclar Eyes dark circle brightener is fast becoming part of my daily (and nightly) routine.

Using this La Mer matifying, oil-absorbing tonique after cleansing and before moisturiser has really helped to keep the oily parts of face (T-zone woes!) under control without drying out the rest of my skin in the cold weather we’ve been having. This tonique doesn’t sting like a lot of toners do either so it doesn’t feel harsh on my face which means I give this a big thumbs up.

Has anyone tried the new Chanel No.5? The original is a classic, a perfume absolutely everybody is aware of and yet, every time I smelt it in my department store wanderings it always felt a bit too mature for me. I like to imagine that when I’m older I will find an affinity for the eternal elegance of No.5 but Chanel have answered my wishes early with the new version, Chanel No.5 L’eau.

It is so beautifully light and fresh with a hint of the heady undertones of the original and I am in love with it, being lucky enough to have received it for my thirtieth birthday in October. I have a feeling Madame Chanel would have approved of this new addition and the wonderfully designed ad campaigns to go with it…

I love to re-read books and pluck out sections that feel appropriate for certain occasions and particular moods. Garance Doré’s Love Style Life is my go-to for fashion & lifestyle pondering and the illustrations are truly beautiful.
Love

H x

Adoring Essie

Hi there,

I’ve found myself wearing a whole host of dark nail varnishes recently, it’s been a rather moody winter but I’m ready to say auf wiedersehen to the January blues.

I was after a cool grey nail varnish to brighten things up in a relaxed way and I found this beautiful one from Essie.

It has the most fabulous name too… Maximilian Strasse Her, it’s named after the royal avenue in Munich that has the highest retail rents in Germany. We’re talking one expensive looking polish here!
Love
H
x

Getting My Vintage On

I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a shearling coat for a while now, but that kind of purchase always takes a considerable amount of mulling-over for me. I don’t like making rash decisions when it comes to outerwear, there is a very fine line between fashionable and fashion victim. The latter is a very sorry state to be in, more about that in a future post but for now let me show you my vintage buy.

It costs an amazingly inexpensive £30 and after a little arm alteration on my sewing machine this jacket will be perfect!

I also had a haircut and got rid of some length, it was getting a bit tired and I decided to go for the chop. My best friend sometimes shows me fun quotes about life and we laugh at how they relate to me but I’ve become a bit cynical after seeing so many and for every quote there seems to be a counter-quote. Having said all that, I do kind of like this one:-
‘A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.’ Coco Chanel, I hope so Coco.
Love
H
x