Friday, July 7, 2017

Sprinkling fairy dust over your life…






Our house is a maze of brown cardboard boxes at the moment, with our big move so imminent, so I am letting my mind drift to prettier places.  One where you can find everything you need and life is tranquil.  Much like this photo I took at the Langham actually.

Back in 2010 when I started my blog, I chose the pink background colour which I still love today.  It was a pink that wasn’t too babyish, but a blush pink with a touch of sophistication and a tiny bit of a hard edge.  Maybe there is a dash of black in it?  Anyway, I love this pink so much that I found out the official Hex code of it: #ffd3cc.  I imagined losing that pink colour and never being able to find it again, so having the code makes me feel safe :)  If you copy and paste that hashtag and six digits into Google ‘my’ pink will come up.  Not only is it on my blog, but it is also the background colour on my laptop.

Then, when my husband and I started staycationing at the Langham Hotel in Auckland once or twice a year, I saw that their trademark pink touches were almost the same shade.  I love that they pair theirs with gold, which is particularly French to me as I have seen photos of beauty therapy boutiques and perfumiers decorated in pink and gold.

I have also heard that the Ritz Paris has the walls in their rooms painted in a soft blush pink because it throws a flattering light onto your skin.  I don’t know if they still do that but I’ve always remembered the detail because it sounds so lovely.  Sheets in a delicate blush pink would be delightful too, and excellent for love and romance Feng Shui in the bedroom.

Having pink on the mind led me to intentionally cultivating more pink touches in my life, because it has such an uplifting and beautifying effect on me.  Even if you are a self-proclaimed ‘not a pink person’, surely the sight of a bouquet of pink roses can’t fail to have an instinctive effect on your happiness?

To bring more pink into my life, in a man-friendly way, I brainstormed how I would love to do that.

May I share with you some petite ways to enjoy a feminine touch of pink without demasculinising your home so much that your husband feels like he is living in Barbara Cartland’s boudoir:

  • Pale pink bar soap in the shower
  • Soft bath towels and face flannels (inspired by Aurora’s comment on my post two weeks ago The Essence of a Luxurious Life on a Budget)
  • A luxurious pink bathrobe
  • Divinely soft pink scuff slippers
  • New pyjamas or a nightdress in a becoming shade of pink
  • Lingerie in pale or blush pink
  • Pens - I use pens picked up at the Langham Hotel, pink with a gold print on, the ink is a normal colour though!
  • Pink writing paper and stationery
  • Pretty satin coathangers
  • Pretty and feminine journals to write in
  • A rose or other flower in a bud vase
  • Having a floral cup and saucer or ultra-feminine mug to drink your tea from

I bought a pair of new-looking floral Kew Garden cups from the opshop for $2 each a few weeks ago.  A whizz through the dishwasher and they are ‘new to us’.  I thought it would just be me using them because they are festooned with pretty flowers in soft colours, but my husband often chooses them when making us a tea.  I think guys can appreciate feminine touches – mine often says how he loves all the small details I bring to our home, such as lighting candles every night etc.

Even music can have a colour – when I play spa music softly in my bedroom at night while I am washing my face and having quiet time before bed, it has a soothing pink quality.  I know that sounds strange, but I think you know what I mean.

Imagine how nice feminine loungewear would in soft shades of rose too – the kind of clothes you change into for the evening – they aren’t quite public clothes but not pyjamas either.  Currently my loungewear is clingy black leggings and either a grey marle slouchy fine knit top or a black and white striped sweatshirt.  It appeals to replace items as needed in softer more feminine colours.

If ‘pink’ turns you off, consider seashell, blush, rose, peony, fuchsia, cerise, lavender, lilac, petal, mauve or any other nuance of an accent colour that you could intentionally add more of into your life as your feminine touchstone.  Choose a soft colour that makes your heart happy and, when you need something, why not choose that colour if it is available?

It doesn’t even need to be in the pink/purple range.  Another colour I adore and think is delightfully feminine is pale seaglass blue/green; this would be another beautiful shade to use as your feminine accent colour.  The light coloured packaging of Estee Lauder products is the exact shade.  I have saved a small sample box flattened out as inspiration.

Take a look at brands you are drawn to and see what their colours are.  Borrow them if they make you feel happy.  Companies spend a lot of money with colour specialists coming up with their brand’s look and feel, and a big part of that is colour.

I read that Estee Lauder herself originally chose a soft blue/green shade for her jars and gold lids, because she thought that combination would be pretty in most womens bathrooms.

How do you feel about pink, or perhaps you might have a different feminine accent colour that you love?  I’d also be grateful if you could share your ideas on other ways to introduce small feminine touches into your life.

Wishing you a delightfully rosy weekend!

Fiona

29 comments:

  1. I'm a pink girl at heart :) My neighbor just brought me a bouquet of huge pink peonies from her garden and they are on our dining room table, looking so pink and exuberant.

    I've generally got a pink pedicure, and a lot of my gardening supplies are pink, which makes me smile.

    This fall I'm going to plant pink peonies, pink rosebushes and pink hydrangeas along my garden fence, which is a white picket fence - is anything lovelier?

    Additionally, I wear a shimmery pink eyeshadow on my lids from Bobbi Brown.

    Also an incredibly soft pink bathrobe!

    I do love your list, Fiona, and will incorporate some of them. We're going to have to repaint our living room soon and I'm now thinking a pale blush shade would go well with our dark brown leather "log cabin" furniture.

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    1. Of course, pink on fingers and toes! And I think your pink garden against a white picket fence sounds divine, Amy :)

      I can imagine a very pale blush looking beautiful in your living room, and not too girly either. There used to be a paint range here in the eighties which were wall colours in different whites. I remember Rose White and Apple White. I had Rose White in my room, so it was a normal white wall, but with a tint of rose pink. Apple White had a tint of green.

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  2. I have always loved the shade of pink on your blog :) I just purchased pink peonies today at the grocery store and they look so pretty. I seem to have gravitated toward a very pale aqua/gold/cream theme in my bedroom and I love the combination because it is so feminine.

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    1. Pale aqua/gold/cream sounds so dreamy, Stephanie, and tres chic!

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  3. How to Be Chic Pink is the color of my home office. It's bright and cheerful during the sunny months, and cozy and warm during the months of endless Seattle rain the rest of the year. :)

    Amities,
    Marsi

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    1. How fabulous, Marsi! On behalf of How to be Chic Pink, I am truly honoured :)

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  4. One color I'm always drawn to is a smokey gray-purple. I'm a neutral lover so it always adds a splash of color while still looking muted and sophisticated. My favorite eyeshadow is this color and I also have a few accessories in this shade as well.

    I love the pink of your blog too. It's so feminine and chic and one of the things that first attracted me to your blog.

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    1. I know that colour, it's gorgeous Anna! I love that it's your secret signature shade.

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  5. Until last year, when we re-decorated our bedroom and I added touches of pink, I have never bothered overmuch with pink, but I have always loved pink flowers, especially peonies and roses.
    However, over the past ten years - and first for the magazine In The Pink, which was the annual magazine of a breast cancer charity - I have researched and written several times on the history of pink as a colour (and yes, it has a history!) and now I really love the colour, provided I don't have to wear it as it simply doesn't suit me, apart from say in a scarf as an accessory. And yes, pink soap looks lovely on the basin, and shell pink towels and in our bedroom, we have lovely rose prints by Redoute, and floral curtains in various shades of cerise and pink on a creamy white ground. I'm now totally sold on pink in interior dƩcor!
    Margaret P
    www.margaretpowling.com

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    1. I've seen photos of your bedroom (does that sound creepy???) and it is beautiful, Margaret! You have pink touches, and at the same time the decor is fresh, sophisticated and peaceful.

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  6. Oh, color is such a source of delight! On the feminine side pale aqua/seaglass with warm brushed gold is hitting the spot for me these days; it has weightless summery quality found in morning skies or the ocean just after sunset. It harmonizes well with whole ranges of soft oranges, pinks, and greens, too.

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    1. Even reading your descriptions of these colours has given me pleasure, Kayla! Colour truly is a marvel :)

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  7. Hi Fiona, I am not a pink person as far as sartorial choices but I love to see a gentle pink on everything else, especially pink flowers - peonies are my favorites. Your blog is a beautiful shade of pink, it's perfect. And I know what you mean when you say music has colors. The song, "Alone in Kyoto" by the French group Air comes to mind.

    D.

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    1. I love the way you say 'sartorial choices', D :)

      I love Air's music. What colour would you say that song is? When I think of Air in general, I think a warm silver. Sometimes it's not a colour though. Listening to Alone in Kyoto just now it brings about a feeling of serenity and peacefulness, maybe light blue in tone :)

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    2. I picture cherry blossom pink when I hear that song. But now that you mention it, I see a warm silver too :) It takes me back to that scene in Lost in Translation where the bride and groom are dressed in formal kimono. The groom gently offers his hand to his bride. The whole scene/cinematography is exquisitely beautiful. Serenity and peacefulness ... yes.

      D.

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  8. Hi Fiona, I have been known as the "pink" girl for many years, so much so that I have received pink (and animal print) gifts. It seemed like a no brainer... However, something odd (well, at least to pinkaholic me...) happened in recent times... I started falling in love with this "mermaidy" turquoise, aquamarine and sea foam/ bluish with the slightest green colour (I am not a fan of green for now) and teal.Yea! It's like I am suddenly having a love affair with all the sea blue colours... Obviously, I had to inform others who are still gifting me that I am now a aquamarine~holic or liking anything bluish... This is who I am now. (I was met with a quizzical look... who can blame them! Lol... someone even commented that I am not stable.... LOL) I think as I evolve, my tastes change too.
    For my home, I have kept to mostly a resort feminine relaxing palette of blue and white...
    Thank you, Fiona for sharing your lovely feminine pink post... ❤️

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    1. I love that you have created a description for your favourite tones - mermaidy and sea blue colours - it makes it easier to decide 'is this my colour or is it slightly off?'

      And 'resort feminine relaxing palette' of blue and white sounds so soothing - lovely!

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  9. I generally gravitate toward neutrals, both in home furnishings and in clothes, but I've recently been adding red into my wardrobe. Since I am petite, I avoid pink, thinking it would just be too twee on me. Red, however, feels powerful as well as womanly. Although I don't like to overdo the feminine touches, I'm tending to wear more v-necks lately, more lace, and skirts. I especially love tulip skirts; the flounce at the bottom of what is basically a straight skirt really can make one look curvier than one is. I tend to choose fitted clothing in general, rather than unconstructed pieces. I like the way fitted clothing can make one look shapelier than one is with a few well-placed darts and seams.

    Also, for the feminine touch, I always dab on perfume and apply lipstick -- even if I am home alone.

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  10. Have been adding pink - and the new "blush" (a light pink) to my wardrobe and adore bright pin on my pedicure and a light pink on my fingers. Pink anywhere, as you pointed out, makes you feel feminine and happy. Oh, just realized I am wearing my pink robe as I write this...after using pink bath salts! Thank you for writing this post in the midst of your move. I needed it - still packing, boxes everywhere, and the house in a muddle. I came down the stairs into our living room and thought "what happened to all my books and treasures on the book cases ? Oh, yes, I packed them all up this morning." That was why I needed a long soak! May your move be easy and may you be "in the pink" in your new home soon!

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  11. Hi Fiona, I have a set of tools, pliers, hammer screwdrivers etc in 'your' pink and black (I would send you a photograph if I had the remotest clue how do do that) They are so delightful and a real treat to use which can only be due to the colour as they are just household tools after all. They came in a pink and grey zip bag. I found them so unexpectedly in a very grubby general spares store in northern South Africa.

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  12. I have one pink scarf which I purchased at Kmart a few years back. It is my pink treasure.
    I love the softness of the material, and when it is fully open it looks as the vast pink field full of butterflies.
    It as a part of my wardrobe for spring and warms my soul by just looking at it during winter.
    Lovely post.
    Regards
    T.

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  13. Lovely post Fiona...
    I have always loved that soft feminine colour of pink. My husband and I are presently doing a bathroom in our new home and after much deliberation I finally decided on a very chic combination of white (for the fixtures and shower wall tiles), black (the flooring is black and white) and two shades of soft pink (lighter shade on the walls, darker on the ceiling which is 9 feet). All the trim will be white. Looking for a small feminine chandelier style light fixture and it will be a sort of paradise for me. Cheers.

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  14. All of this talk about pink (and the comment!) is reminding me of the "Think Pink" song in the Funny Face film with Audrey Hepburn and Kay Thompson, who coincidentally authored the Eloise books, which are also filled with pink! :D

    My husband and I both adore pink; it's such a warm, joyous and soothing color. When I was little, my dad surprised the family when he decided to paint our bedrooms a light ballerina pink and the result was delightfully good. I think men actually like pink just as much as us women! They can look very handsome in the right shade of pink as well.

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  15. My winter bathrobe is pastel pink terrycloth and my summer bathrobe is pastel pink satin. I know you don't drink, but a rose' wine is so pretty in the glass! You could serve a chilled pretty pink lemonade! I also love a nude-pink makeup look. Rose-colored sun glasses would be pretty! This makes me want to feminine-up some of my things! Like I have a brown wallet, why not get a pink one and be more girly?

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  16. Barbara Cartland’s boudoir - ha ha ha! I belly laughed over that because I read every single one of her books and often grinned at her over-the-top pictures on the back of them. But she lived her live fully and helped so many people! She was truly the epitome of feminine! I love amazing shades of pink, one that is closer to a lavenderiah pink - #e7c3be - close to yours. I do need to add more touches to all the packed boxes sitting around here (smile)! I still have the bathroom and our bedroom to sprinkle fairy dust over!!

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  17. Pink has always been one of my favorite colors, if not my very favorite! My dad was picking out a new car for our family ( in the 1950's) and asked my sister and me if we liked the pink or blue one ( oldsmobile ). Of course I said pink. My sister won out w/blue. Guess Daddy just couldn't see riding around in a pink car. Gosh it was beautiful though! :) Those soft pastel colors were so pretty on the cars at that time. I adore pink roses. And the shade of your blog color!! Can't wait to see your new house after you get all done w/it. I know you will love it. Kay

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  18. I, too, deeply appreciated the humor of the reference to Barbara Cartland novels. I think I spent my pre-teen years reading every one of her books, lol. I chose a teal for my home a couple of years ago, and it's in every room in some shade or form. Stronger and lighter variations of it are spread nearly everywhere but it's not overwhelming and I find it mixes in a lovely way with many other shades like gray or cream or red (kitchen) or green, etc. The funny thing is I didn't realize that it was actually the sea I was mirroring in my landlocked country home until I rose early one morning and saw the morning light coming through the window onto the bleached gray flooring we'd just installed and saw myself back at our favorite beachside view...Instinctively I'd chosen colors that reflected my happy place. I just didn't consciously realize it until that morning. And yes, my blog too often has that same shade somewhere in the background!

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  19. one of my favorite feminine touches is wearing pearl earrings - which I do almost every day. I also have a string of pearls, that were my mother's, and a pearl bracelet that I wear when I want to look dressier. My husband gave me black pearl and diamond earrings for Christmas several years ago, and I love wearing them to weddings, etc. I'm definitely a pearl girl and I think they're beaitiful and feminine no matter what else I'm wearing thanks for your post, Fiona.

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  20. Still giggling about Barbara Cartland- she definitely overdid pink!

    Along with my new towels and facecloths, I have just acquired a length of coral-pink silk which will become pillowslips for my room. I prefer a silk pillowcase and most of them are very expensive and not pink.

    For clothing, I have several pink tops in both summer and winter weights. I've been buying more pink these days.

    My room growing up was a lovely rose tinted white paint. If I get a new place, I'm going to find a similar shade (can't paint the apartment I'm currently in.) My furniture tastes are mostly in shades of gray, silver, and white, with touches of pink and other gentle pastels. I have ivory sheets because the old white ones tended to look too stark. I looked for pink ones, but couldn't find them in my price point- at least not cotton ones, and I refuse to sleep on blends because they always feel clammy.

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Merci for your comment. Wishing you a chic day!

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