Giveaway Winner, Displaced Nation Interview and Timeless Chic

I hope you are all having a great week! I've recorded a special bonus video this week with a simple message... dream big! If you are unable to see the above embedded video, click here, look in the sidebar of this blog or visit my channel: www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur

Giveaway Winner

And now for the winner of the Benedetta eye cream giveaway. Thank you to everyone who entered. We had a large turnout and I wish we could give each one of you an eye cream, but alas, there can only be one winner. The winner was picked at random by a number generator... And the winner is:

Cristina R whose comment read:

My eyes. They are brown and big. I like to think that they are expressive (so an eye cream would be so helpful...)

I'm a google reader follower since... almost the beginning of your blog, I think. I never miss one of your entries.

Congratulations Cristina! Please email me your shipping details and I will forward your information to Benedetta.

As the blog grows, I am scheduling even more giveaways to thank you readers so there will be many more opportunities in the future.

Displaced Nation Interview

This week I have been featured on The Displaced Nation in a comprehensive interview where I give my thoughts on fashion, tea time and being married to an Englishman! To see the interview, click here.


Timeless Chic

I am pleased to share with you this week a special guest post written by Marie-Anne Lecoeur. Marie-Anne is the author of the eBook, How to be Chic and Elegant. She is a French woman who now lives in England and is kind enough to share her advice on what she believes constitutes timeless chic, here on The Daily Connoisseur. Here is what she had to say:




TIMELESS TIPS FOR A TIMELESS LOOK by Marie-Anne Lecoeur

Who does not aspire to be well put together every day? In our hectic lives, we rush around all day, whether with our children, commuting to/from work, grocery shopping, housework and all the other numerous daily tasks.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could have foolproof ways to put outfits together speedily to ensure that we always look fabulous, no matter what our schedule? French women have a reputation of always looking well put together. Our secret is that we follow easy rules that govern our daily decisions of what to wear and how to wear it. Two of these tips are Keep it Simple and Less is More. Please read on for easy advice that will transform your looks.

Keep It Simple and Less Is More

Clothes
Go for simple styles of clothing, whether coats, dresses, sweaters or tops. Simple lines and cuts are easy to wear and suit everybody and every shape. Flounces, frills and fussy designs are always more difficult to wear than a simply cut outfit. Simples shapes are easier to coordinate with other items from your wardrobe. Classic designs are timeless like short jackets, trench coats, pencil skirts and shift dresses. Keep these in your wardrobe and you will always look chic.

Colours
The less colours you wear together the more chic and elegant you will look. The trick here is to choose one main item to wear, then to add to it with either matching or opposite colours. Try to stick to no more than three colours altogether, including accessories. This makes the look harmonious and easy on the eye. Base your wardrobe on basic colours, namely navy, black, camel, red and cream/white as you can easily add other colours to these. The monochrome look of black/white is timeless and oh so chic. You can also try other winning two-colour combinations such as navy/red, camel/navy, black/red but also pink/grey, purple/green and pink/blue. Add white or cream to any two-colour combinations to create more looks. This makes your clothes work harder for you, as they coordinate with many other items. If wearing one patterned item, keep the rest of your clothes and accessories plain, so that they do not clash. Pick one or two colours from the pattern for your shoes and other accessories to finish the look.

Hair
For day looks, the simpler the hairstyle the better. Either leave you hair loose and natural, but neatly coiffed, or put it up in a neat bun or ponytail. Try not to overdo it with hair straighteners/curlers or other elaborate hairstyles, as it will eat into your time. Keep it simple but neat.

Nails
In our busy lifestyle, our nails go through tough times, whether at work or at home. We find it difficult enough to maintain our nails clean and neat, without adding rhinestones or other fussy decoration. A simple French manicure or clear varnish will suffice for the day look. Keeping the length of your nails fairly short will not interfere with your work, whatever it is.

Makeup
By keeping colours and the look as natural as you can, you are more likely to be noticed for your own beauty, rather than your makeup. The less foundation and makeup we have on our faces, the more our skin can breathe. The look that seems to suit every woman is the timeless no-makeup look, achieved with clever use of makeup.

Accessories
Our beloved Coco Chanel preferred to keep her look simple and even ventured that we should remove one accessory or piece of jewelry before stepping out. This ensures that we do not look overdone. If you wear too many pieces at once, not any one piece is making an impact as there is too much to look at. For maximum effect, choose one of your favorite bold pieces and wear with confidence.

I thank you for reading my article and would love to hear from you, whether for advice or comments.

Marie-Anne Lecoeur

Author of the best-selling How to Be Chic and Elegant available on Amazon.com
www.howtobechicandelegant.com

Thank you Marie-Anne for your insights! See you all next week... Jennifer x

Jennifer's book, Lessons from Madame Chic: The Top 20 Things I Learned While Living in Paris, is now available in Paperback, Kindle and Nook.

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