dappled leaves

My friend messaged me the other day.

"Are you free?" she asked, "I have to call you about something."

"I just finished yoga class," I typed back, looking around to see if my ride was here yet. " Will be home in about 20 mins, does that work?"

"Since when did you do yoga?"

It was a response that struck me, because it seemed so far from the reality of my life. I had been working out at least three times a week for a while, and did way more than yoga – barre, boxing, pilates, spin. But up until a year ago, when I last met up with this friend of over a decade, I had been doing zero of those things. I had never signed up for a proper gym, and certainly never went to boutique gym classes. The most regular exercise I ever did was run on the treadmill in my apartment's gym, 20 mins a day, five times a week, for about 2 months in 2017. Then I tried the elliptical, and used it for about twice a week for 5, 6 months.

Back then, I was doing it solely to lose weight. And it worked. But these days, the days where I'm exercising more than ever, my weight has stayed put. That's not really a point of concern for me anymore – I realise that weight has much more to do with diet, and another thing that I've been drawn to these days is learning how to nourish my body, to eat healthy for the sake of my own health.

Does that sound familiar to you?

My relationship to exercise has changed so much. It's driven partly by age and an increasing consciousness of the importance of my health as I grow older, and partly by fitness fads.

It's the second point that interests me more. I had never seen myself as following fitness trends (I've never done keto, never done intermittent fasting, never done no-carb diets, etc. etc.) but recently I've thought more and more about why and how I started taking more care of my health.

In 2018, maybe early 2019, I read an article about how the marker of wealth and success in China was no longer the conspicuous consumption of luxury goods, but rather, a conspicuously toned, healthy body. Spending precious time on working out and on eating well was, and is, a privilege denied to many.

There's something about the way fitness has become trendy. I wouldn't say it's bad, because how can improving your health be bad? But there's something that's somehow insidious about it.

I enjoy the exercises I do, even when my thighs are burning during barre, even when I think my heart is beating at a worrying rate during spin. I feel great afterwards, and I've never slept better than I do now.

I used to see fit people, people who walk around in athleisure after actually working out, people who Instagram themselves in their sports bras and leggings, and never thought that I could be one of them.

How much is me getting fitter actually dictated by what I see on social media? How much is the fact that I am joining in these classes actually the result of me seeing other people online do it? And, if I am healthier and fitter than ever before, how much should I care about the answers to these questions?


(When I started writing this post, it was supposed to be about how I care much more about health than weight now. It somehow spun into this.)

Capsule wardrobes, the Five Piece French Wardrobe and other such 'minimalist' takes on building your wardrobe have really caught on in the last few years. I'm not saying I was exempt from having any interest in following their mantras - in fact, they really got to me. I began making list upon list of the items I needed, of the perfect basics that complete my collection of clothing and elevate me to sartorial nirvana.

I do still see the logic behind it. I think it's great for people who need to cut down on their clothing expenses. But I'm not so sure it's quite as great for people who want to stop thinking so much about clothes, and I think that's one of the main target markets for these 'curated wardrobe' schemes - people who want to spend less of their free time on clothing and shopping. In this trend-led world, it's easy to get caught up on new things, and you spend your money as well as your time trying to keep up. Minimalist wardrobes, I believe, started as a call against this - once you successfully edit down your wardrobe to the perfect amount of timeless items that can all be mixed and matched with one another, putting together outfits that you feel chic and confident in will be effortless.

In these wardrobes, you are supposed to have one item of each piece of clothing that is simply perfect for you - the perfect white t-shirt, the perfect button-down shirt, the perfect pair of blue jeans, etc etc.

[There's more to be said about the merging of minimalism as a fashion aesthetic and minimalism as a lifestyle, which are two different things, but that's perhaps for another post.]

Rather than spending time buying everything in order to look 'fashionable' and 'on trend', the obsession has then simply been transferred to searching for that perfect item of clothing. You only buy exactly what you want, so you try on hundreds of different variations of white shirts trying to find the one that will become your perfect essential. You don't spend less time on clothes at all - it's only that the object of fixation has changed.

I've been through this. I've tried on, for instance, skinny high-rise blue jeans after skinny high-rise blue jeans, searching for the one that fit just right, that wasn't too tight but wasn't too loose around the knees, that was just the right shade of mid-wash blue. And I just got tired. I was going in and out of brick and motar stores on Oxford Street and Regent Street and Covent Garden, so you might argue that it would have been an easier process had I purchased online. I'd imagine, though, that the process of buying multiple pairs of jeans simply to try on at home, likely buying the same styles in different sizes due to inconsistent sizing across different, and even within the same, stores, and then returning all but one (or even just all of them) sounds like even more of a headache to me. And more than that, it's not the physical fatigue that got to me, but the mental one. I'm spending just as much time on clothes, perhaps even more, except this time I'm getting no items out of the process and the climb seemed ever higher.

So I settled. I bought a pair from Zara that fit alright, maybe a little too elastic for my liking, the rise a little too low than I wanted, the colour a little too dark, and it ended up being one of my two most worn pair of pants that summer. The same process with other pieces I bought since has taught me several things:

1. Sometimes what is most useful turns out to be not what I wanted. Take the Zara jeans for example - I wanted the high-rise because I had a pair of high-rise black jeans that I wore endlessly throughout the winter and wanted a pair in blue, but I didn't take into account the change in my environment. I had finished my classes and was about to spend the whole summer in the library day after day working on my dissertation, and the mid-rise made it that much more comfortable to wear. I wanted a higher amount of cotton than the Zara jeans had, but the elasticity was what made it so comfortable for someone who was spending the whole day sitting down. And the wash? I grew to like it.

2. A piece of clothing can be just that - a piece of clothing. Aesthetic can be important (this will depend on how much you care about fashion and the clothes you wear but, well, if you don't care then... this blog is probably not for you). But an item that is good enough but not absolutely perfect might still fill that gap in your wardrobe. Sometimes it's not worth waiting months or even years (as I have) to find that absolutely perfect piece because in the meantime... you're just wishing you had a white t-shirt and thinking how much better your wardrobe will be if you had one.

3. Sometimes what wasn't perfect at the time will become so. I've rediscovered pieces that I didn't know how to style that's been in my wardrobe for a couple of years that I now really enjoy wearing. Because trends change and so do your tastes.

I'd been looking for a short-sleeved shirt a couple of months ago and while decluttering my closet, I found a two-year-old one in my closet. I'd worn it out once and never wore it again. I liked it enough back in the change room that I thought 'why not' and bought it, but it turned out to be sort of a weird length when I actually tried styling it - not long enough that it stayed tucked into high-waisted jeans, but too long to wear it untucked. But now, armed with greater knowledge of fashion tricks, I tried tying the ends into a knot and - I know this sounds a bit dramatic - it completely changed the shirt. I wear it all the time now, and found it hilarious when my mum talked about 'that new shirt' because she was actually there when I bought that shirt two years ago at Mango.

This is not to say you should buy absolutely everything you kind of like the look of even if you feel it's just sort of ill-fitting. But that sometimes they don't turn out to be bad purchases in the end - and if it's something you're drawn to, that in itself is not so trend-led and is the sort of thing you'll probably still want to buy in a couple of years, it's not the worst idea to buy it then and there.

So yeah - there are times when I think it's helpful to not be completely ruthless about your clothing - about how perfect it is, and culling items you already own if it's not. Because then, it's just a waste.

And no, finding that perfect white shirt will not magically improve your life and give you clear skin and make your hair healthy and enable you to live out the effortlessly perfect life of your dreams.

Some of your basics may not be perfect, but they are perfectly adequate.

[Sorry if this seems a bit disjointed. I wrote 2/3 of it months ago and kind of forgot where I initially was going with it when I came back to this draft.]

I've always loved oxfords and had, for years, been meaning to get a black pair that didn't give too much of a 'school shoe' vibe.

'But isn't this a review about white oxfords?' you ask.

Well, yes, we're getting there. It's just that I cannot seem to write a concise review of anything without going into a detailed story of how I came to purchase the thing in the first place. I did say this was going to be a diary-like blog.

These shoes had been on and off my mind for a couple of years before I finally took the plunge in early February. I first saw them on some blog, touted as Serge Gainsbourg's shoes of choice (see below). I'm the sort of person who likes to look into the history of the things I buy, particularly if they're very expensive like these shoes are, so them having ties to such figures appealed to me. Back then, however, I was still looking for something more structured and sturdy-looking - something hardier that would give a more men's officewear, ready-for-a-meeting-in-a-big-law-firm kind of vibe.




While I'm still attracted to that aesthetic, in the past year I have, for various reasons that I may go into in a future post, come to embrace a softer, more 'feminine' look.

These Repetto Zizis came back on my radar: the soft lines, the rather rounded toes, the unstructured leather that moulds to your feet, even the light, airy white colour all seemed very attractive to me now. I searched around some more and found 1. very little reviews on them, which didn't endear me to purchasing such pricey shoes online before I could see them in real life at all, and 2. lots of pictures of ex-Girl's Generation member Jessica Jung wearing them in airport photos, which did endear me to buying them for myself. This kind of celebrity endorsement really speaks to me, and gave me a lot of ideas about how I could incorporate white oxfords into my closet, which now meant that I needed a pair.

My earlier point still stood - I didn't want to buy online, especially after hearing that Repetto shoes run half a size small for some people but not for others - but I passed a Repetto store near my hotel by chance when I was in Hong Kong and went back the next day for a pair.

Sizing
I'm normally a US size 8, and size 38 or 39 depending on the brand. For this pair though - I had to size up to 40. The shop assistant recommended me to go one full size up, and insisted that size 40 was the correct size after I had put it on. I was undeterred, feeling it was a little roomy, and asked for a size 39.5 to try just to make sure. It was a little too tight, and I'd wasted too much time with trying to stretch those just-that-tiniest-bit-too-tight leather shoes in the past, so I ended up getting size 40 instead and have been happy with my decision.

tl;dr go one size up from your usual size

Quality and Comfort
The leather is pretty much the softest leather I've ever felt on shoes. This means that it's incredibly comfortable but the shape of your foot will show underneath. Before buying, I felt this might be a con, but I now don't really care both because of how comfortable this makes the shoes and how it adds this charming insouciant vibe to a style of shoe that is normally very structured. And guys - it's so soft.

The white leather has so far been quite easy to keep clean - a couple of swipes with a piece of cloth and marks are usually gone. Nonetheless, I've mostly worn them indoors in malls and restaurants and such, so perhaps I am not the best judge for this.

In comparison to other oxfords on the market, this pair initially felt a bit flimsy for the price. I've worn it regularly for a month or so, and I have to say - it feels that way while you're wearing them too. The stitching seems impeccable and it's not as if I'm worried it's going to fall apart while I'm walking in them, but the sole feels cardboard-thin, probably due to the brand's origins in ballet shoes. There is a small heel at the back and that feels very sturdy, but the rest of the sole is the type where you can really feel the ground you're walking on. It's not a big problem for me because I'm usually walking on flat, smooth ground but it is something to take note of, especially if you're going to be walking around on, say, cobblestone. This can probably be alleviated by having a cobbler put some rubber soles on the bottom, which will extend the life of the shoe as well, but so far I've been too lazy to do so.

These shoes also have basically no arch support, but I have very low arches so they're comfortable for me on that front. It's probably not suitable for walking around in all day long, but I've walked in them for 2-3 hour stretches at a time and my feet felt perfectly fine.

Overall
They're a great pair of shoes and I love them, though moreso for the look than the comfort, which is average. The colour was a worry of mine, but I realised they would be quite versatile - they can work with outfits you might normally wear your usual staple white sneakers with, and also with outfits where the aforementioned sneakers would be a little too casual for. They add quite a lot of brightness to my outfits, but in a very understated, nonchalant way. I've had a lot of compliments on them - they really do stand out despite the clean simplicity of the design. It feels like a modern update of a classic staple, and I'm so glad I got them despite my initial reservations.

A side note - I had also decided against Nisolo's Oliver oxfords for the same reason I initially dismissed these Repetto Zizis but, again for most of the same reasons I ended up buying these, I've really come around to them. These black ones might be my next shoe purchase.

I'm living in Southeast Asia so honestly, it's always summer here. But I still want to retain some semblance of living in a four-season climate, if only for the sake of nostalgia. After all, part of why living in such places was so enjoyable for me was the marked change of the season throughout the year, as opposed to feeling like you're living through only three 'seasons' - hot, hotter, and hottest.

Because I do intend on introducing at least some of these items into my wardrobe over the next month or so, these are all items of clothing that are feasible, hopefully both stylistically as well as practically, for wearing in warm weather.

1. Pinafore
The younger sister of the slip dress, the pinafore gives a very schoolgirl vibe and reminds me a little of my boarding school's winter uniform, but that's exactly why it's so charming. I've been lusting over one for ages - I saw some corduroy pinafores in Oasis back when I was living in London, and managed to put them out of my mind until I met up with a friend who was wearing the emerald green one I wanted and she looked so good. But by that time, they were, of course, sold out.

I've thought about being adventurous and dabbling with colours - sage green, for example, or blush pink, or burgundy - but I think I'll end up adding a black one to my wardrobe. This look from Sézane may or may not have been the deciding factor.



I realise that the whole French-girl-effortless-chic thing does not actually exist and is just a marketing schtick, but damn if I don't buy into it. And really, look at how softly sophisticated, nonchalantly elegant this whole outfit is.

This exact one is no longer in stock, but this one from Olive, although it looks a lot more loose-fitting, should do the trick. I'm still tempted by the sage green one though.

2. Light-coloured oversized blazer
I bought my first grey checked blazer from Zara over two years ago, before the look really took off and started taking over Instagram. Now that I'm living in a hot country, I'm craving something lighter, both in colour and material. Something that will keep the chill of those perpetually-running air conditioners off my body, but will look casual enough and not out of place in the tropical climate outside.

This beige one from Olive looks perfect. I'm in love with the oversized dropped shoulders, and those elbow patches! Heart-eyes all round. I'm drawn to the vintagey style of this trench too, but let's be real - I'm never gonna get to wear that here.

Before someone calls me a shill for Olive, let me just preface (postface?) this by saying I've bought exactly one top from there and I didn't like it. But there's something about that clean, slightly vintage English countryside aesthetic that really draws me in, and that might be enough for me to try my luck there again.

3. High-waisted, menswear-inspired trousers
If this sounds somewhat specific, that's probably because it is. I'm on r/femalefashionadvice quite a lot, and u/coffee_for_dinner (whose style I love!) posts some outfits in WAYWT wearing these incredible trousers with amazing pleats. Turns out they're part of Topshop's 'Mensy' range, and there are some amazing colours and patterns and materials in that range. I've already ordered these beautiful check ones (although they look more like gingham to me), which I'm thinking will go great will a black mockneck sleeveless top and some oxfords.



4. Loose linen trousers
Preferably paperbag style. I've recently bought these wide-legged muted pink trousers from Zara and, not to exaggerate, but they've been a bit life-changing. Prior to last month, the widest-leg I've gone for has been mom jeans. I've seen the rise of culottes over the past couple of years but have never gone for it myself, more comfortable in my skinny jeans and a skinny-bottom silhouette. But these really just look so good, so casual yet sophisticated, and are so easy to wear. I'm now in the market for some linen ones to really get that beachy, flowy summer vibes.

Zara has some new wide-leg ones in, but the length is a bit too long for me and the waist perhaps too sleek. I'm really liking the look of these off-white pinstripe ones from Uniqlo, and also this mustard coloured one. The legs of these boyfriend ones from notPERFECTLINEN are a little more tapered, but that paperbag, high-waisted style is to die for. And that forest green colour? Those pleats at the top? The ethos of the store? This might be the one for me.



5. Raffia bag
This is, as they say, the other Birkin, bag. That exact style is probably a little too inconvenient for everyday, though that's probably the vibe a straw bag is meant to give - you live a life of such luxury and leisure that what would be inconvenient to others mean nothing to you. This one from UO is so so cute, and Sézane has some cute lemon-embroidered ones that are now sold out. This basket one from Zara is adorably quaint and would look just as good on a desk as it would being used as a bag to be honest. Everyone has probably already seen this, but I'm just gonna link this amazing cage bag here. I also saw this envelope-style bag in store and fell in love.

Regardless of all these cute bags online, if I do get this, I'm probably not going to buy it from a major retailer - seeing as I do live in a country that has traditionally made and used these bags, I might drag myself off my laptop, head to a local market, and go pick one up from there instead.

The Céline Trio bag has been something of a revelation. Endlessly functional and beautifully pared-down - it's the epitome of minimal luxury. As a fan of the Phoebe Philo's Céline minimalist aesthetic, I'd been eyeing the Trio for a while, but never pulled the trigger. There were so many lookalikes on the high street, and I'd succumbed to this & Other Stories one, which had me satiated. It made me realise that the slim rectangular design was nice, yes, but it bulged unflatteringly when I stuffed too many things in the two compartments (to be fair, I brought it travelling which meant I had more 'essentials' than usual) and the leather was... eh.

Then I walked past the Céline store at Selfriges, where they had three Trios hanging from a rack. I was drawn to the gorgeous muted grey-blue that reminded me of the sky before rain at first, and then when I went to touch it... you guys. It was the softest leather, so lush - I couldn't stop touching it. When I went home to sleep on it, though, it was the sunny yet slightly mustardy yellow colourway that I couldn't get out of my mind.

I bought it a couple of weeks later in France. I've been using it non-stop since I bought it in October, and I'm only giving it a break now so I can make use of the rest of my bag collection. I've been using it long enough that I think I have a pretty good indication of its merits, its faults, how it will hold up, all that jazz.




DESIGN
This small Céline Trio is composed of three separate pouches connected by press studs at the top corner of each pouch. The bag's dimensions are 8.5' x 6' x 2'. The press studs turned me off a little at first because I was worried the bag might be too easy to take apart, but they turned out to be very tight. It's difficult enough to remove the pouches from one another that you don't have to be concerned about one of the pouches spontaneously falling off from the rest of the bag.

The strap is sewn into the edges of the middle pouch and honestly, it seemed a little fragile at first but ended up being surprisingly sturdy. The strap is long enough that you can wear it crossbody, although I personally feel that it looks best worn over-the-shoulder. Still, the versatility is good, especially if you're walking through a busy area or one known for having bag-snatchers.

This might be a bit of a weird quibble, but I also prefer bags that lie flat, like this one - I often put my handbag behind me on a chair or on my lap when I'm eating out, and I hate it when bags jut out, whether at the bottom or due to the hardware, and take up unnecessary space. It's why I haven't gotten much use out of the Céline Trapeze, which I bought about a year before this. Conversely, it's also probably why I carry the Trio around so much.

Because this bag is so minimal in design, I think it's good for both day and night. It's simple enough that it looks good with your daytime clothes, but the clean design means it works with fancier outfits too. Because the pouches are removable, you also have the options of just carrying one pouch around, or removing the front and the back pouches and snapping them together, and then carrying it like that.




FUNCTIONALITY
For most of last year, I had very little to carry around and was living a climate that generally required a light jacket, so the Chanel WOC was my go-to bag as whatever I couldn't fit in the bag could just go into my jacket pockets. However, the Trio came into my life at a time when I started carrying more around and it was the perfect upgrade in size. This bag is like Hermione's handbag - you can fit so much more into this bag than you would ever think. The bag itself is also very light to start off with, so you're never weighted down no matter what you fill it with.

The downside to that, though, lies in the design of the bag. The things you put in there obviously end up at the bottom of the bag, and because of the design, this means the bag will often bulge out at the bottom. It's not quite so noticeable when only the middle pouch is filled out, but when all three are, the seamless, unfussy shape of the bag is somewhat undermined. If this is something that bothers you, you can negate this simply by putting lessening the amount of things in the bag, and limiting the bulkiness of the items you carry around.

This might not be relevant to many, but I also use quite a lot of public transport and something that just makes my life that little bit easier are bags that are accessible. To me, this means bags that have a pouch on the back, like a Chanel WOC, where I can put my travel card in or bags like this Trio that simply has a zipper on the top, making it so much quicker to find my card or ticket. The fact that I don't have to fuss around with annoying buckles during those rush-hour moments and can simply reach into a pocket for my card without having to look is something small that truly makes a difference for me. It's gotten to the point where I do plan what bag I will use around this, and is part of why the Trio has become such a go-to for me.




QUALITY
The Trio is very well-made, as should be expected for the price. The construction is perfect, the stitching is very well-done. The smooth lambskin leather is so, so very soft. This is both a positive and a negative, in my opinion. It was the superior quality of the leather compared to all alternatives, plus the beautiful colour, that made me buy this bag. Nevertheless, this is one of the biggest downsides of the Trio.

I tend to baby my bags when I first get them, but even so, this one got quite a deep scratch in the middle from the zipper of my coat in the first couple of weeks. I intentionally tried to keep it away from the zipper for fear of this very thing happening, but it somehow did anyway. The softness also means that the front pouch tends to show the silhouette of whatever you're carrying inside. It's quite easy for the leather mould to the shape of the item inside if it's sticking out. For this reason, I wouldn't say it's the most durable of bags, and with the creasing and wrinkles that accompany standard usage of this bag, it will look worn-in very quickly.

I also have to say that the back of the bag has been experienced staining from the dye of my pants. This is something I should have expected, but it's quite disappointing nonetheless and has made the back pouch look extremely worn. If I were to buy this again, I can't say I would necessarily choose a darker colour, since it was this yellow that I fell in love with. I will, however, say that if you don't already have your heart set on a colour, definitely go for one of the darker ones.

OVERALL
This is one of my favourite bags, and definitely my current favourite. I might also be a little biased because I have great memories attached to this bag - I bought it on a really great trip, and used it for the first time on a first date with someone I'm still seeing. But it's honestly very useable, which is the primary function of bags. I never have to spend too much effort rearranging things so that it will all fit - they simply do. The design is very versatile and I can carry it in so many ways. It doesn't get in the way, like bigger bags that have to be hand-carried can sometimes can. The colour never fails to brighten up my day. All in all, a lovely, lovely bag.

This colour is no longer available but you can browse the other colours and sizes here.

I started this year off thinking it wouldn't be a big one for makeup. I'd figured out a quick and easy routine that I liked in the second half of last year and thought I would just spend the year following that, but isn't that what always happens? You find a look you thought would be your 'signature look' and two months later you're already chopping and changing things up.

 I started wearing more makeup in the second half of the year because my taught courses were finally done and without early morning classes ('early' by my standards, which means around 10am), I had a lot more time to spend on doing my face in the morning. I've always been intrigued by the igari makeup look and also started getting into that sunburnt blush look during the summer, so this year was the year I started getting comfortable with putting on more than just a dab of blush.

 This list is more about what I've enjoyed using and been excited to use, and does not cover all categories of makeup because honestly some of them I just find a little boring. Sorry. Anyway - without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my eight most-loved items of the year:




1. Burberry Almond Eye Contour Stick
By far the most used out of all the products I own. Like most people who frequent beauty blogs, I usually research excessively on whatever I was thinking of spending money on, but this purchase was a bit of an anomaly. I wanted the Almond powder eyeshadow but my local Sephora only stocked the stick version. A quick google search in front of the Burberry stand pulled up maybe two reviews on this, but I decided to buy it anyway. I'd been looking for something a little warmer, and was initially a little disappointed at how cool-toned it looked when I tried this on my eyelids the first time. However, it turned out to be perfect for just a little definition with one layer, and for that slightly-grungy, lived-in eyeshadow look with a couple more swipes. It's also perfect for layering underneath other colours to give a little more dimension. This has become one of the maybe six things I bring whenever I need to pack a very streamlined makeup bag.

 I can't in good conscience fully recommend this, because both sticks I've bought have broken off at some point, and I really expect more from something at the price point. What I will say though - after my first one became unusable, I didn't immediately repurchase and tried to give my other eyeshadow sticks some love. I lasted about two weeks before biting the bullet. It is and will be for the foreseeable future an indispensable part of my everyday makeup routine.

 2. MAC Soft Brown
 An eyeshadow bought in search of something that would give me that warm, grungy eye look. I was previously using Urban Decay's Buck from my Naked Palette, but was getting leery of using something so old near my eyes (I've had it since 2013) and had wanted something with a more orange base. I had tried in on the back of my hand in store and it looked perfect, but once I got home and tried it on my lids, it looked way too orange. On top of the aforementioned Burberry eyeshadow stick though - perfection. It has been my eyeshadow combination of choice for the most of the year, sometimes with a little dark brown eyeshadow near my lashline for more definition.


3. Burberry Earthy
A product I had been lusting over for years, ever since I first saw it on Messy Wands (at one time my favourite beauty blog ever - her old posts are still definitely worth a read). I won't lie - getting into a graduate degree in London was what pushed me to finally buy this. Burberry's classically minimal yet effortlessly grungy makeup look really speaks to me, and if I can't try to rock that while I was in London, then when else would I do it?

This is far and away the best powder blush formula I've ever tried. It's silky and soft and so, so blendable. The colour is utter perfection, never overbearing, and for the first half of the year this was often the only cheek product I had on. It softly sculpts the face without screaming 'contour!' and, due to the slightly pink undertone, always looks natural. Sometimes I also use this as eyeshadow for that monochromatic, cohesive look, and loved it so much that I tried to hunt down an actual, unscented eyeshadow in the same colour to no avail. Also, that checked gunmental packaging. Swoon.

 4. Victoria Beckham x Estée Lauder bronzer in Java Sun
Prior to this year, I had never owned a bronzer before and had no interest in doing so. But being in a country where there was an actual winter and people actually looked forward to summer for the first time made me appreciate summertime too, and with it, that sunkissed look. I had been debating getting the Chanel Les Beiges powder in a darker colour as a reward for finishing my exams, but wanted something more red-toned. donothingdilletante's comment on this Reddit post made me take a look at this product. I dithered for a couple of months, thought about getting the new Becca bronzer in Maui Nights, found out it was sold out on Cult Beauty, dithered some more and finally put in the order for this at the end of summer. I don't have great timing.  I've used this almost everyday since I got it. The formula is so, so finely-milled, and the colour is perfect for my purposes. I usually brush it across my face, right over the top of my cheekbones and on my nose-bridge. With a few swipes, I come out looking effortlessly, perfectly sunkissed.

 5. Glossier Cloud Paint in Dusk and Beam
Like many others, I had been waiting for Glossier to ship to the UK for the longest time, and ordered pretty much the first day it happened. At first I had been planning on getting Beam by itself, but the praises I had seen online were all pretty much directed at Dusk, so I ended up getting both. First things first - the formula is not my favourite. I know this has been widely praised precisely for the formula, but I find it slightly hard to blend, and a tad patchy too - something like the Becca Beach Tints have a much more elegant formula, in my opinion. Despite that, it is the Cloud Paints that are on my favourites because these two colours combined make the most perfect burnt peach, which was exactly what I had been searching for. I do use Dusk by itself, but Beam is slightly too bright for my colouring. Together, however - this combination has not left my cheeks in months.




6. Lily Maymac x 3CE Matte Lip Colour in #908 Warm and Sweet
I've been obsessed with Lily's lipsticks forever, so when I heard she collaborated with 3CE, I was pretty much first in line for the online order. Again, I had been wanting an MLBB colour and considered MAC's Velvet Teddy and Charlotte Tilbury's Pillowtalk lip pencil (this was before the lipstick came out) but decided I wanted something that had a peachier undertone to it. So when I saw this, I snapped it up. It's been my go-to lipstick of choice ever since - I even wore this to my graduation! It's a terracotta peach colour, and toes that line between being bright enough to give some freshness to my face but still being muted enough that it melds in gorgeously with my complexion.

7. MAC Chili
I first heard about this years ago on The Anna Edit, back when it was Vivianna Does Makeup, but really only thought about getting it when I heard about its reputation as the Suzy lipstick due to this cover. I mean, just look at it.



Although it turned out her makeup artist actually used a different colour, my mind was stuck on Chili. Having seen it recommended so many times on the muacjdiscussion subreddit by lgbtqbbq only made me want it more. Autumn seemed like the perfect time to be rocking a terracotta, burnt red lip, and unlike with the bronzer, I wanted to get this in time to actually enjoy it in the season I felt it most suited. So I decided to make a day out of it and go to the V&A and make a pitstop on the way back at Harrods for a 10% discount on the lipstick.

This is pretty much the most longwearing lipstick I have. The colour is absolutely what I wanted and looks amazing on, both a full-strength and applied lightly as a stain. I've been loving wearing this as a slightly smudged, lived-in red lip, rather than a meticulously applied lip with sharp edges. I find it's much easier to wear a bold colour when you softly blur the outer edges, giving it that effortless, casual feel.

8. Topshop Jelly Pot in Phenomenon
There are unfortunately no pictures of this as I threw it out when it had reached the end of its shelf life, but this was what really started me on the orange blush hunt. The colour was the most impeccable translucent true orange and was excellent for that watercolour blush effect. The emollient formula meant that it was incredibly easy to blend but meant that it didn't last very long, so I started looking for another cream blush that would last longer on my face. I think this was discontinued a while ago, since I picked it up back when I was living in Sydney in 2015 for half-price. A shame, really.

Instead of packing for an international move that is happening in less than two days, I am starting this blog.