November 29th marked my 24th birthday and it really is starting to dawn on me that I haven’t actually been ‘messing about’ for a while now. I have an interesting and varied job, Adam and I are waiting for the keys to our new house and I always remember to use SPF. Lol. Who am I kidding? 10 years ago, I thought i’d be married with 3 kids and a cat by now. Maybe in another decade eh?
Listening to: I have a reasonable commute to work and so this makes for the perfect time to enjoy devouring my podcast list. Every week I get super giddy for the latest instalment of ‘Femme’ by Daisy Lowe. I really appreciate the way Daisy conducts and produces her podcast. My favourite episode this month has to be the interview with her mum, Pearl Lowe. I love Pearl’s voice – is that weird? I love her style and i’ve read her book ‘All that glitters’ – I found it so frustrating as Lowe outlines, warts and all, her tempestuous battle with Heroin addiction – however, I am glad to hear in the podcast she is something like, 12 years sober! If you want a different guest to listen to, give Mel C’s episode a whirl, Mel had me adding ‘Never be the same again’ to my Autumn playlist and revisiting my favourite Spice Girl songs.
In other podcast recommendations, try Sara Tasker’s offering: ‘Hashtag Authentic‘ I recently listened to the episode with writer, Laura Jane Williams. I don’t normally really resonate with Laura however, she did share some valuable nuggets of wisdom in her episode that had me nodding along. Yes, I found her a bit OTT, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed her episode. Definitely, check out other episodes in Sara’s catalogue, they’re must listens for any creative soul.
Watching: If like me, you also find Grace Coddington to be not only an enigma, but also a legend then watch this video she did for British Vogue. You’ll see Grace wandering through a leafy, British setting bathed in Autumn light. In a candid discussion with Michael Roberts, he and Grace talk about everything from couture to her vivid orange hair.
I also LOVED Charlotte Tilbury’s live stream with the Pixiwoo sisters. I have long since admired Sam and Nic and I find Charlotte Tilbury such a hurricane of energry that I could only long to exhume myself – what a sales woman too! Anyway, Charlotte did Sam and Nic’s makeup whilst in conversation and you can catch it here.
If you have Netflix, give the Joan Didion documentary ‘The centre will not hold‘ a watch, particularly if you are interested in her work. The Guardian sums it up better than I could: “The documentary is arranged around Didion’s best-known writing. There are segments devoted to her reporting from the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco in the late 1960s, as well as Didion’s political journalism from the 90s, her essay on the Central Park Five, the screenplay Panic in Needle Park, and her later autobiographical works.”
Reading: I know, i’m sorry but what kind of favourites round-up would it be without an ode to Sali Hughes? It’s coming up to a year since I met her at a book signing and I still think she’s fabulous. Sali recently wrote for The Pool discussing how clothes evoke memories. I particularly loved the part where Sali shares that yeah, it’s okay to keep things and no you don’t HAVE to throw things away, especially if they mean a lot to you – just don’t have them out. You can revisit them in their box at a later date and feel all the feels associated with them all over again.
A mention of the Daily Mail here, sorry. I really, really enjoyed their nostalgic examination of popular fragrances through the decades. I am a perfume hoarder and I love knowing what was popular for Christmas gifting at a particular period in time. If you love fragrance, I recommend giving it a read, if for no other reason than to pour over the perfume bottle porn alone!
Writing: I’ve had my pen and paper out again this month. Having seen a tweet that Lily Pebbles shared about the term ‘Influencer’ it inspired me to investigate why: ‘The term influencer has become a dirty word‘ – For my sins, I have a content and influencer marketing manager by day and of course, I muse on this very blog by night. As I see both sides of the coin, it’s very interesting to think about the needs of both the ‘influencer’ and the brand you represent. And if you’ve read it already, thankyou! And finally, if you want to have a nosey at a piece my boyfriend, Adam wrote about transitioning from a designer to a business owner, he has shared his thoughts in this very honest piece.
Brows: I know what you’re thinking. I moaned about the ‘Boy Brow’ brow mascara from Glossier and for seriously questioning the size of the product against the cost, I have no regrets. It is however, a lovely product that can be called upon for effortless, groomed and no fuss brows. I use a brow pencil from HD brows to fill in any sparse areas, before stroking the Boy Brow wand up and through the hairs to thicken them out and set them in place.
Skin: Clarins are one of the most trustworthy beauty brands around, in my opinion. Their Beauty Flash Balm is certainly a firm favourite amongst many people. I use it everyday to give my just-woken-up-skin a boost and to create the perfect canvas for applying my make-up. If you’re looking for a priming, moisturising hybrid that will give dull skin a new lease of life (especially after a few Aperol Spritz’) – give it a go.
