Beauty/Fashion Advice from a London-based Lass
Here's a few things you desperately need if you're planning on staying in London at any length of time:
1. Baby oil - it's super cheap, so put heaps in a really hot bath and soak for ages. Your skin will get really dry here, despite all the damp in the air, especially seeing as you're going to be covering it all up. Make sure the bath is really hot to get the circulation pumping - another consequence of being cold is the lack of circulation, especially to legs, hands and feet.
2. Lip balm, and LOADS of it! For those of you who, like me, enjoy the fruitilicious smells of Body Shop lip balm, there's heaps of Body Shop shops here. But their lip balm isn't necessarily the best to combat the cold here. Instead, try lip glosses that leave a really thick coat on your lips, like juicey tubes which I think are made by Lacome.
3. Drink plenty of bottled water - while the tap water is drinkable, it tastes disgusting. Bottled water is super cheap anyway. I buy the six-packs of 1.5L vittel waters and keep them at work. Apart from the obvious dryness cold windy weather is going to give you, you'll be loaded with tea which dehydrates!
4. Face wipes - I've found these awesome tea-tree oil face wipes over here. They're great to get rid of make-up and because they've got the tea-tree oil in them they heal skin as well. But it's not just for getting rid of make-up - after a day in the city, you're going to end up with a thin layer of grime on your face from smog and cigarette smoke and god knows what else. It's amazing how much dirt you wipe off your face at the end of a day.
5. While heeled boots are really awesome, a large percentage of the streets in London are still old cobblestones, a lot of which the grouting in-between the stones and bricks has worn away. I learned the hard way that heeled boots were not made for walkin', after tripping over numerous times and ending up with really sore ankles and knees. Unless it's a special occassion, it's all about flat comfortable shoes.
6. Hair irons are a must if you like straight hair - The wind and rain here will destroy blow-dried hair unless you have ironed it straight. Get a decent quality one.
7. Still on hair, get yourself a REALLY good conditioner. Let's face it, when you've got long or thick hair and you don't dry it before you go out in maximum 6 degree weather, your head is going to freeze off and roll away down the street. So it's really important to dry it every day, but for that reason it's also really important to use a really good thick conditioner and probably a leave-in conditioner as well. I use a spray in leave-in conditioner, but hair masques are REALLY big over here.
8. Hand cream - even when wearing gloves your hands are going to get really dry. I carry around hand cream with me wherever I go because applying more than once a day is often necessary.
9. Get a decent moisturiser for your face and one for the rest of you - a decent face moisturiser needs UV protection, even in the dreary weather here. And get a really thick, oil-based moisturiser especially for your legs, even if you don't usually use oil-based moisturisers.
Having said all of that, here's the dish on fashion for the winter season coming up - eventually - in oz:
1. Cowboy boots are going to be HUGE - not necessarily leather, although they're quite popular, but suede as well. About calf-high, often with a bit of detail, and scrunched at the top. Most people are wearing them over jeans.
2. Sheepskin wool vests - again, really huge, although I'm not a fan of the ones that use real sheep skin, because it's usually from one-year-old lambs that have only been shorn once. The wool itself though is pretty important over here. Worn over long-sleeved sweaters with jeans and usually a pair of Ugg boots or cowboy boots.
3. Speaking of the Ugg, the designer ones were still in this season. Find Uggs with belts around them that tighten them to your calves. They're uber comfortable and warm. Ah, the humble Ugg....
4. Wellington boots were in for a while, although I'm not a huge fan, but they were generally knee-high and all sorts of crazy patterns, which I'm sure the more eclectic people will appreciate.
5. Forget black and brown coats, get yourself a pink or a white/cream one, and one that emphasises the waste - ie. tapered in or with a belt. It's all about figure accentuating coats, not figure-hiding coats.
6. The classic pin-striped suit was huge for women this year - long pants and a fitted jacket.
7. As always, designer handbags were huge, especially from D&G, Fiorelli (which have the most beautiful bags ever seen over here!) and, of course, Louis Vuitton. If you haven't, like most normal people. got the budget for these and can't get a knock-off, Accessorize stores hold a whole heap of gorgeous bags. Accessorize are EVERYWHERE over here, even in Waterloo train station, and I know they're springing up more and more in Oz, so get yourselves there and check out their handbags.
8. While on the subject of Accessorize, they also have a whole heap of really gorgeous jewellery. The Boho look, courtesy of Sienna Miller, was also huge. We're not talking smelly hippy Boho, but classy boho. Heaps of intricate jewellery, detailed belts, bright colours, scarves. If you've got any of this stuff left over from 'back in the day', drag it out and freshen it up.
9. Jeans - the humble denim will never go away, and this season was no exception. Get yourself a decent pair of fitted jeans and some awesome detailed belts to kit it out with. It's all about accessorising this season, so belts, bags and jewellery are all there to dress up jeans.
And now, that I've wasted a good hour, I'm going to actually do some work:D.
1. Baby oil - it's super cheap, so put heaps in a really hot bath and soak for ages. Your skin will get really dry here, despite all the damp in the air, especially seeing as you're going to be covering it all up. Make sure the bath is really hot to get the circulation pumping - another consequence of being cold is the lack of circulation, especially to legs, hands and feet.
2. Lip balm, and LOADS of it! For those of you who, like me, enjoy the fruitilicious smells of Body Shop lip balm, there's heaps of Body Shop shops here. But their lip balm isn't necessarily the best to combat the cold here. Instead, try lip glosses that leave a really thick coat on your lips, like juicey tubes which I think are made by Lacome.
3. Drink plenty of bottled water - while the tap water is drinkable, it tastes disgusting. Bottled water is super cheap anyway. I buy the six-packs of 1.5L vittel waters and keep them at work. Apart from the obvious dryness cold windy weather is going to give you, you'll be loaded with tea which dehydrates!
4. Face wipes - I've found these awesome tea-tree oil face wipes over here. They're great to get rid of make-up and because they've got the tea-tree oil in them they heal skin as well. But it's not just for getting rid of make-up - after a day in the city, you're going to end up with a thin layer of grime on your face from smog and cigarette smoke and god knows what else. It's amazing how much dirt you wipe off your face at the end of a day.
5. While heeled boots are really awesome, a large percentage of the streets in London are still old cobblestones, a lot of which the grouting in-between the stones and bricks has worn away. I learned the hard way that heeled boots were not made for walkin', after tripping over numerous times and ending up with really sore ankles and knees. Unless it's a special occassion, it's all about flat comfortable shoes.
6. Hair irons are a must if you like straight hair - The wind and rain here will destroy blow-dried hair unless you have ironed it straight. Get a decent quality one.
7. Still on hair, get yourself a REALLY good conditioner. Let's face it, when you've got long or thick hair and you don't dry it before you go out in maximum 6 degree weather, your head is going to freeze off and roll away down the street. So it's really important to dry it every day, but for that reason it's also really important to use a really good thick conditioner and probably a leave-in conditioner as well. I use a spray in leave-in conditioner, but hair masques are REALLY big over here.
8. Hand cream - even when wearing gloves your hands are going to get really dry. I carry around hand cream with me wherever I go because applying more than once a day is often necessary.
9. Get a decent moisturiser for your face and one for the rest of you - a decent face moisturiser needs UV protection, even in the dreary weather here. And get a really thick, oil-based moisturiser especially for your legs, even if you don't usually use oil-based moisturisers.
Having said all of that, here's the dish on fashion for the winter season coming up - eventually - in oz:
1. Cowboy boots are going to be HUGE - not necessarily leather, although they're quite popular, but suede as well. About calf-high, often with a bit of detail, and scrunched at the top. Most people are wearing them over jeans.
2. Sheepskin wool vests - again, really huge, although I'm not a fan of the ones that use real sheep skin, because it's usually from one-year-old lambs that have only been shorn once. The wool itself though is pretty important over here. Worn over long-sleeved sweaters with jeans and usually a pair of Ugg boots or cowboy boots.
3. Speaking of the Ugg, the designer ones were still in this season. Find Uggs with belts around them that tighten them to your calves. They're uber comfortable and warm. Ah, the humble Ugg....
4. Wellington boots were in for a while, although I'm not a huge fan, but they were generally knee-high and all sorts of crazy patterns, which I'm sure the more eclectic people will appreciate.
5. Forget black and brown coats, get yourself a pink or a white/cream one, and one that emphasises the waste - ie. tapered in or with a belt. It's all about figure accentuating coats, not figure-hiding coats.
6. The classic pin-striped suit was huge for women this year - long pants and a fitted jacket.
7. As always, designer handbags were huge, especially from D&G, Fiorelli (which have the most beautiful bags ever seen over here!) and, of course, Louis Vuitton. If you haven't, like most normal people. got the budget for these and can't get a knock-off, Accessorize stores hold a whole heap of gorgeous bags. Accessorize are EVERYWHERE over here, even in Waterloo train station, and I know they're springing up more and more in Oz, so get yourselves there and check out their handbags.
8. While on the subject of Accessorize, they also have a whole heap of really gorgeous jewellery. The Boho look, courtesy of Sienna Miller, was also huge. We're not talking smelly hippy Boho, but classy boho. Heaps of intricate jewellery, detailed belts, bright colours, scarves. If you've got any of this stuff left over from 'back in the day', drag it out and freshen it up.
9. Jeans - the humble denim will never go away, and this season was no exception. Get yourself a decent pair of fitted jeans and some awesome detailed belts to kit it out with. It's all about accessorising this season, so belts, bags and jewellery are all there to dress up jeans.
And now, that I've wasted a good hour, I'm going to actually do some work:D.
posted by Melanie at
4:22 am
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