From right to left: YSL ‘Parme Graffiti’, Chanel ‘Delight’, Chanel ‘Emprise’, Dior ‘Gris Trianon’
I love painting my toe nails in bright colours in summer to vamp up my sandals. For my hands, I prefer muted, understated colours that go with every outfit. Today I want to share my favourite five summer nail varnishes with you. Colours I find myself reaching for again and again. Here they are:
Parme Graffiti and AGL Sandals. Floral dress from Max & Co.
Yves Saint Laurent nail varnish in “Parme Graffiti” – This nail varnish was part of the Summer 2013 make-up range along with Jade Imperial. I just love the very pigmented, bright colour. Guaranteed no chips for 10 days! I prefer this colour for my feet but it looks equally as gorgeous on nails!
Chanel’s ‘Emprise’ is a peachy nude pink for the every day look of groomed, manicured hands. Love it.
My all time favorite: Chanel’s ‘Delight’, a gorgeous gold bronzey colour. Surprisingly non gaudy, this is a great colour for every day. Appropriate for summer as it reflects the sun beautifully, without being too overwhelming, as well as being perfectly xmassy for the festive period (I know I know, it’s still summer and we are miles away from dreary winter! )
Dior Nail Varnish ‘Gris Trianon’
Remember the hype about Chanel’s greige ‘Frenzy’? This is like Frenzy but better! Dior’s ‘Gris Trianon’ greige colour is a bit stronger (Frenzy makes my hands look washed out) while still being a discreet nude colour. In my opinion, the quality is even superior to Chanel’s nail varnishes (which is pretty darn good already).
My work colleagues have been amazing, organising surprise pre-wedding celebrations and a voucher from my favourite shop, French custome design jeweller Les Nereides. The voucher was burning a hole in my pocket, so on the long weekend, I popped by Les Nereides’ flagship store in London’s Covent Garden. Et voila, I chose these whimsical, adorably detailed asymmetrical earrings from the ‘Pas de Deux’ range.
After the cat range and the gingerbread line, I ‘m now loving the ballerina earrings. Bring on Christmas and the Nutcracker ballet!
My straw bag with bamboo handles is from Miu Miu, broderie anglaise shirt from Amphora. I paired this with a leather skirt from Max & Co to not look too goody two shoes in this girly outfit.
To match the tune of the earrings, I’m wearing wanna be ballet shoes from flipflop.
Only 11 days left til my wedding! One of the most important aspects of the big day is the make-up. I want to look like myself, only better. The most tricky part for me is foundation: I never wear foundation (apart from BB creme) as it tends to age me by emphasizing fine lines and all foundations seem to suffocate the natural fresh glow of the skin. For the big day and being photographed, I know I have to step up a little bit in the makeup department.
In the last few weeks I have tried out many bridal make up trial lessons at several brand counters and I found Bobbi Brown to be the best and closest to how I want to look on my big day. Here are my recommendations for a beautiful, natural look:
1. Foundation
The Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturzing Balm in “Medium” is exactly what I was looking for: A tinted balm with light to medium coverage. It gives a dewy, glowy finish (the skin shines lightly).
For areas that need a bit of more coverage (for me it’s around the nose to cover up broken capillaries), the foundation stick in “Warm Natural” is perfect. The Bobbi Brown SA applied it on my nose and around the mouth.
2. Eyes
A sheer pink pigmented sparkle eyeshadow from Bobbi Brown in the shade “Ballet” looks understated and pretty. I used to run a mile when confronted with sparkle eyeshadow. I find that this one brightens up the eyes without emphasizing fine lines. According to Bobbi Brown herself, the age to stop sparkle eyeshadow is 100!
Bobbi’s gel eyeliner in colour “Black Mauve shimmer” was put in the upper waterline of my eyes. The application wasn’t very comfortable but I liked the result. The inner liner gave my eyes definition and made them look very natural.
Mascara is a must and Bobbi Brown’s Intensifying Long wear mascara comes pretty close to my HG Mascara from Helena Rubinstein.
Opticalm’s “Gouttes Bleues” blue eyedrops is a legendary product in France, used for 60 years. Recommended by French photographers, they give radiance to the eyes.
My Bridal Make-up from Bobbi Brown. Parisian Earrings from Les Nereides.
3. Blush
Bobbi Brown “Pretty Pink” for a pop of fresh colour on the apples of the cheeks.
4. Lips
I am wearing Bobbi Brown’s Lip Color in “Sandwash Pink”, the same Kate Middleton wore at her wedding. While I’m not a fan of her too heavy eyemakeup (I’m with you Karl!), I love her subtle, pretty lips.
Auszüge Interview Süddeutsche ZeitungBottega-Veneta-Chefdesigner Maier Gestatten, Herr des Nichts”
Abstracts from the interview in Süddeutsche ZeitungBottega-Veneta-Chefdesigner Maier Gestatten, Herr des Nichts”
Which five items should be part of every woman’s wardrobe?
Jeans. T-Shirt. Cashmere Cardigan. Flat shoes.
A functional bag she can carry everywhere and anytime. In the evening, into the office, on her shoulders, in her hand.
Welche fünf Teile muss die Frau von heute im Kleiderschrank haben?
Jeans. T-Shirt. Kaschmir-Cardigan. Flache Schuhe.
Eine funktionelle Tasche, die sie immer und überall tragen kann, am Abend, ins Büro, auf der Schulter, in der Hand.
What item can she ban from her wardrobe?
Fur. No one needs fur. I’m disgusted by how much fur you can see on the world’s runways at the moment.
Und worauf kann sie verzichten?
Pelz. Niemand braucht Pelz. Ich bin ziemlich angeekelt, wie viel Pelz gerade wieder auf den Laufstegen zu sehen war.
Fall/Winter Campaign 2013
Is it true that you remove labels from your clothing?
Sure.
Stimmt es, dass Sie die Etiketten aus Ihrer eigenen Kleidung heraustrennen?
Sure.
Can I check?
Yes, in this jumper I kept the label of my own line, “Tomas Maier”. I also cut out the labels from my own line but only when they sit directly on my skin. I don’t like the feeling of the labels on my skin. If a chair has a label on the side, I will cut it out too. If you can remove a label without damaging the product, get rid of it.
Darf ich mal sehen?
Ja, aber in diesem Pullover ist das Label noch drin; “Tomas Maier”, meine eigene Linie. Ich schneide auch da die Schildchen raus, aber nur, wenn sie direkt auf der Haut liegen. Ich mag das Gefühl von Etiketten auf der Haut nicht. Wenn ein Stuhl ein Etikett an der Seite hat, schneide ich es auch weg. Wenn man ein Schild entfernen kann, ohne das Produkt kaputtzumachen, weg damit.
Every time Marc Jabocs gets dressed up, he choses to wear one of your suits. A huge compliment, isn’t it?
That’s nice. I’m thankful. Marc is a nice guy.
Immer wenn sich Marc Jacobs in Schale wirft, trägt er eines Ihrer Sakkos. Ein Riesenkompliment, oder?
Das ist nett. Ich bin dankbar dafür. Marc ist ein netter Typ.
That doesn’t sound very enthusiastic. You don’t like the personality cult, do you?
I’m the living proof that you don’t need this to be successful. I don’t need to know what other people do in their private life, who they date and what they ate for dinner yesterday. For me it’s only interesting what a person does.
Das klingt nicht sehr begeistert. Personenkult ist wohl nicht Ihr Ding?
Ich bin der beste Beweis, dass man das nicht braucht, um erfolgreich zu sein. Ich muss nicht wissen, was andere Leute in ihrem Privatleben machen, wen sie daten oder was sie gestern zum Dinner getragen haben. Für mich ist nur interessant, was jemand macht.
Love my Intrecciato look a like bag.
Is it true that you imported your washing machine from Germany?
No, you can buy them in the US too. Everyone who’s a little bit smart knows that German washing machines are the best.
Ist es wahr, dass Sie Ihre Waschmaschine aus Deutschland importiert haben?
Nein, man kann sie auch in den USA kaufen. Wer nur ein bisschen schlau ist, der weiß, dass deutsche Waschmaschinen die besten sind.
You are very loyal to German products in general. You drive a Porsche 911. How does that fit with your brand aversion?
This car is just perfectly designed. And it doesn’t have a logo.
Sie sind deutschen Produkten überhaupt sehr treu; Sie fahren Porsche 911. Wie passt das zu Ihrem Logo-Ekel?
Dieses Auto ist nun einmal großartig designt. Und es hat kein Logo.
How did you do that? Did you put a sticker over it?
I’m wearing a fruit printed navy skirt from Zara, gingham checked shirt from Pepe, sandals from Spain and straw bag from Miu Miu. Sunglasses from Chloe
Strawberries and summer belong together like Aperol and soda, like London and rain! As a woman of pleasure, it’s only logic to translate my love for all things sweet into fashion by wearing a strawberry print skirt. With temperatures rising, all I need for a casual Sunday is a fruit printed skirt, a vichy checked top, my Miu Miu straw bag and flat summer sandals.
I’m a huge fan of fruit and chocolate infused fashion and beauty: My perfumes are gourmand scents, smelling of pannacotta (Signorina) By Salvatore Ferragamo or gummi bears (Mugler’s Angel). My jewellery depicts sweet Parisian deserts and gingerbread houses. I like my style to be fun and child like when I feel like it!
From left to right: Stella McCartney, Wunderkind, Prada
Which fruit are you? Lemon, cherries, strawberries or bananas?
Mmm good enough to eat – jewellery from N2 Paris from the AW 2014 “La Confiserie” collection
N2 Paris is the quirky subline of my favourite French jewellery designer Les Nereides. Check out N2’s new AW2014 collection here.
Lounging about in Wimbledon Park’s luscious gardens
My N2 Paris charm bracelet made of tiny little knives and spoons, sitting on a yummy German spritz cake 😉
A new way to wear an animal print summer coat is to team it with bright colors. The key here is to go for only one single vibrant color. I think shades of blue, green, pink, orange and pastels work well with leopard print. You just have to find your color. My favorite color is cornflower blue because is the easiest way to combine.
I wear: Zara’s summer leopard print coat, DKNY blouse, patchwork denim, orange high heels by H&M
In our age of jeans and sneakers Elegance is a quality of style and grace. Eternal fashion icon Coco Chanel famously said, “Elegance is refusal,” it’s one of my of my favorite quotes for every situation not only for fashion. What does this quote mean? It is the act of saying no, of pulling back. And whether we are talking fashion or we are talking about how to carry oneself, it is all the same. Less is always more.
What do you think, is my casual outfit ‘refusal’ enough?
Elegance is refusal – for me this means that you are not afraid to stand in your own shoes, choose your style wisely, and stay true to more classic, quality, and refined pieces….avoid falling victim to the world of ever changing trends – where some can be good for you and others not so good. When I hear the word ‘elegance’ – refined, classic, and timeless – are the words that come to mind. Elegance is refusing to fall victim ‘to the times’ and stay true to one self.
“I never wanted to be a girl. If a could chose to be one, it would be Sofia. She’s so feminine, likeable and at the same time so confident. I’m sure she works hard, while she manages to make it look so easy and effortless.”
Those were the words that MARC JACOBS used when talking about his close friend and longtime muse Sofia Coppola.
To be a woman like Sofia Coppola just think about Marc Jacobs words – in your daily life, be likeable, feminine and confident.
Film is in your blood, was there ever a plan B?
“I never really planned to be a film director, I always liked magazines and wanted to be a magazine editor or an art director.
I always liked the visual arts but I was always on the set and my dad was always talking to my brothers and I about film-making, trying to teach us about it. In my 20s when I read the book The Virgin Suicides, that was what made me want to direct a movie because I loved that book and felt protective of it and didn’t want anyone to ruin the movie version. I wasn’t looking for a project.”
Marc Jacobs named a bag after you – what was more of an honour, an Oscar or a bag?
“That’s funny, yeah, I thought the bag was nice but it didn’t make as big an impact on my life. The Oscar helped me with my career, my work.”
“Florals are for middle-aged women with weight problems” – Karl Lagerfeld.
While I adore fashion king Karl Lagerfeld and his often funny (and inappropriate!) quotes, I beg to differ on this occasion. Every woman should have a floral piece in her wardrobe, simply because they are feminine, flirty, fun and versatile. There’s flowers for every type of woman and every style.
This is how we Rebel and I rock florals:
1. Floral Trousers
If you are unsure whether florals suit you, wear them away from your face, as a skirt or trousers. Above: Rebel is wearing flower print pants from Céline SS 2012. To calm the pattern, she pairs her trousers with a one coloured cashmere jumper in orange. High Heels in black ensure that floras don’t look mumsy. Both shoes and jumper pick up the colours of the printed pants which further tones down the print.
2. The Floral Pencil Skirt
The ever slimming pencil skirt lends itself perfectly to a bit of flowery action. My navy blue and pink skirt is from TK Maxx. I will be rocking this baby in winter with toasty tights and a warm parka. To elongate my shillouette I added pointy patent kitten heel shoes from Logan to my flowery skirt. Again, to not make the flower print look to busy, I paired it with a cashmere cardi and navy t-shirt picking up the colours of the skirt.
Floral Dress from Max & Co
3. The Floral Dress
For me, this is the ultimate way to wear florals, in the form of a playful dress. Fitted at the top, flared at over the hips and bum, this is an instant slimmer. For me, smaller florals work better as they tend to make me look skinnier compared to bigger flower prints. Dress from Max & Co, sandals from AGL Attilio Giusti Leombruni, sunglasses from Céline.
Floral Blazer from Zara
4. The Floral Blazer
The flower prints make the classic blazer look fresh. Throw on some pointy heels or metallic slip on for a modern take.
millefleur bikin from Domani
5. The Floral Bikini
Florals and a tan always look great together! Hit the beach in a romantic and playful mood. My bikini is from domani. I love the small, dainty millefleur flowers.
Winter florals from Moschino, Blumarine and Valentino
When I google the words ‘books about love’ or ‘tips for love’, I get 2.5 billion results. Wow, is there so much to say about love or are we stuck in a rut when it comes to love?
A few weeks ago, I posted an article titled: ‘5 Anti-Aging tips from a German biologist’. In the post, a PhD biologist, my boyfriend, shared his views as an expert on anti-aging. This sparked the idea to discuss a whole range of topics to get his opinion in his role as biologist as well as a man. Nothing is more interesting than analysing the quarrels of love of celebreties, friends and acquaintances.
A question that has been going round in my mind for a long time is: Can you rationalise love? Even though I’m very romantic and sensitive (I love ‘Gone with the wind’!),at the same time I like writing lists to analyse and structure things. So, I asked my boyfriend biologist, let’s call him Dr Wolle, to work with me on another post to present his view on the Top 5 relationship tips:
1. Find the right partner
Mother Nature wants us to mate with a partner who has significantly different genes to our own. Resonance is created automatically if two people with a highly different gene pool come together. When we look for a partner, we tend to do the wrong thing: We focus on the looks and get seduced by visual appearance. What we really should focus on is whether we can sniff the other person. Humans are mammals, nose geared beings, not eye geared like birds for example. Instead of smelling we look because our society, obsessed with looks, has been misleading us against our natural instincts.
For your first date, Dr Wolle therefore suggests: NO perfume. Perfume clouds like Chanel No 5 or Dior Homme cover our genetic compatability. Don’t get seduced by looks, instead rely on your nose. My boyfriend tells me that on first dates, he consciously took the oppurtunity to smell his first date to find out whether he’s sitting opposite a potential partner. If we are not attracted by the scent of a person, this person is not a match for us. If we can sniff a potential mate as well as being attracted to him, biologically we have found the right partner and made a good choice. The chances to have a loving relationship are good.
2. Sex – exaggerated or not?
Dr Wolle says: “A man loves a woman because she has sex with him. A woman has sex with a man because she loves him”. The essence of this message is as simple as it is shocking: Have sex with your partner regularly and you won’t have any relationship issues. Despite this simple formula, women are failing to stick to it for various reasons: Biologically, women don’t have the same libido as men. Women have sex for these two, evolutionary goals:
1. to retain the mate in the early phases of the relationship and
2. to procreate.
As soon as the woman accomplished these goals, the libido decreases significantly. Here lies the big issue: Men NEVER lose the urge to have sex, it only ends with their death.
For us women this means to understand and accept that whether her partner is a nerd, an investment banker, a scientist, a royal or a handy man: They are all the same: they all want sex all the time. All self-help books trying to tell us that sex is not everything in a relationship are just trying to comfort us and to spare us the inconvienent truth: Relationships revolve around sex. For women this is a challenge and a balancing act to master this in their relationships. We will deal with this specific issue in a separate post, so watch this space!
3. Two peas in a pod or opposites attract?
Another classic question in a quest to find a successful mate: Do opposites attract or do two similar human beings have better chances of having a romantic, long lasting relationship? What’s my biologist boyfriend’s view on this
He says: Yes, opposites do attract for sure. Stories about polar opposite couples are often thrilling, exciting, chaotic and exhausting. That’s why extremely different couples have less chances of a long term loving relationship compared to couples who have lots in common (think Lizzy Taylor and Richard Burton!).
What does that mean exactly, what are the important things we should have in common with our mate to ensure happiness and longevity of the partnering? Is it the hobbies, the character traits, the social background or the same views on morals and values? Is it beneficial for a relationship to go golfing together, to vote for the same party or to love Italian cuisine?
My boyfriend’s opinion is clear: It’s important for a healthy relationship to have the same set of values and morals rather than sharing the same hobbies and character traits. Common values such as truthfulness, responsibility, reliability, consideration, empathy, helpfulness, solidarity, loyalty, consistency, sustainability, open mindedness and fairness are crucial for a relationship to work out. For Dr Wolle personally, the human side plays a much bigger part than whether his girlfriend reads the same biology books.
4. Closeness and distance
In his book ‘Men are from Mars, women are from Venus’, John Gray explains that the rubber band theory ensures men are kept interested in a relationship: Men want closeness but at the same time they need distance. Too much closeness suffocates the love of men. Too much distance (=less sex) will make love fizzle out.
In a relationship, the woman has the role of a film director: Stretch the rubber band as much as possible to let it go in the right moment to make the man bounce back to his wife. It’s an endless circle: Stretch and let go, stretch and let go. Sounds simple enough but still many women, including me, don’t understand this theory and are struggling to implement it in every day life. Why? I think women have the tendency to do too much: Talk too much, analyse too much, organize too much, control too much. Women are like handy men of love, constantly trying to improve their relationships. They are working too much on the closeness but most are not good at keeping the distance when needed
5. The Child Question
We will finish off with the question of all questions, knock-out argument for every relationship because this is a subject you can’t compromise on. There are lots of issues that can be worked out between partners with compromise, for example long distance relationships. The children question however is non-negotiable. 70% of women would like to have children but not as many men want the same. From whatever angle you look at it, the children question is imperative and has to be talked about early on in the relationship.
If you are a man and you don’t want children, it is advised to discuss this question in the first 6 months of the relationship to spare women the time and emotions she will invest so she can pursue the search for another partner who wants to procreate, just like her.
