Beauty Break: AFC Fiorentina

Two posts recommending our beauty must-haves based on Italian football in a row - the world really must be ending sometime soon! Today we're bringing you five products that we promise won't put you to sleep. I can't speak for Kay, but it puts a smile on my face to see a football team wearing my favourite colour, even if I'm not a supporter of them.

1) China Glaze (Spontaneous), £4

Although I swear by dirt cheap £1 bottles of nail varnish, there are just some colours you can't find a good dupe of. China Glaze has so many lovely shades, metallic, glittery, matte, you name it, they probably have it in every colour and colour combination you could possibly dream of. (If you love glitter, make sure to check out their Hunger Games collection, it took all I had to not buy a bottle of each!)

2) Clinique Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick (Crushed Grape), £16

What can I say, I'm a sucker for purple-toned lipsticks and glosses. I think they look lovely on all skin tones (orange excepted), and I always have at least one grape-hued Clinique lipstick in my bag. They're a subtle hint of colour compared to the candy apple reds I also love, and are much more wearable on a daily basis. They glide right on and keep your lips moisturised and glammed up at the same time - what's not to love?

3) Bath & Body Works Body Splash (Sun-Ripened Raspberry), £5

Scent-wise, I love everything berry. There's just something about the semi-sweet, natural smell that calls my name. This body splash is both light and refreshing, and isn't sickly sweet like some fruit-scented sprays tend to be. A few spritzes after you climb out of the shower is enough to wake you up and send you straight to raspberry heaven without burning your nose.

4) Clinique Clarifying Lotion, £15

Out of all the toners I've ever used, this is the only one that I would (and do) repurchase. I wouldn't say I have particularly sensitive skin, but every other toner I've tried has dried my skin out to the point it sends me running for the nearest bottle of moisturizer at least twice a day. This toner tightens up your pores nicely without it looking like there's a snowstorm on your face.

5) Urban Decay Shadow Pencil (Delinquent), £12

I recently bought a few of these shadow pencils and I have to say I am in love with them all! They're super easy to apply - they glide right on and last all day with no glitter falling down into your eyes and blinding you. They also double as an eyeliner if needed and add a great sparkle to your eyes with minimal effort. I've already bought five of them and will definitely be adding more to my collection.

Team Togs: AFC Fiorentina

Hi ladies! It's been a while since any new posts has come around so we're truly sorry for that - life has been getting in the way, etc. and to be honest I really have no excuse... so let's just get started in a new Team Togs instalment that will concentrate on the beautiful colour of deep purple and what better team to represent that but Serie A's AFC Fiorentina? Their iconic purple kit is a great example of untraditional colours in the footballing world. 

This look is heavily inspired by Fiorentina's Tuscan homeland, Florence. As one of the most important Renaissance capital in the late middle ages and onwards, the city has now become a tourist-magnet, especially those who are art history lovers. Florence boasts numerous Old Masters who represented the Florentine school such as Michelangelo, Lippi, Botticelli, and Donatello. Florence has a charm unlike any other Italian cities, its endearing rustic quality, gorgeous surrounding landscape, and mouth-watering cuisine makes it a destination that will leave you wanting more. I know I fell in love with it as soon as I entered. 

The outfit focuses on two things: heavy luxurious prints and ivory coloured accents. The former is a tribute to the lavish fabrics donned by Florentine merchants of the High Middle Ages and the latter to the white marbles associated with classical antiquity which had become a preoccupation of the average Renaissance man. This outfit is imagined as a day out in Florence of museum-hopping, coffee breaks at the Piazza della Republica, with a bit of shopping in the end. 

We start with a bold semi-paisley printed wide-legged trousers that looks more like a maxi skirt than anything. On top is a simple ivory tee to avoid business and a yellow scarf draped around to leave room for a statement necklace. We accessorise with suede stacked sandals, Wayfarers, a rose-gold cocktail ring, and an understated lady bag. 

Trousers, Yves Saint Laurent, £1340

Tee, The Row, £345

Scarf, Alexander McQueen, £324

Necklace, Bjorg, £330

Sandals, Gucci, £630

Sunglasses, Ray-Ban, £120

Ring, Mita Marina Milano, £2115

Bag, vintage Salvatore Ferragamo, £860

*We used iconic Florence-based designers such as Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo.