spruced by marlene

I had planned this post for early October. I know that so exactly because every year when autumn arrives, I suddenly want to wear burgundy. That was two months ago, but when I came across this picture today I decided to post it anyway. Because I needed a reminder to wear other colours besides black at the moment. Because my favourite buy of the year is in the picture, which is fitting as 2013 comes to an end (can you guess which piece it is? I’ll show you tomorrow…) And because, if you’re a last minute present shopper like me, I wanted to remind you that you still have the chance to order a James Castle bag before Christmas. You can find The Nora in burgundy (above) in his online shop as well a whole lot of other bag styles. Happy shopping!

| Jeans: H&M | „The Nora” tote: James Castle | Brogues: Rupert Sanderson | Nail Polish: Chanel „Accessoire” | Lipstick: Uslu Airlines „SIB” | Cashmere pullover: Cos | Trenchcoat: A.P.C.

When they set up the Christmas market in front of the office building I’m spending a lot of time in at the moment in early November, I laughed. It was sunny, it was a balmy 12 degrees, the idea of drinking Glühwein seemed absurd. Now it’s the middle of December and I, as is traditional by now, have not accomplished anything related to December 24th – not even drinking a glas of Glühwein. I will order every present online. I will bake some alibi cookies in the middle of the night and only because I promised my mom to do so. I will remember that I have no wrapping paper approximately on December 23rd and resolve that next year, next year I will be prepared!

Of course, I might very well not be. Because time always seems to speed up at the end of the year, New Year’s Eve rushing towards me when I’m still somewhere in the middle of June.

Here are a few beauty products that have helped me keep up the fantasy (and appearance) that I’m still in that relaxed summer state of mind, not in the holy-crap-it’s-christmas-pass-the-baileys panic mode.

| „Nuriance Eye and Lip global anti-aging cream” from Nuxe. I love a 2-in-1 product. I love it even more when it’s called „global anti-aging cream”. Superbly does the trick against chapped lips and tired eyes.

| „Fruchtsäurepeeling” from Susanne Kaufmann. A light peeling that brightens dull office skin. My skin is pretty sensitive, especially in the winter, and this isn’t nearly as aggressive as a lot of other peelings are.

| „Body oil for vital energy” from the „Beyond Organic” range from Ila. The scent alone makes me happy. So does the feeling of being wrapped in a blanket when I use this.

So much work, so little time to blog at the moment. Almost every day I think: when I come home tonight, I’ll post something. Then, when I do come home, I sit in front of the screen, feeling uninspired to write anything more. I’m sure that’ll change again. For now I’ll start with something simple: a moodboard of a favorite colour for winter. Which doesn’t mean I wear it a lot. Or that it’s terribly practical. Soft pink attracts dirt the second you step out the door. But that’s exactly why I like it so much. I normally find winter dressing pretty miserable, with nothing but dark jeans and sweaters and boots for three months, oh who am I kidding: six months. Pink lifts my mood. I bought a blush coat from Cos last year and although there aren’t many days I wear it, it works like a little bit of sunshine when I do.

Here are a few pieces I like at the moment, from the top left:

| Coat from Zara Studio
| Skirt from A.L.C. Lenoir It’s a different skirt than in the picture. What can I say? Since I put the collage together the other one has sold out. But I like this one just as much.
| Silk tank top from Protagonist
| Loafer from J Crew
| Two-piece from a fashion spread in Flair

And a few more not seen…
| Velvet cord jeans from MiH
| Merino and silk cropped top from Cos
| Satin dress from Joseph
| Angora knit from Jonathan Saunders
| Rose lip balm from Dior

| I haven’t done one of these in a while. But what better week to bring back „a week in fashion” than the one during which I went to Paris for the big Isabel Marant pour H&M bash. And what a party it was! Melle Mel from Grandmaster Flash and the Sugarhill Gang played. There was a roller disco. There were burgers served with champagne. A cheerful Isabel Marant being surrounded by her fans and puffing ciggies despite the non-smoking signs. A ludicrously beautiful Freida Pinto enjoying herself and Alek Wek dancing away. There was also a liiiiittle bit of pre-shopping. The scenes in the souvenir shop, sorry, the Isabel Marant boutique were not unlike what you’d imagine people would act like on doomsday. Quick! Get that pair of leather pants! We might never be able to shop again! The magic of Isabel is just too powerful for people not to go a bit mad. I might’ve gotten a few more things, because the collection is extremely well-made and has all those classic pieces that you might’ve never gotten (or, like me, often been able to afford) the first time around, but it was too hysterical for me to concentrate on the shopping. I’m really glad I left with the smoking jacket I’m wearing above (and a peacoat for James I’m planning on stealing from him a lot). Isabel Marant pour H&M goes on sale November 14 in select H&M stores and online. And here are a few other things I’ve enjoyed this week…

| Not strictly from this week. But the colour-coded visualisation that the New York Times did of the New York fashion shows is mind-blowingly any time you look at it.

| Praise the Night is a new Tumblr I like. (via Inattendu)

| Anoushka Matus is such a talented illustrator that it’s good news for everybody that she’s now selling her prints online. My current state of mind is „Girl Called Nelly”.

| A book I’d like to look at: „Chloé Attitudes”.

| A book I’m sad to have finished this week, because it was a pure joy to read: „Where’d You Go, Bernadette?”

| I adore the photography of Cass Bird. And I adore her laid-back style, as featured on The Coveteur.

| Dear Made in Heaven designers, will you please stop making beautiful things like this oversized silk shirt so that I might save some money? Cheers.

| The Christmas wish list starts with a necklace from Nallik.

| Thank you style.de for sharing streetstyle inspiration Chiara Totire.

| I can’t get over how great The Pixel Trade is: photographer Shantanu Starick is travelling around the world, trading his photographs for „life’s basic necessities”. Take one look at his pictures and tell me you wouldn’t let him stay in your house for months. Beautiful images, beautiful idea.

Have a great week!

If you’re like me, you can’t always resist the pull of the Zara „trend pieces”. They’re quick to buy, fun, and they never last longer than a season (I’ve got fringed boots, tie-dyed jeans and peasant blouses in my closet to prove it). But going to Zara for a classic? Not so much. Until I found this pullover in their online shop. It has the perfect deep v-neck, which makes it a little sexier and less plain, a great lose fit that stays true even after the first handwash and is made from supersoft cashmere. Looks like the Zara designers looked very closely at a sweater Dries Van Noten did a while ago. They should copy, I mean: take inspiration from classics more often.

For €99,95 a piece I got two of them, one in camel and one in grey, for when I’m not wearing a polo neck this winter. It’s also available in an ink-blue. You can find all of them here.