A pretty, pastel-y, luxury accessories post for you today, because spring is finally here and I’m on the hunt for a bit of a treat-to-self! Though it actually seems more like summer, in London – I have suntan lotion on and everything. There’s nothing like a mini heatwave to raise the spirits, and there’s also nothing like a mini heatwave to suddenly put you in the mood to update your wardrobe. It’s usually around about this time of year that I have a bit of an update – a few key pieces to add some splashes of colour to my (mainly black, grey and neutral) sartorial palette. (I tend to live in denim and knitwear in the cold months, moving towards brights and patterns as the weather gets warmer. Probably like 90% of women!)

This year, however, things are a little different: there’s not much point in me investing in lots of summer clothes, because I have a humungous baby bump which will have (mainly) (hopefully) diminished in a few months’ time. I’m basically a shape-shifter. For this reason, I have become slightly obsessed with spring accessories – namely bags and shoes. The ultimate obsession? Mulberry’s Bayswater bag in a very seasonal and sunny Camomile yellow. Just gorgeous, though it would be rather a big “treat to self”! (Find it online here.)

But the whole bag-and-shoe preoccupation started when I discovered the new luxury shopping site, Very Exclusive. Right up my street – brilliantly edited pieces from brands that are really high-end, but not as jaw-droppingly expensive (on the whole) as the ones at, say, Net-a-Porter or Matches. I love this nude Karl Lagerfeld “K” bag:

which is half-classic, half-sport-luxe (£285 here), and this little beige number from DKNY:

Though I’m afraid I’d have to remove that metal logo hanging tag thing on the side immediately! It’s a nice price, for such a chic little bag – £120. (Find it here.)

Next obsessive-window-shopping-stop: LK Bennett. I still haven’t found a brand that makes shoes as comfortable as LK Bennett’s; whenever I need to invest in a new pair, they are my first port of call. And this season, they have too many beautiful things to fit on this page! Highlights include these lurex flats (perfect for tired, pregnant legs):

(they are called the Winnie Rope Sandal and cost £125 here); and these very special flower-embellished Fiore court shoes:

The Fiore style is so comfortable and the heel height just about convenient enough to wear all day. I love the addition of the flowers – it turns a classic court shoe into something a bit more interesting, but they’re not so OTT that you’d have to save them for going out. Totally appropriate for work or play, I’d say, and definitely the pair to snap up for summer weddings and parties, though at £395 they are very much a special purchase! You can find them here online. My LK Bennett bag pick? The Pearl Nappa Organiser Tote:

Just yes, yes, yes a million times. I absolutely adore it. Very “First Lady meets Lulu Guinness” with a touch of “Bree from Desperate Housewives”. It’s £395 here.

On a completely unglamorous note, I’m about to hit the “buy” button on a pair of Birkenstocks. I have never succumbed to the Birky Temptation before now, but I have to say that practicality is beginning to be more important than looks what with my current heavier state and my assistant Rach promises me that these are the comfiest thing in the world. They had better be, because to my mind they are just one step away from wearing Crocs, and I simply cannot for one minute get my head around the whole Croc thing. Just..no. I’m going for these white “Arizona” Birkenstocks…

…unless anyone has a better suggestion. They are £49.50 at ASOS.com. (There’s another pair of the same sandals, just ten pounds dearer. If anyone can shed a light on the difference between them, I’d be most grateful, otherwise I’m opting for the cheaper ones!)

Right, I’m going back into the sun for some much-needed Vitamin D. Take a look at my Burberry post if you’re after a classic pair of sunglasses, and if you’re in need of an SPF recommendation then you can find all of my suncare posts here.

The post My Spring Accessory Lust List appeared first on A Model Recommends.

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Another “dastardly duo” video with Caroline Hirons; this time it’s my morning skincare routine. (You can see Caroline’s one here.) I must explain in advance that when I went to film the first set of videos with Caroline, we weren’t quite sure exactly what we were going to film and so I didn’t have some of the products from my routine to hand. A few things to note, then:

1) The cleanser that I show (OSKIA’s Renaissance cleanser) is one that I use quite a lot, but when it comes to morning cleansing I am far more likely to be grabbing one of the fresh and light gel-type cleansers that I featured here. The OSKIA one tends to come out more in the evenings when I’m lying in the bath! Though it is perfect for morning, too, as it’s not too creamy and it leaves your skin feeling very bright and renewed.

2) Since I filmed this video, my Olay Luminous cream has run out and I need to dive into Boots and get some more. I’ve been using Institut Esthederm’s Aqua Diffusion Care in it’s place, which is an entirely different kettle of fish, but very nice indeed. It’s not really for luminosity, like the Olay, but it’s very hydrating and I’ve been enjoying the feel of it on my skin. It’s incredibly rich, but somehow not at all heavy. Great if you want a moisturiser with a real kick to it, that feels nourishing and plumping, but you don’t want to go the whole hog with one of those buttery, oily creams. You can find out more about the Aqua Diffusion Care cream here.

3) Another very little addition to my routine, since filming: Argan Oil. Just a couple of drops, before moisturiser, if I feel as though I want an extra little boost. I’m more likely to use it at night, but if I’m working inside all day at the computer and feel like having a little skin treat, I crack out the Argan. You can read more about the one I’ve been using here – it’s from Neal’s Yard Remedies.

4) Something else that I didn’t have with me that I often use in the morning: a cleansing water. Only really if I’m in a lot of a hurry, but I do find them very useful. Most recently I’ve been using the REN Rosa Centifolia cleansing water (here), but I’m also partial to a bit of the good old Bioderma. I’ve been using that stuff for a very, very long time – you can find it here. It’s just a brilliant quick cleanser that’s really gentle and good for if you’re in a rush.

OK, that’s it with the public announcements – everything else is very simple, as you’ll see. Cleanse, bit of a spritz with something, serum and then moisturiser and/or SPF. I’ll be writing more about the Zelens SPF this week as I’ve done a Q&A with Dr Marko Lens, Guru of all things Sun and Skin. Enjoy – the product links are below the video screen. If you can’t see the video, please open it in a new window by clicking here.

Products:

The exfoliating pads we talk about are from First Aid Beauty here:http://tidd.ly/6fa205ff

Oskia Cleanser: http://goo.gl/cXiO51
OR
See this post for more ideas:http://www.amodelrecommends.com/2014/…

Bioderma: http://tidd.ly/c339491b

This Works In Transit Spray-On Moisture: http://tidd.ly/a923a365

Zelens Eye Cream: http://goo.gl/o5Mkww

Superfacialist Serum: http://tidd.ly/76721297

Olay Regenerist Luminous: http://tidd.ly/41c05e27

Zelens SPF30 Sunscreen: http://goo.gl/LxqcmO

You can see more videos with Caroline Hirons here

There are more skincare reviews here

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I thought I’d just slip in a quick favourites video before I start on the Christmas Gift Guides; this month I’ve focused on skincare because my skin has been so up and down! Flaky red patches, a few mammoth spots that could only be described accurately as boils and a weird oiliness on my nose that has been more of a “waxy sheen” than the usual mild grease. So, a whole plethora of skin complaints to test my products on and I’ve been keeping a keen eye out for the results. In the video you can see my roundup of the products that impressed – and a couple that didn’t. It wasn’t that I had any particular gripes with the ones that failed to impress, they just didn’t blow my socks off.

Special mention must go to the Copaiba & Zinc Perfect Balance Blemish Serum from Pai Skincare: lots of you have asked me to try it out and report back and I can confirm that it’s a good one. Very gentle, but surprisingly effective, it really helps to balance blemish-prone skin without any kind of aggressiveness whatsoever. It actually feels more like applying a soothing lotion for very sensitive skin; there’s no tea-tree tingle or astringent face-tightening and skin is left slightly matte with no stickiness or weird residue. Obviously the intention is that you follow the serum with some kind of hydrator, but it’s actually comfortable enough to wear without, which is a lovely indication of just how gentle the Copaiba & Zinc serum is. It won’t be the first option for teens, at £42, but for those who can afford to invest a little it’s a great solution for angsty, angry skin that needs to be treated with kid gloves. Find it online here.

More products for blemish-prone skin…

Take a look at the Skincare Favourites video to see what else I’ve been impressed with, including an antioxidant serum and a very quick and to-the-point spot-reducer. You can find links to all of the products below the video pane – you’ll notice that I’ve reverted to the traditional video post format as the “new fangled” way that I tested out was a big old failure for those reading via email.

MV Organic Skincare Rose Moisturiser: (if you’re thinking of getting this then maybe wait until Weds, there’s a big Cult Beauty goody bag offer on.) http://goo.gl/RToFHo

Pai Anti-Blemish Serum: http://tidd.ly/612a3f7d

Effaclar AI Targeted Blemish Treatment: http://tidd.ly/cc52c88c

Aroma Actives Cleanser: Sainsbury

REN Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Balm: http://tidd.ly/482d1ac

REN Flash Facial: http://tidd.ly/c006156e

Caudlalie Polyphenol C15 Range: http://tidd.ly/d3a2254c

I did my hair waves with the Mark Hill Wicked Waver: http://tidd.ly/8c04fa1b

Makeup: By Terry Densiliss Foundation in shade 7, Clarins face palette (2012!), Sunday Riley shadow in Godiva, Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara.

Shirt is from Topshop: http://tidd.ly/5af5ba55

The post November Skincare Favourites appeared first on A Model Recommends.

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I’m just doing a spot of admin again, trying to iron out the very last of the email subscription problems. (I know that the photo shows Mr Bear seemingly undertaking the admin work: I can assure you he’s not. Though he might do a better job than me, come to think of it – maybe I should hand over the reins! I’d have to get him a bigger keyboard…)  The good news is that literally thousands of people who previously weren’t receiving my emails are now happily reading the Daily Fix as they eat their breakfast/sit on the train/pretend that they’re doing work at their desks. Welcome to the morning madness, those who are new to the Daily Fix fold!

The bad news is that some people, a very small minority, didn’t receive the new email when it sent for the first time yesterday. Now I think – think – that this has something to do with they way that certain email servers deal with this particular type of newsletter. After a bit of tweaking, it should now be fine; if you were previously getting the old emails then you will hopefully see the new one too. Don’t worry, this is the last time you’ll get it in duplicate, I’m shutting down the old system later on today. (Eeek.)

If you have tried to subscribe but received no email back from the system, then that too should now be fixed – you can try again by clicking here or using the form that’s in the website sidebar. Apologies once more; I’ve been meaning to fix this for ages but it was a bit of a mammoth task!

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