Goodnight.

I've got the lady from Baltimore stuck on my mind.

I meant to put on 'Magdalina's Dance' from the same album but couldn't find it.

Feeding my eyes

Not my photo; I just bought this shirt in a charity shop.

A guilty pleasure; found amongst pictures of the Beatles' years in Hamburg, featuring photographer Astrid Kirchherr.

Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Mademoiselle, je vous aime

Simone de Beauvoir has been in a good amount of my thoughts lately: I am currently reading Les Mandarins (another book I recommend!). Also, a week ago, I came across Les amants du Flore on television during a sleepless night while visiting my parents. I'll say it right away, I don't approve of the actor playing Sartre, but I can't take Anna Mouglalis as Mlle de Beauvoir out of my mind, whether it be in her actions and ideas, 1930's and 40's clothing or spending time in cafés, working, thinking. Her portrayal left me with a great impression. So here's to Simone de Beauvoir, Les amants du Flore and also, to throw in esthetics, her signature turban that I've been sporting for a few months before knowing this fact. It is now a key reference.

A small something inspired by Les amants du Flore's images.

Also, Simone de Beauvoir on Daily Routines.
Photos: 1.

Book report

Graham Greene's The Third Man: a detective fiction which made me discover an after-war Vienna I didn't know a thing about.

George Orwell's A Clergyman's Daughter: Orwell has an efficiency in his way of describing human nature; I find his lack of fioritures as beautiful as some others' poetic works, as if bareness and fullness met in one point. His writing is truthful, that is the best way I can decribe it even if it may sound uneasy.

Photos: Penguin.

Some favourites

I happen to really like cosmetics and the ritual that surrounds them although I don't use that many. I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you.

1. Dr. Hauschka's Normalizing Day Oil.

What can be an inconvenient with Dr Hauschka cosmetics is that they work better together, meaning you're stuck using only their products. For once, my lack of fussiness over cosmetics saved me: as I don't use anything on my face (not even soap) but the Oil and occasionally a little makeup, it works perfectly.

2. Lemons.

The magic beauty product. Rinsing your hair with the juice of half a lemon makes it shiny, soft and dandruff-free. Also, it has a good taste if you happen to swallow some.

3. Benefit's Dr. Feelgood.

It makes your skin feel soft and look flawless.

4. Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap.

The multi-purpose soap. It works wonders with your skin, as well as with wool, silk and delicate underwear.

5. NARS Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella.

It is a non-drying, matte lip pencil. I like it better than lipstick as it stays longer and it doesn't look messy. The colour is a beautiful, flattering red which can produce from a subtle hint of colour to a glamourous Golden Age Hollywood mouth.

En passant...

My picture was taken for Clin d'oeil magazine's streetstyle blog in June. I was quite surprised, and a bit shy: I lived right around the corner (at the time) and was only out for a chocolate bar! I must admit this is a bit uncharacteristic of what I usually like to wear...

A new point of view.

After reading about these photos on Victoire yesterday, I couldn't take them out of my mind. It's that seeing colour photographs from an era (1939-1943) where it was an uncommon practice that are showing daily life subjects gives me a complete new image of what life was like at the time. Colour brings out textures and facial expressions in a real, almost crude way; what black and white photos forgive, colour enhances. All photos were taken by the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information. You can find the whole series here.

Dream furniture

Illustration by Russell Patterson.
"Where there's smoke, there's fire."

As I was having a look on Craigslist at furniture I don't need, I stumbled upon these gorgeous and incredibly cheap (compared to my previous researches) 1920's vanity and dresser that are kept at literally one streetcorner from my apartment. Anyone interested before I do something crazy?

(This image would make a great tattoo, don't you think?)

Important futilities

It looks like I have touched a futile, but sensible issue many of us have in common with my last post. Thank you for all your comments, it's great to read other people's opinion on the matter!

Also, I am waiting for pictures of my new apartment to get developped, I'm quite excited to show them to you as I am particularly proud of my new flat.

Photos: 1, 2?, 3?, 4?.