Sprinkling fairy dust over your life…

Our house is a maze of brown cardboard boxes at the moment, with our big move so imminent, so I am letting my mind drift to prettier places.  One where you can find everything you need and life is tranquil.  Much like this photo I took at the Langham actually.

Back in 2010 when I started my blog, I chose the pink background colour which I still love today.  It was a pink that wasn’t too babyish, but a blush pink with a touch of sophistication and a tiny bit of a hard edge.  Maybe there is a dash of black in it?  Anyway, I love this pink so much that I found out the official Hex code of it: #ffd3cc.  I imagined losing that pink colour and never being able to find it again, so having the code makes me feel safe :)  If you copy and paste that hashtag and six digits into Google ‘my’ pink will come up.  Not only is it on my blog, but it is also the background colour on my laptop.

Then, when my husband and I started staycationing at the Langham Hotel in Auckland once or twice a year, I saw that their trademark pink touches were almost the same shade.  I love that they pair theirs with gold, which is particularly French to me as I have seen photos of beauty therapy boutiques and perfumiers decorated in pink and gold.

I have also heard that the Ritz Paris has the walls in their rooms painted in a soft blush pink because it throws a flattering light onto your skin.  I don’t know if they still do that but I’ve always remembered the detail because it sounds so lovely.  Sheets in a delicate blush pink would be delightful too, and excellent for love and romance Feng Shui in the bedroom.

Having pink on the mind led me to intentionally cultivating more pink touches in my life, because it has such an uplifting and beautifying effect on me.  Even if you are a self-proclaimed ‘not a pink person’, surely the sight of a bouquet of pink roses can’t fail to have an instinctive effect on your happiness?

To bring more pink into my life, in a man-friendly way, I brainstormed how I would love to do that.

May I share with you some petite ways to enjoy a feminine touch of pink without demasculinising your home so much that your husband feels like he is living in Barbara Cartland’s boudoir:

• Pale pink bar soap in the shower
• Soft bath towels and face flannels (inspired by Aurora’s comment on my post two weeks ago The Essence of a Luxurious Life on a Budget)
• A luxurious pink bathrobe
• Divinely soft pink scuff slippers
• New pyjamas or a nightdress in a becoming shade of pink
• Lingerie in pale or blush pink
• Pens - I use pens picked up at the Langham Hotel, pink with a gold print on, the ink is a normal colour though!
• Pink writing paper and stationery
• Pretty satin coathangers
• Pretty and feminine journals to write in
• A rose or other flower in a bud vase
• Having a floral cup and saucer or ultra-feminine mug to drink your tea from

I bought a pair of new-looking floral Kew Garden cups from the opshop for $2 each a few weeks ago.  A whizz through the dishwasher and they are ‘new to us’.  I thought it would just be me using them because they are festooned with pretty flowers in soft colours, but my husband often chooses them when making us a tea.  I think guys can appreciate feminine touches – mine often says how he loves all the small details I bring to our home, such as lighting candles every night etc.

Even music can have a colour – when I play spa music softly in my bedroom at night while I am washing my face and having quiet time before bed, it has a soothing pink quality.  I know that sounds strange, but I think you know what I mean.

Imagine how nice feminine loungewear would in soft shades of rose too – the kind of clothes you change into for the evening – they aren’t quite public clothes but not pyjamas either.  Currently my loungewear is clingy black leggings and either a grey marle slouchy fine knit top or a black and white striped sweatshirt.  It appeals to replace items as needed in softer more feminine colours.

If ‘pink’ turns you off, consider seashell, blush, rose, peony, fuchsia, cerise, lavender, lilac, petal, mauve or any other nuance of an accent colour that you could intentionally add more of into your life as your feminine touchstone.  Choose a soft colour that makes your heart happy and, when you need something, why not choose that colour if it is available?

It doesn’t even need to be in the pink/purple range.  Another colour I adore and think is delightfully feminine is pale seaglass blue/green; this would be another beautiful shade to use as your feminine accent colour.  The light coloured packaging of Estee Lauder products is the exact shade.  I have saved a small sample box flattened out as inspiration.

Take a look at brands you are drawn to and see what their colours are.  Borrow them if they make you feel happy.  Companies spend a lot of money with colour specialists coming up with their brand’s look and feel, and a big part of that is colour.

I read that Estee Lauder herself originally chose a soft blue/green shade for her jars and gold lids, because she thought that combination would be pretty in most womens bathrooms.

How do you feel about pink, or perhaps you might have a different feminine accent colour that you love?  I’d also be grateful if you could share your ideas on other ways to introduce small feminine touches into your life.

Wishing you a delightfully rosy weekend!

Fiona