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Saturday 15 June 2013

WHAT I WORE: AUTUMN IN SUMMER


It is feeling pretty autumnal at the moment in London, so the Gap parka is back out, and the Marant sneakers back on for a trip to the pub and our local Italian restaurant!
Not long until our New York trip now, and hoping the weather will be a tad warmer across the pond!

I'm wearing: Gap khaki parka, Whistles white blouse, Topshop coated Leigh jeans, Isabel Marant Bazil sneakers, holding my Anya Hindmarch wallet and wearing Lipstick Queen in Jean Queen. 

Wednesday 12 June 2013

THE MATCHES SALE


This was completely unplanned. I was on route somewhere else, walked past Matches and saw the 'SALE SALE SALE' stickers in the window. I said to myself (I kid you not): 'if there is no traffic coming and I can cross the road without walking up to the pedestrian crossing, then I will go in.' That is the way I roll. 
Of course, the road was traffic free. One might say it was meant to be. Even if it had not been, it might have been one of those Truman Show traffic stopping situations just to make it so. 
Three things caught my eye that I'd added to my mental wish list in the past, but had to walk away in the interests of financial good sense. A beautiful silver Isabel Marant bomber jacket (still in the £400s, so still emphatically not happening despite the love I feel), YMC for Matches cashmere crew necks and Duccio Venturi sandals. I tried the jumper in a beautiful crushed berry shade and the sandals in black suede as well as tan leather with bright orange laces. I noticed these sandals AGES ago, and so naturally jumped all over them when their price was slashed. I left the cashmere behind, which may have been a mistake. It is hard to buy things for predominantly autumn/winter wear in the summer. But I would have congratulated myself later in the year. Hey ho, you can't win them all and I think bagging these brilliant sandals just before my trip to New York is victory enough. 

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Wednesday 5 June 2013

HOLIDAY PACKING: FRANCE

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Yes I may only be going away for a long weekend... BUT. I like to have options, and firmly believe it's only right that my boyfriend gives up two thirds of his suitcase in the interests of this. 
As you may know, I spent some time earlier in the season gradually building up my summer wardrobe. Some of these bits and pieces are featured above, but I'm saving quite a few for a trip to America at the end of June. 
I couldn't wait to pack a few things I've been looking forward to wearing though: a Zara combination crochet blouse (the arms on this are beautiful) and a Monsoon bohemian blouse to wear with worn denim or cut off shorts, an amazing print dress also from Zara and a beautifully worked cream cover up from Topshop. 
Most of the other elements are classics or old favourites: jeans cut to the ankle, converses, black Havaianas, Dicker boots, grey tees, white blouses and trusty one pieces. 
My poolside reading? Gossip by Beth Gutcheon.

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Tuesday 4 June 2013

OFF TO FRANCE: AIRPORT SHOPPING LIST

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I'm off to France for a long weekend this coming Friday, and as per, one of the bits I'm looking forward to the most (and my boyfriend will do his darndest to curtail) is scuttling around duty free in Heathrow's stupendous Terminal 5. I literally cannot wait. 

I must admit I've already ordered the Supergoop face serum and lip balm (I don't know if I would have found this in the airport and as we all know, sun protection is not something to take a chance with!)
I'm hoping to visit Clarins for sure, and am crossing my fingers that there will be a Laura Mercier stand somewhere. I'm out of my ever-faithful illuminating tinted moisturiser. Likewise, I'm hoping I'll be able to seek out Origins too - I've decided it's time to look into eye care products and reign in my perennially puffy under-eye bags. Looking tired at all times ain't cute. I'd really welcome any eye cream recommendations you have!

I'm definitely going to buy Hydraluron soon after reading so many good things about it, and am entertaining a vague hope that it might (for some reason) be a little cheaper in the airport Boots. 

Once in France, I'll naturally be popping over to the nearest pharmacy like a woman possessed, clearing the shelves of Bioderma Crealine in one fell swoop, like you do. But I'm also keen to secure La Roche-Posay's Serozinc.

Last but not least, the sunglasses trying on session. No airport visit would be complete without it - oh how I love it.The dream scenario would be being left alone by the Karen Walker stand for long enough to find my perfect pair. 

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Sunday 2 June 2013

HARD WATER HAIR



I have not often shared my "Devon" hair with you. But trust me when I tell you it is something pretty special when compared to my "London" hair. It belongs to the soft, manageable, shiny categories. It is willing to be styled in the way I want it to be. 
In stark contrast, my London hair is like its rebellious, nasty little sister. It simply will not do what it is told. I style it into what are supposed to be loose waves and it sits, flat, uncooperative, tangled, static and sad. I muss it up, to give it a Parisian air of effortlessness but I end up looking like I live in a cardboard box. It is nothing short of a tale of haircare woe. 

I knew it was going to be hard moving back from Devon to London and accepting my Devon hair would turn its back on me until I returned. So, in a desperate attempt to make the transition easier, I decided to research hard water filters that could be attached to showers, hoping against hope it might make even a smidgen of a difference. I didn't want to spend my life savings on a swanky new device, so opted for eBay to test-drive this latest attempt to solve my London hair issues. I sent off for a universal shower filter which attached easily to my shower and waited to see what my hair-future held. I have to say, the results were more than I dared hope for. My hair didn't seem as static, as oddly sticky (I know, I know), as depressed. But I'm no fool, I've oft noted how, upon one's return to London, for some reason there is a grace period where you think the whole situation wasn't nearly as bad as you'd remembered it, and then... the hard water creeps up on you like a thief in the night, mocking you for ever thinking it could be different. 

But miraculously, we're a good couple of weeks in and my hair is more or less as it should be! There is still the slight day of static, but I curl it, and the waves stay. I run straighteners through it and it doesn't look like I spent the morning rubbing a balloon against my head. I leave it do to its thing naturally, and it is actually shiny, rather than dull. All in all, I have to say I'm very, very pleased. So far, this little filter is doing exactly what I hoped it would do (touch wood). The filter has to be replaced every three months or so, but at around £12, this is no more than one might pay for a build-up reducing shampoo. 

So I wanted to pass this on, in the hope that it might help others with their own hard water hair problems. Trust me, it is definitely more than worth a try! 

I bought mine from the The Water Filter Men via eBay.

WHAT I WORE: EVERYDAY UNIFORM





This outfit is very much my day-to-day uniform, and what I reach for when in doubt. Pretty broderie anglaise blouse, trusty Topshop jeans and ballet flats. It's easy, simple and I think, quite classic. Admittedly, I edged this particular number up with ripped knee jeans - the in laws were most perplexed by said rips, but they made sitting cross legged on a picnic blanket at the weekend an absolute dream!! 

I'm wearing: Whistles Teardrop broderie cotton blouse, Topshop Jamie jeans and Russell and Bromely ballet flats.  

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