March + April Favourites

I do believe I promised monthly Favourite posts on a more regularly basis...like, on a monthly basis...obviously. Well...heh...heh...that didn't happen. I blame procrastination. I've been making lists in my head each month like, "Oh, yeah. Damn, this needs to go in my Favourites." And then I get busy and have other posts or just get lazy. So, I'm like "I'll do the Favourites post next week." Then next week happens and the one after. Suddenly, it's the next month. And I've left it too late.

So, yeah...sorry about that.

But here I am with one again for a combination of two months. And, boy is it chuck full of good stuff as a result. Hold on to your butts, here we go.


Television.

I've been super-into a lot of shows the past two months - some new releases, some old favourites. But they've definitely overshadowed movies. I feel like I had a slump with cinema for a while there but programming has been knocking my socks right off.

Wonderfalls

Goddamn short-lived, wonderful shows.

Wonderfalls is a 13 episode long, 2004 show about a young woman named Jaye who is in her twenties and has no idea what she's doing with her life....I wonder why I related to it so much? In the show, inanimate objects start to speak to her and alter the path of her life and those of everyone around her, causing Jaye to rethink everything she thought she knew about the world. The cast is perfectly chosen, it's funny, there's some amazing/dodgy early noughties fashion and Lee Pace is in it. 'nough said, amirite?

Seriously though, it's something I remember seeing on television when it first came out but I was too young to get. Now, I see that it's kind of the less obnoxious, more charming alternative to Girls. It deals with the same themes of figuring out what you want and where you're going, love, friendship, dealing with being an adult and the changes to family dynamics that come with that. The characters are flawed and imperfect but so much more likeable, IMO.

Pushing Daisies

More noughties goodness, more Lee Pace, more of a show that should have gone on for longer.

This show is just the epitome of charming. Like, really. It follows the adventures of Ned, a pie-maker who can raise the dead (with limitations) with a touch, Chuck, his childhood sweetheart who he brought back to life, and their friends. The romance between Ned and Chuck is just...perfect, for lack of a better word. It's very sweet and the way they look at each other is beyond enviable. The whole show is quirky, dreamlike but sardonic enough to avoid being twee. I can't recommend it enough.

iZombie

Launched just this year, iZombie came to me when Gerard Way tweeted about it. It's based on a comic book and, though zombies seem like tired territory, this is a different take. It's more self-aware and less about the living dead and more about living. Again, we're talking people in their twenties figuring shit out. The main character, Liv Moore (lol), is a medical student with a nice fiancé who becomes a zombie and has her whole universe turned upside down. She appears normal but has to eat brains to live and, when she does so, takes on the memories and personality of those she consumes. In her new role as a medical examiner, she begins to work with a detective to use those memories to solve murder cases. 

Basically, though, all you need to know that Rob Thomas is involved. If you liked Veronica Mars, this is probably going to make you happy.

Daredevil

I'm still not sure how I feel about Netflix's Daredevil adaptation. It's better than what we've gotten out of the character before but I'm still not sure if I'm 100% convinced...All the same, I binged on it. And Charlie Cox, who plays Daredevil, is damn easy to look at. He's always been one of the coolest of Marvel's characters in my mind - I mean, a blind superhero, come on - so I'm glad he's getting his own show. Plus, the whole thing connects in with the wider Marvel cinematic world which is rad. 

For sure, worth a watch.

Music.

The Cure

I've been binging on The Cure a lot lately. I love a lot of their less obvious songs, ones from ancient albums that are quiet and sad and so beautiful they make me ache. Anything that makes me imagine Poe scenes on cliffsides, really.

Marina and the Diamonds

The new album, Froot, is the shit. Seriously. I'm talking days and days of listening to nothing else. Or belting out the lyrics until you notice someone else has popped into the room...which is always awkward. Especially if you do it at work.

Daniela Andrade

This Youtube musician does a lot of AMAZING covers. Stick anything she has done on when you need to relax because everything she touches is beyond lovely and sweet.

Books.

When the weather gets better, I start to devour books. Usually, My activity levels stagnate in January and February and I choose more passive modes of entertainment. But, once I come out of that last period of cocooning after winter, I want to read again, to engage my brain a bit more. I grab books and start to venture out into the world again. YA fiction and old favourites, comforting things, nostalgic things, easy things, begin the process. So, I've been reading a lot of old Meg Cabot classics that I loved as a teen and still adore. I also read some YA that was new to me and which I really enjoyed, including the Abandon Series by Cabot which follows Pierce, a teen who had a near-death experience and John, king of the Underworld. It basically retells the Persephone myth in a contemporary setting. Two other YA books intrigued me recently; Holly Bourne's Soulmates, which suggests the subject-matter in the title. and Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, which takes an interesting twist on werewolf lore. Other than these books, I've also been dipping in and out of Roxane Gay's Bad Feminist, a collection of essays about being a feminist, a woman and a woman and feminist. I've really been loving it, especially as the essay format gives me time to think and work out my own feelings on the topics without being overwhelmed.



Beauty & Fashion.

Make-up

I have two major make-up loves these past two months. The first is Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer which has been stripped of the writing on the packaging. My make-up tends to look pristine as I use it so infrequently so this is a sure sign of how much I've been using it. It's so lightweight but has great coverage for my nasty, nasty breakouts! Also, it's amazingly reasonably priced - just over a fiver!

I've also been LOVING Inglot's Freedom System Blush in the shade 125 which is peachy, pretty perfection.

Skincare and Haircare

Things I've been reaching for to keep my face and hair in check pretty much on the daily for the past two months are: Aveda's Volumizing Tonic (just a spritz at my roots to stop my hair from being too flat), Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour Lip Balm (to keep the chapped lips at bay), Trilogy's Blemish Control Gel (to banish spots), Botanics' All Bright Hydrating Day Cream with SPF15 (for moisture and SPF in the morning at a great price point) and Mio's Boob Tube (for intense moisture and plumpness to the skin and an AMAZING scent).

Also, I'm just crazy for everything and anything made by Neom Organics - the best smelling products in the world? Perhaps.

Fashion

Denim, denim, denim.

Oh, and my new selection of sunglasses from Boohoo. YES.

Miscellaneous.

Cherry Blossoms

One of my favourite things. Ever. Ugh, so beautiful.

The Hobbit Production Videos

I finally got around to watching the last Hobbit movie in March. And then I watched all the Youtube behind the scenes content I could find. Peter Jackson put up production vlogs that are fantastic and perfect before bed viewing.

Well, that's a lot that I've just thrown at you...Sorry this turned into such a monster but hopefully you'll have found it interesting/found something you like/both.

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Lennon Courtney AW14

Lennon Courtney described their last collection as "a truly accessible collection for busy women who understand and love fashion but don’t want to be slaves to it." This could easily be applied to their latest collection, as well. It's easy chic. It's timeless but not old-fashioned. These are tailored pieces that are distinctly modern but will age well. 

And while it might seem overwhelmingly sophisticated and polished at first glance, even a Queen of Everything Oversized like myself can find pieces to work. My Lennon Courtney duster jacket is probably my favourite piece in my whole wardrobe now. 

The AW14 collection features the colours I love best for this time of year - burgundy, camel, grey, navy and black - as well as some surprising pops of brighter shades. I especially love the combination of black and navy: Tim Gunn once said it was okay, I've been saying it and doing it for years and now Lennon Courtney clearly agree! It's a super-elegant pairing. (Spread the word that this is not a faux-pas but a fo-sho.)

The brand is always about its attention to detail as when you're doing something relatively simple and restrained, you need to be able to make it special. And, boy, do they! I'm all about the fabric choices, the lovely necklines and the beautiful seaming.

Particular faves from the collection are the uber-soft grey jumper, the sporty-tailored grey crop top, the navy coat and the wool tee. 

Check out their site as well as my shots from their store and images of my picks below!

Feeling that navy/black combo yet?

Cos AW14 Menswear Collection

Today I'm talking menswear once more...although I ended up buying a piece from the collection for myself! But such is Cos. Infinitely wearable, hard to (impossible?) to get wrong and wonderfully androgynous.

Scandinavian and Irish design actually have ties going back to the sixties and, I think, that's why it's so popular here. Both are somewhat simple, restrained though prehaps imbued with a little more of a sense of humour in an Irish context because we're so good at laughing at ourselves and not taking life too seriously. But, I digress. My point is that Cos suits a modern Irish palate. It's metropolitan, durable, not overly caught up in trends and unfussy.

So, Irish men, if you're feeling a tad lost style-wise, I reckon you should hit up their AW14 collection. It's got some great investment pieces in the form of blazers and coats and some slightly more on-trend pieces with sixties inspired prints, cuts and footwear. The palette is largely in neutral tones with the pops of colour here and there that they do so well - one of my favourite sections in the store was the schlubby grey area. I may not be a 50 Shades fan but there's probably that many in my wardrobe. And the silhouettes are largely traditional and recognisable with less innovating in this area than the women's clothes tend to see. However, to update these pieces, give them a modern twist, the details are key; a leather panel here, interesting use of zips there.

My essentials have to be the simple black bomber, the navy suit (looks good on EVERYONE - all genders should feature one of these bad boys in their wardrobe), Chelsea boots, canvas backpack, navy peacoat, classic Breton striped tee, tweedy canvas slip-ons and a sturdy duffle coat. It's what boy-me would wear/live in!

Use of materials - classic bomber in scuba fabric.

Use of zips.

Leather details.

So, what do you all think of the collection? Should I cover menswear more? 

Jil Sander S/S 2013

Cool.

Ease.

Simplicity.

Menswear influence.

Sex Appeal.

All of the above could be used to describe the S/S 2013 Jil Sander collection.

So, it's a little bit exactly what you'd expect from a Jil Sander collection but it's still uber-gorgeous. The palette from A/W is referenced with more splashes of white to make it more summery but the coherence is kind of wonderful and those cherry reds, dusky pinks and burgundy shades are just perfect. I really adore those colours so I'm glad they've been used once more. The navy menswear inspired looks are important highlights in my eyes, as are the coats and suit alternatives/coordinates/suits (as per for Jil Sander) while a couple of the dresses just aren't doing it for me. A little on the sack side of things. In the dresses that get it right there's an accentuating of hips and skimming of the body thing going on that I'm totally feeling.Their models are the best as always, the styling is so on point and the hair and makeup is laid back and refreshing. Overall, a solid, unsurprising but beautiful collection.

The pictures are a selection of backstage shots and my favourite looks and are from vogue.co.uk. You should totally check out their new(ish) layout - it's awesome and especially fantastic for viewing shows.