ALL IN ONE

Housekeeping books have always existed, but it was the Victorians which made them wildly popular. Housekeeping is a special skill and an art.

Though I am far from perfect, I am a manic housekeeper. Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook is my Bible, my Iliad and my Odyssey all in one! I also love Clare Coulson's House Rules, and The House Book published a few years ago by Marks and Spencer. There is housekeeping advice in many beauty manuals, including Camilla Morton's How to Walk in High Heels and Tania Kindersley and Sarah Vine's Backwards and in High Heels.

For the Victorians, the house-keeping bible was Mrs Beeton's Book of Housekeeping. Mrs Beeton's book is still in print, and you can get it from Oxford World's Classics.

Isabella Beeton was a famous journalist in the 19th century. She was married to a magazine editor, and sadly died young at child-birth.

My favorite beauty writer from the Victorian era is Mary Haweis, who also wrote on fashion and decoration. More about her and about housekeeping in a later post!

THAT SPECIAL FLAVOR

ONE of my favorite parts of the furniture is my dressing-table with the lovely jewelry box on top! The jewelry box is made of pink wood (while the dressing table is white) and contains two narrow drawers. 

Inside the drawers are mementos in the form of cosmetics, accessories and faux bijoux. Most of my favorite lipsticks are there, as well as lovely lip-balms from Marks and Spencer. (The rest of the lipsticks are in a Princess mug from Wittards. You can see it in the picture behind the snow ball). 

Here is one black plastic ring wrought in the shape of rose and lace; here is a tiny jewelry box from Claire's accessories containing my toe-rings. I bought the Claire's accessories box from London thirteen years ago. 

And here is the favorite part of the collection -- a twenty-year old lipstick from Estee Lauder, called Sugar Rose, which they don't make anymore. Or at least I think they don't!

There are little things in life alongside those we consider great, important or big. This is no less wisdom than it is the truth. The little things are the spice of life -- they give it that piquant, special flavor!

I think I should go to Beauty Line and ask about the Estee Lauder Sugar Rose lipstick. Maybe it's back on the market, why not?

HANDBAG CHIC (MY BRAND NEW LIPSTICK)

I bought my latest lipstick on Holy Saturday, and I was the store's last client before Easter! Amazing coincidence: I was their last client on New Year's Eve too!

The new lipstick is another Jumbo lipstick pencil, the NYX 724 lovely pink fuchsia shade I told you before. I bought it again to have it in my handbag, because it is very easy to apply, and thus perfect for the handbag.

For this summer, I bought two handbags which look expensive (but AREN'T) and I will go around looking handbag chic!

Handbag chic only on the outside, though -- on the inside, my handbags exist in handbag chaos!  I often organize, but then chaos comes back. On the other hand, my handbag is also a survival kit. If I am ever on a desert island, my handbag will sustain me for a long time. When they come to rescue me, I am going to look perfect: eyebrows plucked, lip hair removed, nails shaped and, of course, I am also going to be...

... wearing my brand new lipstick!!!!!!!!!!

GREAT FOR FEMALE BEAUTY

A FANTASY book series which is great for female beauty is Memory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams!

This is because Tad treats his beautiful women with the respect they deserve. Beauty and fashion mean attraction and power!

Princess Miriamele is pretty and blonde but she is not objectified. The Lady Vorzheva is sexy and a coquette but also faithful and strong. Her love for her husband Prince Josua is impressive and a central theme of the book. The Sitha Princess Aditu is sexy and with a body like a statue -- she is also clever and a deadly warrior.

Moreover, the girls make great fashion choices. Miriamele wears blue and dreamy turquoise to go with her golden hair. Vorzheva has inky black hair and wears crimson red or canary yellow. She is comfortable in her boudoir with her lip-paint and pots of cream, but she can live also in the tough conditions of war. Aditu wears little, but it is always well-chosen.

The great news is that the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy is getting a sequel! A new trilogy to be called The Last King of Osten Ard!

DREAM ON

I stay up to date with fashion in three ways. 1) I watch the World Fashion Channel all day. 2) I read books, sites, articles and pages on fashion. And, 3) I keep a fashion journal!

Yes, a good, old, fashion journal, in paper and ink. I know that I am in this, um, old-fashioned. As The New York Times has put it recently, fashion now happens on Instagram and blogs. I don't say that this is a bad thing. Personally, I read fashion blogs religiously and follow all the Facebook pages on fashion I can find.

Writing suits my style better -- I bought the Moleskin fashion journal notebook and I write, cross out, draw, do frills with pink ink!

I think that this is the point with fashion, to do the things you like. I don't agree that fashion is constricting. I don't have a perfect body, I have little money and I will never be able to afford high fashion. But I select my clothes well, I take care of them and wear them for decades! As my dear Karl Lagerfeld has said, "style has nothing to do with money"!

So I watch the fashion shows, keep my journal, read the fashion pages and I dream on!

ALMOST MAGICAL

THE MOST memorable portrayal of an actress in Victorian literature is probably Sybil Vane from Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Grey.

Sybil is Dorian's ill-fated fiancee, and she is as beautiful as he is. Sybil is a classic Greek beauty, with plaited dark hair, violet eyes and lips that are "like the petals of a rose". Sybil is graceful, passionate and noble and is often compared to a flower.

Dorian's and Sybil's engagement ends tragically (I won't say how so as not to spoil the book if you haven't read it).

What is important is that Wilde presents the tough life of the Victorian actress with sympathy. Actors, actresses and other artists often have a tough life, and this was even more so in the Victorian era.

Though the Victorians loved the theater, they disapproved of acting, and especially women actresses. Girls who took to the stage faced prejudice as well as poverty.

However, there were famous actresses in the Victorian era -- Ellen Terry, Maud Adams, Minnie Ashley and many others. Karl Marx's youngest daughter, Eleanor, was an actress, and so was John Stuart Mill's step-daughter Helen Taylor. Which only proves that Marx and Mill were truly open-minded: many fathers kicked out their daughters if they took to the stage.

Oscar Wilde is sympathetic towards and even awed by Sybil Vane. Her beauty is almost magical. Sybil is absolutely good. To his credit, Dorian does not care if Sybil is a poor actress while he is a rich aristocrat. Their engagement ends badly for other reasons.

I will write more on actresses in literature in future posts. Meanwhile, have a good and beautiful weekend!

IN PERFECT COMBINATION

I JUST couldn't resist posting this, it's so lovely! 

It's useful too, and shows make-up and art in perfect combination! Because make-up is an art!

If you are interested in the history of make-up I totally recommend Branded Beauty by Mark Tungate and Compacts and Cosmetics by Madeleine Marsh. Also, Cinzia Felliccetti's Assolutamente Glam! However, this book doesn't exist in English translation, only in Greek (and in its original Italian, of course).

In Cyprus now we have some books on how to make your own make-up in your kitchen. Personally, I could make an amazing hands exfoliating cream with a spoonful of salt and some lavender oil!

Make-up was popularized by actresses and Hollywood. New post on actresses in literature coming before the weekend!

LIPSTICK MONDAYS

Monday is not such a favorite day -- the only thing we can do is begin it with style! 

By style of course I don't mean expensive; I mean any outfit that suits our personality and makes us feel good. As Karl Lagerfeld has famously said, "style has nothing to do with money". To prove it, Karl designed a collection for H & M with 30 pounds the highest price for an item.

So a good cup of coffee, a nice outfit, pen and paper, and off we go!

MAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO

THIS painting is one of my favorites. It shows a woman quickly mending her own dress, presumably before going to a visit or even a ball. I love the colors, the figure, the feel of the satin, the artsy realism!

But I also love the painting for another reason, and this is that it shows that women are active in fashion. Women are not passive when it comes to fashion and beauty. There are women designers, artists, and founders of make up business!

Even in the past, when the obstacles were many, women could not be held back. They would write and illustrate books, design clothes and textiles, do embroidery, have their own corset-making business and even their own fashion house!

The common argument goes that fashion and make up restrain women because they give them only specified colors, products and techniques each season. I disagree with this.

The colors and techniques may be specific, but the possibilities are endless. We can use as much or as little make up as we like, and work on our face as we see fit. As for clothes, even a small new accessory can make last year's outfit look bright and fresh!

I know I am obsessed with lipstick and beauty techniques. My home looks like a doll's house-cum-beauty salon, and I adore Barbie! I really think that beauty is an important part of life and can make life good. The ancient Greeks had no doubt about this. They even had a Goddess for beauty and sex!

Enjoy the beauty Nature has given you; multiply it by living beautifully and in the best way that you can!

And have a good weekend! 

:-)