A round-up of all the highlights and discoveries of the month. Because who doesn’t need a 186th monthly favorites post in their feed?
Favorite Art: Loop Giant by Timo Niskanen. Almost two meters tall, this amazing piece was inspired by a mini-golf obstacle and is the scaled-up version of a table lamp that Himmee launched in 2017. Simple, but whimsical at the same time, the perfect example of the beauty of everyday objects that surround us as well as the genius of designers to spot and reshape those objects into art.
Favorite podcast: Fat Mascara. A must-listen podcast for beauty addicts, hosted by two ladies who know their business, Jessica Matlin, Beauty and Health Director at Teen Vogue and Jennifer Goldstein, Executive Beauty and Health Editor at Marie Claire. I was on the hunt for a good beauty podcast and quickly became addicted to this one, after about 5 minutes. Each week, they share the most interesting industry news, discuss trends and fads, products that deliver and those that sadly don’t, and every single thing related to skincare and makeup. They also interview the biggest names of the business, from Charlotte Tilbury and Bobbi Brown, through Orlando Pita and Tata Harper, to Jo Malone and Kat von D. You don’t get any more insider than this. Oh, and they are also highly entertaining.
Favorite beauty product: Matte Pomade by Ouai. I am usually quite wary with hyped-up products and brands, but I could not resist Ouai. Maybe because of the minimalistic design, the name (it is really on point), or the founder, Jen Atkin, whom I really like, but I jumped on the bandwagon. It was a good choice, as this product really delivers. Matte Pomade is a texturizing, styling crème with a very natural finish. While styling stuff sometimes only work on shorter hair, it’s great on my long hair as well. It adds texture and shape but doesn’t make my hair greasy or heavy. The smell is amazing, but not overwhelming. And, it’s a great value for money, because you really need just a very tiny amount.
Favorite fashion moments: Zac Posen and Sally LaPointe redefining traditional runway shows at New York Fashion Week. Zac Posen presented his newest collection exhibition-style in his old studio, with his muses modeling the new collection on photos and a video shot by Vanina Sorrenti as well as walking around in the showroom. He said he wanted to create a more intimate experience and give opportunity to people to communicate with each other and the clothes. Sally LaPointe was another designer who opted out of the models-runway show format and instead went digital. Her collection was shown as a video installation with gif and Boomerang-effected images as well as on mannequins, thus guests could touch and closely observe the clothes and details. What I love about both of them is that they were not afraid to try something new, to fuse fashion and art with technology and innovation, and to bring the clothes directly to the people.
Favorite weekend program: Escape room. I still could not decide whether the name escape room (or as sometimes used, panic room) attracts or scares people off, but don’t let it influence you: it is one of the most fun experiences you could try with friends. Basically, you are locked in a place and you have to find your way out by solving riddles, logistic games, mysteries and challenges within the allocated amount of time. Each place and escape room is very unique, set in a fictional location and time, like Sherlock Holmes’ London or Prohibiton America. I would definitely suggest going with a group of friends, it’s funny, exciting, adrenalin rushing, I guarantee you will want to go back for another round the moment you escape.
Favorite scent: Lemongrass essential oil. I love burning essential oils in my diffuser, especially in the colder winter season and am currently obsessed with lemongrass. It’s citrusy, fresh, sweet with warm and earthy undertones. Its effects are relaxing and invigorating at the same time, it instantly lifts my mood and energizes me.
Favorite marketing hack: Big Green Bookshop vs. Piers Morgan. Another week, another celebrity feud played out on the battlefield of Twitter. This time, it’s JK Rowling vs. Piers Morgan, and the winner is… A surprise guest player. After Morgan decided that “Your books suck and I’m not reading them” was the most intelligent argument in a debate, a North London bookshop called Big Green Bookshop decided to change this by tweeting out to him the entire Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, line by line. In exactly 32. 567 tweets. With hilarious commentary. Textbook marketing genius. The Bookstore got to 865 tweets before Morgan blocked them. Since then, various members of the Twitter community have “taken up the mantle” and continued to tweet out the book at him. Follow it here.
Favorite home accessorize: LED Lightbox. You know when you see something that you really like and think about buying and then it starts popping up left and right, like it’s hunting you? This is what happened with me and this LED lightbox. After seeing several Insta photos and mentally already finding a place for it in our living room, I started my Internet investigation and eventually found this version on Amazon. It’s the A4 version, has nicely-shaped letters, and I’ve been loving it ever since.
