SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR

WHAT IS the best way to end the year? A make up session with your good friend, who also happens to be a world-famous make up artist, of course! What else??????

Mike Orphanides was kind enough to make me up for the New Year, also choosing a fantastic festive lipstick for me. Everyone was impressed with this color and --break into tears!-- I don't have it and I don't even know what it's called! I need to find out.

The session was great fun, and is indeed the best way to end the year. Even better than this is the chance to see a good friend. Friendship is something beautiful -- as beautiful and timeless as good lipstick.

I don't know about you, but 2015 was not a great year for me. I wish 2016 is better for me, and good for everyone!

See you all next year

xxx

Maria

THE QUEEN OF LIPSTICK

In A Little Princess, Sara is the ultimate shopper- she visits countless toy stores to find the perfect doll. Then Sara and Emily, the doll, are inseparable. It is the same with me and something which I love more than dolls, though not as much as I love books: it is the same with me and lipstick!!!

Here are two favorite lipsticks I had to look for, as they were not in stock - the Clinique Spanish Rose and the Cherry Pop! I think Clinique is the queen of lipstick, though I love other brands too. I had to go look for the lipsticks in another town. I came back home with a sense of mission accomplished! 

In the pics I am wearing the Spanish Rose. Red lipsticks suit me best now I have blonde hair. The hair will get blonder with time, and lipstick color may change with it.

Have a good night and be well!

Xxx

Maria

TO SAY THE LEAST

I was SO glad today to see that Jane Norman did not put my coat on sale! Yes! My amazing leopard coat is in the non-sale items. 

I fell in love with the coat the moment I saw it, and bought it as soon as I was able to. Today was the first day of sales and I was glad to view the leopard in the non-sales part of the store.

(Still, I support that the idea of the "sales" is among the most brilliant ideas ever). 

Personally, I love animal prints and fur as long as they are fake. Real fur and skin is the animal's beauty: humans have turned it into a curse. This is terribly wrong, to say the least.

Always go for beauty that is cruelty-free!!!

xxx
Maria

HOW TO WALK LIKE A MODEL AND OTHER BEAUTY ADVICE

The idea came to me as I was watching the Ralph and Russo haute couture show with my Aunt (note: watching it on TV, we were not invited at the live show). When Tamara Russo appeared at the end, my aunt noted that she walked like models do, crossing her legs. This was an a-ha moment for me, as I have been trying to improve my posture for a while. "Yes! There must be a way"! I thought.

I was always unhappy with the way I walked and stood; I found it unflattering. This did not impact my confidence, of course - very few things do 😋 However, I was not satisfied.

I found advice on body posture in a book called Front Roe by Louise Roe, which did help- I have since stopped slouching and keep my body erect. This is not only good for appearance, but restful as well! Slouching tires the body.

The next step was to improve my walk. Inspired by my aunt's words, I went to my friend WikiHow. This is where I go for everything, from making eye cream to boiling an egg. As usual, WikiHow did not disappoint!!! It has all the great advice for walking like a model, advice which I now strictly follow!

More about the experience in a later post!

Xxx

Maria

❤💋💄

FAMED FOR HER BEAUTY

HERE I am reading the Memoirs of Madame De La Tour Du Pin, a French aristocrat who escaped the guillotine! I really like Lucie's voice and enjoy her writing -- references to beauty and fashion are particularly interesting!

Madame De La Tour Du Pin, famed for her beauty, escaped during the Terror, and went to the US with her husband and children. They kept a farmstead there, earning their living from selling produce like butter and cheese. With her excellent taste, Lucie packaged the butter and made it famous.

What makes me sad is to see an energetic and gifted woman like her blindly obey the commands of the husband, and often regretting it. Still, the will of the husband was law. Among other mistaken decisions, he took the family to return to France in order to get his castle and title back. Apparently, Napoleon gave him back one of his properties, but they ended their days in poverty -- while in the US they (or rather Lucie) had set up a successful business!

Other than that, the memoirs make an enjoyable and authentic read. Lucie's voice is easy on the reader, though she is sometimes a bit too confident in her own and her husband's superiority to other people of their circle. I totally recommend!

xxx

Maria

SOOOO YUMMY!

Who would have thought that I would be presenting cookery on my blog, as it is well known that I can cook nothing! Accidentally, I started making what turned out to be a traditional Cypriot recipe - pasta boiled in milk, called trin (τριν). The old Cypriot housewives used a sliced pasta form resembling tagliatelle, and put sugar in the milk as well. I put salt myself. It's soooo yummy!

At night, it was burger and potato wedges at a coffee restaurant!

I am sorry to say that I can't find the slightest pleasure in cooking, I basically prefer to eat the food! On the other hand, I am excellent at house-cleaning.

The old Cypriot housewives had a great deal of wisdom which involved not only cooking and food making, but also weaving, sewing, embroidery, herb medicine and plant therapies, even forms of witch-craft. They were amazingly creative, in ways we do not dream of.

Yet I am never one to romanticize the past! There were never "the good old times". The old Cypriot housewives may have cooked the most amazing food and produced the most amazing embroidery, but they were completely subservient to men and lived a life of seclusion and oppression. Each era has its own pros and cons. We just have to try and enjoy what we have!

Bye for now, with a good start to the week! xxx

AN AURA OF ROMANCE AND MYSTERY

Had a lovely time this evening at the Christmas lights and Christmas handicrafts market here in Larnaca! I guess I am your complete Victorianist, as it was the Victorians that elevated craft to an art form!

The arts & crafts movement started in the 19th century, with William Morris and the group of inspired and eccentric artists called the Pre-Raphaelites. Morris was a Pre-Raphaelite himself.

For years, the Pre-Raphaelites were seen as a group of brothers, but now it is a well accepted fact that there were women in the circle, so that we are able to speak about a Pre-Raphaelite sisterhood as well. The Pre-Raphaelite sisterhood includes Jane Morris, Lizzie Siddall, Christina Rossetti, and Emma Sandys -- all women covered by an aura of romance and mystery!

Arts and crafts are beautiful and unique, whatever century they come from. Have a good evening and be well! xxx

THE NEXT BEST THING

Yes, there is such a lovely thing called a journal letter - a letter written over a long time like a diary, and sent to a close friend, partner or family member. My beloved poet John Keats ❤excelled at the journal letter, sending long accounts of his life & thoughts to his brother George and George's wife Georgiana. The couple had emigrated to the US.

One of my most treasured books at home is the Keats Selected letters and poems! I guess it's the next best thing to having the complete letters collection!

The letters of John Keats are considered among the best ever written, and justifiably so. Even after nearly two centuries they are vibrant and alive! Reading them you get the sense of Keats's complicated mind working behind every paragraph and every thought.

In the letters, Keats elaborated his theories on poetry, imagination & identity. But there is a lot of personal material too- affection and concern for his siblings and friends, and the passionate love he felt for his fiancée Fanny Browne.

How would the journal letter fare in the age of social media? I think the form of communication has changed (less words, emoji, hush tags and so forth). What has not changed is the emotion and the imagination that accompany it.

And I think this is something Keats himself would have agreed on!

P.S. Keats died at 25, leaving no children, but his brother and sister-in-law had 10. I read somewhere that descendants still exist in Louisville, Kentucky 😀

IN THE JANE EYRE SENSE

I OWE my style changes to two factors entirely: my tattoos on the legs and World Fashion TV! I mean style changes not in the sense of a makeover, but in the Jane Eyre sense, where change means a new attitude. 

Tattoos on the legs made me want to wear skirts, something I had completely avoided, because skirts reminded me of the horrid school uniform (I don't disapprove of the uniform, but our school uniform was so horrid you could not help but simply dislike it). 

World Fashion TV has been teaching me principles of style. I watch fashion TV all day and the lessons are invaluable. Because I have no money to spend on clothes, I cannot be as spectacular as I would like. Still, I do the best I can.

In Jane Eyre, Jane always takes care of her appearance. Though poor, she has some quality fashion pieces which she uses to good effect. When she changes to become more assertive and confident, it is an internal change. Makeover novels or films are not to my taste, coz they invariably involve the girl having to take off her glasses, lose weight and wear make up. I refuse to take off my glasses, my weight is always more or less the same and I wear no make up except on special occasions.

If you want to make over this is perfectly fine! Yet this does not necessarily mean to take off your glasses, obey someone's style commands or start looking like someone else and not yourself. The best change is the one which is adapted to one's character and likings!

Have a good Saturday night and be well xxx
P.S. Here I am wearing my favorite coat -- pink coat, 10 years old, from Top Shop :-)

A FRONT PAGE WITH LIPSTICK

I think it's just about time for a Lipstick Papers Book Review, and here it is! The book I am holding in the two pics is Cyclogeography by Jon Day. This is a very pretty edition, but I have to say I am not excited with the book.

Day is now a university lecturer. Before doing his PhD he worked as a bicycle courier in London. This is his memoir. I had heard him on interview and reading parts of the memoir, which made me decide to buy.

The truth is, there are many interesting parts in the book, especially the descriptions of London and London streets. But it is often too heavy and pessimistic, and can get boring with long musings on philosophy.

The book in this pic is the newly released Your Beauty Mark, by Dita Von Teese. I love Dita Von Teese, and I suppose I could not ask for more than a front page with a lipstick!!! Looking forward to reading.

Have a good mid-week afternoon xxx

E.T. PHONE HOME

So much has been said about chocolate, it's difficult to write anything new. For me, the first literary impressions of chocolate came from Disney adventure comics and real life stories of explorers in distant regions of the earth. For both Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge, as well as the real life explorers, having plenty of chocolate bars could mean the difference between life and death!

Similarly, E.T., the eponymous favorite alien, survives on Earth because he can eat M&Ms. (At least this is what happens in my beloved book version of the story. I don't remember if they kept this in the film). Chocolate is highly nutritious and gives life-preserving energy in extreme circumstances.

Being a chocoholic and a lover of Ferrero Rocher I was ecstatic to see the super-size chocolate at supermarkets. Yum! Just looking at it makes you happy.

Here I am at home with another favorite - the Marks and Spencer chocolate with marshmallow. The glamor of London and high tea at your table!

Have a good and beautiful weekend xxx

FAMOUS FEMINIST HOLLYWOOD MEN

What do you do, when you see the most beautiful tiger print blouse at Mango? Of course, you buy it to wear at your violence against women speech. What do you do when you come across a nice piece of carrot cake after the speech? Of course, you eat it!!!

I made a public speech on violence against women last night and then gave a little reward to myself, with my favorite croissant sandwich at Costa Coffee, and carrot cake which I shared with a good friend.

In my speech I talked about violence in classic novels and violent women too. I said that men can be victims and stressed how important it is that men also have started to talk about gender, have joined the fight, and that famous actors like Harrison Ford can now comfortably say, "I am a feminist"!

Have a good night, and be well! Xxx

HAPPILY BRAINWASHED (AND HOW TO WRITE A MEMOIR)

How do you give a touch of class to casual clothing? Easy! You add a nice accessory such as a lace or knit scarf!

My trick is to imagine that I am wearing my clothes on the runway, or that a model wears them for me. Works miracles!

I have started to take more notice of what I wear, not because my budget increased (it didn't - minimal as always) but because of the influence of World Fashion TV. I watch the fashion channel all day and I have been happily brainwashed. One day I'll write a memoir about it.

The first fashion shows were staged in Paris by the English designer Charles Frederick Worth. Worth is considered the father of haute couture.

A famous fashion atelier was opened in the late 19th c by the fashion designer Lucille. More about Lucille in a later post.

Have a good start to the week! Xxx

THANKS!

In today's post I just want to say many thanks for reading this blog! A big hello and a big hug from Cyprus! :-)

BLONDE SENSATION

I flash my ID card at the post office assistant - a packet is waiting for me from Amazon! I am still a brunette on the ID card, it was all before I turned into a blonde sensation. I must get a new ID card, with the blonde me in the pic (note: the destination is not this strawberry tone, it is the ash blonde).

The book waiting for me is Garance Dore's Love x Style x Life. I had pre-ordered and had been counting the days!

I was not disappointed, because this is a lovely book, full of advice on style and fashion, and beautiful illustrations!

The cover is also amazing - pink, fresh and cool!

It was the perfect start to the day! ❤️

Bye for now, be well xxx

BREAKFAST FOR HEROES IN HOMER'S ILIAD

The ancient Greeks have fun with breakfast in Homer's Iliad, starting the day with wine, honey, dry wheat and milk!

Breakfasting plainly the other day, I was green with jealousy when I saw the fried egg and herbs bagel at Yahoo Food! Alas - gourmet cooking escapes me, and, as you know, I can hardly boil an egg.

Still, eggs are among my favorites, in any form. Eggs are miraculous for the hair and for many other things. We used to give boiled egg to Lady (my darling collie who died a few years ago) for a shiny coat!

Despite Homeric feasts, breakfasts in literature are memorable, yet often unpleasant! Who can forget the horrid breakfast poor Pip has with the nauseating Uncle Pumblechook in Great Expectations? Or the bread and water tossed at Jane as she leaves for Lowood in Jane Eyre? Such breakfasts are a metaphor for lack of love and home.

Have a good day, with beauty always with you😃

NEVER GIVE UP ON A GOOD THING

How do you know that clothing is of the best quality??? Answer: when you wash it 100 times in the wrong way, but still looks wonderful. (Warning: I don't suggest that you try this 😝

I washed this beautiful off-white cardigan from River Island at 40 degrees for nearly 10 (yes, 10) years feeling sure that this was the right temperature. I had read this on the label. Right?

Well, actually wrong! One day, I happened to look at the label. It said -shock, horror!!!- it said HANDWASH.

I was so shocked and repentant! You know how much I love everything I own. But I was not surprised that my cardigan had survived mistreatment. River Island clothes last forever.

Lessons learned: 1) read labels often. You may misremember the instructions. 2) Moderately priced clothes =fantastic quality!

I am also wearing a lovely faux bijoux ring priced €8 from I am! Don't get me wrong. When I am a millionaire (right now I am the opposite) of course I will occasionally shop from DSquared 2 and Louis Vuitton. But give up my chain stores and fast fashion favorites? Never! 😃

Have a great night xxx

LOOKING FOR THE SUMMER (THE GIRL WITH THE RED BIKINI)

I AM sure winter is great for literature and film -- think Frozen, the Snow Queen, the Long Winter in the Little House on the Prairie, and the Winter's Tale! The examples are endless.

Still, I hate winter. The long nights, the grey clouds, the rain -- none of these things agrees with me. I am summer-born and I love the summer more than anything!

Here is my take of Brigitte Bardot in a red bikini. The original is much more beautiful of course, but I very much enjoyed drawing this! Love the hibiscus too -- a flower that fares better under stress, especially if it is choking. I know nothing of gardening, but I heard this on Gardener's Question Time on BBC Radio 4. So it must be true.

Have a good start to the week, with beauty always with you!

GIRL STUFF

There is nothing like a girls' teenage guide that explains to girls that they should love their bodies, enjoy flirting and stand up for their rights! This is The Lipstick Papers book review, and tonight we have The Rough Guide to Girl Stuff by Kaz Cooke!

The book is part of the Rough Guides, a series which features some good titles and some not so good. This is because each book takes a strong viewpoint, which determines the whole content and tone of the book. If you agree, the book seems fine; if you disagree, it will be useless. For example, the Rough Guide to the search for aliens is, for me, useless - because the standpoint of the book is that there are no aliens and the search is futile.

Anyway, there are many great things about our book tonight, i.e. Girl Stuff. Sound advise on eating, sexual health and friendships, tolerance, explanations of where to go to if you have problems. It tells girls that feminism is great!

The one thing I don't like about this book is the illustrations. Yikes!!! They are really ugly. But if you are a teen, or want to give a guide book to a teen, this down to earth, practical and no nonsense book is for you!

Have a good night and be well heart emoticon