Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet: Blue Stockings are Back in Fashion

[botemp]

Lovers of Parisian style and fashion with a conscious mindset to our wardrobes. Occasionally we pretend this is a proper Salon of the non-beauty kind.

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Recommended Second Hand Shops in Paris

Outlets in Central Paris

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Previous threads:

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Deux

Trois

Quatre

Cinq

Six

Ah cheers Red, I think all of those would work but especially love the idea of a denim shirt. I think denim&thick tights woukd make it wearable for casual occasions (which make up the majority of my life at the moment).

Re: make-up- I feel the best when I don't brush my hair (tip from Bo from many threads ago), I put a bit of powder in my eyebrows (I was lucky to avoid the over-plucking phase so are reasonably bushy), I use a flesh tone I shadow only across the hooded part of my eyelid (which just evens out tone) then I have a really old sheer cheek tint in stick form which I add a tiny amount of (the type that mince you've just done mild exercise and got a bit breathless). I also add a swipe of this to my lips as my natural lip colour is almost grey which is not a good look! I curl eyelashes and if at work add mascara and if going out add a brighter lip (usually red/orange red).

At the moment I am trying to work out how best to sort out my undereye area. I don't want to cake on make-up but defo look better with deep shadows covered.

Been watching Justine Leconte videos on YouTube, perhaps she was mentioned on here in other threads? Much of it is bits you already know (keep hydrated) but always good for reminders (rarely brush hair) and other interesting snippets (French women apparently only share beauty secrets with their closest friends, if at all!) Anyone else watched any of her videos? She does a test for warm/cool tones too which I plan to try today.

Lovely skirt Methen, you've just reminded me I have a similar Laura Ashley one languishing in my to mend pile. It needs new elastic. Mine is faux wraparound/ slightly assymmetric, I suppose it automatically looks less formal. Denim shirt idea from Red sounds good, I know I pair my tweed jacket with denim, or flatter, chunkier boots. But that is very much personal style.

Looking good in the double coat, bo. I have a sleeveless denim jacket that I have layered up either a leather jacket or my tweed jacket with. It's slightly padded and just adds extra warmth and mileage to those jackets. I've not tried it with a coat yet.

I have been wearing my blanket tartan scarf over my down coat crossed over, as it's quite fitted and has a belt, thanks to Elle's inspiration. It held the it in place, which is what I need with dd2! Yesterday, we had a party to go to and I did a mix of matching top and bottom (faux jumpsuit) with shine. Navy Joseph silk shirt (charity shop) and navy Ralph Lauren skinny chins (tkmaxx), with grey suede boots. No photos, sorry, it has been hectic here and I haven't got to grips with my new phone yet.

I think Style New Year Resolutions are just to try to buy things I love (whether new or replacement) which hopefully last long.

chinos not chins!

Just catching up and really enjoying everyone's pics. I love those Toteme jeans but please tell me that pic is photoshopped - her legs look twice as long as her torso

Thanks for all the no-make up make up tips - please keep them coming. I'm coming to the end of the first week and it's not been entirely comfortable. I had always believed (smugly) that I wasn't needy about make up but I've realised it's one thing not to wear it on days when I'm going no further than the supermarket; quite another to go barefaced into work or to a restaurant. So I'm getting my comeuppance!

But it's interesting too. It's making me think about what I want make up to do - what features do I want to highlight or deflect attention from (just like clothes really)? It's also reminded me that wearing the right colours/shades makes a huge difference. I'd got a bit slapdash about that so this weekend I'm dyeing a couple of jumpers which is always a gamble but so far so good.

Flo, I'm thinking she's both leaning back and hinging at her hips a touch. I'll report back if those jeans actually do magically turn you into a long legged no upper body person.

I think at this time of year I'm always most thankful for blush. Don't necessarily wear it the rest of the year but it sort of lifts my complexion without being aunt Sallie. Especially like a cream blush, my favourite is from Aerin (Estée Lauder) but it's since been discontinued, I live in fear for when it's finally finished it's sort of a browny rose colour but just looks healthy leaning into a bronzer but none of the full on look of that. Slick of mascara on just the upper lashes and a bit of lip balm is an easy and quick look for me that just looks healthy rather than 'done'.

found you all again!
Lots to catch up on.
I went into town yesterday looking for jackets and in the end bought a black tux style jacket in Maje in the sale down from £315 to £189. A huge spend for me but I had Christmas money.
The thing that swung it was that they offer a tailoring service, so although the jacket is beautiful and fitted perfectly over the shoulders and arms I wanted it slightly more tailored around the waist which they will do for FREE!

Quirky- outfit sounds very chic, you'll have to get a photo if you wear it again.

Flo- I think no make-up for work is the biggest struggle for me. Think I have only done it once and teenagers are harsh critics, lots of "Are you okay Miss? You look a bit ill?" I wear very little make-up to start with and, by the end of the day, most has worn off, but it just goes to show that even a gentle sweep of X and subtle touch of Y, make-up must obviously go a way to making you look more healthy/well rested etc. Inspired by this, I think I may buy some brown mascara as black is a harsh look on my eyes.

Bo- are there any skincare brands/products you recommend for mid-30s skin? I know by all accounts you are a bit of an expert. Or is that too vague as presumably skin can be very different? Or any brands that are reliable for producing high quality skincare?

Sandra- that sounds like a good investment piece. I bought a tuxedo jacket (as part of a suit) last year as it was a bargain. I've had a lot of wear from the trousers but yet to wear the jacket. It has velvet lapels so need to find a way to wear it for more casual occasions. I have a white linen t-shirt that would work well on top half but not sure what to wear on bottom half?

Eldest popped to barber's for a chop so nippeded into Waitrose and their 'Pure' skincare range was 1/3 off so got some hydrating creams and a face mask (which I have on right now as I laze in the bath with sea salts), thought they were a cheap and cheery way of getting back into skincare until I research some high quality skincare products to invest in -tips from YouTube video said see skincare as an investment- go high end, with natural ingredients/ non-irritatant (is that a real word?) products (e.g. lots of hydration/those aimed at sensitive skin, no perfume). Any skin tips welcome as certainly an area i feel clueless and, as was discussed re: make-up, I imagine it is hard to go to a counter without getting the hard sell. I even wondered about a one off appointment with a dermatologist to get a skin analysis as I'm not even sure if I am buying the right things for my skin. Not sure if you can even do that?

Forgot to add, one other area where I was on the Justine Leconte videos was she said the French aim for 12 fruit/Veg per day! I had heard that English government health campaign was 5 and that Scottish was 3. I thought that i did well on about 7 in the average day, but 12 surprised me.

Methenyouplus4 I am hoping it will be- my first proper buy. I really want to aim for the buy less buy better method of shopping.
As far as veg/fruit goes I think we should aim to make it the mainstay of our diets rather than looking as it portion-wise. Just eat as much as you can really!

Sandra congrats on your purchase definitely sounds like a good investment piece.
I went shopping yesterday, I got a discounted navy blue jumpsuit from Whistles. The material seems nice I know quality can be touch and go with Whistles but this feels substantial fabric. Excuse the socks . I wanted something I could wear day/night a style that hopefully lasts. I wish I had someone with me, as I never had a jumpsuit and I even though I liked it sometimes I want impartial feedback. So welcome any feedback.

I also got this velvet top from reduced to £38 from £60 ish just looked it up and the brand is part of J Crew. First time I have come across it in J Lewis. The top in real life is lighter colour. Anyone any views on this brand and general quality etc?

I tried a few jeans but nothing that grabbed my attention.

red love the look of the jumpsuit- I haven't got the guts to wear one but it looks great one you. I have a J Crew blazer- have had it for years and it always gets compliments .

Methen the parents of someone I knew at university are scientists (sorry for being stupidly vague but I forgot in which discipline, only that it was a relevant one) and they said what we should really be aiming for is at least 10 portions a day. The 5-a-day recommendation came about because government thought it’s simply a more realistic goal that people might strive towards, whereas if they had called for 10 a day, the average person might have thought “no chance in hell, so no point in trying”.

Got to say I sceptical that the French in general aim for 12 a day, but good for them if they do!

Methen, should disclaim I'm not an expert, just an enthusiastic amateur. It's difficult to name a single brand, I'm not a fan of the single brand approach and everything does depend on concerns/skin type and/or sensitivities, but assuming that it's never been a massive priority until now you probably have relatively 'easy' skin and mid 30s you're probably experiencing first signs of ageing; loss of volume, fine lines, slight dull skin. Lack of sleep and stress and unflattering light at this time of year are probably making it more apparent than previously.

I tend to focus on what is scientifically backed and mostly follow the lead of dermatologists which means keeping it simple and avoiding common irritants. I'm not a fan of the 'natural' movement as it's both ineffective and full of common irritants that will compromise your skin over time. I think it's worth investing in a few key ingredients with proven efficacy and ignoring the constant rollout of the next wonder ingredient.

My approach tends to be holistic as skin is the largest organ we have, it's a pretty accurate barometer of what's happening internally so a good varied diet, adequate fluid intake, getting regular quality sleep, exercise, managing stress, avoiding alcohol and cigarettes and other vices, all matter and no skincare routine is going to outperform anything when the rest is lacking.

Most important is sunscreen, a stand-alone one, worn daily year round regardless of weather. It's not about avoiding burning (UVB rays) it's about protecting yourself from UVA rays which causes photo-ageing. Start with finding one you like (SPF30 minimum but SPF50 tends to be easier to find and provides better UVA coverage, you'll want one that has UVA in a circle in Europe or is PA++++ in Japan) which is cosmetically elegant as you're more likely to use it. Wear daily, top up every two hours if out in the sun consecutively. French pharmacy brands are great for this, as are the Japanese. You need to use 1.2ml of sunscreen daily, so a 50ml bottle lasts about 1.5 months.

Cleansers and moisturisers can be done simply, I like the LRP Toleriane range a lot. Easyparapharmacie is cheap (based in France) and I think shipping to the UK is free over 29GBP. Cerave is pretty decent too and available at Boots. Double cleansing is great for some, but not absolutely necessary either, it really depends on what you're wearing, it makes sense with heavy makeup and/or a pretty budge proof water resistent sunscreen.

At a minimum that's all you need, if you want to get into the anti-ageing actives there are only two supported ingredients really, retinoids and to a lesser extent Vitamin C in L-AA acid form. Formulation is key with these, and it's very much a case of you get what you pay for, the budget lines do an ok job but they have individual drawbacks. This is also where the industry gets the most confusing and deceptive whilst sprouting percentages that are creative maths at best.

Exfoliating acids can be helpful but I don't consider them essential and to the uninitiated, they seem to cause more trouble in the long term than actually performative.

If you are in the easy skin category and want something with actual proven performance it's probably worth considering Dermatica, it's an online dermatologist service, you upload some pictures, state your concerns and they custom make you a prescription cream with tretinoin and/or azelaic acid and send it to you monthly. I think it's 20GBP per month but realistically you won't go through a tube a month as you'll need to build up use gradually and not everyone is happy to use tretinoin in the summer months as they don't want to live in fear of the sun, etc.

A one-off appointment with a private dermatologist (London but most of the cosmetic ones appear to be based there) costs around 300GBP upwards.

At home, the French do seem to like soup before the main meal and salad alongside or as their lunch. I can see how they get a variation of veg in and they do like to snack on fruit but I do wonder if their counting method is a bit more litteral. Eg. here (in NL) a clementine or kiwi only counts as half a fruit, and vegetable intake is expressed as weight (250g which is probably still too little) intake rather than piece count which seems more sensible as an approach.

red what brand is it from J Crew? I heard they had a new budget line and supposedly that's a bit crap.

I like the jumpsuit but the real test is how it looks at the back, as it can be unflattering there.

Sandra, love that Maje is offering you the tailoring service even during the sale. Sounds like a very solid investment, they usually do have a very nice cut at the shoulders in their tailoring.

Absolutely to the sunscreen. I use ultrasun 50 year round, even in this miserable weather and have for years. This brand suits my skin very well. People think I'm bonkers, but it's the UVA I'm worried about. It really has made a huge difference to my skin, but especially important as I use retin A

I usually think , type really quickly and think I wrote something that I did not .. the brand is
www.madewell.com

I will try to take a photo from the back tomorrow in the jumpsuit

Red, Madewell is pretty good, it's like the US version of Sezane.

A happy - belated - new year to everybody, great to see the advent calendar inspiration being tried out. I have been wearing my pale blue jeans lots (had to actually unpack them from my summer box). I also wore sage tights with sage suede boots with a structured grey dress.

I haven’t got much stylish update, had a virusy start to Christmas season and then very quiet family time (and tired time - my toddler deemed it acceptable to wake up at 5am for a whole week). I went to London for a day to see an exhibition and nipped to a few shops to browse the sales but nothing caught my eye. I don’t really need anything, the cold weather only started properly last week so my thick jumpers and socks and merino polo necks feel new. Although am already dreaming of spring and lemony palette...

Red that’s a great top, and Madewell is excellent quality. I have a few linen and cotton T-shirts that get worn weekly in the summer for the past three years and they haven’t changed. Great find.

Thank you so much for the skincare advice Bo. I actually already use Ultrasun after being given a sample in a department store when purchasing something else, I wore the 50 in the summer but swapped to the 30 over winter; I bought the 'Family' pump version, but the formula is more creamy and I like it less on my oily skin than the 50 which seemed almost matte.

I would say my skin is certainly on the oily side in my t-zone. I now have quite deep lines on my forehead (under eyes less so), with enlarged pores from years of bad skin/squeezing. I have what i thought were blackheads (but now think are sebaceous filaments?) around my nose and chin.

I have read more about retinol, it certainly sounds like it would help as I still suffer from spots too. It does seem confusing as a market though as apparently (as you said), percentages can be played with and molecular weight/structure is important but does not have to be shared? Are any of the products in the photo a good starting point (or is there one you could recommend)?

Sorry, posted too soon.

I coukd stomach the £300 as a one off for a dermatologist but getting to London would add to that significantly, I think I will try the service you mentioned and feedback on it. Certainly worth a try for £20.

I am trying to be better on the internal aspect, I'm limited with what I can do re: sleep/stress at the moment (and probably for the forseeable) but reduced work hours will help and also allow time to exercise. I've also started carrying my water bottle everywhere as it was a habit I'd fallen out of, but when I don't, I go some days only drinking coffee.

Red- agree with the comment that the key with jumpsuits is the back view, I find that a nipped/gathered high waist (which suits me best) tends to look unflattering from the rear. I think I looked at the velvet top in RL sales but was unsure what to pair it with, what will you wear it with? It's lovely.

Re: Madewell, I looked at their jeans online but almost all of them seem to have rips/frays/faded sections (which I don't really want at the moment). I might see if my local John Lewis carries the brand in-store to try on a few pairs IRL.

Blackheads and SF are pretty much one and the same. I'd get some Paula's Choice 2% BHA perfecting liquid and use topically. The small travel size version lasts a very long time. Build up use gradually, start once or twice a week and build up to using 2-3 a week or more if necessary (but unlikely). Can also be used on oily areas.

I don't recommend anything from the Ordinary, but especially the retinoids. Retinol is very unstable and the dropper bottles mean they're active a month at best. The indeed labs is pretty decent and packaged well and from what I gather well liked. That and the LRP are considered good starter retinoids but do keep in mind retinoids are a very long term game, you can only evaluate after six months and substantial results take longer.

As a brand, Medik8 really specialise in retinoids, the Retinaldehyde version is one of note (Crystal or Krystal) but the small bottle Retinols are good too.

If you go into the fantastic skincare threads there is a buying guide for retinoids linked in the OP. It explains the different types on the market and what to look for in terms of percentages.

A thing to note, OTC retinoids need to convert to become the active ingredient, not everyone is a good convertor (just down to genetics) therefore I always recommend the prescription route for those who want guaranteed and relatively 'quick' results and have generally sturdy skin.

Ah sorry missed the second post. Avoid Sunday Riley, it's all manufactured social media hype.

I think the Dermatica service is a good bet with your skin concerns, a dermatologist in office really only has added value if you have very specific skin conditions. FIY Dermatica provides prescription tretinoin (often referred to as brand name RetinA) which is what all retinoids have to convert to (in far lower doses). I think you do have to indicate somewhere that is what you're interested in.

I'm not sure what the Dermatica service entails here but in the American counterpart you do get Skype consultations.

One of my favourite no-make-up make up products was Benefit’s Lemon Aid. I don’t use any of their other products, but this was a really great colour corrector for eyelids, that took them from grey to skin coloured and in doing so, made me look like I’d had more than 3 hours of sleep. Sadly it’s discontinued, but I saw a thread on here recommending a dupe, so I may give that a whirl.

Skirt looks good methenyou

botemp Love that blue Cos skirt, was the fabric nice? Curious to see what the Toteme jeans are like

Sandra the blazer sounds like a good investment buy. I’m impressed that the offer complimentary tailoring. I wonder if they have that in concession stores too.

Thanks for all the retinol discussions. I’m in the same boat in that I’d like something anti-ageing and don’t have any other big skin problems that make me feel the need to visit a dermatologist. Maybe I’ll give Dermatica a try or is that jumping in at the deep end unnecessarily?

I’m multitasking and attempting to check off Day 4 and Day 6 in a one fell swoop

Day 4 – Turtle in a shirt

Excerpt from botemp

If you’re not a fan of the turtleneck -or the white shirt for that matter- fear not, the concept works just as well with a crew or mock neck (but you’ll want a collarless shirt or tuck the lapels under) and a variety of undershirts and colours.

Day 6 – Jumper Tie

Excerpt from botemp

Treating the jumper almost like an accessory or scarf is an easy in. Tying it across one shoulder and breast feels somewhat novel, and an interesting way to add a dynamic line which feels sculptural to the silhouette allowing you to play with shape, volume, and proportions. If you can carry it off and manage not to look like an 80s yuppie over the shoulder can work just as well.

My attempt

I confess that Day 4 is a bit of a cheat. I hate turtlenecks, disliking the effect that they have on my double chin so I really just did Day 6 and then shamelessly shoe-horned it into Day 4 too. I’m conflicted about the jumper tie one. I like the look and the fact that I feel like I’m wearing a cape, but I am a bit self-conscious about the effect. It feels a little contrived to me, but maybe I just need a little more confidence to pull it off.

toElle they offer it free in some stores, but she said not in London.

Elle, it's mostly wool. I actually ended up finding it on the COS site, but it's not on sale there (hence not finding it before) and not in my size either , it is on sale in black:

www.cosstores.com/en_eur/women/womenswear/skirts/product.short-wool-skirt-with-pockets-blue.0683050002.html

I have to say it's a bit odd fitting on that model, it's definitely more of a mini skirt in RL.

I'd forgotten about day 4, I can definitely do that one of these days. I like day 6 for the graphic quality in the picture but can understand it feels a bit odd at first and possibly one of those that looks more impressive in pictures than RL. I think in the inspiration pic it also looks more 'efortless' because everything is quite loose, even the tie on the jumper isn't taut so it feels a bit more 'easy' and less bow on a present.

Dermatica is only in the UK for now, I'd assume Irish dermatologists would be cheaper than the London ones though. I'm not sure if you need to be a UK citizen or just need a UK address for Dermatica, in that case you could try it with a forwarding service.

Now for catching up with older comments when I was gone:

Catherine, I haven't tried the Isabel Marant x L'Oreal lipsticks but they came up in skincare blogger/editor's yearly favourites and they were very complimentary about the whole range with the exception of the weird powder blur thing. They are matte though, so keep that in mind not everyone likes them (especially those with a bit of age to them) and it means colour shows up a lot more graphically.

Elle, vinegar rinse is the last step, no rinse after. If washing by hand I do a normal water rinse to get most of the detergent off and then follow up with the vinegar rinse.

Underthecarpet, lovely to read your comment. I'm glad we've all been able to contribute in some small way to your style change when you were in need of it

I haven't been contemplating any style goals for the year ahead but have been taking inventory of what were sensible buys and what wasn't. Anything silk has been brilliant, probably helped by the endlessly nice summer. Even though my Lemaire and Joseph jumpers were pricey investments they've really paid off for me. Most of my other jumper are either thinner merinos or mohair and since I feel the cold so intensely these days buying heavy densely knit jumpers have been such a game changer, the biggest gain has been that I'm now forced into my single super warm parka when it's colder, the jumpers have allowed me to wear thinner coats.

Less of a good buy were the Isabel Marant stan smith lookalike trainers, it's not that I don't like them, they just aren't worn a lot where I assumed they'd be a go with everything type shoe that I'd reach for often. In contrast, the leather Vagabond Céline lookalike trainers that were a bargain got a lot of wear because they found a place in my work wardrobe where the IM feel a bit contrived.

So basically, extreme weather clothing has served me well alongside anything Céline inspired...

Although my Levi's 501s qualify as neither but got a lot more wear in than anticipated, which is surprising considering how long I uhmed and ahed over them for forever, they've been great at knocking the formality out of me a lot.

I say this every year that I'd like to do a bit more second-hand shopping but with lack of options locally I fear if I get into it online I'm just going to end up with a few duds and be in this constant cycle of buying and selling which just feels like too much hassle. There are some online sellers that accept returns, I think I'll look into those more. I might also look into more high end second hand, so pretty much spending on something comparable to new but higher end brands (in shop or with returns only). I also have a pile of clothes I probably should get selling, but no promises.

Oh and before I forget, can someone or anyone volunteer to be in charge of Dior exhibit outing? I think dates in May, June, and early July were mentioned but unless someone actually takes inventory and proposes a few definite days I doubt it's ever going to happen.