Outfit:
Jeans (Levi's 501)
AF1
and my socks are from Uniqlo
The other day I made this post about a dilemma I was having over a new leather jacket I'd just bought. With it being something I'd never really worn before, I was unsure if I would be able to get it to work with my usual layering of hoodies under everything. I was even so unsure that I wore the jacket out on a walk with the tags still in it. Like, all the tags. (No one could see though).
Now I've had the chance to ascend into my true nineties-sitcom-styling-form I can bring you this outfit that I threw together before heading to Tesco. It's pretty humid in London right now so I actually wouldn't recommend a look like this in the current climate, but you know, when the outfit is good the outfit is good. For a summer feel I'd probably recommend some denim shorts in the same wash to avoid overheating.
The hairclip truly pulls everything together (I'm wearing it right now) and I'm so glad these have come back into fashion. I grabbed mine from Superdrug but I can't remember how much they were, maybe £3? Anyway, I feel like Julia Roberts in Notting Hill. I've also started to adjust to having my hair curly all the time. Now it's shorter it's so much easier to maintain and my new side bangs look really cute when my hair is up. Sometimes I question why I straightened my hair for so many years when it has WAYYY more volume curly?
"Yes - happiness isn't happiness without a violin-playing goat".
OKAY WOW I'M REALLY PROUD OF THIS OUTFIT
Bye,
Lauren x
I just finished watching the 'Christian Dior, Designer of Dreams' at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs hour-long documentary on YouTube and now I don't know what to do with myself. I waited for the credits to roll until the music section came up so I could jot down all the songs and listen to them later on while imaging I was part of the talented team who put the exhibition together (I'm listening to L by Tycho right now).
I liked the video so much I just went back to YouTube to give it a thumbs up.
When the exhibition was on at the V&A I was lucky enough to snag tickets for me and my mum (I literally bought them three months in advance) to go see this mammoth display of Dior garments. If you watch the documentary on YouTube it explains it much better, but the rooms that held the dresses were split into different themes that reflected the original ideas Dior had for womenswear. Each creative director of the house since has interpreted Dior's initial interest and passions in their own way and you can really see his influence even in more modern creations. Looking at some of Raf Simons' pieces in real life was a really beautiful moment!!
The combination of watching the YouTube documentary and having memories of the exhibition at the V&A really hit home the transformative power of fashion. Many of the garments created by Dior are tied to such important moments in history and it's so incredible to have access to an archive as extensive as what was on display, even if it's just to look at! In short, I recommend the documentary 100% and would also urge you to see the exhibition which I think go extended? But is long over now? And everything is closed anyway?
Final BIT:
Now that we're all in lockdown and art galleries have been closed, I really regret that I didn't see more exhibitions when I had the chance. The last one I went to was the Bridget Riley exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London last December. I love Bridget Riley and that was a great show too. The Hayward Gallery is right by the Thames and afterwards, I had a burrito sat under Waterloo Bridge and my hands nearly fell off.
Final FINAL BIT:
When I graduated my parents got me the book that accompanied the exhibition and it's LOVELY.
Goodbye
Lauren x
A leather jacket I ordered arrived in the post today and I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's currently on the end of my bed half in the plastic it came in and half on the tissue paper that was used to wrap it. I think the dilemma is more because once I put the jacket on I realised I didn't look like Bella Hadid as opposed to the issue coming from the jacket itself, which has committed no fault. I bought it in a size 10 under the guise that it would be slightly bigger than me so I could wear hoodies and jumpers underneath it in winter. This isn't the case and the shape is slightly more fitted than I was hoping for. My flatmate Jules has assured me that this is because I've never worn a leather jacket before, so I took a nap in the afternoon and tried it on again afterwards. The feeling remains.
Outerwear, for me, has always been a struggle. I have a long wool coat that fits too tightly under the armpits, an XL puffer jacket that looks like someone has jumped on it and a slightly oversized suede piece from Carharrt that I'm either in love or completely loathe, day dependent. I can never hit the fit perfectly. I blame this on my own laziness, which predates Coronavirus, and meant that I told myself that I never had time to go instore to try anything on. Number one: why would I ever do that when I can shop online? That's it, that's the line of excuses and now my own stupidity has led me to become the proud owner of three (I'm not including the leather jacket yet as she has one sleeve on the returns pile) ill-fitting pieces of outerwear.
A rule of thumb to use when measuring the effectiveness and functionality of outerwear is its ability to withstand layering, and by that I mean, can you wear multiple items underneath said jacket in the winter and the piece still hold up? This is pretty much the only thing I look for when buying a coat. I'm talking a turtle neck, a t-shirt, a hoodie, a scarf, gloves and finally, the jacket on top to complete that day's fashion pièce de résistance. This leather jacket I have purchased is not really like that and has the feel and shape of a shirt, but I will take you through some positive points: the leather is very soft, it hangs nicely and has a popper close down the front which I like. I will even dare to say that this jacket COULD be worn without a top underneath, but I will never do that.
Before I carefully refolded the leather jacket to put back into its original packaging (does anyone else do this to make it look like they never opened the parcel when it gets back to the depot? No? Just me, okay) I FaceTimed with my friend in LA to get her verdict. I jumped into a pair of black jeans that just about fit me and tried to work the jacket with a cropped turtle neck. This was not the look. Next, I grabbed a black satin dress from my wardrobe and tried it with a pair of strappy mules I have. I was so pleased with this outfit that I became immediately sad that I was single/would never feel bold enough to wear this outside/had absolutely nowhere to go.
I'm keeping the jacket based on this one epic outfit.
Other bits:
I've finally bought a workout mat after doing stretches and press-ups against a wooden floor. My knee is in excruciating pain and I do not recommend this.
I made my own mango ice cream and I cannot/will not shut up about it.
Happy Friday, I'm going to have some wine now
Lauren x
I cried so hard at an episode of The Walking Dead the other night that I started to have a nosebleed. Sat on our cream sofa dressed in all white, what I thought was just a main character death fuelled breakdown was, in fact, an overheated outpouring of pent up emotion, with a side serving of nasal bleeding. Shuffling around with a fresh stain on my shirt, Jules disappeared to get her Vanish spray as I continued to cry while failing to break off a piece of leftover Dairy Milk bar that was too cold from the fridge.
I definitely had it in me to cry harder, knowing that my tears were caused 30% by what I was watching, 5% by the timing of my hormones, 2% because of the pizza I tried to make from scratch three times and 63% by my deep-rooted and unmanaged psychological pain that I express on rare, special occasions much to my own embarrassment and awkward shock of the people around me. With snot also running down my face (what? I'm an ugly crier), the scene changed and I was able to collect myself just in time before agreeing to another episode.
Later in the evening, and tired from my outburst, I left the washing machine to run so I could ensure the stain would come out of my t-shirt (top tip: don’t run the washing machine at midnight in a block of flats). Lying down to stare at the ceiling I started to feel bad (and stupid) that I had cried so much at a fictional character’s death. My knee-jerk reaction was to apologise to Jules immediately “I’m sorry, this rarely happens, this is why I shouldn’t drink, I’m really sorry, God this is so embarrassing, don’t look at me” as I stuffed more tissue up my nose to stop the bleeding. In recent years I have banished myself to the land of 'no crying unless absolutely necessary', choosing to leave my exile and express emotion to the unfortunate group of people closest to me (both in proximity and relation). It makes me feel excruciatingly vulnerable and I hate it, I really, really hate it; sometimes I can go weeks or months without even shedding a single tear.
Sporadic occasions I have cried and regretted it:
1. I was having a difficult conversation while sat outside with someone and a stranger walked over to tell me they liked my top, asking where I’d bought it from and if it was even a top or just a very short dress.
2. I shut myself in a room (it had glass walls so it wasn’t a good idea) at work and I started to cry (I knew it was coming so I took myself away) and someone came into the room to the repair the door lock.
3. On a train reading an emotional chapter of a book (I regret every single time I’ve cried on public transport because if people do notice, they only look at you in total horror)
4. Walking through Oxford Circus listening to I’ll Be Seeing you by Jimmy Durante (this was a bad day).
Anyway, so there I was wailing on the sofa having a nosebleed as I tried to expunge my store of February, March and April tears into yet another pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream when I realised I was hurting. I was hurting badly. I know I apologised profusely to my flatmate and later regretted even crying in the first place, but when I was later lying in bed I was trying to work out why I felt so ashamed, or so bad. What was the takeaway? What was I doing? Why was I bothered? Who even am I? What do I do with the pain? Why is it so bad to cry? Truthfully, my tears stem from a place of ~intense~ grief, both from physical and metaphorical loss (if that makes sense) that I'll never be able to fix or remedy. Sometimes the combination of an emotional TV show, that time of the month and painful memories blend together in perfect destructive harmony and I have no choice but to cry.
As it cannot be helped I'm going to provide you with some tried and proven tips that I hope come in handy if you ever find yourself crying in public:
1. Try and cry near people you like because then you won't feel so bad afterwards. For some reason crying around people you don't like makes it worse? Does it? It does.
2. See if you can let it go in one giant dry heave instead of several sobs that might ruin your make up.
3. If you don't want to say why you're really crying, lie. What do you owe people? Nothing.
4. Buy a hot chocolate from Pret (or your nearest favourite coffee shop) immediately afterwards.
5. Buy yourself something nice if it has been a big cry
6. Drink some water to replenish what was lost
7. Call your parents
8. If somebody has made you cry, never ever speak to them again, unless it was happy tears.
9. If you're on public transport a) pretend it's hayfever/a light allergy b) look out the window until you reach your stop and don't make eye contact with anyone
10. Remember it feels good to cry! For a short time - then you'll feel horribly embarrassed as your damp tears steep you in regret and everything feels worse again.
What a ride! Until the next one!
Lauren x
I’ve been tasked with writing this week’s family FaceTime quiz but have so far spent the day in bed reading a murder mystery book that I thought would be in a smaller font. It's a slow burn and now I'm weighing up the pros and cons of going outside for a long walk around the city to contemplate my existence. Pros: it's nice weather today, I can pick up some food, probably get more Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and it'll give me something to do, cons: it feels like the population of London has given up on social distancing and queuing for the supermarket is my least favourite thing to do out of all my extracurricular activities. I didn't go outside yesterday and it's one of my biggest regrets in the last 24 hours. I hurt my neck and back carrying too much back from a Tesco in a flimsy tote bag so I've also taken a mini-break from the excessive crunches and squats I was doing in the living room. I feel very sluggish. I might buy a skipping rope.
(My older brother was the last quizmaster and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to compete. He'd photoshopped his face over Stephen Fry's on every other slide like we were in an episode of QI and I don't possess the time or energy to do that. I will, however, make every slide millennial pink so that it feels like a Glossier sponsored family quiz).
I don't know about you but I've found the past two weeks annoyingly hard and its truly reached the point where the days have all mashed together in one horrific Walking Dead fuelled blur. There's no longer the dread of Sunday night turning into Monday morning and then waking up on Tuesday knowing that it's only Tuesday. But there's also no Thursday-Oh-My-God-Friday-is-coming feeling. No Saturday morning breakfast treats. No fuck it! let's get extra sides at dinner and a trio of desserts to share after. (Yes, I know you can get Deliveroo but we all know it's not the same). The highlight of my days, if I don't go outside, is baking something. Yesterday it was banana bread with chocolate chips - though the chocolate chips were all sold out so really it was just banana bread and chocolate chunks where I'd improvised and sliced up a packet of Dairy Milk. I'm a chef now. The other day I made tiramisu for the first time, and by made I mean the whole shebang. Like, literally the whole thing. I wanted to get ladyfingers from Tesco but that was a nonstarter; I tried to go back to the cake section to triple check but you can't go back in supermarkets anymore, you have to follow the arrows like in IKEA. Anyway, ladyfinger-less (???) I decided to make my own using up what little flour we had left and about 50 eggs that I failed to split yolk and white from which I then whisked together in a saucepan because it was the biggest 'bowl' we had. The end result wasn't horrific and it was really satisfying to make something from start to finish like that.
(I accidentally added a WHOLE cup of sugar to the cream, don't do that, read the recipe AND we don't have any measuring spoons here so when it says cup I was using a small coffee cup)
Other bits:
1. Jules and I have now successfully moved onto Season Eight of the Walking Dead after I recovered from the death of one of my favourite characters. I can't believe we're nearly at season 10 and we have committed ourselves solidly to a show like this. What are we going to do afterwards? She said we'll just watch another show, but what will it be? So many unanswered questions.
2. BIG NEWS, Honest Burger in London is back on Deliveroo - they do the best vegan burgers I've ever had and even though securing a Deliveroo slot with them is a myth I am so happy for their return.
3. The Glossier Hand Cream doesn't give me a rash!
Okay, I'm going outside now listening to this.
BYE
Lauren x
Glossier Hand Cream £16
In the COVID-19 era of ritualistically applying hand cream, it feels apt that millennial superstar brand Glossier have now launched their own as an answer to the question I never knew I was asking. Throwing it all the way back to six weeks ago (#memories) when getting moisturisers, hand sanitiser and general hygiene products briefly became a myth, the geniuses behind Boy Brow and Balm Dotcom were cooking up the next highly sought after pink item for your beauty cabinet. A sucker for literally all their products (bar the ones that give me terrible spots on my forehead and make my skin burn) I’m excited to add Glossier’s new hand cream to my roster.
(Just a brief pause. Can anyone really tell the difference between faux leather jackets and real leather jackets? Besides the price. I’ve canvassed everyone I know about this and have come to no conclusion. I annoy myself).
Packaging:
Receiving any item in the post from Glossier is an uplifting experience. From the branded tape used to seal the box to the free sticker inside that I will later apply to my laptop to let people know that I know that they know that I know about Glossier. I also love the ziplock bags and have one in every size.
The Hand Cream packaging:
I feel that Glossier always do really well on the individual wrapping of their products, so much so that I tend to keep the empty boxes (admitting that now feels stupid, I’m sorry). Luckily, the hand cream is no exception and comes in a papery sealed bag reminiscent of a prescription from a pharmacy (in a good way??). The bottle itself is a silhouette I’ve never really seen before - a bit like suncream maybe. Jules agrees. It comfortably sits in the palm of my hand and I like that it’s embossed with the brand’s logo all the way around.
THE ACTUAL HAND CREAM:
Trialling the hand cream right now, Jules and I went with a pea-sized amount each and discovered that a little goes a long way. You squeeze the bottle and the product comes out quite slowly and in ribbons due to the shape of the lid. It’s slightly greasy to begin with and you can still feel it on your hands 10 minutes later which is the only partial letdown. The mild scent of Glossier’s You perfume is a nice addition and smells a bit different to the body fragrance (due to the "emphasis on fresh, clean notes").
Overall:
I’ve noticed people say in reviews online that they would like this hand cream to be reusable and I definitely agree with that. Maybe some kind of refill you could buy would be great. Also, after wearing the hand cream for about 20 minutes I have to say that my hands are super soft which, with flakey and peeling knuckles due to washing them 100 times a day, is a nice relief.
Would I recommend this product? Yeah, I mean, why not? It’s a fun thing to own and it’s always nice to have products from brands you really like. TREAT URSELF. I'll update my blog if I notice any sort of rash/allergic reaction.
Coming back several hours later to add that my hands are still soft!1!!!!!11 Magical.
Other bits:
I'm thinking about cutting my own hair, specifically a fringe. It's going to be at least two months until I see a hairdresser and if I do it now, it'll have grown by then and they can fix it if I do a botch job.
I might make tiramisu this week, stay tuned.
Okay that's it I'm done.
Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee,
Lauren x
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