5 Minimal Waste Cruelty-Free Irish Beauty Products That I'm Loving Right Now

As I mentioned a while back, I have had a wild ride of utterly reevaluating consumption, blogging, and my personal responsibility to the environment. Stepping back and really looking at how I'd been going about things and taking stock for a moment made me realise that beauty blogging and fashion blogging, in the traditional sense that I had grown used to, were no longer possible for me. 

Basically, I stopped shopping except when necessary, shopped the stash of untouched products that had piled up in my house instead of going out for anything when possible, and made sure that I bought only sustainable, minimal waste items when I did need to get something. I replaced my toothbrush (once it was at the end of its life) with a wooden brush (three times by now), stopped buying traditional toothpaste (those tubes are not at all recyclable), switched to a reusable razor for shaving, and slowly changed everything that was on my bathroom shelf.

The biggest change, though, was simply not buying things. And this meant that I no longer had things to review all the time. Ergo, no real beauty posts for months beyond the less glamorous and more practical articles I have written about the experience of switching to more sustainable basic grooming options. Until today, when, after around half a year, I have finally accumulated five (the necessary minimum number for any listicle worth it's salt, obvs) beauty products worth talking about. All are cruelty-free (a pre-existing stance when it comes to products that I have maintained for years now), all are Irish (to reduce my carbon footprint and air miles), and all are made of either entirely, or almost entirely, recyclable materials. I still prefer refillable products when possible (brands, can you get on this?!) but these guys are the next best thing given the market we're in. Here are 5 Minimal Waste Cruelty-Free Irish Beauty Products That I'm Loving Right Now...

1. We Are Paradoxx Hangover Hair Elixir, 75ml, RRP €35.00

Look, I won't lie, this guy is pricey and I was totes initially suckered in by the packaging. That being said, I swear by hair oils and this is one of the better ones that I have tried. As someone who cannot go a day without washing their hair, I need the extra moisture and not only does this deliver that, but it also leaves a nice glossy finish and a lovely warm and sweet scent. It is also: "Clean, 100% toxin-free, organic + natural extracts, vegan, 90% plastic-free, paraben, perfume free, cruelty-free, ethical + sustainable, gluten-free, synthetic fragrance-free, eco-friendly, mineral oil-free, SLES + SLS free." And, as they note on the packaging, a little really does go a loooong way. Plus, come on, that's some damn cute packaging! Although I've gotten a few weird looks at the gym for pulling out what looks like a hip flask in the changing rooms...

2. Mungo Murphy's Nourishing Seaweed Mask, 20g (approx 5 uses), RRP €10.60

Admittedly, with this bad boy and it being a face mask, I haven't used it for the consistent two month minimum required before I normally talk about skincare. However, it's great! It calms the skin (and mine is currently super cross and covered in hormonal breakouts in the chin region), balances it out, moisturises, and leaves your face feeling soft and springy. Made from powdered seaweed, it comes in a small jar (no plastic in sight) and you take one teaspoon of it and add either add one teaspoon of water, natural yoghurt, or honey. I recommend honey for the consistency (water makes it very watery indeed) and to improve the experience as, I'm not gonna lie, it doesn't smell pleasant when you have it on but, if you get a little in your mouth (as I am prone to do) when it's mixed with honey it doesn't taste half bad, which makes the whole thing less unpleasant. 

3. Cloon Keen Perfumed Candle in Antique Library, 55-60 hours burn time, RRP €40.00

I actually met the Cloon Keen gang in their Galway store at an event a few years ago and got this candle as a press sample and fell in love with the warm, spicy, masculine scent. That candle was quickly used long, long ago and I decided to buy it again a few weeks ago as it had been over a year since I'd bought or had a scented candle. I allowed myself the treat and, boy, am I glad I did. My room feels instantly more elegant and cosy with this sucker going in the background. An Irish candle, rather than one that had to be imported, handmade in small batches, and packaged in glass and cardboard, it isn't going to leave too much of a mess behind or too much of a carbon footprint either comparatively. Excellent all around.

4. Inchydoney Soap in Lemon, RRP €6.00

Made in Cork, these lovely soaps are handmade by the owner, Louise, in an old cowshed on her family's farm with environmental impact firmly in mind. This lemon scented one is super-fresh smelling and is what I use in the shower, now that I have long-since abandoned shower gels and their plastic bottles.

5. Clarke's Of Dublin, Helping Hand Cedarwood & Sea Salt Soap, RRP €8.50

Going even more local, this lovely and super-clean smelling soap is 100% natural, hand poured, and hand cut using traditional methods in Dublin. It also boasts the finest natural ingredients sourced in Ireland, such as Offaly goats milk, Donegal seaweed, beeswax from Meath and Irish spring water. The Achill sea salt inside is designed to gently exfoliate. All in all, a kind of dream team combo of Irish products to make one rather excellent soap.

So, if you're trying to do your bit for our planet, you may need to slow down the consumption and make some changes but you don't have to miss out on little luxuries entirely, just be conscious and source them carefully. And in Ireland we're pretty damn lucky as there are plenty of people making some great beauty products with the earth in mind.

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Bar Shampoo, Brushing Your Teeth With Dirt And Other Failures And Successes In Making A Zero-Waste Beauty Routine 2019

A few weeks ago I wrote about the changes that would happen on this blog and the ways in which I had changed, myself, in how I related to objects and consumption. I have drastically altered the way in which I buy and use beauty products, in particular, as I try to consume in a more sustainable and ethical way and it has lead to some ... interesting ... experiments, results, and failures.

I. Buying Less

This is the most important change in my routine and the most crucial for anyone trying to consume more responsibly. Buying less is the easiest way to be kinder to the planet as it uses less resources to make, package, and deliver products and leaves you with less waste afterwards. Many of us buy things without even thinking about it, not entirely finishing something before moving on to the next thing, abandoning one product for something we've seen used or advertised. However, in an attempt to correct my chaotic overconsumption in the past, I've been buying only what is absolutely necessary in my routine. This has also simplified my routine. No more random skincare items infused with the trendy ingredient of the moment or some gimmicky fad but, rather, only the basics: cleanser, toner, serum, moisturiser, sun cream. And you'd better believe I'm cutting things open and using every last drop.

II. Shopping My Stash

Continuing on from buying less, I've also been rooting through presses and drawers and rediscovering things I forgot I had and making sure to finish them all. Something I was already doing, it has been further bolstered by the inspiration of Estée Laundry's daily #shopmystash posts in which the self-described "anonymous beauty collective" shares followers' pictures of the products in their routines and how they are doing with their own journeys towards being more sustainable. Also, for independent, unbiased information about beauty brands, beauty news, discussion about diversity and ethics in the industry, deep dives into various trends and issues, and more, you should give EL a follow as they are one of the most important pages atm for anyone interested in the area.

III. Bar Shampoo

I noted my attempts to switch out products for items with less or no packaging over on Bean a while ago. One of my first trials was the switch to bar shampoo from Palm Free Irish Soap. In theory, it's perfect, right? No packaging at all, relatively cheap, long-lasting, and it smelled nice. However, sadly, it was a case of something being too good to be true. 

Now, perhaps, if you have some sort of different hair texture, bar shampoo might work for you. Maybe if you wash your hair less often than me, if might work for you. Maybe if you're a more meticulous person, it might work for you. But from day one I hated the bar shampoo and it clearly hated me in return. On first use I lathered too much and I couldn't wash it all out. I thought I had been thorough in rinsing but the horrid, greasy mess I woke up to said otherwise.

Moving forwards, I used less and less of the product with each wash and that yielded better results but it still drastically affected my hair. Prior to bar shampoo, my hair was incredible; soft, silky, and impossibly shiny. When I brushed it, my friends would marvel and say it was shampoo commercial hair. Only now is it returning back to that state, a month after abandoning my bar in favour of refillable shampoo in glass bottles from The Glass Dispensary. 

Great in theory, in reality bar shampoo just isn't an option for lots of us, particularly those with lots and lots of very fine long hair that requires daily washing. However, the Glass Dispensary's refillable bottles are a great alternative and mean that you still aren't generating any waste. 

Oh, and don't worry, I didn't just throw away the shampoo bar. It still smells nice so I used it as regular soap instead.

IV. Brushing Your Teeth With Dirt

Okay, so I obviously wasn't actually brushing my teeth with dirt but another of my swaps was for toothpaste. Toothpaste tubes and the difficulty in recycling them really, really triggers my anxiety. I don't know why it is so especially strong for this particular item but it is. Therefore, it had to be one of the things I focused on finding an alternative for. 

Years ago, I used Lush's toothpaste tabs - which are little tablets you chew up and then add water to with a wet toothbrush - but I really hated the texture and never went back to them. In an attempt to find a better alternative, I tried Georganics' glass toothpaste pots. A natural toothpaste, the texture is a bit different to your regular toothpaste, more crumbly and drier. Pair this with the fact that I was using the charcoal variety in their range and you might be able to see why it felt as though I was brushing my teeth with dirt. It's great for whitening and does a decent job cleaning but I really missed feeling minty fresh while using it. Plus, I dreaded the texture and hated using it. It made brushing my teeth a real chore. I want to try the peppermint flavour next and see if that is any better but I have to say that it's not my favourite experience I've ever had, overall. With few better options, however, I guess I'll just have to learn to put up with it all. 

V.  Getting Rid Of Disposable Cotton Rounds

This, I think, has been my most successful swap. I have traded disposable cotton rounds for reusable ones and they're great. I've heard of others not liking them but I tried them anyway and I'm into it. I actually think they drink up less of my toner, allowing me to use more and waste less of it, stretching out the life of that product too. They are also pretty low maintenance and my pack of five is perfect for using a side each night and then throwing however many I've used in the wash with my clothes. I always having some clean ones lying about and never have to worry about running out. 

Progress(?)

All of this has been a bit of a learning curve for me and I'm always trying to find more sustainable options and do better. While some of the experiments that I have undergone on this journey have been vaguely disastrous or unpleasant, I do think I owe it to the planet to go through a little discomfort. In the grand scheme of things, it's not that big of a deal or that much of a sacrifice. And, perhaps, you can use my experiences and anecdotes to help yourself get started too...except with some things to keep in mind and avoid.

Let's all do our best and try to be better!

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Having A Snoop At Another Beauty Blogger's Handbag Essentials - Emma of Ol' Green Eyes

Blogging isn't the friendliest scene in Dublin. I've never, personally, had a bad experience and get along with everyone but I have witnessed nastiness and I had never made any close friends that are bloggers. I'm friendly with lots of people but there wasn't anyone that I had clicked with or knew well and that was partly my own fault for being too shy to put myself out there more.

And then, one event, I ended up talking to Emma of Ol' Green Eyes. We had often hung out at events before and I genuinely really liked her and whatever got into me that day, I did put myself out there: I asked her if she wanted to hang out sometime. This doesn't seem like that big a deal but making new friends as an adult isn't easy! She agreed, we went for coffee and I put forward the idea of doing a collab, which is how we ended up in Dublin's trendiest new eatery and bar with both of our makeup bags spilled out across the table.

Both curious about Roberta's, we headed there last week to grab a cocktail and some fries (Lesson learned: they may give you fries to snack on with your drinks so hold off on ordering unless you want to end up with three portions, like us. If you do want that, go ahead.) and compare our handbag essentials. I mean, who doesn't enjoy a creep at what others deem must-haves, right?

Once we had our food and drinks and had chatted a bit, Emma started unpacking her products and spreading them out before us in an aesthetically pleasing manner, much to the amusement of our very friendly waitress. I immediately spotted Escentric's Molecule 01 perfume and had many questions. Did it really smell different on different people? (A little, apparently) Could you really not smell it on yourself? (Only immediately after application for a while) And most importantly: Is it worth the hype? According to Emma, her whole office had it first and she kept asking what they were wearing, loving it. Then she gave in and bought the (much more reasonable/affordable) refillable 30ml bottle, only to be met by others grabbing her wrist and wondering what she, too, was wearing. So, not hype without fire then. While it is one of her go-to scents now, she does admit that it is partially only in her bag atm because of its handy size.

Another non-makeup essential that Emma totes around is Rituals' Indian Rose and Sweet Almond hand cream. Ritual is one of her favourite bodycare brands as it stands but this is an essential. Not only does it smell delicious (and it does) but she swears by its effectiveness. In fact, after flying to New York recently and washing her hands with the harsh soap on the plane multiple times, they were in need of some TLC and her first stop upon landing was the Rituals store.

If we're talking lifesavers and skincare rescues, then YSL's Lip Perfector needs a mention as it is another item Emma swears by. In fact, in the slew of lip products (why does every beauty blogger always have, like, ten lip products on them at any given time - this coming from someone who doesn't wear much makeup very often and who still does the same?), this was the key item. Under matte lip products, it is a lifesaver and as a lip balm, it is perfect. Plus, Emma says she uses it at least twice a day and has been using the same tube since last year - that's some long-lasting product!

Emma is a woman after my own heart in many ways and doesn't like to have to re-do her whole face on the go. Instead, she tries to ease the process of makeup wearing off over the course of the day. As such, many of her must-haves were key to preserving and cleaning up makeup. For sorting out oiliness, she swears by Essence's oil paper that may come in a tatty little cardboard box but does exactly what it needs to and for just over a euro. After stealing it from her sister constantly, she began to carry some around all the time and has yet to be swayed by any more expensive alternatives. A bargain and effective? The dream, right? Finally, Emma has only recently discovered Mac's iconic Fix + and has fallen in love. She uses it to revive her face and makeup throughout the day and says she totally gets the hype now.

There was plenty of other stuff in Emma's makeup bag to rummage through - Mac's Lady Danger and a genius lip brush from Sephora, among other things - but the above items were the ones that seemed really to be her ride or die products. And once we had adequately made a show of ourselves photographing the place and endless beauty products we had covering the table, we finished all of the fries and swanned out of there, a little bit closer for having revealed our deepest, not-so-darkest beauty secrets.

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Beauty isn't policing your body under a reign of terror

Adolescence affects us all differently and we all react differently accordingly. For me, it was not a case of not wanting to grow up but, rather, that the sudden and drastic changes in my body made me feel attacked, as if I was robbed of a great sense of self and given this utterly new strange form to inhabit. A form that was no longer naturally and childishly slender but curved and cumbersome with bits that got in the way of climbing things and running freely and being freely. It embarrassed me and made me super aware of myself. I was always quick to rid myself of any signs of these changes, of this new, foreign me, that I could.

Hair - or body hair, to be exact - was the easiest to shed and, despite being warned against it by all the women I knew, I began to remove the soft blonde hairs that covered my arms and legs very early on. In turn, darker, coarser hairs took their place and I was quickly stuck in an endless cycle. It seems exhausting and downright ridiculous to the adult me now but, for almost a decade, I shaved my limbs daily and with an almost religious fervour.

Today, with newly changed sheets and warmer weather lying in wait, I shaved my legs and nicked my ankle badly in the process, something that is not uncommon for little clumsy ol' me. But, as my policing of my body hair is no longer a frantic beast, it had been a while - especially since I had done such a thoroughly good job of it. It stung and rushed with blood that, I knew, would not stop for some time. I stared at the reddening water at my feet and the throbbing wound on my leg and a rush of memories washed over me. Memories of a thousand other nicks, of bleeding through multiple bandages and all over everything, of being embarrassed by the whole thing and lying about how I acquired the cuts, of carefully navigating them a day or two later to repeat my routine...How did I ever have so much time or energy to waste on such painful frivolity?

Of course, I don't believe in judging how others deal with their own bodies and it's not as if I am against hair removal or ready to embrace a life completely free of hair removal myself nowadays. In saying this I'm also no longer willing to be embarrassed by something completely natural, to waste endless additional hours in the shower removing hair, to actually bleed for some ideal of beauty.

Looking down at that blood made me realise just how far I had come. In fact, I have these realisations often. Realisations of the fact that I'm closer to the woman I'd like to be. And, while I will forever want to be liked and approved of, the approval and opinions of others bother me less and less. Cliché as it may be: life is simply too short.

So, yeah, sometimes my penchant for ankle-grazing trousers will reveal the fact that it's been a while between shaves but now it bothers me less that the dude across from me on the bus or the girl next to me might notice. I can't say I'm completely over it. I'll still wonder if they see it but I won't stress out about it and I'm not going back to daily shaving in case strangers spot an errant hair.

In the time that this blog went from a fashion blog to a fashion, beauty & other stuff blog and I went from barely washing my face (I kid - mostly) to full skincare regimes and relatively advanced knowledge of (if infrequent use of) cosmetics, I grew to focus on the beauty industry a lot more. I've worked with lots of brands and tried all sorts of products. I've gone through brief periods of overly intense scrutiny of self. I've grown up and let go of some (some) of my body and appearance hang-ups. And I've come to realise that there is no beauty in policing your body under a reign of terror.

It's perfectly fine to take care of yourself, to want to look good, to want to present and groom yourself well but "beauty" should never cross the line into obsession and there should always be breathing room. Humans are hairy, sweaty, porous creatures that have bumps and lumps and will never, ever be perfect - no matter how close to it some people make it seem. The sooner you embrace your humanity and imperfections, the sooner you'll have more time, headspace and peace.

Right?

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Urban Decay's New Vice Liquid Lipsticks - Yea or nay?

In the middle of last month, Urban Decay, on the back of the success of the Vice Lipstick line, launched their new Vice Liquid Lipsticks (RRP €18.50). Admittedly, I wasn't that interested at first.

Liquid lips can be hard to apply, show up every crack and bit of dead skin and can feel really uncomfortable. Plus, the way they wear off generally isn't very fetching. However, the images of spokesperson Ruby Rose wearing the shade Blackmail on the red carpet made me reassess the situation. Suddenly, I wanted to see if Urban Decay could, once again, convert me to a product I normally wouldn't care for.

Well, call me the converted.

The press release made some bold, generic claims, the kind that beauty products almost always do but, as I experienced it, these liquid lipsticks lived up to almost all of them. Intensely pigmented? Check. Non-drying, comfortable wear? Mostly check. Zero transfer? Check.

I was sent the shade 1993 to try out and this was where I hit perception hurdle number two. While everyone seems mad for liquid lips and brown shades, I never cared for either. In my opinion, they often make lips look shriveled and dead. However, this was very much not the case. 1993 has a lovely red undertone that means it looks warm and like a more interesting classic red lip. I particularly liked it as it looks bold and pretty without being too in your face. As my lips are naturally quite plump, the classic red can be a bit overpowering in most situations so this is actually perfect as a nice, toned-down alternative.

These liquid lipsticks really are very pigmented, that is not a joke, but I often find this to be the case with liquid lips. However, where the Vice lipsticks nudge ahead, is in the fact that they are much easier to apply. Highly pigmented liquid lipsticks can be a nightmare to get right and I'm not a liner kinda gal, which ups the danger stakes. As the formula doesn't dry instantly, you can correct mistakes as and if they happen and the shape of the wand really is perfectly designed to both coat the thicker parts of the lip and get into the smaller nooks and crannies for more precise application. Then, once it dries, it isn't going anywhere.

The only downsides? The same non-drying element of the formula that stops the lipstick from looking nasty and highlighting all the cracks in your lips has a kind of tackiness to it that I'm not a big fan of - kind of like a gloopier lipgloss feeling. However, this minor sensory discomfort is a worthwhile sacrifice in order to get that matte liquid lip look without unpleasant desert vibes. My only other minor complaint is that there really is zero transfer but once it eventually does start to wear off, it isn't exactly pretty. Yet, in comparison to other liquid lips I've tried before, it tends to wear from the absolute inside of the lip outwards, giving you plenty of time to correct it and top up or remove the product before it starts looking nasty.

Overall, the price-point, pigmentation, shade, wear-time and application all really impressed me and made this the first liquid lipstick that I could see myself reaching for on a more regular basis. I think if I expanded into some shades that were a little more me, this would be even more likely.

If you've always been curious about liquid lipsticks but fear the desert mouth and tricky application, take it from your uncoordinated, fussy pal here: this shit is good.

(This product was sent to me by Urban Decay to review as a press sample. However, all opinions are my own and I was not paid to review this product.)

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Forget Orgasm, This Is The Prettiest Nars Blush

I've always admired Nars from afar but, for whatever reason, have never really gotten in to the brand - in fact, I have a similar relationship with Charlotte Tilbury. I really cannot, for the life of me, pin down why. I guess part of the reason is that I don't buy a lot of makeup anymore. Generally, I have so many press samples to work my way through that I have no space - mental or physical - for anything else.

But, perhaps it is also because, in my mind, the brand is really all about blush and I've never really been a blush kind of girl.

Then I tried Orgasm and I got it. I understood the hype. It quickly became one of my all time favourites. I would reach for it every time I did my makeup. Recently, however, I've come to understand the cult of blush a little better (even if I am, by no means, a fully-fledged member) and began to expand my horizons. First, I wanted to track down the perfect rosy, berry shade and found it in Flormar's Terracotta Blush-On in 45 Touch of Rose. Then I was all about peachy tones.

In the past few weeks, I became obsessed with finding the perfect pale pink that looks like the natural flush that colours the cheeks of children after running about outside on a winter's day, the kind of shade that has been popular across Asia for seasons now. I looked high and low but everything was too bright and obvious. I needed subtlety.

And then, last week, I happened to wander into Brown Thomas on my way home from work one evening and the thought struck me, if I was tracking down a particular shade of blush, where better to check than the Nars counter? Sure enough, looking up at me from the new collection displayed prominently by the cash register, there were three new shades of blush and, among them, the perfect pale pink.

This new shade is exactly what I wanted: matte, natural and incredibly pretty. I looks like the kind of natural blush I wish would spring to my cheeks. Not the bright, burning, splotchy red that I have suffered from since I was a teen and made me look permanently mortified or shy, but the kind of soft and elegant flush of maidens in Rocco paintings and K-drama actresses with perfect porcelain skin.

Orgasm, step aside, there's a new (surely soon-to-be) cult favourite in town and it's called Threesome.

(This product was purchased with my own money and I was not paid to review it. All opinions are my own.)

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The Burren Perfumery

During one of the first days of our family holiday this summer, before we knew that the weather was going to abruptly change and give us the freedom to spend almost the whole week surfing and swimming, we sat around researching activities in the area. There were all sorts of famous restaurants, boat trips, deep caves, historic buildings, pretty villages and natural gems to keep us plenty occupied. However, among all the outings we planned, there was one destination that I chose and pushed, despite the lack of interest among everyone else: the Burren Perfumery.

I'm a great lover of Irish beauty products and am always fascinated by things done smaller, done locally, steeped in tradition. The Burren Perfumery is the oldest working perfumery in Ireland and produces a variety of fragrances, aromatherapy products, soaps and a skincare range. Everything is made on site using local flora and sold in a physical store as well as online.

Now run by Sadie Chowen, an English perfumer that came to work for the perfumery, and Ralph Doyle, formerly employed in the IT sector, the whole place is as lovely and romantic as the couple's origin story. The two took over the business in 2001. They met onsite in 1995, when Chowen rented a cottage to Doyle and went from being a landlady to a wife, after falling from a horse and being nursed back to health by her tenant.

Today, the perfumery is a beautiful place, nestled amongst the bountiful, vibrant and protected flora of the Burren. The site is made up of production rooms, a shop, gardens that can be toured and a tea room, all in stone buildings, alive with plants. During summer months, the place is bustling with tourists and there are all sorts of tours and talks on offer, out of season, things are a good deal quieter and the tea room closes. Either which way, the perfumery is worth the visit. It feels tucked out of the way, like a secret garden, and the lovely store is filled with incredible beauty products that are just waiting to be discovered.

When I visited, I mostly spent my money on some of the body products and soaps for my mother, who wanted them but is normally loathe to spend money on herself. As such, the only thing that I have personally tried is the Honey & Beeswax Organic Lip Balm (€ 9.50) but it has remained on my nightstand since I purchased it and barely has a dent in it, despite daily use. I swear by it now.

If you happen to visit for yourself, the perfumes, candles and skincare line all intrigued me and I'll definitely stock up on some more products during my next visit - and I do plan another visit.

For beauty lovers exploring Ireland or Irish beauty lovers looking to shop local, it really is a must.

P.S. The film about the Burren playing in the room just off the shop is utterly hypnotising and lovely and so relaxing to watch.

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COS SS17

COS SS17 is a sensual collection. Texture and fabric choices are king. It is an even more pared back collection than we have seen in the past from COS, if you can imagine such a thing.

The pops of colour that often stuck out in previous seasons are absent and, instead, the palette remains an almost utterly undisturbed ocean of natural, neutral and earthy tones - blushes, beiges, denims, blues, olives, greys and white tones. Even the more glamourous garments are dark metallics that shimmer but do not shout.

Translucency, silkiness and texture abound, drawing the eye to the form and the hand to the garment, wanting to touch and explore. COS silhouettes that are more oversized or boxy are present, as one might expect, but this proliferation of billowing fabrics also allow for more fluid garments that move, drape and hug the human form.

Do not expect elaborate detail - none of the embroidery, brocades or prints we've seen elsewhere for SS17. However, that is not to  say that there is no visual interest at play or charming details. A-symmetry, draping, gathering and origami-inspired details adorn the collection. 

Contrast is key throughout the whole collection. The contrast of boxy and billowy. The contrast of earthy and industrial tones. Soft and rigid. 

There's something particularly sexy about this collection - the fabrics, the movement, the ease, the simplicity, the not-having-to-try-very-hard, It's not a million miles from what COS normally does but it does feel as though new life was breathed upon existing ideas. 

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