Link Love: Natural Beauty Products in 2017

As more people are using natural and organic personal care products, the companies selling them “are becoming more aggressive about courting them”, reports The New York Times.

Natural Beauty brand Gaffer & Child aims to make environmentally friendly beauty products with “farm-to-face” ingredients.

These are the five natural beauty products that have improved the most in the past decade, according to EcoSalon.

These 11 products are trending on Pinterest.

Skin, hair and make-up experts reveal their 25 approved green products.

Fab Links from Our Members

The Cat thought this post from Sally might be encouraging “as we are living in an age where people are becoming more and more body-conscious and many refer to their body’s features as ‘flaws’.”

Lisa reports that Ines de la Fressange has a new book out that includes some interesting outfit options such as going to divorce court or looking after grandkids.

Angie points us to Sally’s post in which she fights her own feelings about body-shaming. A quick and interesting read

La Pedestrienne wanted to share this interesting piece on Etsy, its investors, and the changing digital sales landscape.

Scarlet continues to be influenced by this podcast discussing the concept of ‘the average’. It certainly makes one think about standardized sizing and ‘average body type’.

Zoiechic enjoyed listening to this podcast in which Elizabeth Pape, founder of the women’s clothing company Elizabeth Suzann, talks about starting and running her company.

Ledonna N. just came across this video featuring Angie: ” I’ve never heard Angie’s voice so I was curious. It turns out it was nothing like I thought but her energy and vivacious spirit easily translate.”

Aquamarine thinks the acquisition of Kate Spade by Coach should be interesting.

Vanessa’s posts about a new style system she is exploring, Fantastical Beauty, led La Belle Demimondaine down a very fun rabbit hole of style archetypes and shapes that are based on mythological creatures and women.

Laundering Underwear with Care

I purchase pricey and pretty underwear that’s lacy and delicate. The exact items are represented in the collection, and I have multiples of each item. I’ve amassed a reasonable quantity so that I can “share the wear”, which helps them last longer. I’ve also found that taking extra care with the laundering of bras and knickers can extend their longevity a lot. Lacy bras, especially, look pristine for longer. But most importantly, washing bras and knickers with care keeps their fit consistent. No shrinkage, stretching, protruding underwires, or misshapen bra cups. 

I pop my bras and knickers into a mesh bag to protect them in the washer. Darks with darks, and lights with lights. They’re washed with a mild detergent and softener on a short and gentle cycle with cold or warm water. They’re hung out to air dry, and NEVER go into the tumble dryer. The fastest way to adjust the fit of your undies is to tumble dry them. Cotton and cotton rich knickers, in particular, have an annoying habit of shrinking in the dryer. And the colours fade faster too. 

I wear a camisole almost every day, and have three styles that I rotate during the week, with multiples of each style across white, black, navy and charcoal. The exact camisoles are represented in the collection. I pop them into the same mesh bag with the bras and knickers, and launder them in the same way except that I do pop them into the tumble dryer. For some reason, my camisoles wear like iron, and do not shrink or stretch at all. They are also less delicate, which helps. 

It’s more time-consuming to launder this way, but I do feel that it’s worth it. If I’m going to purchase pricey undies that have to last longer than a year, best I look after them. So far, I’m reaping the reward since my underwear tends to look good for several seasons. 

Over to you: How does your underwear wash and care regime differ from mine?

Weekly Roundup: Casual Dresses

Dresses are difficult items to add to our wardrobes for all sorts of reasons, especially when you’re after a casual frock to wear in hot weather that isn’t too clingy, short and skimpy. But if you’re patient, you’ll build a good dress collection over time. 

Some of the dresses below have been winners on clients. Others have received good reviews, or simply caught my eye. Some options are available in petite and plus sizes, or different colour options. 

Visit the collection page to see the items alongside my descriptions.

Boden
Clemmie Shirt Dress
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Top Pick
8
J.Crew
Lace-up shirtdress
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Top Pick
5
Boden
Nathalie Dress
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Top Pick
4
Boden
Evelyn Dress
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Top Pick
3
Boden
Phoebe Jersey Dress
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Top Pick
5
Kit & Ace
Wave Dress
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Top Pick
4
Boden
Talia Dress
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Top Pick
2
Boden
Romilly Dress
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Top Pick
4
Gap
Softspun knit tie dress
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Top Pick
6

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

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Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

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Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

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Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

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Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Preppy Stripe with Soft Edge

A new outfit from Ashley of Fancy Stuff and Pretty Things, whom we introduced to YLF in September 2014.

Sporting a dress over cropped jeans is a fun way to wear your favourite dresses when it’s too chilly to go bare-legged — or when dresses are a tad short. For this Soft Edge Casual look, Ashley paired an above-the-knee shirtdress with cuffed straight-legged jeans. The tonal, low-contrast blue stripe against the dark wash denim creates a long, lean line. The slightly longer hem in the back adds a playful touch. Ashley juxtaposes the preppy stripe with edgy black open-backed pumps. The back tie, slanted block heel and on trend square round toe make for eye-catching peds. Her structured black tote complements the footwear perfectly. A gold pendant and cuff bracelet, bright red lipstick, and our blogger’s polished bob are the simple yet effective finishing touches.

Ashley - 2

Ashley - 1

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A More Comfortable Yoga Outfit

I love yoga, but I do not enjoy wearing yoga clothes. I change into them at the very last minute, and change out of them as soon as I get home after class. I don’t like the way workout wear looks, or how it feels. Tight spandex from top to toe is my worst. I have no explanation for the intolerance really, but it means that I procrastinate terribly when the time comes to replenish items in my yoga capsule.

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon Zella’s Stellar High Waist Crop Leggings in mint. I liked the fabric more than the regular stuff you get at Lululemon and Athleta. It’s very soft and silky, and feels like you’re wearing a cotton-silk blend instead of polyester spandex. The gauzy insets are fun, the high waist sufficiently secure for yoga poses, the ruching unique, and the colour is pretty (darker in person). They run big so size down. They handle beautifully in the washer and dryer, and are available in an assortment of colours. 

I tried on Zella’s Adventure Hooded Pullover in black to wear with the yoga leggings. It also feels quite silky, and most importantly – isn’t skintight. The roomier fit allows me to wear a black cotton camisole underneath, which is great because I like the feeling of that fabric against my skin. The mesh insets are ventilating and so is the fit of the top. It works well for a “Yin”, “Hatha” or “Slow Flow” yoga class. I wouldn’t recommend it for a fast “Vinyasa” class because the hood flaps about too much. It runs big so size down, and is available in an assortment of colours.

I won’t go so far as to say that I feel fabulous in this yoga outfit, but it’s better than my other yoga gear. It feels less synthetic, less tight, and I can wear a cotton camisole under the top. It’s a step in the right direction.

The collection below shows the same items in some alternative colours. There are lots of pastels in workout wear this year, which I think is a nice change, especially if you wear pastels with black and grey.