Showing posts with label Dolly Alderton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dolly Alderton. Show all posts
1/12/2019
More 2018 Favourites
One more favourites post, with feeling. I kinda stopped doing monthly favourites posts last year because I'd often just end up using the same products, listening to the same music and vice versa. Much of this list will probably come as no surprise but at the same time there's some things I want to draw more attention to. There's beauty, writing, things to listen to and things to watch. Enjoy!
MUSIC:
My two most-listened to artists for much of 2018 were Florence and the Machine and Lana Del Rey. High As Hope was released, Florence's fourth album and I loved it. Candid, poetic lyrics. Melodies to bewitch. It remained in my car stereo for months on end. I cannot wait to experience it all live in a couple of weeks as well.
Lana Del Rey was more a nostalgic thing but her albums Honeymoon and Lust For Life were on high rotation. Honeymoon reminds me of Summer. Lust For Life, Autumn and Winter. I love her lyrics and their subtle nods to Hollywood and literature among other things.
TV:
The Good Place-I loved this show so much that I watched Season 1 and 2 twice during the year. It's clever brilliant comedy-bought to us by the creator of Parks and Rec which I also love so go figure. On a slightly nerdier level, I love the spotlight it shines on ethics and philosophy. Yass plz. Plus that casting of brilliant women: Kristen Bell, D'Arcy Carden, Jameela Jamil. The. Best.
Feud: Bette & Joan-Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange bought Bette Davis and Joan Crawford to life in this miniseries. Drama, glamour and fascinating viewing. As well as stunning costuming. It also shines a light on the uglier side of fame and relevancy+how that can in turn impact on families and the inner circles of Crawford and Davis. If you're in New Zealand, you can find this series on Lightbox.
BEAUTY:
*As an aside, I more or less stuck to products I used and loved this year so this category is incredibly sparse as a result. I recommend perusing the archives if you want more of an insight into the beauty products I use.
L'Oreal Paradise Mascara: I couldn't not mention this mascara. I LOVE it and went through multiple tubes of it throughout 2018. I may or may not have a backup waiting to be used too. Ahem. Anyway, this mascara is fuss-free, long-wearing, lengthening, volumising, love in a tube. You get the gist.
MAC Tan Pigment: An item that has been on my wishlist for years and I finally purchased it last year. I love it I tell ya. Rose gold-y, coppery, sparkly perfection. I love to apply this wet to really amp up the pigment and metallic finish.
PODCASTS:
The High Low Show: Dolly and Pandora's podcast is my favourite. It's entertaining and fun. As well as the bigger issues, they always natter about what they are reading and watching too which I love. Actually I just love the whole thing let's be honest. Dolly and Pandora are the two friends we all want in our lives and their podcast feels like a weekly, intimate chinwag.
How To Fail: Failure is a word that carries a whole lot of meaning and significance. Elizabeth Day's podcast is about exploring the intricacies of failure and thus reframing them. She interviews public figures about their journeys and life stories. They discuss how they've failed and instead of focusing on it as a 'woe is me' kind of concept, Day and her guests consider how it has helped them. How failure in turn defines our present selves. Standout episodes, for me at least were Dolly Alderton's and Olivia Laing's. I'm looking forward to reading Day's upcoming book of the same name when it is released this year.
WRITING:
Dolly Alderton (yes I am a fangirl ok) and Caitlin Moran's columns for the times. I have the Times subscription for the free articles and once I wake I go in and read Dolly+Caitlin's columns. It's kind of a ritualistic thing for me really. They're always inspiring, entertaining and wise reads.
Oh Comely Magazine: My favourite magazine of the year was this UK gem. Always laden with great content and stories and women. I love how there are book reviews each issue as well as their seasonal playlists. Yes please. I love how they regularly accept submissions of work from near and far as well. It's a feel-good magazine and I bloomin' love it.
*What did you love in 2018?
1/06/2019
My Top 10 Reads of 2018
2018 was the year of reading. A lot. I read 74 books-including literary magazines. After a bit of tweaking I've managed to come up with a list of my ten favourite books read in 2018. It's not ranked by preference but these are all titles I read and loved during the year...
Everything I Know About Love x Dolly Alderton: How incredibly unexpected is this inclusion? Ahem. This hardback tome of Dolly's tales and wisdom was read and read with such joy. I laughed loudly in public reading excerpts, I cried. I wanted to wallpaper my walls and notebooks with Dolly's prose. This is such a special, charming, brilliant book and I look forward to reading it again soon.
M Train x Patti Smith: I read and reread a few of Patti Smith's writings this year. It was M Train, her love letter to writers, writing, coffee and contemplation that has stuck with me. I read this in Spring and it made me want to plan a writerly holiday and left me yearning for more of the beauteous thing that is solo travel. Patti Smith's writing is potic and whimsical and hums with quiet, understated charm.
Normal People* x Sally Rooney: Ahem, again how unexpected. Sally Rooney's writing makes my mind turn into the heart reaction emojis on Facebook+Instagram. She dissects every nuance of character and relationships with such finesse. The way in which her stories evolve and travel forward by dialect is just brilliant. Normal People resonates because Connell and Marianne are so believable. I see fragments of them all around me in people I know. Rooney's writing is so alluring and it's not surprising to me that this tile has been flying off the shelves.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation x Ottessa Moshfegh: A darkly brilliant novel about twenty-somethings. Existential crises swirl around unlikeable characters. This book about a faceless protagonist who sleeps for a year, occasionally surfacing for the odd shopping spree and Whoopi Goldberg film session, is dark but hilarious. The ways in which it commentates on loneliness and life unravelling are so poignant. While the novel is satirical, if you are feeling a little vulnerable, perhaps venture in to this one with caution.
The Cost of Living x Deborah Levy: An introduction to Levy for me. A book of loss, relationships spanning generations, writing sheds and contemplation. It all unfolds so seamlessly and Levy's writing is intricately detailed.
Tinderbox x Megan Dunn: A recommendation from Kiran's blog feature last year. A book about the art of adapting Farenheit 451. Also a book waxing lyrical on Megan Dunn's days as a bookseller for Borders. Addicting, hilarious reading. I loved it.
How To Be Both x Ali Smith: 2018 was the year I also read a lot of Ali Smith's words. Rather than fill this list with her books, I've gone for the one that has stayed with me. A novel that plays with the concept of fresco painting. It is multifaceted. A story set across two time periods; the present day and renaissance Italy. It looks at two teenager's perspectives on love, art, loss, the passage of time. It's cleverly done.
Bluets x Maggie Nelson: So this is a reread but it's another book I think on often. Nelson's meditations and musings on the colour blue. How she sees it in her life and the world around her. Its presence in art. Beautifully written and a book I've scribbled annotations throughout.
Call Me By Your Name x Andre Aciman: Read last Summer in frenzied bursts on my commute to and from work. Conjuring memories of Italy and its gorgeous scenery and architecture. First loves, exquisite dialogue, peaches and Summer frivolity. Every bit as rich and lush as the film.
Crudo x Olivia Laing: This book is short and punchy. Written during 2017 through the lens of Kathy Acker as a narrator. It draws parallels with events from Laing's own life. Crudo is raw and a times I found myself needing to escape the heavy all too real prose. At the same time I love the truth and timeliness contained within its pages.
/ What did you read and love in 2018?
*Review copy
8/06/2018
Five Things: August
August is here and I think an idea that's probably going to define my month is change. Speaking of change-things will be changing around these parts in due course. Let's focus on the now though shall we? This month we have a movie-musical I'm kinda obsessed with, a book I want to gift all my girlfriends, makeup and some wishlist worthy things...
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: Specifically the soundtrack but also the movie. To know me is to know I love ABBA and musicals so I was going to be hard-pressed not to like this movie. That being said, I was concerned about the absence of Meryl. And while that did bother me a tad, no spoilers, this new story made up for it. Lily James was brilliant as young Donna-what a voice. I also found myself majorly loving the costumes, that seventies Bohemian thing though yass. Seriously though, Mamma Mia 2 is a good time. An emotionally charged time but a good time no less. Do it.
Scattered Light: Hourglass have been on fire with their new releases. I loved their concealer, dropped a few months back and have heard equally good things about their loose powder and mascara. Today though, we have their new glitter eyeshadows. Think cream to powder and you can layer up the glitter, depending on what takes your fancy. I have the shade Reflect, a champagne hue which is versatile enough to throw on whenever. I like to layer it with other glitters; pigments and liquid shadows but it works equally as well on its own. The formula of these reminds me of the pressed glitter in Charlotte Tilbury's eyeshadow palettes. Velvety and budge-proof. Love love love.
Everything Dolly Alderton Knows About Love: This is really one of those books I think everyone should just read for themselves and discover its brilliance in their own way. That'd make this the shortest paragraph ever so here's what I said on Instagram: "I wasn't sure what to expect from this book and it wasn't really until I started listening to Dolly's podcast that accompanies the book, as well as The High Low show that I really was like okay, I need to read this right now. Abandon all the other books. Which I gladly did. My god what a book. Brilliant, moving. Such a wonderful look at relationships, women and friendship in all its forms. I cried. I laughed loudly. I wanted to rip out pages and wallpaper my walls with them...I couldn't have read this book at a better time and really encourage you all to do so."
Iconic Notebooks: Everyone's favourite tome, frankie have this trio of snazzy, fangirl notebooks. Susan Sarandon, Molly Ringwald, Debbie Harry. Perfect for jotting down equally as iconic prose and of course they're beautiful to look at.
Things I Want But Don't Need #1: Ah the quickfire round of treat yo'self goodness. Firstly, Peony & Blush Suede Body+Hand Wash from Jo Malone London. I know this would go down a treat in my bathroom but I'd want to hide it away and save it for myself. The struggle is real slash #sophiedoesnotsharefancythings. Next up, the Golden Hour ring x my favourites, Zoe and Morgan. I already have one of their rings from a recent sale they did and I wear it to death so I know this would be well loved. Last but by no means least, one for when I win the lottery; this bag. Never not thinking about it. Plus my cardholder needs a friend, yes cardholders have feelings. Okay moving along...
5/17/2018
Podcasts I Heard+Liked #1
Podcasts are my jam. I cannot live without them these days and find they're the perfect accompaniment when I'm at my desk working. Today we have four podcasts+some radio programs you should have a listen to. They're all ones I've loved and enjoyed lately and will keep listening to. Enjoy...
Stephen Fry x The Happy Place: This podcast comes at the recommendation of Emma, thanks Em! A podcast discussing mental health as well as generally fantastic yarns between Fearne Cotton and her guests. She's also interviewed Alexandra Shulman, formerly of British Vogue among others but her conversation with Stephen Fry stands out. Frick he's an amazing man and conversationalist. Get Fry on every podcast. All of them.
Anne Marie Duff x Desert Island Discs: I bloomin' love Desert Island Discs. I've listened to some of the episodes more than once and have a lengthy list of archival episodes to listen to. A favourite, just for the sheer fascination alone is the Princess Margaret episode from the 1980's (questionable music taste, entertaining interview). Anyway, one of Kirsty Young's latest castaways was Anne Marie Duff, an amazing actress of both stage and screen. I think she's usually a bit press-shy so it was really fascinating listening to her talk about theatre and her schooling+background, as well as her songs she chose+why. Also, love the mix of music she selected as well. So good.
The High Low: Hosted by Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes. My current favourite podcast and one I am probably going to make my way through the archives for. It's very topical and usually centres on a wide range of things per episode. You're never bored listening to this refreshingly raw and always hilarious podcast. Dolly and Pandora could yarn for hours and I would not tire of it.
Emma Freud + Vanessa Kirby x Love Stories: Another podcast hosted by Dolly Alderton, this time in celebration of her book. It's not all lovey dovey and nauseating romance chat, which is what I feared it might be. I'm really not sure how to best describe this podcast but it's really interesting and I loved hearing Emma and Vanessa speak on the subject of lurve. Side note: Emma Freud also needs to be on every podcast. All of them.
God Only Knows x Soul Music: I'm not sure if this is a podcast or not, I just listen to it on the BBC's website. This. Episode. Though. I don't have a particularly memorable relationship with this song, other than I just love it for mostly inexplicable reasons. Okay because it plays during this scene at the end of Love Actually and it makes me all emotional and happy and argh. Anyway, Soul Music interviews people from all walks of life, sharing their memories and associations with particular songs. This episode focuses on The Beach Boys classic and it is a ride from start to finish. Yes, I did have to disappear quick smart to the stairwell to have a lil' moment after hearing the story of the woman whose husband never came home. I need to look at some of the other songs they've covered actually.
-What podcasts do you listen to and rate?
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