Autumn Edit: Skincare

Illustrated

When I still had my horse, I spent a good month or so trying to find a pet portrait artist who would capture his quirky character. I found plenty who produced beautifully lifelike, if slightly old fashioned, horse portraits, but never one who would capture his spirit, his love of bananas or uncanny ability to unbuckle the farrier's apron while he was working. I think that's something that needs a lot of talent and the opinion that most animals have just as much personality as people.

A few weeks ago Allison Berg, an illustrator from Oregon, emailed me to ask if she could illustrate my rabbits or my parents' dog Rosie who I'm forever Instagramming...and I never would have guessed she would get their characters so spot on; Basil's slightly timid expression and near spherical face, Hilary's little glint in her eye when she's planning on doing something she knows she's not meant to - which is basically 23 hours per day. 

Allison didn't tell me she'd painted Rosie too so that was a surprise this morning. Rosie has been a bit poorly lately, so when I saw her face upon opening the envelope there may have been a tear or two! I can't wait to find suitable frames for these and hang them in my flat with the rapidly increasing pile of pretty things that need hanging on the wall.

If you have a pet, or need something illustrating, definitely get in touch with Allison - have a look at her work on allisonberg.com or her Etsy store which she's currently stocking with prints and custom pet portrait listings. She also draws an awesome llama (alpaca?!).

Thank you so much Allison!

p.s. am I the only one who just makes big holes in the paper if I try to use watercolours?! 

Stella Eau de Parfum

  

This is a little bit of a two-in-one post as I wanted to show you the beautiful new Stella Eau de Parfum Print Collection* but I've also been meaning to review the actual fragrance for months as it's quite possibly my favourite scent.

Last year Stella brought out The Print Collection, a set of 30ml travel appropriate bottles bedecked in botanical prints taken from Stella McCartney's 2011 Resort collection. This time the designs borrow bold geometric prints from the Stella McCartney SS12 RTW collection, with Bouillard spots and oriental circles. There's something a little '1920s on the Orient Express' about them, which I absolutely love. The Print Collection 30ml bottles retail for £38 and are available now from Boots, House of Fraser and John Lewis. To give you an idea of how long 30ml would last, below is my 100ml bottle of Stella EDP which I've used at least three times a week for the last fourteen months!

As for the fragrance itself, which has been around since 2003; the brand describe it as being 'inspired by a rose in full bloom...with a bright, modern edge', which is both accurate and something that I would normally shy away from. The opening notes are a pungent, but thankfully not artificial, rose scent. However once this settles there is a slight citrus hint (mandarin, apparently) which breaks through to prevent everything from becoming too heavily floral or 'old fashioned'. The final notes are amber which lend the scent a warmth and slight sweetness, which is something I notice lingering on my scarves when I've worn this in wintertime. None of the notes really diminish in the seven or so hours  that the scent sticks around; rather they seem to change in combination a little throughout the day, meaning it is one of the few fragrances I'm aware of all day. 

The changeable nature of Stella EDP is what makes me wear it all year round. It's fresh enough for everyday wear, but has enough body from the amber notes to carry it right through to evening wear. 

[catwalk photos via style.com]

NARS Penny Lane

NARS Penny Lane cream blush is basically the cream equivalent of NARS Douceur (reviewed here) and, like Douceur, this little beauty is near impossible to photograph so you'll just have to believe me when I say my cheeks don't usually look so healthy. Penny Lane is described by NARS as 'nude pink'  but there's definitely a hint of plum in there too which makes it perfect shade for pale skin to give a subtle outdoorsy look, even if you've been in the office all day and then trapped on the Central Line for half an hour. It's a little less sculpting than Douceur and there is also an almost microscopic quantity of shimmer in there too which gives the complexion a little boost. 

This is the first cream blush I've tried from NARS and the satiny formula is already one of my favourites as it didn't sit in my pores the way other cream blushers have in the past. In terms of lasting power, I get a good six hours wear before it begins to fade slightly but layered with Douceur it will easily rattle toward the ten hour mark.

NARS cream blushes are £20.50 for 5.5g (but I bought mine from ASOS when they released a 25% off student discount!). As a final thought, I think this would be at its most stunning on redheads. So if you're a Pre-Raphaelite beauty, get thee to a NARS counter.

Bits and Pieces #1

Lots of things hit my email inbox every week and occasionally there are things I'd like to share but they don't really justify their own post (and I hate using stock photos). So I thought I'd drop in a very occasional 'Bits and Pieces' post to cover the miscellany that I think is worth sharing!

First order of business is a little giveaway on my Facebook page. Up for grabs are all 5 of the new Rimmel 'Kate' matte lipsticks, which come out on October 4th. All you have to do is pop over there and 'like' the photo and I'll choose someone at random on Friday 28th September. FYI, my personal favourite is 107!

There are loads of charity beauty products about at the minute but two particularly caught my eye. Organic Surge have produced 'The Archie Foundation Hand Wash' scented with lavender and patchouli, which is priced at £3.99 with 100% of sales going to a charity for sick children in Scotland. There will also be lots of pink about soon as October is Breast Cancer awareness month and Origins will be releasing a pink duo of Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment 15ml and Peace Of Mind On-The-Spot Relief 7ml (which is one product that never leaves my handbag - review here) on a handy carabiner. The set will retail for £10 with £2 going to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and is available throughout October, so be quick! 

Enrapture Totem Styler

My hair is naturally quite curly, but they are quite mad and slightly frizzy curls so I much prefer putting myself through the effort of creating curls with heat. Up until now I've mainly used my straighteners to create curls as the curling irons I've bought in the past have always ended up languishing at the back of the cupboard. They've always been fiddly, not hot enough for my thick hair or created too-tight curls near the root that didn't work on my shoulder length hair.

I've been trying out the Enrapture Totem Styler* for the last few weeks after admiring the results on various (longer maned) fellow bloggers but didn't really expect it to do much for my hair length and type. The USP of the styler are its three adjustable heat plates that can be used in endless (well, a few) combinations, meaning you can get tight curls along the entire length of the hair or just nearer the mid-lengths and ends. It sounds a bit gimmicky, or at least I thought so, but this feature comes in really handy for short hair as you can ensure the curl is defined by using the medium or hottest setting (2 or 3) on the lower heat plates and avoid kinks by using a lower heat setting (1) near the root. Despite the joins in the plates, I didn't have any issues with snagging and it left me with shiny, smooth curls. It has a mini flipper, meaning you can hold the curl if you a) have long enough hair and b) aren't a bit special like me and use it upside down. It sits smooth against the barrel however so it doesn't get in the way at all.

The Totem styler is up there with my ghd straighteners in terms of quality and it certainly won't end up at the back of the cupboard (FYI - my ghds were made before the patent moved to Cloud 9, or at least I think that's what happened, so I can't comment on the quality of them now but I wasn't a fan of Cloud 9 when they were used on me by a hairdresser).

It's £74.99 at Boots which I think is fair for how well it works, and the stylers also come with a 3 year guarantee and 30 day money back guarantee. 

If you'd like to see it in action, I used it in this video. 'Beachy Curls'...in September. I'm nothing if not seasonal!

Eats: Sweet Potato, Lentil and Kale Dal

I thought I'd test the waters with a cooking post. I've had tons of requests for recipe posts and videos but with any 'new feature' I'm always a bit hesitant. I did write a post about avocado on toast a few weeks ago, but it never made it to publishing. It was partly extolling the virtues of avocados for your skin, hair and nails but really it was just very obvious instructions (the mashed avocado goes on top of the toast if you were wondering. Although if you drop it on the floor I don't suppose that matters. Salt, lime and crushed chillies are always a good idea too). So here's a 'proper' recipe for something somewhat more complicated.

I thought I'd start with something warming, healthy and vegan. I'm not vegan or even vegetarian myself. I've had a few questions as I avoid dairy, but I try to only eat meat when I know where it's come from and that it's good quality. This means it's also blimmin' expensive, so it's a once a week or less kind of affair. That said, this should satisfy even the most ardent cow-eater.

I made this recipe up though there are a few similar recipes floating around that inspired me (one by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall springs to mind). Kale is in season now and full of vitamin K (which helps wounds heal), A (which strengthens the immune system) and C (maintains connective tissues). Bizzarely it even contains a bit of Omega 3 which is awesome for skin, but it is a bit bitter so if you aren't a fan, or can't get hold of it, you can replace it with spinach.

This will easily serve 6 hungry people, so you may want to cut it in half, although it freezes well!

You will need:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 tablespoons (fresh) ginger, finely diced 
3 cloves garlic, finely diced 
2 onions, diced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1.5 litres water

1 stock cube (I used Kallo Organic Chicken stock, but use veggie to make this totally vegan)

3 cups dried red split lentils (about 1lb or 450g)
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 400ml can light coconut milk

3 tomatoes, deseeded and diced (you can leave the seeds in if you like, but cut down the water a little)

1tbsp salt

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (optional, but a whole tablespoon only made it slightly warm. Try dried chillies if you're a badass.)

1 bag/head kale, washed and sliced

Put a tablespoon of oil in the largest pan you have. I used olive oil, but vegetable or even coconut is fine. Over a medium heat, fry the cumin, mustard seeds, ginger and garlic until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add the onions and heat until they start to become translucent (about 2 minutes).

Next add the sweet potatoes and coat with the spices, then add the lentils, tomatoes, water, stock cube, curry powder and coconut milk. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the liquid has decreased by about a fifth and the sweet potato is soft. Next add the kale, I used a whole 200g bag. It will wilt almost immediately but continue to cook on a low heat for 5 minutes to make sure any woody stems are soft.

You could serve this with naan bread but it's more than filling enough by itself. I drizzled mine with a little fat free yoghurt in an attempt to make it look more appetising (food stylists have nothing to worry about!), but it's not necessary as it's not too spicy at all. I'd love to know if you try this...or if you'd like more recipe posts?!

Lavera Honey Moments

I feel a bit weird blogging about my current shower gel of choice but it's really quite lovely. Lavera Honey Moments Shower and Bath Gel is free from parabens, mineral oils, synthetic perfumes and colorants, which I'm not quite as worried about in products that wash off but it's always a bonus and this feels incredibly gentle on the skin.

As I find with most honey products, it doesn't really smell of honey. The citrus notes are a lot stronger, and it really smells like NUXE Reve de Miel lip balm. The last true honey scent I smelt was a L'Occitane product which has long since been discontinued but if anyone knows of something that actually smells of honey, I'd love some suggestions!

Anyway this gets top marks from me for doing it's job whilst being very gentle and free from nasties.  It's definitely something I'd pick up again - although I am now on a mission for something that will make me smell like a beehive rather than an orange grove (as lovely as that is). It's about £6.50 which isn't bad at all for a 'clean' everyday product, especially as the tube is lasting quite a while. I bought mine from Feel Unique, but Lavera products are also available at Holland and Barrett.

LFW: Manuela Dack

More photos from backstage at LFW. This time at Manuela Dack where the lead stylist explained the hair was inspired by braids after a sea-side swim (and alongside the sea-distressed hair, the models actually went down the catwalk with silver glitter jelly shoes). Hair was allowed to fall into a natural parting before being plaited into S-shaped braids that were loosely intertwined. Like Spijkers and Spijkers the team were using label. M Volume Mousse and Sea Salt Spray to add texture and body and prevent everything looking too finished. Finally, pieces were pulled from the front of the hairline to veil the face. Absolutely perfect hair to set of the minimalism and textures of the clothes.

And here's a little peek into what I was toting around with me yesterday: sunglasses, purse, phone, phone charger (!), Origins Peace of Mind (review here), Nuxe Reve de Miel, Pixi Lip Blush in No.6 Luck*, Caudalie Beauty Elixir, Bourjois Healthy Mix correcting concealer, makeup bag from the MAC Illustrated collection, pens x2 (my hand writing is horrendous when I use anything but these...), spare SD card, Truvia (I'm trying to dodge artificial sweeteners and yet to find a cafe that has stevia as an option), Bounce Almond Protein Hit (contains milk - DOH!), Vita Coco, battered Oyster card, notebook and pass.

Just to clear up something from a comment on yesterday's post. My LFW posts are not sponsored, the shows are as is the case globally and fairly common knowledge. I was a guest of Toni & Guy and therefore attended the backstage of shows where they were doing the hair, and obviously creating the looks with their own products. They didn't ask me to write posts on the shows but I thought it might be interesting to see some backstage photos and hair trends for spring.

I've only published one sponsored post in over 13 months of blogging, and that did not feature any kind of opinion. Those sort of posts (and any kind of 'free' product) are always disclosed, and there is a full disclaimer linked in the navigation bar at the top of this page should you wish to read more.

LFW: Spijkers en Spijkers

[catwalk photo courtesy of Vauxhall Fashion Scout]

I popped down to London Fashion Week today to go backstage at Spijkers en Spijkers to find out what Toni & Guy were creating to accompany the 1920s inspired designs. The collection was summed up as 'geometrics, colour and emotion' and there were some seriously gorgeous silky numbers hanging on the rails that wouldn't look out of place on the set of The Great Gatsby. 

The hair was a roughed up nod to the 20s, created using label. m Volume Mousse (apparently 450 cans were ordered for London Fashion Week - so expect more mentions!)  on wet hair to add body to the crown. After blast drying, even more texture was added using label. m Ressurection Style Dust. The top layers were then waved using the Toni & Guy deep barrel waver and ruffled using dry shampoo before twisting the ends into a rope braid at the nape of the neck. The look was finished with hairspray on the final lineup.

Glossybox: September

I was suffering from a touch of beauty box fatigue last month, but this was too pretty not to show you (and it contains one of my favourite skincare brands). This month's Glossybox was designed by illustrator Maggie Li to celebrate prints and it's really beautiful. My nails were painted to match by the lovely Marie-Isabel using Essie's Turquoise and Caicos.

Of course the box alone won't justify the price tag, so inside my box was a full size Mythic Oil Colour Glow Oil. My hairdresser has used the normal Mythic Oil on me before and I wasn't a fan, but I'm happy to give the colour version a chance. There are also two generous sachets of Mythic Oil Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner. A no-go for me because of the sulphate content, but a nice way to try them as the full sizes are around £10. I've been wanting to try Lady Gaga Fame Black Fluid since I heard about it. Not because I thought it would be for me, but because you expect something a bit crazy from Lady Gaga, don't you?! So I was surprised that this is a pretty pedestrian celebrity fragrance - sweet and a bit boring. Apparently it contains 'tears of Belladonna' (a note in the more complex Illamasqua Freak, which I thought it might smell like) and 'crushed heart of Tiger Ochidea'. Hmm. I think this is in all the boxes, so let me know what you think if you're subscribed. There are also two of each Rodial Glamoxy Snake Serum and 5 Minute Facial. They are in sachets, BUT they do sell the sachets on the website and the Snake Serum is £29.50 for 10! I'm excited to try these, but at £127 for the full size, I think it's safe to say it won't be a future purchase. Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Relaxing Complex isn't terribly exciting, but probably my favourite item in the box is balance Me. Wonder Eye Cream, as I'm a big fan of the brand but haven't tried this product. As usual it's 99% natural origin with no nasties, and the little hint of witch hazel and cucumber oil meant it felt nicely refreshing this morning.

Overall a very pretty and worthwhile box *ahem* with no Glossybox branded products! If you're already a subscriber, the boxes are being shipped on 17th September. Glossyboxes cost £10 plus £2.95 p&p.

GlossyBox provided me with this box for consideration.

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup

Giorgio Armani have just launched their 'complexion perfector' Maestro Fusion Makeup* which is made entirely of water-free oils and pigments. Oils have had a bad rap, so don't baulk at this if your skin is on the oilier side (it's still non-comodogenic, I haven't had any breakouts, oils are GOOD for oily skin!*). In fact I think this might actually suit slightly oilier skin types best, as I'll explain.

I'm going to get a bit scienc-y on you as this is the USP of the foundation. Traditional foundations are usually emulsions with water in oil-containing fillers but Maestro is made up of 5 oils. These oils are volatile, semi-volatile and non-volatile; volatile meaning they evaporate, and they do so at different rates to leave a fine film of pigment on the skin and leave the skin feeling comfortable all day. One of these oils is lotus oil which is popular for it's anti-free radical effects. The oils means this applies and blends beautifully, but the evaporation (like a dry oil) means it feels dry as soon as it's blended and leaves a semi-matte, satin finish that stays that way all day. It's quite magical. 

This is easily the lightest foundation I've ever worn, and by that I mean it feels light on the skin. It's also lightish coverage but will build up to a good medium without ever looking or feeling heavy (I blend it out with the Real Techniques buffing brush, but it works just as well with hands - it's simply personal preference). I'm sure I've said this about my favourite foundations before, but this actually looks like skin. It's available in 12 shades and I have 4.0 which completely disappears into my skin. I think due to the formula and the way it seems to mesh with your skin tone, 12 shades should cover just about everyone. I was also impressed with the longevity for such a liquid, slippy product. After a good 6-7 hours of wear on my skin where it looked exactly as it did when I applied it. I found I didn't need to powder after application or blot during the day. In fact I quite enjoyed the little hint of glow along my T-zone after about 3 hours wear.

Any cons? Well, yes. 

I had problems with the foundation clinging to dry patches. I have combination skin but don't generally suffer with dryness, just dehydration. So I was surprised that, when applied, it clung a little around my nose and as it settled over the next couple of hours it slightly highlighted any other drier areas (healing blemishes and the like). It's a shame, as it's the only give away that I'm wearing any kind of base as Maestro completely disappears like nothing I've tried before. I think for me, this little glitch is tolerable as it's such a tiny area of my face and the rest looks so incredibly natural - but it's worth thinking about if you suffer from dry patches. It's also worth noting that if you aren't a fan of silicones, the first ingredient is dimethicone. 

It's also one of the most expensive high-end foundations I've tried at £36, but in some ways the new Armani Maestro foundation is a game changer. I'm no beauty expert and I certainly haven't tried every foundation out there, but I've never come across anything like this. Even if you don't think this is for you, I'd pop down to the counter just to have a feel and perhaps try it on your face. 

Available at Selfridges and www.armanibeauty.co.uk now and nationwide from 1st October.

*Not all oils - go and ask Caroline Hirons. She'll know.

Home Wishlist

I have no clothes or makeup on my current wishlist. Ok. That's a slight untruth. But there isn't much.

I do, however, have quite a few things saved that fall under the homeware category. We're still in the process of home-ifying our new place but now the major furniture purchases are done with, I want to smatter the walls with prints and put so many cushions on the sofa that it becomes physically impossible to actually sit on it.

'Hello' Print via Etsy, BHS Skandi tea light holders, B&BW Mahogany Teakwood Candle

Serving Spoon via Amazon, John Lewis Knit Cushion, Chalkboard Decal

Pia Wallen Cross Blanket, Ferm Living Cork Trivet

I've stumbled across some lovely diffusion lines at the main department stores on my search for said prints and pillows. Marks and Spencer have a collaboration with Conran (from which I've already bought a mirror), BHS have a little 'Skandi' collection and John Lewis have 'House by John Lewis' which is a huge new collection and fairly affordable. They're all definitely worth a look if you are on a budget but want one or two things in the house that don't come in a box stamped 'IKEA'. Don't get me wrong, I love Ikea!

The blackboard decal is a definite purchase to stick by my desk and give me somewhere to write my jobs for the day. It only costs a few pounds and means one less hole to make in the wall too! I've already tweeted about the Mahogany Teakwood candle as I've heard it smells like Abercrombie stores. I would rather extract my own teeth than enter an Abercrombie store (Dark. Loud. WHY?) but I do love the way they smell. Unfortunately it's from Bath & Body Works so not available in the UK. The serving spoon is just a mental note for me really. We appear not to own one and the novelty of seeing my 6ft2 boyfriend attempt to serve himself sufficient food with a little spoon has definitely worn off. I could read Joyce's Ulysses cover to cover in the time it takes him.

The Pia Wallen cross blanket is £134 *gulp*, so very much on the wishlist at the moment. It also comes in black and grey, but there is lots of grey, white and wood in the living area so I think the orange version would look awesome.

Let me know if you'd like more occasional home related posts, maybe some DIYs etc? It's actually something I really enjoy and I used to do quite a bit of interior design features writing (not that you'd know it from that diatribe on Abercrombie).

Going to Uni?

Hello.

Two posts in one day - but I thought I'd post a link to this video that went up the other day too incase any of you are off to uni for the first time. It's a little long, but hopefully you'll find some nuggets of usefulness in there! Remember, don't panic! x

Origins Spot Remover Pads

I'd heard mixed things about the Origins Super Spot Remover gel. Most people seem to adore it, others found it a bit drying. I haven't tried it personally but I've been testing out the Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Pads* and so far I'm very impressed. I haven't used blemish pads since eye-wateringly astringent soaked tubs of the things in my teens. The Origins version has a much gentler smell (the clove actually leaves quite a nice scent behind) and seems to actively calm the blemish rather than just drying out my skin. It's already eliminated a couple of little bumps I had lurking just under my jawline for the last week and a bit.

The pads are formulated with salicylic acid to help loosen dead skin and essential oils of clove and oregano. I didn't have any fierce blemishes to test this out on (thankfully) but clove oil has been used as a toothache treatment for years, so I would imagine it helps to numb under the skin nasties whilst the other ingredients help to eliminate it. 

I don't think there's necessarily an benefit from the pad version rather than the liquid but, for someone like me who is past teenage breakouts, it's useful to have a pad to swipe across the area of a burgeoning blemish. They aren't very common, but when they do occur they threaten to pop up in the surrounding area too. I also get the impression that the pads are also slightly gentler than the gel (so potentially less drying as these are plenty potent enough for my skin type) as Origins say the pads are formulated for twice daily use. This means a tub of 60 at a fairly pricey £22 will barely last a month, so if blemishes are a persistent problem or you want something that is easier to travel with it may be best to opt for the gel.

That said, this tub should last me a long time so they'll be a staple in my bathroom cabinet!

Available from Boots, House of Fraser and John Lewis.

August Favourites

Holiday Beauty Hotlist

I received an email last week from Most Wanted (the lifestyle magazine of Vouchercodes.co.uk) challenging me to put together my holiday beauty essentials for under £70. This is harder than it sounds...particularly as my maths is horrendous. I'm also not going on holiday this year (well actually I might be spending a week in a Shepherd's hut in deepest South England, but that's a whole other story).

So assuming I've got the basics (shampoo, toothpaste etc.) or that these are supplied by my imaginary hotel, here is what would make it into my suitcase:

• Organic Surge Daily Care Face Wash is a super gentle, gel cleanser which is perfect for warmer weather. It also contains aloe vera, which is ideal for soothing the skin if you've had a little too much sun. £5.19
• Soltan Moisturising Suncare Spray with Insect Repellent offers thorough UVA and UVB protection without feeling super greasy. It also helps to deter mosquitos! Boots are currently running a buy one get one free deal which means you can pick up the aftersun too for £11.99
• I prefer a separate SPF for my face and by far my favourite is La Roche-Posay's Anthelios sun protection. In particular their Melt-In Cream 30spf. It is pricier at £14.50, but it's non-perfumed and paraben free with reduced content of chemical filters which means it's gentler on sensitive skin. 
• I love lighter coverage in hot weather, and as I can't quite fit my favourite NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser into the budget, my next choice would be Witch Anti-Blemish Tinted Moisturiser. It's great for normal to oilier skin types as it's quite mattifying, but it also helps clear up blemishes. £5.99
• For added cheek colour, I love Topshop's Cream Blush in Neon Rose. The formula dries down to a slightly powdery finish, meaning it stays put under the sun.  £6
• Waterproof mascara is pretty much a holiday essential, and my favourite is Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Waterproof. It has a big bristle brush to catch every lash and has avoided many a potential panda-eye moment. £7.19
• For extra definition, I've also included a waterproof eyeliner, Smoulder Kohl by Soap & Glory, which is super black and long lasting £4.00, and Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze, which is another product which can withstand heat and water. £4.99
• I can't not include a nail polish and a perfect summer colour is Coral Romance by Rimmel Pro. The formula of this line is fantastic and the brush shape makes it really quick and easy to apply. £4.59 (currently 2 for £6 at Superdrug)
• To stop locks drying out in the sunshine, there is a bottle of VO5 Miracle Concentrate, £4.97 at Tesco, which contains a little Argan Oil to keep hair soft and supple.

My total is... £69.41

Phewf, so those would be my choices. If you went on holiday, I'd love to know what you took with you (and extra kudos if you can squeeze it all in under £70...it's harder than it looks!).

September

French Connection High Waisted Jeans, Midori Rabbit Paperclips, Topshop Oversized Shirt

Monki Michi Necklace, Forever 21 Abstract Scarf, Revlon Colorstay Polish in Sorbet

Paperchase Tinder Notebook, ASOS Leather Backpack, Topshop Mighty Boots 

Happy September!

It's back to school month! Or end of 'school' month for me really. Either way there was a definite nip in the the air the other morning, and it made me want to dust off a merlot hued lipsticks and grab a scarf. I love autumn and I'm sort of (not really) sorry for the quantity of black things in this post. 

And some music from this month:

Public Enemy - Harder Than You Think - featured on the Paralympics trailer (which is incredible). The two are now inextricably linked in my mind so I've popped it on my marathon training playlist to inspire me.

Baths - Aminals

Destiny's Child - Say My Name (Cyril Hahn remix)

Alt-J - Tessellate 

Nneka - The Uncomfortable Truth