Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Seriously...?

Oh my, it's been 3 weeks! I really didn't mean to wait this long with a new post. Yes, life has been a bit hectic, but 3 weeks is uncalled for. :(

Anyway, I've decided to introduce a new item simply called: "Seriously?" Because a much as I advocate individuality, developing your own style and daring to dress accordingly, sometimes I see outfits that I just don't understand. Case in point: Beyoncé at the Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore last weekend.



I just don't get it. Why, why, whyyyyyyyyyyyy would you want to look like an F1 girl? Where was your stylist, your husband, your mother even? Not that I get her style either or "House of Derrière" for that matter. But really... Seriously?

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Ageing beautifully...

When it comes to the media's influence on women and their self image, I've always been very defiant. I consider myself lucky to have grown up in a culture where thin is not the standard of beauty. It was really the opposite; thicker, ruebens-esque girls are considered more beautiful. Where I come from, soft round faces and curvy "child bearing" hips are the norm. As a result I have a healthy body image and absolutely no desire to be a size 34 (size 2 US) or *gasp* 32 (size 0 US). And I'm very thankful for that..

I have basically the same attitude about growing older and I really admire women who grow older gracefully, beautifully. Women like Carine Roitfeld, Natalie Cole, Franca Sozzani, jazz singer Nancy Wilson and the stunningly, just stunningly, beautiful Ing-Mari Lamy. Women who take care of themselves and claim their age and maturity, wrinkles and all!

Many women complain about glass ceilings and not being taken seriously, but then turn around and deny or hide their maturity, wisdom and wealth of experience behind a façade of "youth". The way I see it: If you look like a twenty year old, you really should expect to be treated like a twenty year old i.e. inexperienced, naive, insecure etc. This is why men become more "handsome and distinguished" with age and women don't. They accept it, embrace it and use it to their advantage, while women complain about getting older, hide it or are in denial.

Whenever I hear a woman freaking out about turning 30, 40, 50 etc., I can't help rolling my eyes and thinking: "Grow up!" Grow up and get real. Let go of what Hollywood and the media is feeding you. We don't live in Hollywood, we live out here in the real world. And out here, us real women age. Contrary to what the media is telling you, growing older is a beautiful thing. You get to know yourself. You become more comfortable in your own skin and with each experience (good and bad) you get a little bit stronger, a little bit wiser and more confident. Trust me, you get better.

I like getting older. I like the calming effect it has had on me. I even like my Lily Munster streak of grey hair that has grown out since I stopped dyeing my hair a year ago. :) I am happier and more comfortable with myself than I've ever been and I smile a whole lot more than when I was in my twenties. :)


P.S. Check out Dove's "Campaign for Real Beauty". The principle behind the campaign is to "celebrate the natural physical variation embodied by all women and inspire them to have the confidence to be comfortable with themselves." Good job!

Monday, September 7, 2009

Favorite perfumes...

I love perfumes. Hardly a day goes by that I don't wear a scent. I always choose my perfume after I've dressed and done my make up. I think it's just that little bit extra to finish off your look for the day. If that makes any sense...

The scent I choose depends on how I'm feeling or how I want to feel, a mood enhancer so to speak. I believe that scent is very personal. I love when people have a signature scent, so that whenever you get a whiff of it, you're reminded of that person. This however could be a bad thing, a very bad thing indeed.

The story: I once had a boyfriend who wore Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male. I made the mistake of telling him that I liked it and at the time I honestly did, but he unfortunately took this remark as an incentive to douse himself in it. Needless to say we broke up and now I cannot stand Le Male. And to add insult to injury, this was a very trendy scent for a while. All of a sudden men everywhere were wearing this perfume. Gag! I spent many a moment with my nose squeezed shut. Not a good look.

I don't understand people who buy "trendy" perfumes. I could never do that. There are many perfumes that I love, but would never buy for myself because somehow I feel that they are not really "me".

At the moment I have... ehem... eight perfumes in rotation. Some I wear more in the summertime, others in the winter. Some are day scents and others are for the night. Somehow that sounds a lot more mysterious than it actually is. :) But anyway, here they are:

The soft subtle powdery scents:

Comme de Garcons 2: I would say that this is my signature scent. I'll wear this any day, any time of day, any time of the year. I just love it to bits.

Dolce and Gabbana Sicily: I usually wear this in the summer. I like to wear Sicily when I'm feeling soft and feminine. Warm summer evenings, dinner with the BF, feet in the sand, sea breeze, bottle of wine... happy times.


The sultry spicy scents:
Donna Trussardi: Which has been discontinued, but surprisingly easy to find on e-bay. This is my "power scent". :) I wear this when I'm feeling (or want to feel) strong and confident. Weird but true. I often find myself reaching for this perfume when I have business meetings, presentations, job interviews that type of thing. If I'm wearing a suit, I'm most likely wearing Donna Trussardi.

Estee Lauder Youth Dew Amber Nude: This is a winter scent for me and even though it's quite heavy and spicy, I wear it during the day. I do think darker skin tones can get away with heavier scents for day time.

YSL Opium: Special occasions only. LOVE it! An inheritance from my aunts, who wore Opium when I was a little girl. In fact, some of them still do. I like to wear it when I want to feel all grown up and womanly. :)


The florals:
Marc Jacobs: Wonderfully sweet and floral. It's my "girlie" scent.

Cabotine de Grès: This perfume has a very special meaning for me. It was one of my graduation presents from my father and I wore it the day I received my diploma. Now I only wear it in the summer time, when I'm feeling a bit sentimental and missing Dad.


The freshness:

Cartier Eau de Cartier Concentrée: I'm not sure if this is a lady's or a man's scent, but I don't really care, I love it all the same. It's so super fresh, you kinda feel like you've just showered all day long. I love to wear it in the summer when I'm wearing all white. Yes, this too is weird, but hey, I'm allowed some eccentricities right?

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Why are you giving me a boob-job?

While browsing through a large department store with friends last Sunday, one of my girlfriends remarked that it's becoming increasingly difficult to find a bra nowadays that isn't either padded or has pre-formed cups.

My initial reaction was: "Well, that can't be right. Surely there are still normal bra's to be found in this huge store."

But as we scoured the lingerie section brand after brand turned up little to nothing. In fact, after going through the entire lingerie section we found a grand total of three 'normal' bra's. Two of which were genuinely ugly and the third was in a discount bin. This started to bug me. Was it just that particular department store's buying policy or is this a growing trend in lingerie design?

So I've been checking the latest collections of some the major brands and I found that most brands had maybe one or two unpadded/non pre-formed bra's. Only Tezenis and Victoria's Secret had a decent selection of normal bra's.

Seriously? Are you kidding me? What is going on here?

For the record I prefer pre-formed bra's, because frankly the world doesn't have to know when I'm cold. I like that little bit of protection, but that is my personal preference. My friend doesn't like them, because she finds that they make her breasts look and feel unnatural. And this is exactly my point. Not all women want huge breasts, not all women want a generic pre-determined, perfectly lifted and rounded breast shape. It's irritating enough to have the media tell us how we should to look and what size we should be. Now we have lingerie manufacturers deciding for us what our breasts should look like? Please!

Different women want different things and we deserve and reserve the right to decide what that is and how we achieve it, thank you very much.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

I like her shoes...

I am loving first lady Michelle Obama's Maison Martin Margiela Toe Loop sandals.


They're available at Farfetch.com for €378.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...