For the month of September I plan to document daily steps I have taken towards a chic, elegant and healthy life. My goal is to keep uppermost in my mind the kind of life I want to live. I will be focusing on all the small things I do each day that lead me towards my goal, rather than away from it.
Here are today’s mini-chic accomplishments:
Bought three pairs of sexy undies (from a normal shop though!). I chose black and cream so I can wear them with my current bras. There were some gorgeous jewel tones available but I’m trying to be a good French girl and wear matching underwear. I did push the boat out with one pair, they are black and leopard print (in tones of pinkish red) but I can still wear them with a black bra.
I try and ‘get’ the underwear thing and now I think I do. It used to bother me when I bought the bra and two sets of matching knickers, because I'd think 'what if the knickers die first? what if I require a different pair of knickers but want to wear that bra?' (low-cut jeans versus dress pants etc). Now I have decided the colour and general style matches and that's enough for me. It's much less stressful.
Anne Barone calls sexy undergarments part of the French girl’s arsenal in staying slim, but that’s not why I bought them, I just felt like it. I’ve had a craving for leopard print which is bizarre, because I’ve never owned a leopard print item in my life. It is everywhere at the moment though, so eventually it has to seep into my consciousness. And I think it’s more mainstream and fashionable these days, not so Peggy Bundy.
--
Had a nice, long exercise and errand walk on a sunny but cool Spring day. There were so many French people in berets everywhere because France play our team the All Blacks tomorrow night. I wanted to ask one group of men of a certain age if they wore berets all the time or if they were just flying the French flag, but I was afraid they would take offence if it came out wrong.
Many cafes had ‘Bienvenue’ on their blackboards too. It almost felt like I was strolling the Champs Elysees. And two French women visiting our shop were noted to be wearing black ballet flats. They are even tres chic as tourists!
--
Dressed up again today and wore my 'better' clothes. Yesterday my husband asked where I was going and who I was meeting, in a suspicious manner, and today my friend Mary came into the shop, did a double-take and said 'whoa, where are you off to?' Am I so poorly dressed that an ironed shirt with French cuffs and cufflinks will impress those close to me so much?
--
Researched a new lipstick colour at Bobbi Brown. I was upfront with the sales girl and told her I wasn't buying today but wanted to find a colour for my next purchase (as a sales girl myself I just loooove hearing that, not). She was utterly charming though and helped me choose a shade and put it on me, topped with a little gloss.
All I wanted was the holy grail of lipstick, that which mimics the natural colour of your lips but glowier. She had similar colouring to me so I asked what she was wearing. When she showed me the shade it looked so brown in the tube I almost disregarded it.
But we decided I'd give it a try and then dabbed a little gloss in the centre. I had her write them down because the effect was really lovely. She had put quite a lot on as makeup girls are wont to do, but I can imagine applying a sheerer layer and looking natural yet polished with a little panache.
If you are a neutral blonde with grey eyes (or a Soft Summer in Colour Me Beautiful-land) you may find these colours lovely too:
Creamy lipstick 'Burnt Sugar'
Lipgloss 'Naked Plum'
I really wish now I had bought them today, but I wanted to see how the colour looked when I got back to work. And it's nice to have something to look forward to.
--
If you feel like you want to make September a chic month for you as well, please join me. You are welcome to share your mini-chic accomplishments for the day (or the previous day if you read in the morning) in the comments section. It would be lovely to have you along for the ride!
Image 'Champs Elysées' by Antoine Blanchard
It's really time for me to take a "long exercise and errand walk on a sunny but cool" AUTUMN day. Yes, just the thing to celebrate the first day of autumn here.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm due for a new lipstick myself! You've encouraged me to get up enough nerve to go to an actual makeup counter. (Wonder if they still exist here???? I seldom shop the high-end stores...)
You're NOT going to agree, but ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!! (I love rugby...)
ReplyDeletexo
Vivienne
There is a blog out there and I'm going to have to find it for you because I can't recall the name right now, but she is a soft summer and posts before and after photos after minor tweaks in her makeup and lipstick and if I recall, she uses a lot of Bobbi Brown. The difference was remarkable when she had the right shade. She has dark hair and grey eyes so very similar except for the hair.
ReplyDeleteI love your posts, Fiona. Leopard...it is a mystery isn't it? I never cared for it either until I turned 40 and now I love--can't get enough. Thanks for the lip tip. I am a cool summer so it could work for me. I wear a plum gloss daily...je l'adore. xxBliss
ReplyDeleteI never buy the matching panty to any bra I buy, and instead have always done exactly what you do, Fiona, which is to match the color and call it a day. For panties, I love Hanky Panky and Cosabella for their soft lace thongs. To be honest, matching panties NEVER look comfortable to me ... and they're crazy-expensive. Plus, a bra's only going to last you a year, even if you're taking proper care of it (wearing 2x a week and handwashing it after two wearings). But meanwhile, I have four pairs of Hanky Pankys that I bought years and years ago that are still in perfect shape. What are you supposed to do with matching panties after the bra gives out after a year?
ReplyDeleteSee? I'm always thinking. ;o)
Your purchases sound just right!
I missed the Peggy Bundy reference before...good one!
ReplyDeleteRebecca, going to a high-end makeup counter is a fun treat and it's lovely to be pampered even if for only five minutes. If you have in mind exactly what you want, like a new lipstick, stand your ground and don't be talked into anything else (in a soft and charming way of course!)
ReplyDeleteVivienne, I told my husband we would both have something to look at tonight when the game is on and he laughed. He knows I secretly support the French because their uniform is so stylish and the men aren't bad either.
Stephanie, sounds great and I would be interested in reading if you remember it. Slight tweaks of colour DO make the world of difference. I can wear eyeliner in shades of grey, taupe, light khaki, but put dark brown on and I look terrible, so tired. Even black is better on me.
Bliss, I love plum gloss, very light plum though, or I go all Morticia.
Marsi, the matching sets I bought never worked out. I really will be better about handwashing. I still have the little bottle of Eucalan you kindly sent me, it lasts a long time.
Bliss, who doesn't love Peggy, just not as a style icon for me!
After that French chic video you posted a while back...I checked out the video she referenced about the bitten-lip effect...it made me want to buy lipstick. So, I do now own one shade of lipstick slightly darker than my lips...the only problem is that I guess I'm not used to lipstick and how it sort of gets messed up or ends up on your cup/water bottle...need to work on that...or get better lipstick, I guess. I just loved the shade so much and it was cheap. ;)
ReplyDeleteAni, that is one of the great mysteries of female life, how to 'manage' lipstick. I noted an older female acquaintance some years back ever so slightly lick her wine glass before she took a sip, so her lipstick wouldn't stick to the glass. I've tried but cannot master it. All I do is discreetly wipe it off with my hand if I leave lipstick on a cup or glass. I can't stand seeing a coffee cup with a bright pink lipstick on the side!
ReplyDelete