For the month of September I plan to document daily steps I have taken towards a chic, elegant and healthy life. My goal is to keep uppermost in my mind the kind of life I want to live. I will be focusing on all the small things I do each day that lead me towards my goal, rather than away from it.
Here are today’s mini-chic accomplishments:
Bought three pairs of sexy undies (from a normal shop though!). I chose black and cream so I can wear them with my current bras. There were some gorgeous jewel tones available but I’m trying to be a good French girl and wear matching underwear. I did push the boat out with one pair, they are black and leopard print (in tones of pinkish red) but I can still wear them with a black bra.
I try and ‘get’ the underwear thing and now I think I do. It used to bother me when I bought the bra and two sets of matching knickers, because I'd think 'what if the knickers die first? what if I require a different pair of knickers but want to wear that bra?' (low-cut jeans versus dress pants etc). Now I have decided the colour and general style matches and that's enough for me. It's much less stressful.
Anne Barone calls sexy undergarments part of the French girl’s arsenal in staying slim, but that’s not why I bought them, I just felt like it. I’ve had a craving for leopard print which is bizarre, because I’ve never owned a leopard print item in my life. It is everywhere at the moment though, so eventually it has to seep into my consciousness. And I think it’s more mainstream and fashionable these days, not so Peggy Bundy.
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Had a nice, long exercise and errand walk on a sunny but cool Spring day. There were so many French people in berets everywhere because France play our team the All Blacks tomorrow night. I wanted to ask one group of men of a certain age if they wore berets all the time or if they were just flying the French flag, but I was afraid they would take offence if it came out wrong.
Many cafes had ‘Bienvenue’ on their blackboards too. It almost felt like I was strolling the Champs Elysees. And two French women visiting our shop were noted to be wearing black ballet flats. They are even tres chic as tourists!
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Dressed up again today and wore my 'better' clothes. Yesterday my husband asked where I was going and who I was meeting, in a suspicious manner, and today my friend Mary came into the shop, did a double-take and said 'whoa, where are you off to?' Am I so poorly dressed that an ironed shirt with French cuffs and cufflinks will impress those close to me so much?
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Researched a new lipstick colour at Bobbi Brown. I was upfront with the sales girl and told her I wasn't buying today but wanted to find a colour for my next purchase (as a sales girl myself I just loooove hearing that, not). She was utterly charming though and helped me choose a shade and put it on me, topped with a little gloss.
All I wanted was the holy grail of lipstick, that which mimics the natural colour of your lips but glowier. She had similar colouring to me so I asked what she was wearing. When she showed me the shade it looked so brown in the tube I almost disregarded it.
But we decided I'd give it a try and then dabbed a little gloss in the centre. I had her write them down because the effect was really lovely. She had put quite a lot on as makeup girls are wont to do, but I can imagine applying a sheerer layer and looking natural yet polished with a little panache.
If you are a neutral blonde with grey eyes (or a Soft Summer in Colour Me Beautiful-land) you may find these colours lovely too:
Creamy lipstick 'Burnt Sugar'
Lipgloss 'Naked Plum'
I really wish now I had bought them today, but I wanted to see how the colour looked when I got back to work. And it's nice to have something to look forward to.
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If you feel like you want to make September a chic month for you as well, please join me. You are welcome to share your mini-chic accomplishments for the day (or the previous day if you read in the morning) in the comments section. It would be lovely to have you along for the ride!
Image 'Champs Elysées' by Antoine Blanchard
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