Fall Beauty Essentials

Hello Lovelies!

Autumn Mood by Rachel Whiting via the 79 Ideas blog (source)

Today is the last of September - where oh where did that beautiful month go so fast? - and I realized that at 7AM the sun was not up yet, anymore. So it's time to go back to my Fall Essentials pinboard for inspiration & comfort.

I didn't buy any of the items on my wishlist - they were here more as a reminder than an actual prompt to buy. I will show you Lovelies what I did buy in a minute. But back to Fall Essentials first.

The beautiful "Autumn Leaves" lipstick (source)

That pinboard is all about simple living, simplicity in the everyday, what you really need, the bare essentials & joyful simplicities the Breathbach way.

"Grand Amour" butterfly perfume bottle (source)

Part of my Fall Essentials is a daily dose of serendipity. Take the Grand Amour perfume - it has my name written all over it. The behind-the-scenes story about this scent, the way it smells - divine!, even the butterfly on top of its bottle: all these elements give me the impression that perfume was somehow meant for me.

autumn leaf (source)

This perfume is devoted to love, the most powerful force which can move the worlds: love of beauty, love of perfume, love of music (Annick Goutal's husband a lifetime love was a cellist) and simply put; love of life.

I will tell you later this week about my Fall Style Essentials. Stay  tuned!

Alix of TeaButterfly.

On My WishList for September 2013: Fashion, Beauty & Home Decor Things I'd Like to Have

Hello Lovelies,

Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for what I already have but these beauties have caught my eyes lately.

A new perfume:

Perfumes from the niche range by l'Arquiste.

Affordable frag samples are available through reliable sites such as LuckyScent or SurrenderToChance. I really want to try both L'Etrog - citrus frag - and Infanta en flor - an orange blossom/jasmin kind of frag.


Things I'd like to wear:

This silhouette is from Caroll (I usually like that classic with a twist brand).
And:

I like the whole outfit and feel i need a zigzag Missoni-inspired loose top, a classic black skirt and thin leather belt. after digging in my wardrobe I found out I already had all these items, or something similar.

I am inspired by this view from the catwalk, a perfect mix of masculine (the fabric) & feminine (the loose cut, the lipstick) for fall 2013:

Jewelry I fancy:
something from Rachel Unger Jewelry, of course - I received myparcel today, YAY! so more on that purchase soon. And this statement piece, spotted earlier this year in a Paris shop's window:

A beauty product or two:

Though I do tend to buy organic skincare and mineral makeup, those versatile lipsticks by Givenchy are a hell of an (expensive) temptation.

Accessories:

Wedge shoes and large tote in greige and black from www.minelli.fr

A felt wool cloche hat: (photo coming soon).

And a new pair of shoes! (photo coming soon).

A dramatic pendant light for my living room: (photo coming soon).

...and contemporary art by Jane Cornwell to proudly display in my entryway: (photo coming soon).

Would you care to share any important addition to your wishlist, lately?

Alix of TeaButterfly.

Why Not? A Personal Journey in Amateur Design

Hello Lovelies,

image: this is Muriel Cibot's living-room, as of 2011 - as published here, among other photos of her place.

I recently bought a French home decor magazine called "Le journal de la maison" and stumbled upon what I believe is the perfect inspiration for me: a house tour of a Paris apartment the same size as mine, 60m2.

I couldn't help but think: "If Muriel Cibot, owner of said apartment, can do it, why shouldn't I at least try?" Muriel Cibot is a trained interior decorator and you can see some pictures of her home here, while I am just an amateur and design-enthusiast, but... WHY NOT?

The pictures of Muriel Cibot's place you can see here were taken back in 2011, while the photos in my home decor magazine, published April 2013, showed an updated version of the apartment. I then realized that the right use of textiles such as an area rug, a throw and a pillow on the sofa, drapes on the windows, a lamp with an actual lampshade on it, etc... could add incredible warmth to an otherwise very bare and cold interior.

Keeping simplicity in mind, I started using pinterest to gather eye-pleasing, beautiful but realistic and affordable ideas.

I must admit that I started with myself, since tackling a home decorating project can be a huge task. First, I researched (and found) the perfect Spring/summer fragrance for me. It is going to be "Orange blossom" by Jo Malone. "Après l'ondée" by Guerlain was also a favorite option, but not an affordable one.

Then I bought two dresses, one for spring, and one sleeveless for hotter summer days. The first dress is from Taillissime.fr - as pictured below:

The second dress is from laredoute.fr :

Yes, i have a classical taste in clothes and I love navy. ;-)

That done, I started a pinterest board with random want/need stuff for my rental, in no particular order. Again, I *do* intend to eventually pair this stuff down to the essentials.

One of the first projects I want to tackle is organizing and decorating the living-room. I want to hang my artwork (and as an artist, I have quite a few oil paintings I want to show off) and I want it *so bad* because I firmly believe it gives a room a "grownup" look and I'm tired of the "forever adulescent" look. Hey! i'm not a kid anymore, and I like it that way. I want to see that fact reflected in my interior.

My inspiration is gathered here. This board helps me define my style, a little "industriel", a little "wunderkammer" with a "masculine flair" twist, but is not realistic nor affordable. It's about dreaming (which a necessary function, too).

Now, let's have a look at the bones of my living-room, which are quite good. It is a classic French living-room. high ceilings (hooray!), high French windows, a grey marble chimney, parquet flooring, nice proportions and one built-in storage cabinet. The walls are painted a nice medium grey, and the mouldings are painted white. So far, so good.

I got a new (very cheap) couch at a thrift store, because my previous cat had scratched my old couch beyong recognition, alas. I got a new kitty, with less fierce claws. Here is my new friend, Kachimo:

 Here she is, asleep in a cardboard box.

I also bought flowers on a weekly basis for my place. Just an example:

The vases pictured here, all my own, are displayed on the mantel of my grey marble chimney.

And when Spring arrived (at long last!) I bought a pair of chartreuse silk accent pillows to add a punch of color, and one geometric patterned pillow grey/white with a hint of chartreuse in it). As seen on this image from the laredoute.fr catalog:

Since the room has high ceilings, I think a nice chandelier is in order. I found at least four nice and affordable options online, and I gathered them here. I love this option from Habitat:

The genaral layout of the couch area in my living-room will be as pictured below:

 image: design by Mark Tuckey, via green design blog.

A medium-sized couch against a wall, a big statement artwork above couch, like my painting below:

 oil painting by Naomi Lipson. all rights reserved.

A chandelier hanging from the ceiling (to be bought soon). And two small coffee tables (I actually have three vintage IKEA esting tables with a glass top).

So the chandelier is my next buy. Any ideas? Suggestions?

-Naomi of TeaButterfly.

P.S. This post was so fun to write, I hope you enjoyed it. but I still need to take some time off the internet and this blog. Please understand. Will be back in a month or so.