June/July Favourites: Things I’ve loved recently

A mixed bag of things I've bought or tried most recently and loved. In no meaningful order.

VANS Classic Slip-on

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Just like you’re either a Blur or an Oasis person, Team Savoury or Sweet, Curry sauce or Ketchup, BBC or ITV, I’ve always believed that broadly speaking, one is either a Converse girl or a Vans girl. And I’m the former - in all of the above. I had never, until last month, had Vans sneakers near my feet. I could always appreciate them as a design classic, I love that skater boy look on others, but there was something about that starkly contrasting black and white, and trademark thick squiggly line down the side of the shoes that felt too young somehow, and not really me. But I’ve recently been craving some black trainers that look like what we in Wales specifically call “daps” - generic, plain, canvas slip-ons for PE class - to be worn more as a simple soft shoe than as a statement trainer. A google session led me to these, my first ever pair of Vans, and now we shall never be parted. These are brilliant. They’re easy, super comfy (I hammered them straight out of the box and got not a single blister), lightweight, they go with everything and have a lowkey anonymity about them that I enjoy. Their relatively unsporty look means they work as well with skirts and dresses as with jeans and trousers, and their minimalism makes them feel oddly grownup, sophisticated and smarter than a sneaker - I wore them with linen pants to a dinner last week and didn’t feel at all underdressed. And crucially (for me), there’s no white wavy line. Incidentally, they are true to size, despite the slightly confusing website. I got my usual 4.5 and they’re perfect.

Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Foundation, £35

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I did a very thorough review of this here:

salihughes

A post shared by @salihughes

So I won’t repeat myself. But if you have dull, dry or dryish skin, love glow, hate heavy and matte coverage foundations, and want something you can carry in your bag, scribble on and blend out in seconds, this is it. The first and only foundation I’ve ever loved from Charlotte Tilbury and it’s been worth the wait. Super light, comfortable, glowy and fast. It’s the anti-foundation foundation. I wear Fair 3, should that be helpful.

Dairy Milk Little Bar, from £1 for six bars

Available everywhere, but this is them

The Dairy Milk Little Bar is my favourite chocolate delivered in exactly the correct thickness. Yes, I am an unashamed philistine. Despite not having a particularly sweet tooth, I never believe people who claim to prefer expensive 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate, because to me is tastes like soil and is zero fun. Salted caramel is an abomination and I strongly believe that the hallowed Tony’s Chocolonely is inferior chocolate wrapped in superior graphic design. I would push past a handmade Belgian truffle to get my dirty hands on a supermarket Ferrero Rocher any day of the week. And so, unsurprisingly, my Queen of All Chocolates is Cadbury’s (British Cadbury’s, not the utter trash Cadbury’s sold in the US), specifically in the form of Buttons, Whole Nut and these very thin, completely satisfying bars of simple, unadorned milk chocolate. When stored in the fridge - as I like them (as I say, I’m a heathen) - these break in a perfect audible ‘snap’ and melt at just the right pace. I like to pop a cold piece in my mouth, then take a swig of hot tea, but any way’s a good way to scoff one. The point is that when you just need a taste of chocolate without committing to a sizeable bar, these three-bite wonders leave you sated. And while they’re usually tricky to find, they’re clearly getting a big push from Cadbury’s because suddenly, they’re everywhere. Plus they are cheap - from only a quid for six - and just 96 calories a bar, if that’s a consideration.

Saie The Big Brush Multi Use Buffer and Blender, £21

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This brush was sent to me, as are hundreds of others - good, great, bad and underwhelming. But this one’s remarkable because its quality-to-price ratio is outstanding. It is a big, fat, bushy brush that applies, blends and buffs any creamy or liquid complexion makeup product - foundation, bronzer, cream blusher, tinted moisturiser and the like - quickly and seamlessly. Its chunky handle makes it easy to use and control. It has the heft of a quality bit of kit and I’m using it regularly. And while I’m certainly not suggesting that £21 is nothing, I am saying that its very densely-packed soft bristles give it the look, feel and experience of some of my other favourite complexion brushes that cost £40-£55. I only realised this week, while browsing Cult, that it’s half the price. While we’re here, I have to say that I’m very impressed with Saie overall. The liquid bronzer is outstanding and their shimmery blush is now a summer holiday staple for me. But mostly I like that they’ve charged less across the brand than they could probably get away with. This very rarely happens. Incidentally, you can get up to 20% off The Big Brush (and most things across all categories, with some brand exclusions) on Cult Beauty (.co.uk and .com) with the code CBSALI. I receive no commission on the code’s use - it just seems mad not to mention here that you needn’t pay full price. It’s valid for the rest of this year, so keep it in your pocket.

Black Linen Dress

M&S dupe here

Massimo Dutti dupe here

Okay, so you can’t buy the black linen James Perse dress in the picture because it is old and no longer available (the dogged can, of course, search for a secondhand one on Vinted or eBay). But I’m including it here because this is the first time since I’ve owned it that I can point to a dupe (actually, two) that will likely make you as happy as my old one has made me. This dress style is so useful. It can be worn to swish around the house or garden in the manner of Montserrat Caballé, styled casually with sneakers (like the aforementioned Vans), or dressed up with jewellery and sandals for an evening out. It rolls into your suitcase for almost endless holiday outfit options, and can also handle a festival (see it here in Greece with flip-flops and at Glastonbury with hiking boots). At either, it looks good over a white T shirt, or under a thin knit or shawl, should the temperature drop. It gives very welcome fanny-waft on a hot day, and one can cheerfully pack away a three-course lunch and a bottle of Rosé without feeling any discomfort beneath the voluminous fabric. Despite all of this, the narrow shoulders and halter neckline somehow make what is essentially a linen teepee seem sexy. It is completely ace, easily my most worn high summer garment and for such an unexceptional looking dress, it always garners compliments (from women - the best kind). So my dupe options are these: a Massimo Dutti version, sizes 8-14, and a bargainous M&S number in sizes 12-24. Both great.

JISULIFE Portable Hand Held Fan, £55.99 (Prime members)

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Apparently I am now a woman who carries a portable fan. I knew this time would come. I’m broadly fine with it, but I have a strong aversion to those enlarged lollipops made from cheap grey plastic, housing a noisy rotary fan. I must have owned three, they always break, making them surprisingly pricey when you stack up the repeat purchases. They’re too big for a pocket and they look old fashioned (only without the irrefutable stylishness of a classic paper fan). So since I was off to Glastonbury, have a summer holiday booked and knew I’d be boiling at both, I wondered if a portable fan existed that effectively cooled both people and entire rooms while simultaneously looking half decent. It does. JISULIFE are apparently the world’s greatest portable fans. Who knew? They charge via USB-C, meaning I can power up on the go with my iPhone cable. They are very nicely designed (mine looks like a mini Dyson hairdryer), stand sturdily on the ground or tabletop to chill the entire room, or you can handhold to direct the cold air towards your face. There’s a special nozzle attachment for cleaning computer keyboards and drawers, sweeping patios and so on, and another for blowing up mattresses and lilos. There’s an in-built light for nighttime use, plus a little remote control. Most importantly, this fan is powerful. It is way more effective than any I’ve tried before, and despite its small size, blasted enough air to keep six of us cool around a pub garden table during one of the rare days of hot weather. My only complaint - and it is minor - is that the light frequently turns on in your pocket or bag because its power button is too sensitive. This is annoying, but doesn’t seem to impact the fan’s battery life significantly, which stands at a good three hours’ of continuous use, depending on the setting. It’s pricier than all the others, but seemingly always on offer (as a Prime member, I got mine at almost 40% off) and so infinitely better and sturdier than the rest, that I regard it as money well spent.

M&S Food Cheddar Cheese & Marmite Sandwich, £2.50 (in-store only)

What can I say? You’ll either love it or hate it. But I’ve so far racked up nine of these bad boys and I regret nothing. Delicious. I have yet to see the Cream Cheese and Marmite deli spread (from the same collaboration between M&S Food and Marmite) out in the wild, but I am ready to live vicariously through your experiences until I do. Is it amazing? Anyway, I am now so reliant on these sandwiches that I’m becoming anxious that they’re limited edition and we’re eating on borrowed time. But never let it be said that I didn’t maximise the opportunities presented to me.

Info:

*No paid or sponsored content

*Both beauty items (foundation and brush) were <ad - PR samples>

*No other gifting or samples

*Contains some <ad - affiliate links>

What are you loving currently? Feel free to pop any recommendations below. I’m always keen to hear them.