A Note on Style: Preparing for Spring

Hello LDV readers. It’s Karima from A Note on Style with a new post in my monthly series. Let’s talk about March and preparing for spring.

This month, the divide between winter and spring narrows and my focus is on the new season. It’s on the early side, but I’ll start transitioning my wardrobe from heavy, dark pieces to a look that’s a bit softer and light. I’ll replicate this mood in the home by bringing the outside in with flowers and a fresh scented candle. My beauty routine will get a slight tweak too with the goal of glowing skin. These minor adjustments across the board are simple yet satisfying ways to gradually shift from one season to the next.

Starting with beauty, I’m sharing a few of my favorite products that are helping me achieve my glow goal. These are things I use, love, and continue to buy when I run out. It all starts with good skin which has been a dedicated focus of mine the last year. I’m a big believer in exfoliating and derma rolling. Both have produced changes in my skin that I actually notice. They create a friendly surface for makeup application. I alternate between AMOREPACIFIC and Meder Beauty for exfoliation and use Environ CIT-gold roller.

Environ CIT Roller, Meder Beauty Science, AMOREPACIFIC

If you’ve been following A Note on Style blog or Instagram, you know I’m a huge fan of Westman Atelier foundation, but I still feel I need something specifically formulated for the eye area. Natura Bisse The Cure Sheer Eye is the perfect complement. I am completely obsessed with this product! A hybrid eye cream/concealer that acts as a treatment while providing sheer coverage. It works beautifully around the entire eye area brightening any dark areas and evening out tone, all while providing a soft glow. It’s very sheer, so the finish looks totally natural. Half a pump sufficiently covers both eyes, so a little goes a long way.

I’m always on the hunt for the perfect pink-nude lip color. It’s difficult to pair with skin tone shifting slightly from one season to another, so I like to have a few options on hand. Tom Ford, Nude Envie, and Clé de Peau make beautiful formulations with good color families that work for me. My go-tos are Edita 02, Carine 03, Pure, and Old Rose. I like the staying power of a lipstick over a gloss and these three brands consistently produce a smooth, natural, finish.

This month, I’ll start bringing in a spring mood around the house by using scent to set the stage. Le Labo is known for their range of sophisticated, freshly compounded fragrances so when they recently introduced a new creation for the home, I pounced. Verveinne 32 is beyond lovely. Crisp verbena and lime mellowed with earthy, woodsy notes is how I’d best describe it. I’m hooked and have a purchased a few for hostess gifts.

Another new introduction for the home is from Christopher Spitzmiller’s Leeds collection. Spitzmiller needs no introduction in the design world having created a niche for gorgeous, hand thrown ceramic lamps. The quality is impeccable. The recently unveiled Leeds Sconces are the first ceramic sconces from the designer and the glazes are gorgeous. The “Shellish Gray” finish below sets the stage for an interesting neutral palette for Spitzmiller’s designs and as always, would look equally chic in traditional or contemporary settings. Also available in Ivory and Oslo Blue. Flowers are also one of the quickest transformative fixes for the home. I stumbled upon these sweet arrangements by San Francisco based Loop Flowers scattered across a beautiful table setting here. The single color, fresh-from-the-garden design will be used as inspiration for filling the antique containers I’ve collected over the years with muscari and the blooming hellebores from my yard.

More March inspiration comes from this chic home in Albert Park Australia. Isn’t the entry fabulous? One-of-a-kind design that’s unique but not quirky always draws me in. This fits the bill. The house, designed by B.E. Architects, combined elements from an older, original home within a new contemporary space not only to enlarge the footprint but satisfy the client’s modern aesthetic. It’s a treat to browse.

photo: B.E. Architects

As far as transitioning my wardrobe this month, beyond shifting from a dark to light palette, there’s one item of clothing I’m excited about. Skirts. Midi, knee-length, A-line, pleated, pencil – they all look better than ever to me. I like to wear them casually, in place of jeans, with a sweater, tee or blazer. But their range of styling options goes way beyond that. If you’ve been following the Fall19 collections, skirts are making a big statement well into fall too. Practically the entire Celine collection (which was very good) was composed of skirts and dresses. I’m not waiting until fall though, and am introducing new skirts into my wardrobe now.