French Essence

My Weekend Browsing…

May 13, 2013

What star sign are you?…

I am Aquarius… Love these bejewelled loafers from Charlotte Olympia…

The best bags and the best buys of the moment… Always… from The Outnet…

What about this Michael Kors… or this Lanvin appliqued tote?

I need some new Boyfriends… soft and slouchy… not too ripped…

J Brands are my favourites… and maybe these Cargos for comfort…

New ‘Baking Beauties’ from Mac… all the pretty none of the calories…

I am definitely trying ‘Pure Decoration‘ lipstick…

And as it’s nearly Mother’s Day, for a total spoil… a totally feminine indulgence… or the perfect gift…

I would recommend… Houbigant Paris Quelques Fleurs Perfumed Powder…

If a romantic Parisian escape… a light and frothy read… is more to your liking… Foreign Tongue is on my list…

Have a wonderful weekend, thank you for the wonderful conversation and see you all next week… xv

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Posted by Vicki on May 13, 2013 | Labels: Lifestyle

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What’s In A Fake?

May 10, 2013

Fake or Real? Do you? Would you? Could you?

Yesterday’s conversation sparked the thought about fakes… whether I like them, approve of them… want them or wear them…

Fakes are tricky… What constitutes a fake?

Many are obvious… like the Louis Vuitton bag or the Chanel wallet picked up on the sidewalks of New York or in the markets of Shanghai…

What about copy cat fashion? Cheaper brands that emulate the expensive designers, mass produce the clothing and have it on the shop floor before the catwalks are even dismantled… Are they fakes… or is that just good business?

And then there is fake fur? When the fake is more acceptable than the real thing…

I am on the fence when it comes to fakes…

I am happy to wear the latest style from a budget friendly designer if the quality is acceptable and it suits me… I know it’s a ‘knock off’ but if it stands on it’s own as an addition to my wardrobe, I don’t mind… Like Zara, for instance… they are clever merchandisers, on the mark and offer very affordable clothing… The pieces are copies, that’s without question.. but would you call that a fake?

I would rather have the real thing when it comes to bags and wallets… although there are some amazing leather fakes available now (sans logo)…. and I don’t have a problem with those… when they are in the ‘style of’ rather than an exact copy… Style and quality should be the bottom line when it comes to buying…

Can you tolerate a fake… or is that a total NO NO? xv

P.S Please visit Castle Crowns and Cottages today… Anita is generously giving away a copy of French Essence… If you don’t already know her work… you are in for a wonderful surprise…

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Posted by Vicki on May 10, 2013 | Labels: Lifestyle

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Brand v’s Style…

May 9, 2013

I read this statement… a bold one… and thought to myself… I agree.

Fashion in the last few decades has become synonymous with brand to the point where style has often taken a second place.

Style should never take a second place. Style should be right up there with health and beauty. Style is personal, style is independent and style is not financially driven.

Fashion brands should guide and lead… not dictate…

Which is not to say that I haven’t fallen into the trap… forsaking personal style in order to be ‘current’… Guilty…

It’s difficult to defy the fashion world… they are powerful promoters… arbitrators of the who’s who… and the who wears what… Remember that wonderful scene “You Think This Has Nothing To Do with You” in The Devil Wears Prada … It made me think… Brands are promoted, encouraged by fashion leaders and brands can be annihilated as quickly as they triumphed…

Where does Brand v’s Style leave us?

I like to think that age has made me wary of falling under the spell of a brand for brand’s sake. I like to think that I buy a certain brand because it enhances my personal style… I am hopeful that I wear it and not the other way around.

This is not to say that I don’t wish to be fashionable… that I won’t adopt trends or colours… I will… but in my way.

Adaption is the key to style and the way to navigate brands… Knowing yourself, what works… and identifying the brands that work with you, not against you.

Confidence plays a huge roll… Having the confidence to forsake a brand, even if it is the word on everybody’s lips, in favour of the one that is more flattering.

This sounds all too obvious.. but I suspect that women fall under the ‘brand magic’ much more than we think… especially with shoes and handbags…

How influential is a brand on your way of dressing? Are you brave enough to let your style shine through? xv

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Posted by Vicki on May 9, 2013 | Labels: Lifestyle

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The Iris… In Provence…

May 8, 2013

This morning’s beauty… the iris…

I fell in love with them all over again… xv

For all you need to know… The Gardener’s Iris Book

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Posted by Vicki on May 8, 2013 | Labels: Provence

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In Camelot…

May 7, 2013

It’s the first Tuesday of the month and many bloggers, from all over the world, chat about a certain topic… this month, the thought is ‘Camelot‘…

Camelot… the Court of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table… a place, a time of idyllic happiness…

Camelot… and I immediately start humming the song… remembering many of the lines… the splendid voices of Richard Harris and Richard Burton who made the romantic world of King Arthur so real…

Camelot… Vanessa Redgrave playing Guinevere in the 1967 film… her own short romance with Franco Nero ignited on set… only to be rekindled thirty years later… I remember this film… the magic, the music… it was a childhood favourite…

Camelot… The Kennedy White House years… “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot…”