Winter Favourites
Wintry goodies that have warmed my mood
Uniqlo Cashmere Crewneck*, £79.90
These jumpers are hands down, the most worn items in my autumn/winter wardrobe and one of the few items I own in multiples - grey, black, navy, olive, red, ivory - bought over the course of three years. They are just so endlessly useful. They’re fine enough to wear either indoors or as a thin layer under a chunky knit when it’s cold out, close fitting enough to be worn under a blazer for work or with jeans and heeled boots to a party, but still relaxed enough to be comfy. They’re soft and never itch. They pill and bobble less that any other cashmere I own. The neckline is flattering to all, the colour selection is vast. They are also true to size: In both the women and men’s versions, I wear Small. The men’s is longer, obviously a little more relaxed looking and slouchy (I only have the men’s version in “Natural”, a cool toned ivory). The women’s is neater in fit. I love both, but wear the women’s the most, because I have plenty of slouchy knits but few on the smarter side. One thing: Oddly enough, for someone who loves turtlenecks, I am less keen on the turtleneck version of this jumper. I have one in black, but there’s something about the neck that feels too rolled and annoying, and the goodness doesn’t quite translate from the crewneck. For turtlenecks, I tend to do only black and navy, mostly from Jigsaw. Anyway, I digress. The Uniqlo, in crewneck only, is a wardrobe workhorse I can’t be without. I’ve worn it all autumn and winter for the past couple of years, and only machine washed it - on a cool wool cycle, no tumble or radiator drying, and in every case, it’s emerged as good as new. And with all this taken into account, the price is exceptional.
Dr Jart Hydrating Lip Mask, £22*
This is a serious problem solver and absolutely fantastic, so please ignore the childish packaging that looks like it was spawned from a Kinder egg. If you get very dry, sore, flaky lips, you need this. It is the best heavy duty lipbalm since the sadly departed Clinique Superbalm (RIP) - and I do not draw such favourable comparisons lightly. Not at all greasy or shiny, this thick, solid balm (it calls itself a “mask” but you can use it any time) immediately soothes and hydrates a chapped mouth, and re-plumps skin battered and flattened by harsh weather and the in-out-in hokey cokey between biting cold and central heating. It sits happily under lipliner and lipstick, stays on longer than your usual balm, and consequently needs fewer applications in a day. Most importantly, it works - quickly, completely and effortlessly. Lips that look beyond rescue are restored to good health in no time. Its single drawback is the naff packaging. It looks like something I’d have wanted from Woolworths when I was five and the pot design means you must dunk in your fingernail to scrape out some balm. No matter - it’s a small price to pay for an excellent winter staple that puts others in its category to shame.
Incidentally, you can get 20% off it at Cult Beauty with the code CBSALI, as you can with most things across the site.
Fashion Neuroses With Bella Freud
This podcast is so far up my strada that it could have been created just for me by A.I. Fashion designer Bella Freud, friend of the stars and great-granddaughter to the founding father of psychoanalysis, gets celebrities like Courtney Cox, Eric Cantona, Zadie Smith and Kate Moss to lie on the couch and answer questions on their approach to dressing. That’s it: simple, specific, insightful. Freud is not a professional interviewer and journalist, her approach is not vigorous or probing. She knows all the guests to some degree (although they are nonetheless thoughtfully selected). But I think these are some of the reasons why Fashion Neuroses works so well. The back and forth between Freud and her guests is good natured, calm, mutually respectful and curious. The questions are simple but revealing (“Could you fancy someone who dresses badly?”) and I admire the way Freud makes neither apology nor excuse for her belief - which I very much share - that personal style of any flavour is a substantial part of one’s identity. Nevertheless, she seemingly approaches the task more as a therapist than a fashionista - with unsnobby warmth, never judging anyone’s personal aesthetic. There’s such intimacy and ease in her interaction with guests that - in the best possible way - the podcast has sent me to sleep on a number of occasions. But I’ve always gone back to listen to the rest in the morning. Fashion neurosis is a gem of a podcast and underlines the point I’ve always tried to make in my own interviews around beauty - that when asked about the their surface, people will usually reveal their depth.
Tiptree Quite Hot Tomato Ketchup, £3.30
I have mentioned before that I adore spicy foods but call bullshit on most foods described on their packaging as “spicy”. If you crave the heat, you are almost always left disappointed. Heinz made a delicious chilli version of their ketchup, which we bought exclusively for years, but they discontinued it a while back. Recently, I saw this and I’m delighted to report it’s even better. Genuinely spicy (not extremely so - you could serve it to kids with no problems, in my view), rich and not too sweet, this thick, smooth, warming sauce is so delicious that one day last week, when my husband was away, I had a vegetarian sausage bap covered in the stuff for both lunch and dinner and felt delighted with myself. Best day ever.
After The Party (C4)
You’ve probably already seen this 2023 drama, but I hadn’t until C4 recently began trailing its full series drop on the C4 Player. It’s a drama about two middle aged teachers whose divorce from one another is so embittered and unequivocal that one can’t fathom how things went so catastrophically wrong. It’s co-written by its star, Robyn Malcolm, and made in New Zealand with an extremely fine cast including Peter Mullan (for whom Malcolm wrote the part after the two became great friends on the set of Top of The Lake). I daren’t give you any more details of the plot, which is dark, nuanced and unexpected. But I will say that many of the issues it raises around sex, misogyny and abuse feel particularly relevant right now. And if you sometimes find yourself frustrated at the slow pace of many of the more elegant, higher quality dramas - especially those with a mystery at their heart - then you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this. It cantors along nicely, beginning its reveal early doors instead of leaving you hanging so long that you become irritated and give up. The acting is extraordinary. Robyn Malcolm is brilliant as the emotionally sturdy, funny, intelligent and moral Penny. I suddenly want to watch everything she’s done. But start with this - it’s very, very good.
Uniqlo Heattech Ribbed Long Socks*, £7.90 (2 pairs for £12.90)
I don’t know if it’s old age or just too many years away from the Valleys, but I get so bloody cold nowadays. I live mainly in slouchy trousers and jeans, so I’ve been using these thermal socks as an invisible layer of warmth beneath. Obviously they keep my feet and legs super warm but crucially they don’t make them itchy, they’re thin enough to wear with all my shoes and boots without making them too tight (I hate those thick hiking socks for this reason), they don’t mess with the look of my jeans and they’re not so hot that they become quickly uncomfortable indoors. I love them and since they’re always either on my feet or in the wash, I’ve just ordered two more pairs.
Small Batch Roasters Coffee Pods, from £8.40 for 14
I won’t pretend to be an expert on coffee. I’m not. I love it, I look forward to my mid morning cup and I know a crap coffee when I taste one. But I make mine from compostable pods (usually from Grind) in my Grind One espresso machine, which a proper coffee snob would never do. But it is fast and convenient and I just cannot be arsed with grinding my own beans, compressing them and whatnot. With all that said, I have recently switched to these and they are fantastic. I’m not surprised - Small Batch Roasters are an independent Brighton business supplying beans to most of the best coffee shops in Brighton. I drink a lot of their coffee across the city. Small Batch are much admired by those who know far more than me, so my expectations were high. But to me, these taste so noticeably better than 95% of other coffee pods, that I immediately told all the Nespresso-compatible-users I know. And now I’m telling you. They are very delicious, including in espresso martinis, which I made only last weekend: one shot of espresso, 35ml coffee liqueur, 50ml vodka. Pour over lots of ice, shake like mad until foam appears, strain, spoon on some extra foam, drink. Do not attempt to sleep for five hours.
Balsam Hill Christmas Tree
I had a real Christmas tree every year of my life until 2023. I’d always been adamant about getting a real tree and I’d still have one if it were up to me. But both my husband and one of my sons suffer from rhinitis (so, so much sneezing) and anything seems to set them off, including some plants. Things definitely got worse while the tree was up and that, combined with a truly terrible real tree in 2022, the fact that I always do it myself (my husband never had one growing up and becomes infuriated by the faff of the whole thing), and a January sale on Balsam Hill’s website, finally convinced me to give a fake tree a go and I have not one regret. The fake tree comes in three divisible sections that just click into place in moments. Branches are obviously evergreen, sturdy and they don’t droop much, even under the weight of heavier ornaments. Most helpfully, lights are already embedded in the branches and evenly dispersed, which cuts the job time in half. The tree itself looks gorgeous - bushy, lush, natural looking, not freakishly uniform. We had a party recently and it’s only when guests looked down at the base (which is not yet obscured by presents) that they realised it was fake. They couldn’t believe it.
I know you’ll already have your tree up, but I mention it here because the Balsam Hill sale has just started and if you’re tempted, now is the time to buy (I bought mine in January 2023 and got hundreds off the ticket price). Mine is the 7ft Balsam Fir with clear lights, but there are cheaper and more expensive models, depending on your chosen shape and size. Even on sale, these are expensive. But given that my yearly real trees used to cost £120 by the time I’d paid for delivery and removal, this will have paid for itself in a couple more years. The cons are that you need somewhere like an attic or garage to store it, you don’t get the delicious pine smell (I have a wreath and a candle on the go, which makes up for it) and it obviously lacks the bonkers majesty of plonking an actual tree in the middle of your front room. But if your reluctance to go faux is based on aesthetics, forget it. They’ve changed beyond all recognition and now look wonderful.
Massimo Tutti Nappa Leather Jacket With Pockets*, £299
This is another very big ticket item, I do realise, but I can honestly say that since I bought this in the summer, it has been worn almost constantly and consequently owes me nowt. In warm weather, it’s a thin, chic coverup that’s smart enough for work or a night out. It looks great with tailoring, jeans, wide legged trousers, a short skirt, or thrown over a black dress to add interest and texture. In cold weather, it performs all of the same functions but crucially, the buttery, super soft fine Nappa leather is thin enough to layer under a big coat. I’ve done this all winter and it means I can hang up my coat when I arrive somewhere, but still have a light jacket to keep me warm without looking outdoorsy, as well as two large pockets when my outfit otherwise has none (fatal). It is by far my most commented upon garment of the year. In fact, I only got mine because I saw it on my friend Laura, asked where it was from, found it sold out and checked preloved sites daily until one appeared (I finally got it below retail but by the time I paid the bastard Brexit customs fees, I was no better off). Nonetheless, it is frequently mistaken for a jacket by New York designer Khaite, who charge over £2500 a pop. The design is so simple that although expensive, it will always look current. It’s true to size, back in stock and I cannot recommend it enough.
Ded Cool Xtra Milk fragrance*, from £24
Okay, let’s all get it out of the way at the top, and just agree that “Ded Cool” is a naff and embarrassing name for a brand. Mortifying. BUT. I do really love this fragrance, despite it also being called Milk, which is literally, my worst thing - you could not pay me to drink the stuff. I was sent the whole Ded Cool line some months ago, tried their room scent, detergent and signature Milk Layering + Enhancer fragrance, could barely detect any smell, and moved on. Then about a month ago, I sniffed it on my friend Alex, admired it, went back to investigate and discovered this, their souped-up stronger version of the original. Now this, I can smell. And I love it. If you like fragrances like Glossier YOU, Phlur Missing Person, Per Se’s 27 87, even Le Labo’s Santal 33, then I think you’ll enjoy this. It has the same musky, melancholic, raindrop transparency. Think fresh towels on a washing line, the salty rim of a cold cocktail glass, fresh sweat on clean bedsheets, talcum powder in the folds of a baby’s neck. It’s perfect alone as a daytime fragrance, or as a +1 under something punchier at night. It is all-season appropriate, vegan, gender neutral and so addictive that the names are (almost) forgiven.
Ad info: No paid or sponsored content. I bought everything except the beauty products, which were <ad - PR samples>. Items with an *asterisk next to them have links that are through <ad - affiliate link> accounts. This does not affect your purchase in any way, but does mean I receive commission on purchases. No filters or retouching.
Always love reading your wintry pieces 🔥🍲🎄🧣 *hugs knees*
Yesssss Sali - "After the Party" was hands down best TV I've watched all year - the shock of seeing a non-filtered female protagonist in mid-life being brave and brilliant (and who incidentally didn't mention menopause once, as a driver for her actions) - Robin's performance, and the series itself, right up there with Kate Winslet in Mare of Eastown and Sarah Lancashire in Happy Valley xx