Esprit de la Vie

Parisian Chic

2011-04-07T13:43:00.000+01:00

My internet access was mysteriously gone for the past few days. I don't know why but it was certainly annoying! I hate not being able to surf the web and check my emails when I want to! In it's absence I caught up on some reading, my Amazon delivery came just in time. I spent my time reading and flicking through the pages of "Parisian Chic: A Style Guide" by Ines de la Fressange and it really is a nice book. It's the type of book that you can pick up and flick through whenever, it's very light reading but everything she says in the book makes sense in one way or another.

The description of the book from Amazon reads:

Celebrity model Ines de La Fressange shares the well-kept secrets of how Parisian women maintain effortless glamour and timeless allure. Ines de La FressangeFrances icon of chic shares her personal tips for living with style and charm, gleaned from decades in the fashion industry. She offers specific pointers on how to dress like a Parisian, including how to mix affordable basics with high-fashion touches, and how to accessorize. Her step-by-step dos and donts are accompanied by fashion photography, and the book is personalized with her charming drawings. Ines also shares how to bring Parisian chic into your home, and how to insert your signature style into any spaceeven the office. The ultrachic red volume is flexi-bound with a wrapper band and features offset aquarelle paper. Complete with her favorite addresses for finding the ultimate fashion and decorating items, this is a musthave for any woman who wants to add a touch of Paris to her own style.

Below is a page from the book, most of the book is laid out like this, with stylish photographs and snippets of information laid out in a "do and don't" kind of way.

Gisele in French Vogue

2011-03-30T18:20:00.000+01:00

A few days ago I posted the cover of French Vogue with Gisele on the cover, and now I have some lovely photos of the shoot to share with you as well! The images have a very wanderlust vibe to them with Gisele wearing soft boho / romantic clothing. She looks fabulous as always!

Lancome Absolu Voyage Rose

2011-03-29T12:44:00.004+01:00

Yesterday I received a really lovely gift from my parents, they had just returned from a short break in Amsterdam and brought me back the Lancome Absolu Voyage Rose Edition travel palette. It comes in a sleek black case with a picture of a pink rose on the front.

The limited-edition set contains a concealer, powder compact, six eyeshadows (Ombre Absolue A10, A20 and G01; Purple Ombre Absolue Quad A10; Color Design 501; and Grey Shade Lotus Splender), a blusher shade, black eyeliner pencil, a mini-mascara (Virtuôse), three lip colours (Color Fever Shine 306, 312 and L’Absolu Rouge 354) and a mini-lip pencil.

The palette also features an extra-large mirror, a lip brush, an eyeshadow brush, a powder brush and a powder puff. It's perfect for carrying around in my bag for touch-ups when I'm out and about and need to look good! I think in terms of a travel palette this one really exceeds itself because all of the colours are wearable and because it contains everything you'd ever really need in one slim design it will definitely save on handbag space!

Versatile Blogger Award

2011-03-28T13:07:00.004+01:00

I've just won my first blog award and I couldn't be happier! I'd like to thank the lovely Alicia at Mi Mundo for giving me the award, it's very kind of her and it's a great start to my week.

Also, thank you to everyone who has been reading my blog and for all your lovely comments, I appreciate it!

When you get the award you have to:

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog in your post , tell 7 things about yourself , award 7 recently discovered bloggers and contact the bloggers to let them know they received the award.

7 Things About Me:

I completed secondary school when I was 16 and for the 2 years that followed I dropped out of university twice because I didn't like the courses I was studying. I finally decided what I wanted to do when I was 19 and that was computer science.

I am afraid of butterflies! I don't know why but they really creep me out. It's completely irrational I know but there's nothing I can do about it!

I am addicted to coffee! I have been known, on occasion, to get 6 shot venti americano's from Starbucks!

I love high heels, I was going to write that I have too many of them but you can never have too many shoes! My biggest challenge is finding places to store them in my room!

I love travelling. So far I've been to a lot of Europe, some of Malaysia and Thailand and I've lived in the U.S. for 2 years. Right now I'm planning my next trip and can't decide where to go!

Dirty Dancing is one of my favourite movies - nobody puts baby in the corner!

Despite being slightly allergic to them, I love cats. Especially big cats like tigers and lions. I've also sponsored a tiger named Kamrita in India to help preserve and protect tigers and their habitats.

Finally the blogger award goes to these great blogs:

Harem Pants - Do or Don't?

2011-03-25T16:35:00.000Z

When Elle McPherson stepped out wearing Harem pants recently a lot of newspapers and media outlets asked "What was she thinking?". This style of trousers is quite popular this season with a lot of designers including variations of it in their collections.

It comes in many shapes from combat pants to silk pants to even tracksuit pants! It appears that the style is quite popular with women but men aren't so keen on it.

I'm still on the fence about this trend, I think it can look great on fashion models but I'm not sure if I'd ever wear it myself, but then again if I found a great pair I'd have no problems buying them!

What do you all think, it this a style that many of you will wear this season and if you wear the pants how do you style them? I can't wait to hear your comments!

Designer pictures curtesy of www.thefashiontime.com

French Vogue

2011-03-24T20:17:00.000Z

The cover of Emmanuelle Alt's first Vogue cover has been revealed and it features Gisele Bundchen looking beautiful in Dolce & Gabbana. Alt took over from Catherine Roitfeld as editor-in-chief of the magazine and her first edition of the magazine is highly anticipated.

She promises to feature "one boob" each month, otherwise, according to the lady herself, "you don't recognise it's French Vogue".

It hits the shops on March 25th and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.

Shopping Haul

2011-03-24T17:12:00.000Z

Today I spent the morning doing some retail therapy! All the sunshine we're having right now has really inspired me to start incorporating some brighter spring colours into my wardrobe. I even bought a bikini - but it's still too cold for that so I think I'll wait until the summer to wear it!

Here are some of the things I bought...

Sheer black / dotted top with belt

This photo doesn't do this any justice, it's actually draped at the front
and the sequins are in a beautiful peach and cream colour

Cream blouse, slightly sheer but very pretty

Plastic Rose shaped ring

What's in my bag?

2011-03-23T19:05:00.001Z

I love when other bloggers give us a peak inside their bags so I thought I'd give you all a glimpse in to mine! I love my bags and I have them in all shapes and sizes. I generally don't carry too much around with me as I usually change my bags frequently.

Contents:

Michael Kors bag

Coach purse

RayBan sunglasses

My phone

Keys

Chewing gum - minty fresh :)

Leopard print scarf

2011 Day Planner Diary

Marc Jacobs Lola perfume in cute handbag size (came with the regular size)

So what do you carry in your bag?

Inside her Studio

2011-03-23T12:13:00.000Z

Isabel Marant is one of my favourite designers. I love how her clothes are chic and timeless yet still retain a modern feel. Elle UK and Backyard Bill teamed up to give us all a glimpse inside of her studio space.

Blog Comments

2011-03-23T10:53:00.000Z

It has been brought to my attention by a number of lovely people that the comments section on my blog isn't working. I apologise for this, it must have gotten messed up in the redesign!

But it's fixed now, so please comment away! Thanks everyone!

Dry Body Brushing

2011-03-21T21:06:00.002Z

Summer is nearly upon us. Most of us are looking forward to the change in season as it means swapping heavy winter clothes for pretty summer dresses and shorts. It also means baring more skin so now is the perfect time to up our beauty routines and prepare our skin for the summer months.

One technique that I live by is body-brushing. I have been doing it for years and I have to say it really keeps my skin in tip-top condition. Dry body brushing helps remove dead skin cells (did you know that we can have up to 2 lbs of dry skin on our bodies at any one time!!) on the body, it also helps improve circulation and decrease the appearance of cellulite by improving lymphatic drainage.

All you need to start dry-brushing is a bristled brush made from natural fibres (my brush has cactus bristles!). So how do you do it? Well, first start with brushing the soles of your feet, then move up your legs to your buttocks, hips, lower abdomen, chest, neck and back. You should always make brush strokes towards your heart as this prevents the rupture of blood vessels or varicose veins. Then, brush your arms, focusing on dry areas such as the elbows. And that's it. Easy! I think everyone can spare up to 5 minutes of their day improving their skin.

Some things to remember are to never brush your décolletage or face as these areas are far to delicate and always brush dry skin, it's not as effective on wet skin (I usually brush before I shower). If you have psoriasis, eczema, rashes or open cuts on your body then you might want to avoid brushing that area as it might cause irritation.

Site Redesign

2011-03-21T15:44:00.000Z

I've decided to change the layout and design of this blog. The old design was boring me a little bit and it didn't really reflect the true nature of the site. Over the next few days I hope to improve the layout, make it easier to navigate and generally make the blog better!!

Let me know what you think, I really appreciate your feedback on this and if there's anything that you'd like to see added, reviewed, talked about in future posts just let me know!

Fireworks Festival

2011-03-21T12:14:00.000Z

On Saturday the town that I live in had a small festival to celebrate the St. Patricks Day weekend. There was a lot of street entertainers, stalls selling hand-crafted goods and jewellery as well as fantastic food on offer. To end the celebrations and the evening there was a fireworks display. Below are a few photos I took of the display.

My new favourite cleanser

2011-03-14T20:50:00.003Z

I'm not the type of person to rave about a cleanser. I generally choose one that is suited to my skin type and isn't loaded with a lot of soap ingredients like sodium laureth sulfate as I find they just dry my skin out. Obviously most cleansers contain these ingredients but I want a little something extra in my cleanser, and not to sound snobby but I generally find the mid-to-higher end cleansers aren't as harsh on my skin so I tend to splash my cash on them.

Anyway, about 2 weeks ago I bumped into an old friend and her skin was glowing and it didn't look like that "healthy" glow you get from well applied makeup, it looked like it was all her own so naturally I had to enquire what she was doing over a nice cup of coffee. Turns out that radiant glow was down to a new cleanser by English skincare brand Elemis.

Long story short I decided to buy the cleanser and try it out for myself and I have to say that it is amazing! The official name of this little gem is Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash and according to the good people at Elemis it "stimulates the skin's natural cell renewal cycle, actively smoothing and refining, whilst gently sloughing away dead skin cells which dull the complexion."After regularly using this cleanser both morning and evening I have noticed the my complexion is noticeably smoother, softer and definitely more radiant.

I bought mine online from the Salon Skincare website as I think Elemis products are only available to buy over the counter in England. It is a little pricey for a cleanser (£27.60 for 200ml) but I think it'll last for ages. You only need the tiniest squirt each time so I imagine it will last for a while. Right now Salon Skincare are doing an offer where you get a full size cleanser and Balancing Lavender Toner (200ml) for £27.57 saving you £19.40. I went for this deal myself and I have to say the Toner is really nice as well, it's alcohol-free so ideal for sensitive skin and the lavender smells lovely in the evening just before bed.

For American readers you can purchase the duo from the Time to Spa website where it's also currently on offer for $47 (usually $80).

If anyone else has used this cleanser and wants to share their experience using it please feel free to do so!

Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

2011-03-14T20:15:00.002Z

You would never eat your dinner with a dirty fork and knife or drink your coffee out of a dirty cup so why do we sometimes use dirty brushes to apply our makeup or brush our hair?

Everyday we use a number of different brushes to apply our foundation, dust on our blusher and smudge our eyeliner and everyday after each use bacteria can accumulate on the brush hairs and build up over time. We use these brushes on the most delicate parts of our bodies so it's important to keep them clean to avoid skin breakouts / infection and to prolong the life of the brushes themselves.

Every week or so I like to clean my brushes, in particular my foundation brushes because I use these brushes the most. A few years ago I spent quite a bit of money buying a high quality brush set from Bobbi Brown and to ensure that I have them for another few years I think it's important to take care of them. Besides, brushes that are thick with product are a pain to use, the foundation just doesn't apply or blend well and you end up spending more time and product trying to create a look. It only takes a few minutes to clean your brushes and it's worth it over time. Your wallet and your face will thank you for it!

The best method I've found for cleaning brushes (especially foundation brushes) is to use vegetable oil! Yes, vegetable oil! Canola or Rapeseed oil also works just as well. I'm sure olive oil would also work but as it's more expensive I'd rather have it on my food instead so stick with the cheaper oils because they work just as well! Oil works brilliantly as most foundations are oil based and "washing" them in oil helps dissolve buildup easier.

Just follow the steps below and you'll have lovely clean brushes in no time!

In a small bowl or container pour a few tablespoons of oil. (I use an old plastic container from the grocery store because I don't want to use any of my good dishes to clean them)
Dip the head of the brush in to the oil and gently swish the oil around and mash the brush on the container, you'll notice that the oil will start changing colour as the makeup bleeds from the brushes.
Shake the excess oil of the brush and wipe the brush on some kitchen towels, sweep the brush back and forth across the kitchen towels until the oil has been removed.
Next squirt a little shampoo in to the palm of your hand and swish the brush around, massaging the shampoo in to the hairs of the brush.
Rinse the head of the brush under some warm water until the water runs clear.
Dry gently with a kitchen towel, reshape the hairs and lay flat to dry.

As well as cleaning my makeup brushes, I also like to clean my hair brushes and combs. I probably clean these about once a month and the process is a lot easier. I just remove any stray hairs from the brush or comb and then give them a good wash in some warm soapy water. Just like your makeup brushes products like hair spray etc. can build up on your brushes without you even realising it and giving them a good clean can make them almost new again!

Spring / Summer 2011 Trends

2011-03-03T16:14:00.001Z

Spring is finally upon us! The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer and it's time to ditch the heavy coats and dark colours in favour of some of this seasons hottest new trends. I personally love the change of seasons as it's always fun to try and spot what new fashion trends are about to hit the high street and what bright new colours will everyone be wearing.

The biggest looks this season take inspiration from 60's tailoring (both high waisted and pencil skirts, sheer blouses and kitten heels), 70's glamour (think prints, flowly dresses and jumpsuits) and a slightly more edgy punk / biker girl look (leather jackets, doc martins, combat boots and khaki). It's probably quite safe to say that there is something for everyone out there!

The 70's trend can be worn many different ways from the tailored, brightly coloured, "Studio 54" inspired looks as featured on the Gucci catwalks to the softer boho chic seen on the Marc Jacobs and Pucci runway.

Gucci Spring / Summer 2011 Collection

Marc Jacobs Collection

For those who want to rock a more edgy look then take inspiration from Balenciaga and Balmain who featured leather, chains and safety pins in their collections.

S/S 2011 Punk Rock by sandrascloset on Polyvore.com

The 60's trend is very lady-like with classic cuts and is probably the most flattering look, one that suits all shapes and sizes. Both Dior and Louis Vuitton featured beautiful 60's inspired dresses in their collections. Not sure what to look for - then think Mad Men!


LV Collection

I personally can't wait to start picking and choosing from the different trends available and incorporating them into my existing wardrobe for a fresh and updated look this Spring and Summer! What are your favourite trends and how will you wear them?

New Shoes

2010-12-11T15:09:00.001Z

I will be the first to admit that I do have a slight obsession with shoes. I love them. For me shoes can really make an outfit, there's nothing worse than bad shoes! Since moving back home I've realised that I'd become a bit, well, lazy living in the States. I'd gotten used to wearing flat shoes everywhere. The cobbled streets of Boston didn't make it easy to wear heels though - I didn't want to risk ruining my shoes. Here though it's a completely different story, in fact I almost got a lecture from my hairdresser about wearing stylish yet practical boots in Winter. As she herself put it, "there's no need for them to be clunky" and I agree. I haven't yet found a pair of boots that I like yet but in my quest for the perfect pair of Winter boots (I'm leaning towards riding boots), I have picked up a few pairs of heels to keep me going! :)

My new shoes...

2011 Spring Milan Fashion Week: Alberta Ferretti

2010-12-11T13:45:00.000Z

Alberta Ferretti's new Spring collection is absolutely beautiful. It's very romantic and feminine and consists of a mix of floor length chiffon gowns and shorter casual dresses. I happened to come across this collection when the Milan fashion show was broadcast on TV last week. This collection of delicate designs certainly brightened up my dark winter afternoon!

Below are a selection of looks from the Spring collection.

Pictures courtesy of www.fashionologie.com

Winter Sun

2010-12-09T22:07:00.000Z

About a week after I arrived home from Boston I went for a short holiday with my family to Lanzarote. It was so nice to get away and relax with my family. Lanzarote is a small island in the Canaries, just off the north west coast of Africa but it's part of Spain so communicating with the locals wasn't too bad!

Below are some photos from my trip.

Greetings from Europe!

2010-11-02T16:26:00.000Z

Since my last post I have packed up and moved back to Europe. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Boston but at the end of the day it really wasn't for me. I missed all of the creature comforts and the European way of life and now that I'm back at home I'm enjoying getting back in to the swing of things!

Right now I have some time on my hands as I'm in the process of looking for a new job and a new apartment so I'll post some updates on that and some other posts about what I'm getting up to on a daily basis! Hope everyone is keeping well!

Rain at Last

2010-07-11T01:53:00.003+01:00

It finally rained today and while there was some flash flooding on my street, I have to say I really enjoyed the down pour. I have no air conditioning in my apartment and the heat and humidity in Boston lately has been opressive. I am not enjoying it at all. It makes doing anything outdoors impossible! But today it rained and it has been so much cooler since, I hope it stays like this for a while!

I have been so busy at work recently that I've neglected this blog a bit but all my efforts at work have paid off as I was promoted last week to a higher position! I'm so happy and can actually see my career developing nicely now.

Daily Menu:
Breakfast: Small pot of Liberté vanilla yoghurt and green grapes, coffee
Dinner: Warm Camembert Salad (mixed herb leaves, red onion, cucumber, walnuts and cocktail tomatoes), homemade raspberry vinaigrette, water to drink

Montreal

2010-07-07T00:49:00.000+01:00

I hope everyone had a great July 4th weekend! I spent my first Independence day in Montreal and I had such an amazing time. Montreal is such a beautiful city, we spent our days strolling through the cobbelled streets in the old town, visiting galleries on Rue des Artistes and eating more than our fair share of pastries and tasty cheeses.

I could easily move there. It's a very European inspired city and the fact that the majority of people there speak French made me feel like I was back in Europe. While we were there the Jazz Festival was on and we spent most evenings sipping wine while listening to the music. It was such a relaxing long weekend and I have to say I wish I could have stayed there longer. Before we came home yesterday we visited a farmer's market and I haven't seen a market so full of fresh fruit and vegetables and cheeses since I left home. My friends and I wandered the market for a few hours (much to the dismay of our Bostonian friend who had little interest) oohing and aaahing over the produce. We bought some soft cheese, baguettes, berries and fresh pesto to have a picnic on top of Mont Royale before driving home.

I wish we had markets like that here in Boston, I really miss them. Since returning I feel revived, I think the trip did me a world of good. I think it will tide me over until I return home at the end of this month.

Christian the Lion

2010-06-03T22:27:00.001+01:00

No matter how many time I read this story it always seems to amaze me. I don't agree with the purchase of wild animals but the connection between Christian the Lion and his two owners is truly amazing.

You see Christian was a lion originally purchased by Australians John Rendall and Anthony "Ace" Bourke from Harrods department store of London in 1969 and ultimately reintroduced to the African wild by conservationist George Adamson. One year after George Adamson released Christian to the wild, his former owners decided to go looking for him to see whether Christian would remember them. Surprisingly, he did, and with him were two lionesses who accepted the men as well.

You can watch the clip of their reunion which has been posted on YouTube.

Dress Up

2010-05-16T01:39:00.004+01:00

Today I got up early, had breakfast and went for a walk around Harvard Square. Even though I live close by I've never really explored the area. One of my discoveries was a park near the River Charles. It's quite secluded given it's location near the center of the square but it was lovely just to sit and read my book for a while before I moved on. I also popped into some of the stores there while trying to find some summer clothes. I looked in Urban Outfitters and Gap but found nothing that appealed to my taste. I then looked in Ann Taylor and hit the jackpot! I really liked the clothes here, some of the items were out of my price range but I did manage to buy 4 tshirts and a dress.

When I got home I tried on my new tshirts with some of the clothes that I already own to see what outfits I could put together. I created a few and I think with the addition of some cardigans I should be good to go for the hotter months. These are examples of outifts that I would generally wear to work each day. I also took some pictures of the dresses I had in my wardrobe because I was having so much fun dressing up!

Here are some of the photos, please forgive the bluriness of some of them - I tried to take good photos but couldn't quite get it right. My hat goes off to the girls who post their daily outfit in their blogs!

Outfits 1, 2 and 5 are ones that I would wear to work, although I would never wear a sleeveless dress / top to work without wearing a cardigan over it. Outfits 3 and 4 are fun dresses for a night out to dinner or a function. The dress in the 4th picture is actually an aubergine colour but it doesn't come across well in the picture. I also like to add accessories to my outfits and always carry a bag in a co-ordinating colour. Oh I almost forgot to say, but the dress in the first picture is the one I bought today at Ann Taylor, I can't wait to wear it to work next week!

Daily Menu:
Breakfast: Omellette of prawns and vegetables, coffee
Lunch: Baked Potato with Greek salad of mixed leaves, stuffed olives, feta and tomato
Dinner: Homemade carrot and corriander soup to start, baked cod served with gratin dauphinoise and asparagus for main and green tea and dark chocolate for dessert

Happy Friday!

2010-05-14T19:59:00.000+01:00

Happy Friday! I learned this saying today, I've never heard anyone wish another person a happy day before but it seems to be very popular here at my job today!