I’ve been looking for a very gentle facial scrub that I can use to exfoliate once or twice a week, because it makes my skin feel fab. I have very sensitive skin, so I’ve been picky and putting off trying a new product. I eventually pulled the trigger on Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Brightening & Exfoliating Daily Cleanser after it was recommended to me.

One shouldn’t use it daily. I use it a few times a week as a facial scrub. It’s very mild, odourless, more like a lotion than a gel, and does not sting. It doesn’t brighten my skin as it claims to do, but does make it feel squeaky clean and healthy. A little goes a long way, so it lasts. I like it, and am passing on the info in case you’re also looking for a very gentle facial scrub.

Here’s a list of items that were winners on clients and friends. I’ve seen holiday apparel hit retail stores in the US a month earlier this year. Maybe there’s a demand for it. Maybe it’s to prevent holiday shipment delays amid supply chain challenges. Personally, I’ve enjoyed seeing the glitz and sparkle in stores this year. It’s come in handy for clients who are event and occasion shopping. I’ve included a few very easy holiday items below. Be sure to browse the colour and size options. Some items are on sale.

• Maggy London Desert Bloom Floral Long Sleeve A-Line Dress: Very pretty dress with a romantic '70s vibe. Comfortable and swooshy. Fits a range of body types, and works well on those who enjoy V-necks. Good on a curvier and straighter body type. It might be a little low, but not too bad. The waist can be tied with a square knot instead of a bow.
• Nic + Zoe Petal Pop Floral Blouse: A striking blouse that is well-made and drapes like a dream. The smocked sleeves are ideal for scrunching and create a lovely lantern shape.
• Nic + Zoe Kaleidoscope Long Sleeve T-Shirt: The fabric is GORGEOUS, and the welted knot on the hem is fab. In person, the fit is much more fluid, but tempered by the slim sleeves and tapered hem.
• Nic + Zoe Textured Night V-Neck Top: A fabulous blouse for apple-shaped body types. Hangs fluidly but not like an unstructured tent. Pretty sleeves. Best worn untucked.
• Nic + Zoe Fringe Tweed Jacket: GORGEOUS quality jacket. Nicer in person. Very comfortable, soft, and fits a range of body types from curvy to straight. The cuff detailing is stunning and makes more of a statement than what you see here. Fab on those who enjoy collarless jackets. Comes in seafoam and pearl grey. This pink is softer and less bright in real life.
• Halogen Ruched Satin Midi Dress: If you're after a V-necked sheath dress, this one is worth a try, especially with the centre front ruching, which creates textural interest and is forgiving on the midsection.
• Babaton pelli shirt jacket: The best faux leather shacket I've seen. The quality and drape are impeccable. Well made. Might run a size big. Comes in 13 colours.
• Nic + Zoe Shaker Stitch Cotton Blend Crewneck Sweater: For those who enjoy wearing V-necks and purple, this sweater is worth a try. Elegantly casual and very comfy. Comes in pink, navy, and melon.
• Halogen Jacquard Mock Neck Sweater: This dainty little sweater is gorgeous, and the photo does not do it justice. For one, it fits more fluidly in person. It's an easy match with black pants or a skirt for a dressier look. Soft and comfy.
• Vionic Lani Combat Boot: These are very comfy and have excellent arch support. Not for wider feet. Comes in olive suede.
• Karen Kane Twist Hem Long Sleeve Top: This top looks awesome on my curvy clients. Fluidly structured with excellent drape detailing. Elegant and on-trend, very comfy, fab with skirts, pants and jeans. Comes in colours. Launders well too.
• Boden Ribbed Gold Sweater: A ribbed gold sweater with a '70s touch for Team Earth Tones. Glam, covered, and insulated.
• Boden Long Length Teddy Coat: A gorgeous quality fig-coloured teddy coat in a midi length is a unique find. Here it is! Might need to size down. Glam and fun. And like all Boden items, sustainably and ethically produced.
• Boden Cropped Sparkle Sweatshirt: A short and sparkly VERY comfy dressier sweatshirt with on-trend puffed sleeves that is fab to combine with dressy and casual skirts. Works well with high-waisted pants and jeans too. Comes in charcoal.
• LOUBEN Floral Cotton-Blend Sweater: A cotton and modal sweater with a tailored fit that's on sale, very comfy, SOFT, and could look festive for the holidays with black bottoms.
• Boden Ruffle Tulle Midi Skirt: Tulle Skirt Fabness for Team Tall because it's a LOT of skirt. Comes in mustard and a ditsy floral.
• Madewell Bouclé Sweater Vest: A super cute sweater vest in a boxy and cropped cut that works well on a straighter body type. Comes in ink blue.
• Loft Velvet Modern Blazer: I haven't seen this in person yet so I cannot vouch for the quality or fit, but as far as velvet blazers go - it's a very good price in a very rare TEAL, and well worth sharing.
• Loft Riviera Slim Pants in Velvet: I haven't seen these pants in person yet so I cannot vouch for the quality or fit, but since they are a very good price and in a very rare TEAL velvet, they are worth mentioning. My guess is that they work best for a straighter bottom half because they are not the Loft's curvy fit.
• White House Black Market Python-Print Mesh Wrap Dress: Mesh dresses are easy to wear, pack. and launder. This one has a unique tiered skirt and wrap-front silhouette. Works well on a curvier and straighter body type.
• White House Black Market Long Sleeve Mesh Turtleneck: These types of fitted mesh tops are excellent and comfortable to layer under blazers, other types of jackets, and sweater vests. Comes in two more patterns.
• SCOTCH & SODA Floral Pleated Midi Skirt: A super duper pleated skirt that lies flat on the midsection due to cleverly engineered pleats. Click the link to take a closer look.
• Treasure&Bond Longline Jacket: One of the best plaid shackets I've seen this year if you enjoy wearing earth tones. Fully lined, nicely made, very cosy, and fits well over chunky knitwear. Might need to size down. It does NOT have long sleeves, so can work well on petites.
• Treasure&Bond Plaid Double Breasted Blazer Coat: A fab long on-trend blazer that works best on those who can fill out the silhouette. Fabulous fit on a larger bust and wider hip.
• Sam Edelman Water Repellent Cotton Blend Trench Coat: This is a great lightweight trench coat with interesting ventilating side slits. Fab for very mild weather and light rain. The chocolate trim adds a retro and unique '70s vibe.
• Treasure&Bond Mixed Media Long Shacket: An interesting shacket and lightweight puffer jacket hybrid with a strong outdoorsy touch. Runs a size big.
• KUT from the Kloth Quinn Faux Suede Moto Jacket: A very comfy and soft MACHINE WASHABLE navy suede moto with a crisp touch. The hardware is subtle and unique. Looks luxe. Nice quilted shoulder detailing. Might run a size big.
• Free People Outlaw Debossed Leather Belt: Forest Green Western Belt Fabness.
• Linea Paolo Venata Block Heel Bootie: One of the best refined and subtle square-toe boots of the year for low-volume feet. They are back at their NAS price. I got these in white and taupe this year because they are almost identical to a pair I'm wearing into the ground now that are three years old. The white are buttery soft, stable, and dainty. I love the chunky wooden heel. Beautiful sleek snip-toe silhouette. Crisp and very polished. The patent is less soft but still very comfy. Runs NARROW and has a narrow fit on the ankle and lower calf. I sized up half a size in the taupe patent, but took my regular size in the white. The taupe creates fabulous bookending with my new dark blonde hair. Comes in black patent.
• Paul Green Ozzie Pump: These are stable, comfy and on-trend if you can manage the heel height. Works well for wider feet. Gorgeous quality. Statement on the foot.
• Theory Drape Detail Sleeveless Sweater Dress: This was absolutely WOW on my petite client, who didn't need to hem the length shorter. It took my breath away. It's an architectural sheath with genius drape detailing in the front and slightly A-line skirt. Does not cling. Camouflages the midsection. Neckline works on a larger bust. Fab on a curvier figure. Click the link to see the awesome detail. Elegant!
• Boden Corduroy Midi Shirt Dress: A super soft and comfy midi with a bit of stretch. You can leave off the belt if you like. Comes in forest, navy, petite, and tall.
• OPEN EDIT Geo Anchor Chain Collar Necklace: A statement necklace with an interesting link and mixed metal touch.
• Boden Pointelle Detail Sweater: This is WOW on both a curvier and straighter figure. Beautifully tidy exuberant sleeves. Works well on a larger bust. Fabulous on petites and shorter torsos. Great with skirts and higher rises because it's short. Machine washable, and very comfy. Casual yet chic. Comes in other colours.
• Jeffrey Campbell Top Tier Pump: Mary Jane Fabness for those who like this type of retro shoe. It runs small so size up half a size. Best on lower volume feet. Comfy, refined and pretty on the foot. Darling stable heel. Dressy, yet not overly so. The toffee earned a place in my wardrobe. I LOVE how dainty they are. I got them to wear with a new '70s denim dress, and sprayed them with suede protectant. Comes in other neutrals. The description says that the upper is synthetic, but the shoe itself has a leather sticker. They look and feel like real suede, IMO.
• Halogen Ruched Knit Midi Skirt: A knitted tube skirt in an interesting scribble pattern. Clingy yet camouflaging. Longer in person.
• Furla Vittoria Top Handle Dome Crossbody Bag: Orchid Furla Satchel Fabness, but comes in four other colours. Converts to an easy crossbody, is half price, and beautiful quality.
• Lauren Ralph Lauren Double Breasted Wool Blend Reefer Coat: If you like modern classic dressy wool coats that go the distance, the Reefer coat by Ralph Lauren is a good way to go. This one is double-breasted, but it comes in single-breasted versions too. I have it in a tan textured herringbone, and love it. The double-breasted version lies flat and drapes well when worn open. This one is in an iconic black watch tartan.

See the pictures alongside my descriptions on the collection page.

Some of my clients enjoy wearing lots of roomy layers with lots of drape. The visual effect is dramatic, creative, interesting, and a bit avant-garde. The look is very comfortable and hides the contour of the body. Autumn and a milder Winter can be a great time for it, because it’s cool enough for cosy layers, but warm enough to leave off the arctic insulation. 

It’s tricky to explain these outfits, which is why I was excited when I saw some examples. Maybe it’s your look, or you’ll be inspired to create something similar. Personally it’s not mine, but I thoroughly enjoy helping my clients pull it together. Coincidentally, both outfits created a black column of colour, and topped things off with a chartreuse jacket or coat.

Short Topper

Here a pair of relaxed black cropped cargo pants is combined with an oversized charcoal shirted tunic with hectic asymmetrical hem. The volume and shape of the hem of the tunic create a draped effect with layers. Stompy black lug sole boots continue the column of black and add a tough and on-trend touch. A boxy short jacket adds some bright, a horizontal high-contrast line, and accentuates the layers of the outfit. It’s worn open to create a vertical line down the centre front of the body. The eye-catching locks of the model add a theatrical touch. I can see a tote work well as a bag.

Long Topper

Here a pair of cropped black skinny jeans is combined with a simple black pullover. Practical black weatherproof boots with striking white soles continue the column of black, which acts as a simple backdrop for the draped and architectural high-contrast statement coat. Although this version has fewer layers, the complex design of the coat with asymmetrical hem visually creates a layered effect. The black high neckline that peeks through from underneath the neck of the coat makes the coat stand out even more. A satchel would probably be the best bag to carry as it wouldn’t interfere with the lines of the outfit.

As I rebuilt and embellished my formal wear capsule this year, I was on the lookout for sparkly knitwear that is warm, covered, comfy, interesting, pretty, not black, versatile, and does not scratch or itch. I found exactly what I wanted at Boden and paid $64 when it went on sale. My navy version has a pink metallic thread running through it, which is subtle and unique. The metallic sparkle that runs through the black is gold, giving it a gorgeous bronzed effect. The sweater is super soft, comfortable, easy to launder, and very cosy. The sleeves drape like a dream, and aren’t overwhelming. Surprisingly, the exuberant sleeves seem to layer just fine under coats. It’s a form-fitting top with a high neckline so if that’s not your cup of tea, pass on the style. It might run a little small, so consider sizing up.

I’m delighted that the metallic navy top works well with my formal navy tulle skirt and red velvet pants. It also works well with my less formal, but dressy, navy sailor pants, green pants, and burgundy pants. I’ll wear it untucked and a little ruched at the side seams with the skirt, and tucked or semi-tucked into the pants. To create some contrast, I’ll add a pile of cream pearls up top, wear light blue eyewear, cream or gold shoes, and a bag to match. Here are the exact items from my wardrobe. I’m ready for the holidays.