THE STYLISH STUFF: TEMPTATION

11th January 2018

Let’s face it, it’s January and you’ve probably committed to spending every free, waking hour at the gym, only eating raw vegetables or resolutely resisting the allure of chocolate and alcohol. It’s a miserable month. So, in a bid to make things a little lighter, The Stylish Stuff brings you a bevy of lacey beauties, from lingerie to little slips of something to slither over a roll neck or a t-shirt. We hero one of our favourite lingerie brands, Shell Belle Couture – makers of exquisite pieces in silk and lace, plus explore other ways to wear lace as outerwear. Worn with chunky knits, a slickly tailored suit or even good old, reliable denim. It’s the instant ‘boho-iser’. Romantic. Feminine. Alluring. If you’re a lace virgin I hope the enclosed tips go someway to persuading you to the dark side. Lingerie aside – lace is as daytime as a silk blouse, as enduring as a classic blazer and an eternally great way to work your day to night repertoire. Finally, don’t miss beauty guru, Jo Glanville-Blackburn’s guide to achieving gorgeous new year, glowy skin – naturally of course. You’re welcome.

Keeping Secrets Camisole £109, Shortie £79, Shell Belle Couture.

Cream vintage lace slip with matching briefs £225, Shell Belle Couture; orange silk, lace trimmed kimono, Mes Demoiselles; Moon and Star pendant £80, Lightening Bolt necklace £120, Hanging Coin necklace £55, all by Carrie Elizabeth Jewellery.

Clementine Blouson, £151 Shell Belle Couture; jewellery all Carrie Elizabeth as before.

Grey chemise with star detail at front £160 (coming soon) Shell Belle Couture. Jewellery, as before Carrie Elizabeth.

Vintage lace slip with matching brief set £225, Shell Belle Couture.

High Tides lace and jersey fluted sleeved top £88, Freepeople; slip, Shell Belle Couture; jewellery, Carrie Elizabeth, as before.

Vintage lace slip and matching briefs £225, Shell Belle Couture. Jewellery, Carrie Elizabeth, as before.

Beaded kimono, made to order £375, Shell Belle Couture.

How to wear lace – an influencer favourite, crisp white lace with soft grey knitwear is a fresh way to refresh your casual wear; a lace blouse worn under dungarees gives urban wear a 70’s twist and a slinky camisole layered over a worn-out old white tee or under a Grandad style cardigan feels modern and now. Whether you add denim or neutral tailoring, lace will be your winter into summer bff. (Inspiration/Pinterest)

The best lace to shop right now…

Zara offer up a myriad of great day to night lace styles, in the sale right now, this emerald green lace trim dress for just £15.99, (wear with a black skinny polo neck, leggings and ankle boot), and this light pink zip back, embroidered lace shell top, £17.99 that will take your denim up a notch.

French Connection’s Orabelle flared lace dress, £136 is bargainous in the sale if you can track one down in your size, on the website there are a handful left but I’ve seen a mix of sizes in store. Classic, demure and flattering in all the right places.

Warehouse’s lace ruffle tee £12 (in the sale and plenty of sizes still left) is the perfect introduction to wearing lace – simple, pretty and great with jeans or a sleek black trousers, also looks great layered up with a bright polo neck and statement earrings.

Ell and Cee’s lace kimono’s are not just a thing of bedroom fancy, these look beautiful thrown over daywear. I wear mine worn over t-shirts with side striped trousers or jeans. They add a touch of boho to classic casual – they are also perfect over swimwear when you are on exotic shores. The Jemima ivory lace robe, £85 (sale) and the Elfin lace robe, £95 (sale) are just as gorgeous hanging on your wall too.

White lace blouses have enjoyed a renaissance over the last couple of years and don’t look like they’re going anywhere anytime soon. Monsoon consistently bring great styles to the table, in the sale right now check out the Lottie Laura lace blouse £26 (smaller sizes selling faster) and the latest addition the Lolita lace long sleeve top £59.

Beauty – a guide to ‘Glow Getter’ skin. By Jo Glanville Blackburn

Everything in beauty right now is about ‘getting the glow’. Not slippery, shiny you understand, but freshly buffed and selectively highlighted skin that just turns you into a natural beauty. The key? Hydration! When your skin texture is dry or uneven due to a few fine lines or a few late nights, the surface just looks dull and in turn a touch crepey. Soften it, smooth it and you instantly fill out those superficial lines. So let’s plump it up, shall we? Start with a good multi-tasking cleanser that exfoliates too. I’m a sucker for the sheer balmy softness, ease and above all aroma of Frances Prescott’s Tri-Balm, 3-in-1 cleanser, exfoliator and moisturiser. It’s just dreamy, especially at night: a time when I think you really need to enjoy an incredible aroma on your skin (i.e. near your nose) to help relax and unwind. Follow with a touch of Evolve Miracle Facial Oil with organic rosehip that contains a bio retinol complex to help refine the surface of your skin and potentially reduce a touch of pigmentation.

Fake a surface glow? I never ever do my makeup without a substantial amount of some kind of radiance fluid! Worn on the tops of my cheekbones, temples, tiny bit on the bridge of my nose (not too much or you put shine where it kinda belongs and that’s not cool), and a touch on the bow of your lips. A new favourite I’m trying out at the moment is the creamy Hourglass Vanish, that comes in four subtle shades from Pink Flash to Bronze Flash, depending on your skin tone. Triangular-shaped, (like their fab foundation) it’s a stick you can use to mould to sculpt and contour your face ‘the beautiful nude way’, as opposed to muddying skin with dark makeup that now looks so dated. Listed on PETA’s cruelty-free listing, they do not test on animals, but better still, the company plans to be 100% Vegan by 2020.