Comme Julia

I love Julia Restoin Roitfeld and her ultimate chic French look.
Even her beauty routine seems to be the total opposite of the American starletts nowadays.
The Shelby got a look around her New York appartement (what's an ultra chic parisian girl to do without a place on the other side of the ocean?) and I was blown away by how clean and modern it was. I could just see myself drinking some mint tea by her kitchen countertop.
Julia doesn't plaster on the foundation (as much as I love Lauren Conrad, she really needs to lay off the foundation...it ages her so much, there's nothing wrong with seeing some actual pores on a person's skin in my honest opinion) and sticks to the fundamental French make-up basics: a gorgeous red-but-not-too-red pout and a strong brow. She keeps her skin clean, soft and moisturized (I've read she uses baby oil as a make-up remover and cleanser, a must-try!), adds some definition to her brows (Bobbi Brown's Natural Brow Shaper works wonder and keeps all those little hairs in place. You can use a clear one or choose between a few colours. I highly recommend Rich Brown. This is also a great alternative for those who want a stronger (but not overpowering) brow but don't want to use a pencil. I don't either and resort to this lovely bit. Your brows are kept in place all day long, you can really define and shape them ànd if you use a coloured one, it fills in your brows nicely.).
Last but not least, for that jummy pout she has, beauty junkies out there should really check out Sérum de Rouge by Dior in Rosewood. Their newest addition is a very creamy, moisturizing, almost lip balm-like lipstick. The shades come out a little transparant, but very noticable at the same time. A very pretty and handy addition to your make-up bag (it will soon be in mine!). You can also spot some gorgeous nudes in the Sérum de Rouge collection.
Slather on that lipstick, groom those brows, snatch your little Chanel bag and put on those high heels.
Julia swears she never èver wears flats. She is, after all, from Paris and Parisian girls only wear high heels. Her words. Stop by your local bakery, get some macarons and face the cold, Parisian style.
As if there is a better way to start the day?!

Orion London

A little birdie told me the gorgeous dresses by Orion London will soon be available in Belgium!

Adored by the likes of Cameron Diaz, Beyonce, Sienna Miller and many more, I am very happy I will soon be able to get my hands on one of their beautiful tie dye dresses, which are very feminine and can be worn during the day with flats or boots, with a stylish black blazer or a worn out leather jacket. Sigh...all I need now is a Marni S/S 2010 scarf to match them with!

check out orionlondon.co.uk !

Mad Lipstick

After watching a new great episode of Mad Men, I could not help but wonder if Betty would frown upon our beauty habits.

I think she would.

Feminism brought choice and women today can be as career-minded as men. But it seems this revolution led to a dimise of femininity. A working mother no longer has the time to put the same amount of effort into her appearance as Mrs. Draper did back in the day. A few swipes of mascara and most of us are good to go. We would much rather get those ten minutes of extra sleep than drag ourselves out of bed just to put on our faces in a more precise way.

Understandable as this may be, it can bother me.

Walking down the street in the rain, seeing those make-up free faces, I sometimes long for that little hint of glamour women so treasured not so long ago. While everything around us is turning gray and cold, it could be so nice to be surrounded by a little reminder of beauty in our everyday life. We have reached a point where we just won't bother anymore and I find this sad.

The talented Peter Philips (who is doing wonders at Chanel) once said in an interview he used to watch his mother get ready to go outside and was mesmerized by her beauty ritual. He too expressed his empathy for a working woman who just wants to stay in bed an extra couple of minutes, but also wants to remind us of the overall effect that putting a little bit more effort into our looks has on our general wellbeing. When you walk around knowing you look good, you will feel it too. A Trinny and Susannah philosophy if you will, to apply to your beauty habits.

Philips also pointed out you don't need to loose sleep to look (and feel) better: there is no better or cheaper way to light up your face than with a beautiful red lipstick. Don't be frightened, a red lip needn't be old-fashioned. Just look at Karlie or Natalia, wearing nothing more than a few swipes of mascara and a gorgeous bright red lip, both looking very modern, practical and glamourous at the same time.

Head to MAC and check out these colours: Dark Side, Chili, Russian Red, Brave Red and Ruby Woo. On days when you're just not feeling up to it, opt for a very subtle and very wearable version of this tinted lip by wearing the MAC tinted lip conditioner in Plum Perfect.

It's time for a new revolution of the feminine kind.

Natural according to Stella

Stella McCartney sent her models down the runway looking radiant, healthy (except for Anja Rubik, who is a shadow of who she was a couple of years ago) and most of all, happy. We even caught the super Natasha "the Walk" Poly giving the audience and photographers a supersmile! Enter the return of The Happy Model, as opposed to those stern looks on an army of anonymous models. Designers finally took notice and treated fashion the way it should be treated: as an escape from reality. Reality being economic crisis, escape being beautiful, happy people wearing gorgeous colourful clothes. Thank you, Stella.

Our favorite vegetarian looked very beautiful, glowing skin and all! I wonder if she treated the models with her organic skincare line Nude... You could not spot one girl without seemingly super soft skin. It was moisturized to the core! Hair was given a wash and did not need a whole bunch of product (hurray!). Lashes were curled (a beauty must! Get that Shu Uemura eyelash curler!). Lips were tinted with a light gloss (don't do overly glossy lips, you just want them to look moist and well taken care off). Cheeks were touched with an almost bronzy blush (a very sparkly, but very good highlighter is Shimmer Brick in Nude by Bobbi Brown, will last you a lifetime and you can use the individual shades for your eyes, they are very pigmented so you can layer up) and eyebrows were filled in a little bit.

Don't be fooled, this no make-up make-up look needs a tad of work, you want to look polished, but not overdone. Natural, but still with the help of a make-up brush. We are not all Natalia Vodianova, most of us need a bit of work. But that is, off course, what is exciting about make-up!

Our dearest Stella furthermore announced she wanted to return to easy fashion. Perhaps as a response to an overload of Balmain, shoulderpads and eighties fashion, she questioned a real woman's desire for the harsh fashion we have been seeing on the runway the latest seasons.
Hence, she wanted to make use of colour, flowy ànd flowery dresses. I love her new collection and look forward to seeing it on the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Bosworth.

Natural has never been so enticing.

Tim Van Steenbergen meets Paris

It was a proud day for Belgium the 30th of September 2009.

Fashionwise that is.

One of its most promising export products Tim Van Steenbergen showed his collection at Espace Commines in Paris.

His prêt-à-porter collection for Spring/Summer 2010 was beautiful.

It was feminine.

Whimsical.

Colourful without being overly flashy.

The make-up was every girl's dream for summer and left the girls looking fresh with a hint of a tan. Wouldn't you want to show up to a party looking like this? The ladies looked their best with contoured cheeks and nude, pinkish lips. Girls from the city who look like they've come right off the beach.

The hairartists did a great job with the models hair slicked back, although the grey hair was a bit questionable.

His very Prada-esque collection was shown by various belgian models, which I personally think was a great choice on his part. It was a beautiful exhibition of belgian talent, in more ways than one.

Well done, Tim.

I Heart Poppy

Poppy Delevigne is the next hot thing around town, so watch out for her. A former London socialite (eat your heart out, Paris Hilton) and the daughter of Pandora Stevens (who holds a high position at Selfridge's), she is soon conquering the fashion scene as a model.

She does a great job at setting off her fresh face with a british quirkiness in the way she dresses, while still managing to look grown-up chic.

It is no wonder Karl Lagerfeld recently chose her among others to be brand ambassadors for Chanel.

I mean...what. a. great. job.

From now on my dream is to be Brand Ambassador for Chanel. Come on!

Karl, who probably is not unaware of the outburst of envy this has on other women, has even named his little group of five chosen ones "Les Fidèles de Chanel".

Too much. Can not handle this. They should give out membership cards.

But we have to give credit where credit is due, Poppy's general happy attitude combined with her flair for fashion and her proclaimed "love for Chanel" (Name one woman (ONE!) who would not happily proclaim her L.O.V.E. for Chanel. One.) make her an ideal modern muse.

FASHIONAIR agrees with me and made a little feature film about Poppy titled "Poppy hearts London".

Click on the link below and let Poppy be your personal tourguide and show you her favorite places in London.

http://www.fashionair.com/index.php?action=watch&itemID=410078

Boots

Debating over whether to buy these boots I found at Zara or not.

I think they are pretty similar to the ones Maryna Linchuk is wearing. The leather is amazing quality and the sole is pretty thick, which is necessary for someone who walks everywhere like me. For 100 euro they are a bargain in my honest opinion.

They slouch. Which...I like, but dislike at the same time. I like that they are so tough, but it's the girly part in me that is screaming "Noooo! Buy some heels!". But they are perfect for wintertime, so I probably will buy them anyway.

Plus the heels.

I can't help myself.

Sometimes a girl needs some options.

Bubbles! Nothing but Bubbles!

UGH .
Are you all feeling the weather too?

I'm in my final year at the university of Ghent and it's all sniffs and snuffs during class. You've guessed it, a very bacteria-friendly environment. Nothing like a bunch of red-nosed coughing twentysomethings packed together in a relatively small space.

Great.

The only thing that kept me going during a gruelling class of over 4 hours (one can only take that much... eh....) was the knowledge that it would not take me that long once I would be home to fill up my bath and soak away in a blissful world of BUBBLES... Aaaah....

There's nothing like an hour of pretending the world does not exist and there is only...bubbles, glorious bubbles!

If you prefer oil to bubbles (I do too sometimes. It depends on how much I've been mentally tortured during class, I swear when my brain is FULL my body gets its revenge) I highly recommend Kneipp bath oil (the lavender one is AMAZING and the eucalyptus one does wonders during wintertime, say bye-bye stuffed nose) or Dr. Hauschka.

I put on a face mask and let my worries dissappear...

The Body Shop seems to be aiming at people just like me with their new line of aromatherapy products : I know for a fact you will feel like a million dollars after a massage from your boyfriend with their Divine Calm Relaxing Massage Oil (another to-do tonight, he just doesn't know yet. In my opinion it's just one of those Boyfriend Duties... after all, I listen to his endless car stories like a good girlfriend). But if it's just you tonight, reach for their Deep Sleep Comforting Milk Bath Float and treat yourself with their complementing body moisturizer.

Bye-bye thoughts of the not-so-pretty sight of my dearest costudents fighting off the Attack of the Germs,
welcome (!) Sweet Lavender Infused Dreams...

Operation Saving Your Skin

You all know those days when your skin just. will. not. cooperate!



When I was in my teens, I used to have pretty bad skin, hormonal outbreaks and all the redness and spottiness that come along with it. I shudder looking back on it. The truth is that when you are in your teens, unless you are blessed with incredible genes, it's all part of the game and there is not that much you can do about it, really, besides just taking good care of it and not being too harsh on yourself. It's all hormonal.



It will pass though. I promise.


Over the recent years, my bombarded skin has changed into a delightful even-toned field of radiance. Apparently oily and olive tinted skin is one of the best to age gracefully. Lucky me.


But this does not save me from THOSE kind of days.



One of my dear friends recently asked me over coffee what to do when one wakes up and your face is just an angry mess and you need it, well, not to be by the next day. She has known me since childhood and has seen the improvement my skin has made (unfortunately she also has the pictures at hand to prove it....insert nervous laughter...) and knows I know about every solution there is for bad skin, since I have tried them all firsthand.



So here is what I do,



when you are about to go to bed and you find that your skin is acting up a bit, pour hot (and I do mean HOT) water on a cloth and steam your face with it. When the cloth is just right enough to touch your skin with it, gently (!) press it onto your skin for 5 seconds. You do not want to burn your skin right off (treat it like a baby's bottom, I tell you!), so wait until your common sense tells you to go for it. I find this opens up my pores really well (I also do a steam session once or twice a week, but that is for when you truly have the time for it, not when you are dying to go to bed and your boyfriend is hassling you about the time you spend in the bathroom).



I have read some experts believe the opposite is true : ice. cold. water.
You can try both for yourselves. For me, the harshness of the cold water just tightens up my pores and the tough love just does not do anything for me. Like I said, my skin needs some TLC once in a while. I just don't buy into the "suffer to be beautiful" mantra. There's nothing wrong with pampering yourself, dreading a simple skincare routine won't do you any good.




After that I wash my face with a gentle cleanser. I use the Clinique soap, but the softest one of the bunch. For a really cheap alternative there is a pink one by Nivea for sensitive skin (this is a great option for when your skin is acting out, most products that have a 'for sensitive skin' label contain calming ingredients) which works really well. Don't be a snob and get it, trust me, I've tried them all, from the superexpensive to the drugstore-cheap ones. If it works, it works. It's that simple.



Then, instead of using a toner I take a moisturizing or calming mask. Rituals makes a really great one with honey. Vogue US recently did a recession related article on skincare in which the writer proclaims pure honey as a cheap solution to thirsty skin. This is in fact true.



Now, the key to getting your skin back in shape in a short time period is simply to massage it. So instead of leaving the mask on and doing nothing, be active and massage until your fingers feel numb. This gets the blood flowing to your face and will leave your skin glowing with joy. No blush necessary anymore. This is actually more difficult with real honey, so just tapping the honey with the top of your fingers all over your face has the same effect.


Shu Uemura just came out with a product that also seems great for this kind of activity: Amino Massage Oil Foam. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Then take a washing cloth, make sure it is damp by using hot water on it and take the mask off.

One of the most hyped up products out there truly lives up to its expectations and rave reviews. I find that aside from the long-term effects it claims to have on your skin ( neutralizing (internal and external) stress) you really can see a difference in your skin the next day. I am talking about that Little Brown Bottle : Advanced Night Repair by Estée Lauder. I really don't get carried away by irrealistic promises made by skincare companies, but after so many years, this product still has an A+ rep. This is not a bargain, but you only need one drop a night, so it will last for more than one/ two years. It's a serum, so you need to put on a moisturizer afterwards (I find that any will do, no need to break the bank : Nivea night cream works just fine). Again, massage the moisturizer in.


Drink some green tea to get your toxins flowing and hit the sack, because we all know the BEST thing you can do for your skin is a good night's sleep. Wake up with model worthy skin. Hurray!

Light blue much?

Many bloggers have been raving about Jade, the new nail color by Chanel.

Yes, I agree, the color in itself is fabulous, very fresh and clean and very pretty when worn on a well groomed set of nails.

The other requirement is a neutral palette of clothes. Too much of a good thing is .... well ... never a good thing.

I like Jade, but I would never wear it, even if I would fill in all the requirements above, I just would not wear it. The thought of sitting in a nice café and handing out the change to pay for my drinks and seeing the waitress looking at my blue nails while at the same time mistaking me for a twelve year old little girl is just not up my alley.

Yes, it is beautiful on the runway.

Yes, it is youthful and fresh.

No, it is just not me.

Call me old-fashioned (I assure you, I am not) but I'll take a Rouge Noir or soft pink shade above that beautiful light green any day.

Welcome fellow bloggers and readers!
I have decided to start this blog and fill it with lots of beauty, hair, style and wellness news and thoughts. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!