style

Beautiful films #2: What Even Is Masculine Style Anyway?

We’re back with the “Beautiful Films” series!

The first one is here, and it’s about Andie Macdowell’s style in Groundhog Day. But today, it’s all about the clothes in some scenes of one of my favorite film of all time, When Harry Met Sally. The little difference is that I’m equally attracted to Meg Ryan’s style as to Billy Crystal’s clothing choices. Because, come on, wasn’t really the case in Groundhog Day.

What I LOVE in this film is that the characters wear my dream wardrobe : oversized clothes, big shirts, large trousers, blazers, sneakers, big chunky knits. Both Harry and Sally do. As a matter of fact, I think my favorite outfit from the film is Harry’s in this picture.

White trainers, high waisted jeans and a cream jumper. One of my goals in life is to actually own the exact same outfit one day. We all have silly dreams right? Actually no, it’s not silly. It makes me happy just looking at it. I’d add gold hoop earrings like these ones and voilà! I quite like Meg Ryan’s jumper as well, though I don’t really wear skirt but might give it a go this winter… Actually, let’s be real I won’t, but I will sometimes contemplate the idea.

Would it make me less of a woman to wear men’s clothes? What are men’s clothes anyway? Also why do I feel extremely feminine in what one would call “men’s clothes”?

Speaking of skirts, and the fact that I’m way more inclined to wear a man’s outfit judging from this picture reminds me of an anecdote. When I was a kid and would say funny things my mother would write them down. She has a few post-it notes that she has kept with family pictures. One of these notes says :

Elsa, 4 years and one week old (isn’t it annoying when people say, “oh my son? He’s 38 weeks old!” I understand it makes sense when you’re really small, but 4 years and one week old I mean, what even is that? Anyway.) Seeing a lady wearing a suit I said : “I don’t like it, she’s dressed like a dad.”

Well, I strongly disagree with my former self. First off, how stereotypical of me. But also I was 4 so… Still it’s interesting. Would it make me less of a woman to wear men’s clothes? What are men’s clothes anyway? Also why do I feel extremely feminine in what one would call “men’s clothes”? I don’t really have answers I’m afraid. What I do know is that I tend to like and appreciate clothes that would potentially be qualified as more “masculine”. Of course Diane Keaton in Woody Allen’s films is a great exemple of that. It definitely inspired me but I can strongly say, it’s not a phase, I’ve been feeling this way for so long, I shop in men’s sections, I’d gladly steal my partner’s wardrobe (he’s so well dressed as well, it’s almost annoying how chic he is), and when I watch Seinfeld though I find Elaine’s wardrobe interesting, I’m drawn to Jerry’s.

I think it partially has to do with comfort. In fact, I touched on that before.

On an other note, this cream sweater is perfection and it’s very 2018 if I do say so myself. So in this picture, I’d wear Sally’s outfit. I’d quite like to get myself a similar item for this winter.

You know how sometimes a film is just so damn perfect, you feel sad just thinking what the (your?) world would be without it? Right. Not only the story and dialogues of When Harry Met Sally are phenomenal but the styling is very inspiring and timeless.

Do you come back to a specific film for style inspiration? Did you understand my rambling paragraph about masculine style?

Share your thoughts people!

The Day “Self-Help Content” Stopped Helping Me

The other day I told my partner, “I’ve heard something on this podcast that really made me think. It goes ” The only difference between you and the people who are successful, is that they’re doing it, you’re not“”. Well, something along those lines anyway. He looked at me and said, “Yeah (sigh), I don’t really connect to that, I mean, this kind of stuff just goes without saying. What’s the point of that kind of affirmation anyway?”

I thought he had a point, but to be honest I also thought, because he doesn’t have Instagram or listen to podcasts, “Well, he doesn’t really get it, he’s not familiar with that kind of content. He might see it from a, not hostile per say but “meh” point of view. ”

A few days later, I heard the exact same sentence on another podcast, and for some reason, it made me feel really angry. I don’t know if I was angry at myself, or the type of content I ingest, or both, but I decided it was all a bit too much. What was? All the “self-help” content I listened to, watched, read about.

*When I talk about self-help here, I know the term probably is too vast, and a business podcast for instance might not be considered like self-help content, but basically to me it means, any content related to how to improve your life, be successful, be better at communicating, be confident etc. Hope it’s clear!

It started with a few success stories about people making it. It would usually go like this “I started from nothing, worked my ass off before and after going to my everyday job, and after a lot of hard work, not seeing my friends, or family because of the amount of work I was dedicated to throw myself into, it finally…worked. See what I did there?

Then I started to see people on Instagram telling their audience, “I know I posted this amazing photo of me on holidays looking glowy and all but just know that right now, I look and/or feel like shit.“

I could not stop consuming stories about entrepreneurs, content creators, self-help book writers, people who inspired me. And, don’t get me wrong, some of them still do BUT, we’ll come onto that later.

Then followed, videos, TED talks, articles, Linkedin posts. They were all about the same idea, turned into a statement: you are responsible for your own happiness. Which, let’s be REAL, and nuanced, is so simplistic and just not true. It simply doesn’t take into account, culture, social background, education, life shit, anything. It’s an affirmation making you responsible for your own happiness but it sort of means that, if you’re not happy, well, guess what? That’s on you as well.

Then I started to see people on Instagram telling their audience, “I know I posted this amazing photo of me on holidays looking glowy and all but just know that right now, I look and/or feel like shit.” And everytime I saw that kind of post I thought, “Ok, then Why would you post that amazing looking picture of you in the first place? And then remind us that, hey, it’s not real life folks, don’t forget!” Some say, “I want my account to be positive, I want to spread joy”, etc. Which is a nice thought. Yet, they must be aware that this type of content does not have that much of a positive impact on people if they keep having to apologize for it, or deconstruct the images they put on Social Media for the sake of being honest and more transparent, right?

It all started to make me feel dizzy, guilty and worst of all, small. I remember walking around in my flat, cleaning or folding my clothes away, listening to this podcast and hearing for the second time in a few days : “The only difference between you and the people who are successful, is that they’re doing it, you’re not“.

I stopped doing what I was doing, and said out loud, “Stop. This had to stop“.

I don’t want to meditate, or maybe I do, but ultimately, do I want to hear about other people LOVING it all the time?

Consuming all this so called “self-help” content was not helping me at all. Years ago I’d be excited about it, it felt really new and full of hope, and I guess in a way, it was really new and full of hope, and probably necessary as well. However that day, I thought, ” Too much “self-help” content is eventually going to fuck me up. ”

I don’t even think I want to be an entrepreneur. I don’t like to fake it until I make it. I don’t think it’s easier to give up than to pursue your dreams, it’s way more complicated. I don’t like making lists, I always loose them or if I don’t, I forget to tick the boxes. I don’t even like baths and candles, it’s so boring it does not help me to reset at all. I don’t want to meditate, or maybe I do, but ultimately, do I want to hear about other people LOVING it all the time?

I miss raw content, unedited honesty. I miss real life stories. You might argue that culture, online content should or could, amongst other things, make us dream. And I agree. The thing is what I was consuming was not making me dream anymore. Because you know what makes me dream? Real life. With its flaws, errors, misundersantings, wobbles, failures, successes, joys, hopes. All of it. I’m sick of the edited version. I don’t love the word authenticity but I’m going to be crazy and say that, I want more of it.

I want the good, the bad and the ugly.

This post is a bit rambly. You might disagree or think it’s just another rant against society, consumerism, social media, and it might as well be. Oh also, I’m well aware I might be contributing to that, yet aren’t we all? I’m not sitting here judging everyone, I’m just being honest. Anyway, I’m now choosing very carefully what I watch, read, listen to “self-help” wise, and I’ll share it with you soon. I touched on that a few months ago, and I’ve already done a bit of clear out this summer. But it’s not over.

What do you think about all this? Do you feel the same or not at all?

This space is called Le Beauty Journal and I like to think beautiful things in life can be rough, raw and real. Same goes for happiness and success. Failures and disappointments. We’re just doing our best. Don’t you think we might need less “self-help” if we could just help each other?

It’s the little things you know.

English summer, life discoveries and a well needed reset.

So, I took a break. What do you mean you hadn’t noticed it?

…

I know. I did not really think about it, I just took it which is good in a way, right? Holidays started with a long week-end around la Loire, followed by family events, then I went to London for about 10 days, came back and was basically in denial that summer was, in fact, going to end. Bring on autumn though, it’s by far my favorite season, but I have to say, I have loved this summer. It’s been crazy hot, I wore dresses every single day which you know was a new thing for me this year, I finished a book and started two new ones, I spent time with friends and family, it’s been NICE.

To ease myself back into blogging I thought I’d share with you a few things I’ve learned and discovered over the past two months.

You’re on proper holidays when you have no idea what day it is. You’ve heard it before, but isn’t it so true? From my mother in law’s garden in the North of France to the crazy busy and hot Northern Line in London to my godmother’s vegetable’s garden in the middle of nowhere (I kind of had a connection with nature this summer, how insufferable of me!), I somehow managed to forget about days and time. It took me a few days of course but It had not happened in a few years, so I’m glad I was able to actually enjoy moments and not project myself in the past or the future. Oh you know what helps? Leave your phone away, don’t bring it everywhere with you, you will be fine.
Wine on the Eurostar is perfection. I mean I don’t even have anything else to say. Standard Premier was cheaper than normal tickets for some reason. Therefore, coming back home from London a little drunk because we had some free wine on the Eurostar was simply heaven.
Chemical exfoliation is not for me. I got super enthusiastic about being on holidays in London (I lived there for a year, that’s why I can’t shut up about it, I love it), and when in Liberty… bought myself the cult P50 by Biologique Recherche. Now, my skin has reacted quite badly to Liquid Gold by Alpha H in the past, not every time but a few too many, yet I really wanted to give a try to P50, and I could not retain myself when I saw the bottle on a (very lovely because Liberty’s a treasure for your eyes) shelf. Well, I applied it straight away when we came back home, and had an allergic reaction the next morning, that lasted 10 days! So I’ll stay away from chemical exfoliation for now.
Downsizing the number of people I follow on Instagram means I don’t have that many people to compare myself to. I took this decision after our holidays where I did not check my Instagram that much at all and consequently felt so much better about myself. I needed a bit of a reset. Of course I tried to find an app that’d help me to unfollow massive amount of people but I could not find anything that actually worked. They don’t make it easy for you, do they? So it did take quite some time but it was definitely worth it. Just be prepared if you’re thinking about it, might take an hour or so! I now only follow people who inspire me, and make me feel good. Easy peasy. I also have a personal Insta account with my friends etc, that I don’t use that much but it does allow me to separate the blog feed and the more personal stuff. I even got an Insta notification last week telling me “You’re all caught up. You’ve seen all new posts from the past 2 days”. Mad.

Cerave hydrating cleanser if the perfect cleanser if you’re on a budget and have extremely sensitive skin. Extremely gentle, I don’t know about the hydrating claim because I leave it on for one minute but it does not strip the skin. I got it in Boots, but also found it in my local french pharmacy. Honestly, so good.
Real Techniques mini travel brush duo is cute and brilliant. Perfect size if you’re going away and of course, like all Real Techniques brushes, affordable and effective. Got them in Monoprix in my hometown, but you can get them in Boots of course, and online.
I need to start eating breakfast. I’ve never been a “morning person”, I mean, what even is that? (We’ll talk about that in more details in a different piece soon by the way.) I usually never, I mean ne-ver, have breakfast. It’s been like that since I was a kid. While on holidays, in my family and in London, I did have breakfast (i.e bread and butter) almost everyday and it made a big difference to my day to day life. So I’m willing to give it a go, I just don’t seem to find the motivation at 7am in my flat but I will make an effort. Might be life-changing for all I know, and everybody’s been banging on about it for decades so you know, thought It might be time I’ll think about it!
Now THAT, is a good show. We have been watching Treme the HBO TV series by David Simon who also is responsible for The Wire, probably my favorite TV show of all time. My friend really sold it to me and she was right : It’s brilliant, revolting, smart, moving, funny, best summer discovery.

That’s all for now! Hope you all had a lovely summer. Do share your highlights if you have any, I’d be interested!

I’ll be back, not in two months, no no, like, this week? This week!

Little Things #1

I’ve been a bit busy lately, but the good kind of busy. Still, I haven’t been super present on the blogging front, so I’m hopefully making it up to you with today’s blog post. I’m coming back with an article about those little things that make life better, you know? It could be something you read, your new mug purchase (hint hint) or buying yourself some flowers. Little things #1 will be a series because there’s never too much things to be inspired by I think and here’s the first episode. Oh and I’d love it if you shared yours in the comments actually!

1. Glossier Cloud Paints

A friend of mine recently hooked me up on some Glossier goodies which I am SO thankful for! I got boy brow in brown, stretch concealer in light, the Glossier You solid perfume (which I’ll tell you about soon) and two Cloud Paints, one in Puff which I’m almost finished of so I needed (yes I am using that verb, because I truly need this stuff) a new one and I also got the shade Haze, a dark flamboyant pink which I LOVE. The formula is still excellent, and the pigmentation is unreal, you only need the tiniest amount. I also really love the finish on lips with lip balm underneath, glossy and deeply pink.

3. Old Hoop Earrings

I got these like 10 years ago at a flea market, but I’m falling in love with them again. They’re simple hoop earrings, they’re not gold plated or anything though they seem to last pretty well over years. I love pairing them with a pair of white jeans, sneakers and a boxy t-shirt. Or with a dress if I’m feeling extra fancy. Great and simple style addition if you ask me!

2. Marc Maron WTF Podcast

I’ve written an entire post about my favorite podcasts, but I have to reiterate on this one because it’s so brilliant. Today for instance, I listened to the episode with Jason Alexander (from Seinfeld amongst other things) and it was great. Marc Maron is a great interviewer and though I don’t listen to all the episodes because I don’t know all of his guests, I often just click randomly on the list of shows and am never disappointed. I find that this podcast simply is the best destination for smart and inspiring conversations!

4. Vichy Mineral 89 serum

Now, this serum is so good to my skin it’s the best discovery I’ve made in months. Vichy Mineral 89 is packed with water, 89% of mineral water actually which to be honest made me a tad sceptical at first. Paying 20 euros for water? No no. Still, I wanted to give it a try because I was looking for a good hydrating serum with an affordable price, suitable for my extremely sensitive skin. This one only has 11 ingredients, and a really watery texture. Yet it works on my skin and it might be because it also has hyaluronic acid and glycerin. My skin feels more hydrated and soft (also it never got irritated because the serum is fragrance-free which is a huge plus for me), and I have to say, I feel like it’s giving me glow! I’ve been using it for 5 weeks now every single day, and I highly recommend it!

5. The Office Mug

I mean, do I even have to explain why? I LOVE The Office (US version, need to watch the original UK series) and I miss it from time to time, I need to watch it again actually. In the meantime, I got this mug, and it just makes me so bloody happy it’s insane.

Is It Ever Really “Just Hair”?

You know how when you go to the hairdresser, you have this image in your head of the new hairstyle you want, of the new woman you’re going to be when you leave the salon. Right? Especially when you’re in need of change, and just feel like you need to do something quite drastic, but can’t actually think of anything else than, well, changing your hair!

The other day I had an hour to spare because I had dropped off my glasses to get them updated to a new correction. One hour. Not wanting to browse in a bookshop, not feeling like having a coffee (it would have been the 4th one that day so, no-no), not feeling like anything really. Except, maybe, a spontaneous haircut. I walked up to a salon I’d been before ages ago. Googled them in front of the door to check if I needed to book an appointment which obviously was completely unnecessary because, I was in front of the door. Do you do that sometimes? I certainly do when I’m not feeling my best.

I had this idea of a “Baby in Dirty Dancing vibe” you know? You don’t? She has curly hair. I do to. That’s about all we have in common, but it’s enough.

Anyway, I went in, someone was on the phone telling a client they had no spot available that day so I thought, “well, that’s that, spontaneous doesn’t work for me.” Then, I spoke to one of the hairdressers and almost apologized for asking if maybe they might have some free time now, like in, now. The guy was super nice and told me, of course, have a sit. I freaked out. Inside my head. But still, I FREAKED OUT. A minute before I was smoking a cigarette outside the salon, a minute later, I was having my hair washed.

Obviously, there was a massaging chair, which I just do not like. Let’s be real, It’s NOT a massage. It’s like an annoying moving chair in my opinion. They asked me if I wanted coffee, I wondered, and quickly enough, remembered I was already way too caffeinated at that point. Then the “what do you want then Darling? Fancy a big change?” question popped up. Did I mention I was freaking out?

I had this idea of a “Baby in Dirty Dancing vibe” you know? You don’t? She has curly hair. I do to. That’s about all we have in common, but it’s enough. I also had this vision of Charlotte Rampling’s long layered hair with a grown out fringe. Usually when I go to the hairdresser, I bring pictures which really helps, if you don’t do that already, you should give it a try, it’s life changing. But I did not this time because, it doesn’t really go with trying to be spontaneous I guess.

I had envisioned this new version of myself, with layered but not thinned out hair, a long romantic sort of fringe, a newborn confidence and potentially a new inner strength.

There I am, in the chair, telling the lovely hairdresser that I want to let my hair grow, that I’m letting my curls be but I’d like some structure instead of a long grown out bob, and that a long fringe would look nice, right?

During the process, I’m thinking, “It’s fine. Hair grows. Oh that looks more like a proper fringe… Fine. I’ll have a fringe. It’s not like I can’t put my hair up. Is he still cutting my hair? Don’t look at the floor. Oh I don’t have to, I have hair all over my white jeans. Good. I have no hair left. Fine.” How dramatic!

I had envisioned this new version of myself, with layered but not thinned out hair, a long romantic sort of fringe, a newborn confidence and potentially a new inner strength, all that revealed by the best haircut of all times. I guess in a way, I wanted to walk out and be someone else which is not an easy thing to admit. However, I believe it’s fine to acknowledge it. Don’t we all, sometimes? I feel the need to mention that this is a rhetorical question.

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Fast forward an hour. I walked out with the curliest hair ever and a straight fringe which is not the best look (see the photo, I manage it better myself these days, but not there yet!), tiny little hair all over my face and the immediate feeling of needing to pull my hair back. Got my glasses back and a compliment on the haircut which was lovely. Came back home and felt like I’d been in an actual roller coaster. Started to text my friends, and did not really get the answers I wanted because I was simply not able to formulate the terrible question. Was this a mistake?

Now, I’m not Baby, nor Charlotte Rampling, but even if it’s not exactly the style I had in mind, I feel pretty good about it. It’ll grow out and look better I hope. I do find myself having to sort of straighten the fringe because it’s quite short… Doesn’t this description makes it seem like it looks horrendous? Ha. Though honestly, I like it!

The moral of the story is : I’m not someone else. I’m not necessarily a better version of myself. I have freshly cut hair though. I am a tiny bit more spontaneous that a few days ago. I can now say, “I had a fringe once, it was not necessary per se”. Actually you know what? I am a better version of myself because I tried something new.

You might think, “OMG, what is she on about, it’s just hair!”

But, is it really?

I Feel So Reckless When I Rock My Midi Dress

The other day my partner told me, I like it when you wear dresses, because you look like you’re feeling free. “Isn’t that interesting”, I thought. I thanked him because I was a bit moved by his comment, and then started to think about how true this sentence was. I did feel more free. The air playing with my legs, how floaty and fuss-free linen feels, how flattering the right shape can make you feel… Yet, this is an extremely new feeling for me. I used to HATE dresses. They’d be like a complete no-no. Of course, when I was younger I made a statement out of my deep hatred towards dresses. Do you remember the time when everything you did, said, thought was a statement by the way? I feel you. I so not miss my teenage years. So, yeah, I’d be the girl who wears jeans and boots, because I do whatever I want and F**** off if you don’t get it. Sounds familiar?

Last summer, Mango went all out with the summer dresses and released some pretty good items that made me dream of an Italian summer I’d never even experienced.

Years went by, and the last few years I started to feel conflicted. Like I was missing out on something. I could see other women who seem to enjoy wearings dresses, skirts, shorts and there I was, with my jeans on, an angry look on my face, and sweaty legs. I don’t have the best legs. They’re sturdy and keep me moving, they’re not the strongest but I can definitely count on them. They just don’t look great. My veins are really visible and though I try and apply moisturizer, they don’t look smooth. But I do love fashion.

Last summer, Mango went all out with the summer dresses and released some pretty good items that made me dream of an Italian summer I’d never even experienced. I started to imagine myself in those dresses, and I could see I’d be relatively happy in them. So I bought a few, and never looked back. Oh I think it’s fair to mention I completely freaked out after my purchase and immediately bought myself some Saint Tropez self tanner because every little helps! And it wasn’t that bad. It took me a few days to ease into it of course. But it definitely made me feel good, because super comfortable which is not something I had thought about. For some reason, I was convinced any clothing item showing my legs would be a nightmare to wear. I was so wrong. Comfort really played a big part in this process. I mean, You didn’t think I was going to wear something without having the comfort factor in mind first, did you? Still, that’s what makes the biggest difference. Fashionable? Sure. Uncomfortable? no way!

I’m now the proud owner of three dresses. And I’m not mad about it! All by Mango because they really do make the best summer dresses out there in my opinion. Pictured above is the last one I got. I love it. It’s 100% linen and has a great shape. I like my dresses to be cinched in at the waist, made out of only one fabric if possible meaning all linen or cotton for example, and midi length. I find it’s the most flattering shape for me and also the most comfortable. I don’t think I’ll ever wear a mini dress or even an above the knee one, but honestly, I don’t even care, I feel so reckless when I rock my ~~Givenchy~~ midi dress!

Oh also, I do feel free.

Summer Style, Superga Sneakers and Self-doubt

When I was 20, I lived in London for a year. I absolutely loved it but that’s an other subject. Living there really helped my style, which I guess is no surprise as the Brits are known to have great, daring style. More than that, I can only speak for London but, people seem to simply not care about your appearance and that, is so liberating! Before London, I would wear jeans and boots in the winter, and well… jeans and boots in the summer. It was not comfortable, but I was not confident enough to wear skirts or dresses, let alone sandals. I’ve always prioritized comfort so that was a good excuse. The truth is I did not want to expose myself, I did not like myself enough to give it a try. I did eventually bought a dress because fashion was just too good that summer, and I decided to wear it one day to the park in Clapham. Now, because nobody really looks at you in London, I truly remember that day : I felt amazing and more importantly a tiny bit more free. But guess what? With the dress I wore boots.

Then, after I’d left London, sneakers were everywhere. You’d see girls wearing them on an every day basis on fashion websites and Instagram. To me, it was a little revolution. “Wearing sneakers on a Friday to go out for drinks, with a pair of jeans, and looking chic? Deal!” Quickly enough, this trend came to stores, and to the streets of London, Paris, etc.

When I wear my Superga, I kind of believe I could potentially look like a tennis player, which I’m definitely not, but I like the idea you know?

The next summer, after having spend a year back in France, I came back to London. On a shopping spree with my friends, I came across the Superga Store on Carnaby Street. It’s possible that I’d seen these before, either on Alexa Chung, or on the brilliant Man Repeller website. Anyway, got in, tried them on, bought them, never looked back.

I love them (the style is 2750 Cotu) because they’re extremely simple, which basically instantly makes me think Chic. Also, when I wear my Superga I kind of believe I could potentially look like a tennis player, which I’m definitely not, but I like the idea you know? These sneakers go with absolutely everything. I have them in white, and beige which sums me up… I’m not really daring with my style, and I’ve come to terms with it. And to be honest, it was daring enough for me at the time to wear sneakers with a dress so that’s that.

I would not say they last forever, mine stay in shape approximately 2 to 3 summers, but it’s good enough I think, considering I wear them 5 to 6 months straight, from May to September. The main difference to me is, since I’ve been wearing them, I feel like I’m playing the summer game. With boots on, I’d get annoying questions all the time “aren’t you hot? Why would you wear these in summer? Don’t you have sandals?” Now, I do own sandals, but I’m sorry to say, they’re not that comfortable! Whereas these sneakers are light enough I’m not boiling, basic (in the best possible way) enough it suits my style, and comfortable enough I can walk miles in them. Win!

Like I said before, I find Spring/Summer season is tricky style wise. When thinking about this subject I realized how, buying these Superga one summer in London has actually, completely, changed the way I envision summer clothes. Something in me clicked, and since then, every summer I free myself a bit more. On that note, next week there will be a post about a clothing item I used to hate and now feel wonderful in! Summer style is an endless conversation, don’t you think?

The Style Story : Pretty confident about this blazer

Today I wanted to write about clothes and confidence. Though I’m wearing these amazing new white Topshop jeans, and felt pretty good about myself this morning, I’m now having a weird meh afternoon. It’s sunny outside, I’ve had the best weekend yet I feel really down. I’ve just reapplied some blusher, which is one of the things I realized I always do when I don’t feel the best. And I’ve also decided to go to the Post office with my new amazing crazy purchase, a Stella McCartney Blazer.

As soon as I put on the blazer, I felt taller. I’m already quite tall so it’s not particularly something I’m looking for, what I mean is, I felt elevated.

This item is my first designer purchase. I got it more than half price in the sales, let me tell you though, it still was super expensive. But I’m ok~~ish~~ with it because it’s beautifully made, the fabric is 100% wool and the cut is impeccable. Also, I love Stella McCartney’s work and ethic. It’s an oversized fit wool checked blazer, with shoulder pads. It’s the kind of piece I’ve been dreaming about for years, and obviously when they were all the rage last summer I thought, “If I only buy one thing this ~~year~~ month (actually I had not bought anything since, got these fabulous jeans I told you about last week, and this dress from Mango, but more on that later), it has to be a wool checked blazer“.

I believe it has something to do with my love for men clothes. I love a good oversize shirt for instance, with a pair of mom jeans and sneakers or black boots. To me chic means elegance and simplicity, and that’s where I want my style to be at. With that in mind, I knew this purchase was not going to be a mistake. I thought about it for about six months and voilà!

As soon as I put on the blazer, I felt taller. I’m already quite tall so it’s not particularly something I’m looking for, what I mean is, I felt elevated. Like I’d touched what Chic means in a way. Like I’d entered a world where I felt empowered, strong, sure of myself. Isn’t it weird that feeling like that depended on an item of clothing? Rhetorical question of course. But tell you what, I don’t even care. If this item showed me what it’s like to feel empowered and super strong, I at least know what it’s like even when I’m doubting myself, and I know I have it in me somewhere.

I have to say that I don’t think an item of clothing has to be expensive to make you feel amazing, I love all my clothes and they’re really not designer clothes. It simply has to be perfect for you, not the better version of you, not the when I’ll look my best, no no. It has to work when you feel at your worst. That’s how an piece is a game changer confidence wise. This article is actually going to be the start of a new series where I’ll feature my favorite clothes items and tell you all about them…

This morning, on my way to the Post Office, I felt fabulous. And that’s something right?

Style is like makeup to me. It inspires me and makes me want to dare, experiment and play. Is it the same for you? Or do you find it boring/overwhelming/stressful? (I do to sometimes…) What’s the ultimate piece in your wardrobe that makes you feel gorgeous?

What’s in my handbag : the makeup edition

I don’t walk around with a ton of makeup in my bag, but I do have a few items that I’m always glad to find when I’m out and about ! My take on this is : I only need products that would help me touch up, that’s it. Therefore, being “radiant skin” obsessed, here’s what I carry around with me.

First of, I have to tell you… I don’t have a red lipstick, because I’m not one of those people who say they always need a red in their handbag because they just slap it on if they have to go out for a dinner or something that was not planned. What I do is blusher. Correction : what I need is blusher.

BLUSH My blusher of choice is Chanel Joues Contrastes in the color 72, Rose Initial. The powder is baked and the color itself is simply the perfect rose shade. It’s not crazy pigmented, it simply has the right amount so it works well to touch up, and stays on really well. The brush in the blush case is actually good which does not happen often enough to be honest. It diffuses the product nicely thanks to its natural bristles, which makes it extremely easy to use.

CONCEALER Rimmel Wake me Up in the shade Ivory is simply my best friend in a on-the-go situation. Cheap, not drying, good coverage, good for dark circles and spots, which is just exactly what you need in your handbag, isn’t it ?

LIP STUFF I only ever wear nude lipsticks, so I carry around my favorite lipgloss by Clarins in the shade 07 because it hydrates the lips and almost, temporarily may I add, erases fine lines and simply makes them look juicy. I also have the amazing – and as you can see in the pictures almost finished – Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in the shade Boy. It’s a sheer nude shade with tiny shimmers which make the lips look fuller, plumped : the perfect color for me. Though it’s a lipstick, because of how sheer and smooth it is, it’s super easy to apply and wears off beautifully which, to me, is one of the most important thing in a lipstick. That way, you don’t have to bother. Just apply it straight from the bullet and you’re done !

BROWS I take this item in my bag because I believe it has the best spoolie I’ve ever tried. It is the Catrice Slim‘Matic Ultra Precise Brow Pencil Waterproof in the shade dark. Now, I never use it at home – I should really – because the packaging is really handy for a handbag item and the spoolie is the best to brush the brows, either if you’ve applied too much product in the morning and need to rectify that, or if you simply want to brush the hair up to put them back in place ! The color’s good, I’ve seen better, but the tip is extremely precise and the consistency is lovely. Also, did I mention it costs around 3 euros ? Now, we need more shades of this !

There you have it ! Do you carry makeup around with you ?

Everyday Jewellery

My mum changes her earrings everyday which fascinates me because I basically always end up wearing the same things. But, I have been so into jewellery recently, that I do change my earrings from time to time, and I play with necklaces as well. Layering is a big trend, and even though I was not sure about it at first, I now find myself really attracted to this style. Ha, trends ! I feel like, because I wear clothes that are somehow classic and my style is not too experimental, adding necklaces or earrings (I tend to never wear both at the same time, call me prude) can really change an outfit.

I’ve always been into gold and since I was 15, I decided that gold would suit me best, and add some warmth to my pale complexion and dark features. It was not that fashionable at the time so finding key pieces in gold was a struggle. I have to admit as well, that Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and The City really inspired me with her bold gold necklaces and hoops. To me, it was a statement, a way to accessorize that would make me look cool.

Necklaces

Missoma is going to be heavily featured here, simply because I love the style of jewellery they make. I got these three necklaces as gifts for my birthday and Christmas, and was lucky enough to have had a Black Friday code at the time ! I was super inspired by Lizzy Hadfield, who has such a chic, innovative style and layers gold necklaces like a queen. These necklaces remind me of my family, and my partner, which is quite powerful because it can really make you feel good about yourself to have feelings and memories attached to jewels.

The most special one probably is the Gold small initial necklace which has my partner’s initial and mine on the other side and it makes me feel very sentimental. Now, the blogger extraordinaire Lucy Williams worked with Missoma on two gorgeous collections and of course I fell in love with the Mini fang necklace, I mean, who hasn’t ? Great on its own or layered, subtle yet statement : perfect !

Last but not least, I preordered the Double molten necklace on plain chain back in december, and finally got my hands on it a few weeks ago. It’s much bigger and visible which I like a lot, and I particularly adore the two entwined circles. Again, Lizzy Hadfield wears a very similar one, and I actually discovered recently that hers is not from Missoma, but mine is, and I think it’s beautiful.

Earrings

I have three holes on my left ear, and two on the right one. I don’t wear earrings too often, but I always have two little hoops in the two holes of my left ear. One is Maria Tash, a complete crazy purchase I made in Liberty London, a gift to myself, so freaking expensive, still processing it…. It’s a tiny clicker ring with a spiky opal, which is gorgeous, and it’s gold. I never take it off, I sleep in it, I take showers with it, it’s the only jewel that I keep at all times. The hole above that, is still healing. So at the moment I have a little hoop from my mum, I think it’s gold-plated, and I never really take it off either.

When I do wear earrings, I either choose these dainty Missoma mini dagger charm hoops, or the silver-ish hoops (actually a pale gold) made by Justine Clenquet, a french jewellery designer I love the style of. These hoops are a medium size with a dangly cross, unfortunately not available anymore, but check her website, her creations are beautiful.

So there you have it, these items inspire my style and mean a lot to me. Also, because my style is quite minimal, I feel quite daring with my layered necklace… To each their own version of Rock’n’roll lifestyle am I right ?

Are you into jewellery ? Do you have sentimental pieces you can’t imagine yourself without ?