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Old and new spring beauty



Olverum Pure Radiance Facial Oil

After the longest winter ever, we’re finally seeing glimmers of brighter days ahead. The one thing that’s kept me going beauty-wise has been products that engage the senses. Much as I appreciate purely functional products, I’m far more likely to use things if they look, smell and feel nice.


SKINCARE.
Apart from the odd central heating-induced breakout, my skin’s been surprisingly well behaved this year. My morning routine is fairly simple – oil or balm cleanser, followed by hydrating serum, moisturiser and facial oil. Shiseido’s Vital Protection Radiance Serum* (£106 below) has been a joy to use. Even though it’s a creamy texture, it’s quite ‘wet’, so it gives a good amount of slip for morning facial massage (I use my knuckles but you can also use a gua sha stone). While it’s pitched as anti-ageing (for fading dark spots and firming the jawline), I just use it as an extra boost of hydration. (more…)



The perfect ten fashion items of all time



The Ten - Lauren Cochrane

If you’re someone who loves to intellectualise fashion, then Lauren Cochrane’s new book, The Ten: The Stories Behind the Fashion Classics* should stoke your fires.

It’s a deeper-than-deep dive into fashion’s enduring classics from the white tee to the blue jean via the mini skirt, Breton top, ballet pump, little black dress, stiletto, hoodie, trench coat and biker jacket. In case you’re thinking, ‘yawwwnnnn, what more is there to know?’, the answer is, plenty. (more…)



Bringing back the blazer and jeans



Paris Vogue

Who’d have thunk it: blazers are about to make a post-Covid come back.

It’s been widely noted that the novelty of WFH sweats has worn off and some of us like a bit of corporate-lite cos-play. For those going back to offices, even if it’s part time, they want to dress the part. And for the never-going-back-to-the-office brigade, a tailored blazer is still the easiest thing to throw on for impromptu Teams calls. I guess old habits die hard.

The best route for this then is ye olde blazer and jeans combo and fortunately it’s an easy one to shop your closet. Here’s three ways to wear… (more…)



This brand wants to sex up sunscreen



Vacation by poolside FM

It’s happened with skincare, it’s happening with oral care, could Vacation by Poolside FM be the ones to make sunscreen a feel-good ritual, not a chore?

There are many reasons we all love to hate sunscreen. It’s expensive, it’s impractical (who can be arsed to reapply it throughout the day?!), it feels icky or it leaves a white zinc oxide cast on the skin. It’s just not a pleasure.

Enter Vacation by Poolside FM, a brand extension of the 80s throwback online radio station and app. Its premise is to make a sunscreen as nostalgic and joy-inducing as the radio station (more…)