I often feel amazed by how stylishly dressed Russian women are. Fortunately, several Russian girls have shared their fashion secrets with me.

• A Russian beauty’s fashion journal: Galina is a Russian stunner in her late 20s. She looks very fashionable and trendy. She says her No. 1 secret is her fashion journal in which she records her measurements, shoe size, most flattering silhouettes and colours as well as her shopping needs. In her journal, she writes – measurements: D cup; shoe size: 6; most flattering silhouette: body-con dresses; most flattering colours: black, red, blue, beige and champagne; shopping needs: a Dior Addict Lipstick (Sarah Jessica Parker’s shade), a padded long jacket from H&Mand SK-II Radical New Age RNA eye cream (Yes, she includes her beauty needs as well). Each time she goes shopping, she knows exactly what she needs to buy. “I am a rational shopper, so I’m not stores’ favourite customer. But I have my own rule – I only buy what I need; I don’t buy what I want. Here is how I decide what I need – When I run out of something, I need to buy a new one. I’m a minimalist,” says Galina, “In my opinion, this is the best way to save money as well.”

• A Russian stunner’s fashion principle: Natasha is another woman from Russia who is very fashion-conscious. She is the best fashionista that I’ve ever seen so far in my life. Although Galina and Natasha are friends, they have different opinions when it comes to fashion and shopping. Unlike Galina who only buys items that she actually needs, Natasha also buys items that she really wants. And here is her rationale. “I understand why Galina only purchases things that she needs. Honestly, that’s a perfect way to save money. But I have a different opinion. I think buying things that I want is also very important because if I buy something that I absolutely want, that means I will definitely use it, so it’s not a waste of money and I get a lot of enjoyment from it,” says Natasha, “There is nothing wrong with that because I only live once. Life is short. My youth and beauty won’t last long. As I have a money system, I save and invest 30% of my income regularly and I spend 10% of my income on things that bring my joy. Since my income is increasing, the amount of money that I can save and invest is also growing; meanwhile, the amount of play money is growing as well. Now I’ve made it, so I can treat myself better by buying something better for myself. Why should I keep eating the same food from ten years ago? Why can’t I upgrade my gym membership? Why not buy myself a glamourous wardrobe?” Indeed, Natasha has a very good point! Very well said! What an intelligent and gorgeous Russian beauty!

• Russian girls’ favourite fashion designers: Buying designer clothing isn’t always expensive. A lot of beauties from Russia already know this, so they choose designer clothes wisely. For instance, Darlene’s cardigans are somewhere between $60 and $85 only. We can also find celebrities’ designs for Target, Kmart and H&M regularly. However, some Russian women are more materialistic, so they prefer high-end designer clothing, e.g. Emilio Pucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior. Only marry these Russian brides if you can afford to buy them new wardrobes. Otherwise, stick to Russian ladies like Galina, please. Strange as it may seem, most materialistic women from Russia are hotter, whilst cheap Russian girls are less attractive. Psychologists claim that high-maintenance ladies tend to be sexier than low-maintenance women probably because high-maintenance girls know how to leverage their assets and boost their sex appeal, whereas low-maintenance girls focus on how to save money and may forget how to look after themselves. Yes, enjoying life makes a woman hotter. To some degree, if you can’t afford to marry a Russian bride who is a real 10, then you possibly have to accept what you can get, i.e. a low-maintenance beauty from Russia who is probably a 7 (don’t date out of your league if you can’t, because extremely hot women have access to things you can’t provide. When you become a 10 yourself, you’ll naturally get a real 10 from Russia.)