Nudité

 Estée Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Nudité

Spring and summer nail polish options usually scream color, but a very discreet nude nail polish is a staple in my manicure arsenal. Sometimes I reach for one with more pink undertones when I want a slightly girlier look but Estée Lauder's sophisticated Nudité is a warm beigey nude, which goes on very opaque and compliments whatever I wear (pictured here). I saw that they launched a new limited edition nude nail polish called Bare, which I have yet to see. 

I'm curious, which is your go-to nude nail polish that you could recommend?

Sunday's Recipe: Tarte au citron

The fact that I'm sharing a half finished Tarte au citron shows that

 a) we were too greedy for dessert

b) its lemony scent and taste left us mesmerized 

c) I figured it was too long ago since the last "kitchen heals soul" post.

Taking into account the above mentioned, I decided to share this first-time baking adventure, which isn't very picture-pretty I have to admit (hey, it looked prettiers with a light dusting of icing sugar the night before). This recipe isn't about its looks though. It's the perfect ending to a spring/summer dinner which started with a strawberry asparagus salad, followed by an asparagus ristotto with salmon filets. With each bite you had the feeling to taste spring, and who wouldn't want that?

Ingredients (serves approx. 12)

For the pasty

250 g of flour
100 g icing sugar
125 g butter, cold cut into small cubes
1 pinch of salt
2 egg yolks, whisked
approx.2 tbsp iced water

For the filling
250 ml double cream
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
120 g of sugar
125 ml lemon and lime juice (approx. 3 lemons and 1 lime)

Directions:

To make the pastry, mix the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt with the ice-cold butter cubes, until you have a crumbly mass. Then add the egg yolk and water and assemble the mass quickly. Form your dough into a disc (about plate size), dust it with a little bit of flour and wrap it with a plastic foil. Let it rest in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Place the chilled dough between two parchment papers and roll it about 3 mm thick. Carefully lift the parchment paper off the work surface, drop it into the baking tin or dish, then ease the pastry into the corners and up the sides of the tin, pressing the overhang lightly over the rim. Chill again in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Put another parchment paper onto the pastry, place chickpeas or baking beans on top and blind-bake at 160°C for about 15 minutes until the pastry is set, then lift out the parchment paper and beans. Carefully trim the excess pastry from the sides using a sharp knife. Remove the trimmings from the sheet. Return the empty pastry case to the oven for another 10-12 minutes or until it is pale golden and completely dry. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.

For the filling, break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk together. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and whisk again until they are all well combined. Pour the filling mixture into the cooled baked pastry case. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until just set but with a slight wobble in the centre. Leave to cool slightly then, when the pastry seems firm enough, remove the tart from the tin. Transfer the tart to a serving plate and serve warm or cold, garnished with raspberries and lime zests and dusted with sifted icing sugar.

Enjoy!

On shopping in New York

Elizabeth and James, Magdalena Dress

Nowadays you can get your hands on practically anything you want by browsing the web and clicking the desired items home but undeniably, going shopping the old-fashioned way has also its charm. With the abundance of stores and labels I usually don't have direct access to at home, New York definitely satisfied my fashion appetite for a while (at least I my purse hopes so). From huge department stores like Macy's or Bergdorf Goodman, pop-up stores, little boutiques and designer markets to sample sales, there's a fix for literally any sartorial craving!

I've never really been to a sample sale before so I was pleasantly surprised when I coincidentally walked past the store that held an Elizabeth and James sample sale on 5th Avenue. This is where the above swingy dress comes from - I am really looking forward to wearing it this summer when the pale color looks better on a little bit of a tan!

After this sample sale experience I checked out if there was another one while I was in the city, and marked the start of Rachel Zoe's sample sale at Chelsea Market, which was just a couple of minutes away from where we stayed. There I went for classic choices as you can see in the photo below, meaning a silk shirt and top as well as a very light-weight trench. Timeless and also office-appropriate, which is an imporant aspect these days. Speaking of work outfits, I found some really chic clothing at Banana Republic as well as J.Crew. 

How to get designer fashion for less? I've been told to head to Century 21, which I did. In this huge multi-storey building I lost my boyfriend countless times, was overwhelmed with the sheer amount of clothing available and thought about leaving empty-handed. But one nice find led to another and luckily I scored some nice bargains as well. 

A city-trip is never just about shopping but to me, a few select choices can be treated like souvenirs of that place. Don't you agree?

'Dorian' Pinstripe Pajama Top, which I won't be wearing exlusively to bed 

'Sable' Silk Top 

'Gerard' double breasted trench 

On the Brooklyn Bridge

Oh New York, you're everything I expected and then some! 

 I wanted to come here for so long, imagining what it'll be like and I can honestly say that I am having a blast. Intending to enjoy my vacation to the fullest, here are just some snapshots my boyfriend took on the Brooklyn Bridge early in the morning. You can expect many more pictures from the city in the upcoming days/weeks. Wishing you all a happy new week!

Coat: Zara

Sunglasses: Saint Laurent

Jeans: Mango

T-Shirt: Best Mountain

Leather tote: from a local shop in San Gimignano/Italy

Spring Scent

A stroll through Songdo Central Park

Baselworld 2014 impressions

I haven't really mentioned this here on Styleseeking Zurich but currently I'm working in Basel and as you might know, the annual watchmaking and jewellery show took place from March 27 until April 3rd. Baselworld is attracting connoisseurs of this fine art from all over the world. You can't help but notice the international flair this rather small city gets during this time, and fascinated by all this I decided to head to the fair and have a look myself. 

Baselworld is housed in an architecturally beautiful building (you can see a glimpse of it above) and what's inside is even more breathtaking. The most prestigious brands have stands which actually can't be called that anymore, it's more the case of establishing a luxury world within a luxury world. As a visitor one is easily emmersed in a brand's heritage and craftsmanship; admiring their attention to detail, successful history and promising future.

OMEGA, one of Switzerland's most innovative brands, has continually made significant contributions to the art of watchmaking since its founding in 1848. 

The watches we carry are not merely there to inform us about the most precious and valuable good - time - but also to make a personal statement. Details which the naked eye cannot see, but which distinguish a certain timepiece or jewellery from another, be it in regards to its inner life or design. 

Since 1735, Blancpain has been conserving traditional skills. I was amazed to see a clock-face of a watch being painted accurately by hand. 

Breitling, another Swiss brand, is known for precision-made chronometers, especially popular amongst aviators. 

Baselworld is definitely not only a must for watch lovers but for everyone who appreciates creativity, luxury and design esthetic. It was impossible for me to visit every stand but I hope this post gives you an impression of what Baselworld has to offer, any maybe you'll go check it out next year.

 Beautiful jewellery by Chopard. A tradition of Swiss excellence since 1860.