After years of thorough research (also known as reading every women’s magazine available), I have concluded that in spring, women are expected to do three things: wear pink lipstick, use pastel nail polish and sport colourful accessories.

I have no problem with any of these recommendations per se – I have been known to do all three simultaneously -, but I would appreciate some variety. Also, reading those articles you’d think that as soon as March arrives, the entire world turns into a tropical paradise where we hold best pedicure competitions. This doesn’t correspond to my personal experience.

But like for most people, my mood changes somewhere around March and it’s reflected in the things I do and use:

• Flowers: Come spring, I will drastically reduce my spending on scented candles and up my spending on flowers. I’d prefer to pick some, but as this is not an option, I’m making the most of Brussels markets (hyacinths! mimosas! anemones! everything!).
• YSL nail polish in Imperial Jade: I find green and grey to be the chicest of nail colours and this shade is perfect for early spring. Unfortunately, it was a limited edition, so check out Essie’s Fall in Line as an alternative.
• The New Feast by Greg and Lucy Malouf: I am not one for detoxing or a raw diet, but I do crave lighter food when it’s lighter outside. In addition to the Maloufs (whose dishes are in fact not that light, but the book is all vegetarian), I’ve been inspired by Hemsley & Hemsley.

• Eau de Narcisse Bleu by Hermes: I wear most of my favourite fragrances year round, but there are some that are especially well suited for a certain time. Narcisse Bleu with its mix of bitter blooms and green shoots is perfect for spring.
• A yellow bag by Zara: the main problem with The Colourful Bag Recommendation is that all those apricots and mint greens don’t really work with your winter coat – if you’re not insane, you’re still wearing one. It is my informed opinion (because I would never buy a bag on impulse and then rationalise it afterwards) that yellow is best: it looks beautiful with grey, excellent with denim and OK with black.
• Korres lip butter in Pomegranate: I love Korres lip butters and I’ve been into in-between colours lately, so this fits the bill. Not quite pink, not quite orange, it looks fresh and feels lovely, which is important – March is not a good time for lips.
• Books on Middle East: among other things, spring makes me (over)optimistic about my intellectual abilities. I have decided to channel this optimism into tackling books on Middle East. I’m one third through Tom Holland’s In the Shadow of the Sword, with Mecca by Ziauddin Sardar next on the list.