Clean Beauty; Ground Wellbeing

G R O U N D  is a newly launched luxury wellness brand I was recently introduced to + am truly loving. Focusing on artisan aromatherapy for your entire family, each product is created to awaken your senses through the beauty of + healing properties found in essential oils. Hand-crafted in small, quality-controlled batches in Cork, Ireland by Peigín Crowley, a globally celebrated curator of luxury spas, GROUND is neutral by design with each product created to encourage a sense of relaxation + grounding.

Peigín, has established a highly respected career in the wellness space as the originator + designer of high-end luxury spas in Ireland’s most indulgent properties including Cliff House Hotel, Old Head of Kinsale + Adore Manor. Her love of constructing beautiful experiences has been brought to life in her latest venture + is something you can see, smell + touch in each drop; a treasured treat in the every day rituals of self-care.

I was gifted some of the beautiful products from the range by Peigín when she first launched - the Recovery Hair Oil + Sleep Face Oil + I have been using them ever since. The Recovery Hair Oil quickly became a favourite; each time I wash my hair I gently massage the product into my scalp before getting into the shower, then after towel drying it, post shower, I put about 5 drops into the ends of my hair - again gently massaging it in. I’m particular about what I use on my hair + skin as I get older + I just love how natural GROUND products are - no gross pesticides or herbicides + each ingredient is organic (where possible) + completely sourced naturally.

One of the other products I love is the Sleep Face Oil. On the nights when I Gua Sha this is amazing, as with it’s beautiful texture, it means my Gua Sha stone glides so smoothly over my skin instead of pulling on it. Also with chamomile as one of it’s main ingredients, it means it’s a great way to de-stress your mind + body before bed. Peigín advises to rub the oils between your palms + inhale deeply before applying to the skin for an added boost to the senses - something that is applicable for the entire collection.

Since falling in love with G R O U N D products, I’ve ordered several others myself including the Uplifting Body Oil which is so divine after a lovely hot shower or bath. Our bodies skin needs that extra TLC in Winter + I‘ve found this (along with my unfailing love of Jojoba Oil) to be such a treat for dry skin + it smells so divine too.

You can find the full range, including Bath Salt, Body Oils, Face Balms, Face Oils, Face & Body Masks, Beard Oils + Mother + Baby products on BrownThomas.ie or directly on GROUNDWELLBEING.com

Great New Reads, January 2021

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What's Hot on Your Bookshelf, January 2021

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‘GIRL A’ BY ABIGAIL DEAN

Lex Gracie doesn’t want to think about her family. She doesn’t want to think about growing up in her parents’ House of Horrors. And she doesn’t want to think about her identity as Girl A: the girl who escaped. When her mother dies in prison and leaves Lex and her siblings the family home, she can’t run from her past any longer. Together with her sister, Evie, Lex intends to turn the House of Horrors into a force for good. But first she must come to terms with her six siblings – and with the childhood they shared.

Beautifully written and incredibly powerful, Girl A is a story of redemption, of horror, and of love.

Shop this title on Amazon

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‘LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I MEAN’ BY Joan Didion

Mostly drawn from the earliest part of her astonishing five-decade career, Didion writes about a Gamblers Anonymous meeting, a visit to William Randolph Hearst's castle at San Simeon, a reunion of WWII veterans in Las Vegas, and about topics ranging from Nancy Reagan to Robert Mapplethorpe, Martha Stewart and Ernest Hemingway. 

With an Introduction by Hilton Als, this stunning collection reveals what would become her subjects: the press, politics, California robber barons, women, the act of writing, and her own self-doubt. Each piece is classic Didion: incisive, bemused, and stunningly prescient.

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‘LUSTER’ BY RAVEN LEILANI

Edie is just trying to survive. She’s messing up in her dead-end admin job in her all-white office, is sleeping with all the wrong men, and has failed at the only thing that meant anything to her, painting. No one seems to care that she doesn’t really know what she’s doing with her life beyond looking for her next hook-up. And then she meets Eric, a white, middle-aged archivist with a suburban family, including a wife who has sort-of-agreed to an open marriage and an adopted black daughter who doesn’t have a single person in her life who can show her how to do her hair. As if navigating the constantly shifting landscape of sexual and racial politics as a young black woman wasn’t already hard enough, with nowhere else left to go, Edie finds herself falling head-first into Eric’s home and family.

Razor sharp, provocatively page-turning and surprisingly tender, Luster by Raven Leilani is a painfully funny debut about what it means to be young now.

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‘TROUBLED’ BY KENNETH R. ROSEN

In the middle of the night, they are vanished.

Each year thousands of young adults deemed out of control—suffering from depression, addiction, anxiety, and rage—are carted off against their will to remote wilderness programs and treatment facilities across the country. Desperate parents of these “troubled teens” fear it’s their only option. The private, largely unregulated behavioral boot camps break their children down, a damnation the children suffer forever.

Acclaimed journalist Kenneth R. Rosen knows firsthand the brutal emotional, physical, and sexual abuse carried out at these programs. He lived it. In Troubled, Rosen unspools the stories of four graduates on their own scarred journeys through the programs into adulthood. Based on three years of reporting and more than one hundred interviews with other clients, their parents, psychologists, and health-care professionals, Troubled combines harrowing storytelling with investigative journalism to expose the disturbing truth about the massively profitable, sometimes fatal, grossly unchecked redirection industry.

Not without hope, Troubled ultimately delivers an emotional, crucial tapestry of coming of age, neglect, exploitation, trauma, and fraught redemption.

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‘RED COMET’ BY Heather Clark

Determined not to read Plath's work as if her every act, from childhood on, was a harbinger of her tragic fate, Clark presents new materials about Plath's scientist father, her juvenile writings, and her psychiatric treatment, and evokes a culture in transition in the mid-twentieth century, in the shadow of the atom bomb and the Holocaust, as she explores Sylvia's world: her early relationships and determination not to become a conventional woman and wife; her conflicted ties to her well-meaning, widowed mother; her troubles at the hands of an unenlightened mental-health industry; and her Cambridge years and thunderclap meeting with Ted Hughes, a true marriage of minds that would change the course of poetry in English.

Clark's clear-eyed sympathy for Hughes, his lover Assia Wevill, and other demonized players in the arena of Plath's suicide promotes a deeper understanding of her final days, with their outpouring of first-rate poems. Along with illuminating readings of the poems themselves, Clark's meticulous, compassionate research brings us closer than ever to the spirited woman and visionary artist who blazed a trail that still lights the way for women poets the world over.

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‘SHUGGIE BAIN’ BY DOUGLAS STUART

It is 1981. Glasgow is dying and good families must grift to survive. Agnes Bain has always expected more from life. She dreams of greater things: a house with its own front door and a life bought and paid for outright (like her perfect, but false, teeth). But Agnes is abandoned by her philandering husband, and soon she and her three children find themselves trapped in a decimated mining town. As she descends deeper into drink, the children try their best to save her, yet one by one they must abandon her to save themselves. It is her son Shuggie who holds out hope the longest.

Shuggie is different. Fastidious and fussy, he shares his mother’s sense of snobbish propriety. The miners' children pick on him and adults condemn him as no’ right. But Shuggie believes that if he tries his hardest, he can be normal like the other boys and help his mother escape this hopeless place.

Douglas Stuart's Shuggie Bain lays bare the ruthlessness of poverty, the limits of love, and the hollowness of pride. A counterpart to the privileged Thatcher-era London of Alan Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty, it also recalls the work of Édouard Louis, Frank McCourt, and Hanya Yanagihara, a blistering debut by a brilliant writer with a powerful and important story to tell.

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‘A CHILDREN’S BIBLE’ BY Lydia Millet

A brilliant, indelible novel of teenage alienation and adult complacency in a world whose climate and culture are unravelling. Pulitzer Prize finalist Lydia Millet's sublime new novel-her first since the National Book Award-longlisted Sweet Lamb of Heaven- follows a group of eerily mature children on a forced vacation with their parents at a lakeside mansion. Contemptuous of their elders, who pass their days in a hedonistic stupor, the children are driven out into a chaotic landscape after a great storm descends. The story's narrator, Eve, devotes herself to the safety of her beloved little brother as events around them begin to mimic scenes from his cherished picture Bible. Millet, praised as "unnervingly talented" (San Francisco Chronicle), has produced a heartbreaking story of the legacy of climate change denial. Her parable of the coming generational divide offers a lucid vision of what awaits us on the other side of Revelation.

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The HSF Podcast List To Get Out of Your Own Head

C R E A T I V E C O N V E R S A T I O N S with S U Z Y M E N K E S

Go behind the scenes with Suzy Menkes, Editor Vogue International at Condé Nast, for in-depth interviews with the fashion industry’s most influential designers, thinkers and executives.

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T H E S A K A R A L I F E

Curated conversations that dig deep into the ancient rituals + modern research we can all use to build lives we love living. Each week, Sakara Life founders, Whitney & Danielle, sit down with today's top physicists, mystics, chefs, healers, + CEOs, to explore the areas of life where science + spirituality coexist + thoughts turn into real, live things. 

New episodes every week // LISTEN on iTunes or Spotify

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T H E G O O P P O D C A S T

Gwyneth Paltrow + goop's Chief Content Officer Elise Loehnen chat with leading thinkers, culture changers, + industry disruptors—from doctors to creatives, CEOs to spiritual healers—about shifting old paradigms + starting new conversations.

New episodes every Tuesday + Thursday // LISTEN on iTunes

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T H E B O F P O D C A S T

The Business of Fashion has gained a global following as thee essential daily resource for fashion creatives, executives + entrepreneurs in over 200 countries.

LISTEN on iTunes

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U N L O C K I N G U S by B R E N É B R O W N

Brené Brown explains Unlocking Us in her own words: “I’ve spent over 20 years studying the emotions + experiences that bring meaning + purpose to our lives, + if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s this: We are hardwired for connection, + connecting requires courage, vulnerability, + conversation. I want this to be a podcast that’s real, unpolished, honest, + reflects both the magic + the messiness of what it means to be human. Episodes will include conversations with the people who are teaching me, challenging me, confusing me, or maybe even ticking me off a little. I'll also have direct conversations with you about what I’m learning from new research, + we'll do some episodes dedicated to answering your questions. We don’t have to do life alone. We were never meant to”.

LISTEN on iTunes, Stitcher + Spotify

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T H E M O M E N T S T H A T M A D E M E

Roxie Nafousi is one of the most inspirational women out there. Coming from a darker time in her life she has completely done a 180 + has become every girls best friend + the current day self-development QUEEN. Her podcast is a breath of fresh air as she speaks with inspirational individuals, some famous + some not yet all of whom have something incredible to share in the three tops moments that have shaped their lives + the people they have become. I absolutely adore this one + with two seasons thus far, you’re sure to get hooked on the deep human connections made in this one!

LISTEN on iTunes, Spotify + ACAST

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O P R A H’ s S U P E R S O U L C O N V E R S A T I O N S

Awaken, discover + connect to the deeper meaning of the world around you with SuperSoul. Hear Oprah’s personal selection of her interviews with thought-leaders, best-selling authors, spiritual luminaries, as well as health + wellness experts. All designed to light you up, guide you through life’s big questions + help bring you one step closer to your best self.

LISTEN on iTunes, Spotify + Oprah OWN

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R O O M 2 0

The sign above his hospital bed called him Sixty-Six Garage. For more than 15 years, he would lay there unidentified and unconscious. Or so, everyone believed. From L.A. Times Studios + the team that brought us “Dirty John” + “Man in the Window,” comes “Room 20,” a story about the search for a man’s identity + the truth about his accident. Investigative reporter Joanne Faryon’s two-year journey is filled with twists + turns. Now, she'll finally reveal who Garage really is. But one important question remained for her upon this discovery: has Garage been conscious this entire time?

LISTEN on iTunes

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Tools for the (Very Real) Modern Day Woman

I’m not usually one to share in such a personal manner here on Haute So Fabulous. However, today I welcome you into a very imperfect + previously super private part of my life that I’m tired of holding shame around. Shame that has me fearing you might think less of me were you to know how severely “anxiety” + “low moods” have played such debilitating roles in my life.. long before the lockdown reality of 2020. However as I get older, settling into the woman I am + seek to become, I begin to let go of that crippling shame + embarrassment that have only served to weigh me down even further in my experience. I’m here to be real.

“Anxiety” is such a buzz word but for those who know it’s wrath, you know there is no “buzz” + the “band wagon” isn’t exactly the party bus of the century. It’s crippling. It can consume your every waking moment + some nights the precious hope you hold in the possible escape of sleep. These experiences don’t match the fun or fabulous (‘grammable) part of me but, equally, they have played their roles in allowing me grow + evolve into the woman I am today + for that I am grateful.

In finding space to be my entire self in this world + not just the Instagramable elements of an existence, this post is from my heart, in the hope of letting you know that if you find yourself in that dark place too.. PLEASE remember you are not alone, we’re all human + trust me, we really are all just trying to figure it out. Some days are wonderful + even the smallest things like the smell of a fresh coffee can feel exhilarating + even just the noticing of it can be something to be grateful for; those days where you see the light + step into the trust that maybe, just maaaaaybe, it really all is ok. And then there are the days when you can’t even find the energy to look for the switch to turn the light on, despite everyone telling you it’s right there.

Despite my search for it, perfect isn’t a thing. It’s something, in this highly curated world we now live in, that we continuously seek to obtain + ultimately beat ourselves up for in failing to find. We constantly set ourselves up for failure in the search. What if though.. it’s ok to be the real you.. the one you’re figuring out along the way + haven’t yet fully come to know or accept or trust or love. That person who doesn’t just “wake up like this”. On that note of "I woke up like this” - let me remind you, Beyonce has every means to create her life so that she can spend her time exactly where she wishes. Not to belittle her as she’s one of the most incredible, badass women in the world but let’s face it, she isn’t thinking about the trillion errands that need to be completed while also making healthy dinners for her family + actively seeing to every detail of her career. She’s a powerhouse + I love her but we must remember that the cultured thinking of “I woke up like this” isn’t real in the every day life of ANYone.. not even Beyonce.

Refusing to imply or fall for the often marketed message that there’s a magical wand for this stuff, I am constantly seeking NATURAL solutions to this part of me. For what it’s worth, here are some of the things that play such integral parts in creating some inner zen. Health is a collection of choices + actions taken daily + not something to seek overall solutions in any one thing.

What drew me to post all of this was that I’m new to the world of CBD + have been using KLORIS CBD for several months now + although it’s not changed my life entirely, as I don’t believe any one product can alone or should ever promise you, it’s been something I’ve come to appreciate as an important part of calming my anxiety + offsetting the real threat of panic attacks which had become such an issue for me. I was so adverse to trying it as I’m so clean when it come sot anything around ‘drugs’ (I’ve literally never even smoked a joint) but am so so glad I finally did + started here with KLORIS. I highly recommend this brand if you’re new to it all too. You can find them at K L O R I S C B D . C O M

Another things I have to remember is the power of communication. Communicating with loved ones + trying to call it before it gets too overwhelming is beginning to be a real tool for me; something that's a complete work in progress as I hate burdening anyone with my stuff.

Having Supernova WOMAN 01 in my morning smoothie or by itself with water.. EVERY SINGLE DAY without fail! This has truly been a corner stone of my overall health the past 18 months. Read more about my S U P E R N O V A L I V I N G love here..

Chats with + staying inspired by Roxie Nafousi - the ultimate manifesting goddess. I listen to her affirmations + meditations on my morning walks for coffee, alongside attending her online webinars, she has one coming up on Self Love on August 16th. Book your spot at R O X I E N A F O U S I . C O M

Remaining consistent with daily practices + committing to non-negotiable morning + nighttime routines of self care. Doing something once doesn’t cut he cloth + certainly, in my experience of years of trying things once + then deeming them unsuccessful, consistency with anything is what creates an outcome. Wish I’d learned this one sooner but here we are.

Getting outside in nature. Again every damn day. Come hail, rain or shine. I work for myself + some days it’s just calls or Zooms with clients + not face-to-face so it’s imperative that I get out every day.

Exercising daily. It’s simply another non-negotiable for me. Lately I’ve been LOVING M/Body, Melissa Wood Health + Yin Yoga with Phoebe Greenacre. You can see my at home workout list here..

Dipping into the escape of another’s story + the magic of a good book. Watching good movies. You can always find my lists here on the website.. I’m obsessed with sharing movies + books. In fact, here are some links // MOVIES // DOCUMENTARIES // BOOKS

This feels so incredibly exposing to leave these words here; I’m not sharing it to be self-indulgent or to seek validation. It’s simply that I find great strength in reading about other strong women who somehow remain resilient through the lessons life throws their way + wanted to hopefully be some sort of light for even one other human being out there. Remember health is a collection of choices + actions taken daily + not something to seek overall solutions to in any one thing.

The Working From Home Edit

Working from home is no longer something just for the freelancers + creatives of the world. In the past few short (but ohhhhh so long) months, WFH has become the norm, for so many more. It’s been something I’ve been used to for years + so you’ll often catch me semi in my gym wear - always working to make it that but more chic than as if I’ve literally just put on my leggings + a sweater. What we wear can make us feel good.. or great + while WFH, it’s even more important to pump some level of chic into your day, or at the very least, while you’re popping out for your morn ing coffee. Here, I share 5 outfits to up your daily grind both comfortable + vibe-y, while WFH.

“W O R K I N G F R O M H O M E, B U T A L S O K I N D O F R U N N I N G E R R A N D S”

Monday Sweat Pants, 7 Days Active // Monday Crew Neck, 7 Days Active // Cat Eye Glasses, & Other Stories // Lucy Williams Gold Square Snack Chain Anklet, Missoma // Fanny Bag, Anine Bing // Classic SK8-HI Tops, VANS

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“C U T E, M I G H T N O T L E A V E T H E H O U S E”

Berry 004 Black Sunglasses, CHIMI EYEWEAR // Ribbed Leather Slides, ISABEL MARANT // Ball Cap, REEBOK X VB // Eternitas Ring, SORU // Logo Sweatshirt, ANINE BING // Bing T-shirt, ANINE BING // Leopard Cycling Shorts, GANNI

'“W O R K I N G F R O M H O M E. A L S O W O R K I N G O U T F R O M H O M E”

Trainers, VEJA // Petite Amour Sunglasses, PARED EYEWEAR // Christy Sweatshirt, SILOU LONDON // Arabella Bodysuit, SILOU LONDON

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“I W O K E U P L I K E T H I S”

Health + Wellness Crewneck, Sporty + Rich // Densonic stretch shorts, KORAL // Classic Hi-tops, Converse // Sporty & Rich Tote, Sporty & Rich // Gold Ancien Chandelier Hoops, MISSOMA

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“W H E N Y O U N E E D M O N D A Y T O F E E L L I K E F R I D A Y”

Black Tie feather-trimmed crepe de chine pyjama set, SLEEPER // All white Andy low-top sneakers, SAINT LAURENT // Berry 006 Black Sunglasses, CHIMI EYEWEAR // Black silk face mask, SLIP // Slouchy Banana Small Crossbody Bag, THE ROW

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** Disclaimer, some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and decide to purchase the item, I get a small percentage of the price. Commission is only transferred if you purchase however, and you do not pay any more than the store’s recommend retail price **

Great Reads, July 2020

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What's Hot on Your Bookshelf, July 2020

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‘THE GLASS HOTEL’ BY EMILY ST.JOHN MANDEL

Vincent is a bartender at the Hotel Caiette, a five-star glass-and-cedar palace on an island in British Columbia. Jonathan Alkaitis works in finance and owns the hotel. When he passes Vincent his card with a tip, it's the beginning of their life together. That same day, Vincent's half brother, Paul, scrawls a note on a windowed wall of the hotel: Why don't you swallow broken glass. Leon Prevant, a shipping executive for a company named Neptune-Avramidis, sees the note from the hotel bar and is shaken to his core. Thirteen years later Vincent mysteriously disappears from the deck of a Neptune-Avramidis ship. Weaving together the lives of these characters, The Glass Hotel moves between the ship, the skyscrapers of Manhattan, and the wilderness of northern Vancouver Island, painting a breathtaking picture of greed and guilt, fantasy and delusion, art and the ghosts of our pasts.

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‘AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE’ BY TAYARI JONES

Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of the American Dream. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. Until one day they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn't commit. Devastated and unmoored, Celestial finds herself struggling to hold on to the love that has been her centre, taking comfort in Andre, their closest friend. When Roy's conviction is suddenly overturned, he returns home ready to resume their life together. A masterpiece of storytelling, An American Marriage offers a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three unforgettable characters who are at once bound together and separated by forces beyond their control.

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‘JAZZ’ BY TONI MORRISON

At the funeral, his determined, hard-working wife, Violet, who is given to stumbling into dark mental cracks, tries with a knife to disfigure the corpse. Passionate and profound, Jazz brings us back and forth in time, in a narrative assembled from the hopes, fears and realities of black urban life.

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‘PEOPLE IN TROUBLE’ BY SARAH SCHULMAN

It was the beginning of the end of the world but not everyone noticed right away.

It is the late 1980s. Kate, an ambitious artist, lives in Manhattan with her husband Peter. She’s having an affair with Molly, a younger lesbian who works part-time in a movie theater.

At one of many funerals during an unbearably hot summer, Molly becomes involved with a guerrilla activist group fighting for people with AIDS. But Kate is more cautious, and Peter is bewildered by the changes he’s seeing in his city and, most crucially, in his wife.

Soon the trio learn how tragedy warps even the closest relationships, and that anger – and its absence – can make the difference between life and death.

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‘HOW DO WE KNOW WE’RE DOING IT RIGHT’ BY PANDROA SYKES

Modern life is full of choices. We’re told that happiness lies within and we can be whoever we want to be. But with endless possibility comes a feeling of restlessness; like we’re somehow failing to live our best life. What does doing it right even look like? And why do so many women feel like they’re getting it wrong?

From faster-than-fast fashion to millennial burnout, the explosion of wellness to the rise of cancel culture, Pandora Sykes interrogates the stories we’ve been sold and the ones we tell ourselves. Wide-ranging, thoughtful and witty, How Do We Know We’re Doing It Right? explores the anxieties and myths that consume our lives and the tools we use to muddle through.

So sit back and take a breath. It’s time to stop worrying about the answers ­– and start delighting in the questions.

Shop this title on Amazon

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‘UTOPIA AVENUE’ BY DAVID MITCHELL

Emerging from London's psychedelic scene in 1967, folksinger Elf Holloway, blues bassist Dean Moss, guitar virtuoso Jasper de Zoet and jazz drummer Griff Griffin together created a unique sound, with lyrics that captured their turbulent times. The band produced only two albums in two years, yet their musical legacy lives on.

This is the story of Utopia Avenue's brief, blazing journey from Soho clubs and draughty ballrooms to the promised land of America, just when the Summer of Love was receding into something much darker - a multi-faceted tale of dreams, drugs, love, sexuality, madness and grief; of stardom's wobbly ladder and fame's Faustian pact; and of the collision between youthful idealism and jaded reality as the Sixties drew to a close. 

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‘VANISHING HALF’ BY BRIT BENNETT

The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Ten years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' story lines intersect?

Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.

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The Earth Issue's Freedom Fundraiser

Typically focusing on environmental issues, The Earth Issue is a collective of artists + professional creatives working together to bring about both awareness + financial resources for important causes affecting people + the world around us. Currently flipping their usual focus on the environment on it’s head the collective has launched a Freedom Fundraiser to raise funds for the Black Lives Matter movement, initially directing their first round of funding to the organisations involved in Bail Funds George Floyd + 4Front Project, a UK based youth organisation empowering young people to fight for freedom, peace + justice. After this, each £5,000 raised will be part of the second round of funding which will include individual causes within the Black Lives Matter struggle directly effected by the racial imbalances we still see so prevalent - these causes, smaller organisations + individuals will be carefully selected through a monitored vetting system.

With over 80 photographers donating their prints, the fundraiser will run for 30 days + being about 10 days in to it’a 30 day life span, it has already raised an impressive £125,000. Artists include Amber Pinkerton, Wendy Huynh, Harley Weird, Daisy Walker + Alex Walker among many more with each print costing £100 - all of which, after shipping + printing costs are covered goes directly to each cause. Examples of relevant causes being donated to include individual bailout fees, legal fees for social justice issues, food security for people of colour, indigenous struggles + racial discrimination cases intersecting with COVID-related struggles.

Support The Earth Issue’s mission HERE.

D A I S Y W A L K E R, Yuka #1, 2018

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A D A M A J O L L A H, London 2017

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A I S H A S E R I K I - Heaven Is Not Closed, 2019

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A L I N A N E G O I T A - Untitled, 2012

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A L E X A N D R A L E S S E - Kaye, 2017

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A M B E R P I N K E R T O N - Window To The World, 2017

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B I L L Y B O Y D C A P E -Road to Lobitos, 2016

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C H A R L O T T E E L L I S - Untitled, 2018

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You can find the full range of prints at theearthissuefreedomfundraiser.com

Great Reads, June 2020

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Bookshelf Additions, June 2020

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‘TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD’ BY HARPER LEE

'Shoot all the Bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a Mockingbird.'

A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the thirties. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story, an anti-racist novel, a historical drama of the Great Depression and a sublime example of the Southern writing tradition.

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‘AMERICANAH’ BY CHIMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE

From the award-winning author of Half of a Yellow Sun, a powerful story of love, race and identity.

As teenagers in Lagos, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love. Their Nigeria is under military dictatorship, and people are fleeing the country if they can. The self-assured Ifemelu departs for America. There she suffers defeats and triumphs, finds and loses relationships, all the while feeling the weight of something she never thought of back home: race. Obinze had hoped to join her, but post-9/11 America will not let him in, and he plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London.

Thirteen years later, Obinze is a wealthy man in a newly democratic Nigeria, while Ifemelu has achieved success as a blogger. But after so long apart and so many changes, will they find the courage to meet again, face to face?

Fearless, gripping, spanning three continents and numerous lives, the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning Americanah is a richly told story of love and expectation set in today s globalized world.

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‘INFERNO’ BY CATHERINE CHO

My psychosis, for all its destruction and wrath, was a love story.

When Catherine left London for the US with her husband James, to introduce her family to their newborn son, she could not have envisaged how that trip would end. Catherine would find herself in an involuntary psych ward in New Jersey, separated from her husband and child, unable to understand who she was, and how she had got there. 

It's difficult to know where the story of psychosis begins. Was it the moment I met my son? Or was it decided in the before, something rooted deeper in my fate, generations ago?

In an attempt to hold on to her sense of self, Catherine had to reconstruct her life, from her early childhood, to a harrowing previous relationship, and her eventual marriage to James. 

The result is a powerful exploration of psychosis and motherhood, at once intensely personal, yet holding within it a universal experience - of how we love, live and understand ourselves in relation to each other.

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‘THE CHIFFON TRENCHES’ BY ANDRÉ LEON TALLEY

Discover what truly happens behind the scenes in the world of high fashion in this detailed, storied memoir from style icon, bestselling author and former Vogue creative director André Leon Talley.

During André Leon Talley’s first magazine job assisting Andy Warhol at Interview, a fateful meeting with Karl Lagerfeld began a decades-long friendship and propelled Talley into the upper echelons by virtue of his shared knowledge and adoration of fashion. He moved to Paris as bureau chief of John Fairchild’s Women’s Wear Daily, befriending fashion’s most important designers. But as Talley made friends, he also made enemies. A fraught encounter with a member of the house of Yves Saint Laurent sent him back to New York and into the offices of Vogue under Grace Mirabella. There, he developed an unlikely but intimate friendship with Anna Wintour, and as she rose to the top of Vogue’s masthead, Talley became the most influential man in fashion.

The Chiffon Trenches is a candid look at the who’s who of the last fifty years of fashion, and proof that fact is always fascinatingly more devilish than fiction. André Leon Talley’s engaging memoir tells the story of how he not only survived but thrived – despite racism, illicit rumours and all the other challenges of this notoriously cutthroat industry – to become one of the most legendary voices and faces in fashion.

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‘I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRDS SING’ BY MAYA ANGELOU

Maya Angelou's debut memoir has become an classic beloved worldwide. Her six volumes of autobiography are a testament to the her talents and resilience.. Loving the world, she also knows its cruelty. As a Black woman she has known discrimination and extreme poverty, but also hope, joy, achievement and celebration. In this first volume of her six books of autobiography, Maya Angelou beautifully evokes her childhood with her grandmother in the American south of the 1930s. She learns the power of the white folks at the other end of town and suffers the terrible trauma of rape by her mother's lover. However, far from being dispiriting, James Baldwin writes, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity.'

'I write about being a Black American woman, however, I am always talking about what it's like to be a human being. This is how we are, what makes us laugh, and this is how we fall and how we somehow, amazingly, stand up again' Maya Angelou

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‘WHY I’M NO LONGER TALKING TO WHITE PEOPLE AT RACE’ BY RENI EDDO-LODGE

The book that sparked a national conversation. Exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race, Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Britain today.

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‘BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME’ BY TA-NEISHI COATES

In the 150 years since the end of the Civil War and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment (the abolition of slavery), the story of race and America has remained a brutally simple one, written on flesh: it is the story of the black body, exploited to create the country's foundational wealth, violently segregated to unite a nation after a civil war and, today, still disproportionately threatened, locked up and killed in the streets. What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can America reckon with its fraught racial history? 

BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME is Ta-Nehisi Coates' attempt to answer those questions, presented in the form of a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares with his son - and readers - the story of his own awakening to the truth about history and race through a series of revelatory experiences: immersion in nationalist mythology as a child; engagement with history, poetry and love at Howard University; travels to Civil War battlefields and the South Side of Chicago; a journey to France that reorients his sense of the world; and pilgrimages to the homes of mothers whose children's lives have been taken as American plunder. Masterfully woven from lyrical personal narrative, reimagined history and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME offers a powerful new framework for understanding America's history and current crisis, and a transcendent vision for a way forward.

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When Preowned Luxury Is the Real Deal

Sustainable fashion is an important topic of conversation right now. Considering how we choose to consume + care for the planet is something so vitally important, it’s thankfully beginning to get the attention + care it deserves as a movement in itself. Yet while some of us have begun to pledge never to shop at Zara again, it’s no joke that sustainable fashion can be a difficult one to navigate in terms of varying budgets + in some circumstances a lack of real opportunity to shop more sustainably on a permanent basis. It’s important though, to begin, at the very least, to consider the way in which we shop, to consciously consider what we actually need (I mean, let’s face it, how many pairs of jeans does one person actually need to survive, not to mention how many bags + pairs of shoes is acceptable before it’s a case of having to move into the spare room?) + why is it we think that in order to be seen to be cool we need the latest, greatest, newest, freshest. Style is a way of living, it’s about the how, not the what. It comes in your thinking of the world + your approach to it + those around you. It’s about how you dress + conduct yourself, not what you’re wearing + killing yourself + your wallet to get the latest IT item.

So in regarding more the idea of sustainable shopping + how we dress, we come to the idea of spring cleaning, something that many have been undertaking in lockdown + the way in which we disregard things we no longer need or want in our wardrobes. In light of the current worldwide situation right now too, it’s important to be a lot more considered about consumption. Thinking of the world as it is today, it’s like Mother Nature is saying SLOW the F down guys, consume less, be kinder, appreciate what you do have + reconsider.. well just about everything. In the words of Marie Kondo, you should really only hold on to things in your life that “spark joy” - things that either make you feel fabulous whenever you wear them or perhaps hold dear + fond memories for you. Our wardrobes + the way we shop are no different, that’s why consignment stores are the way forward, the ‘real deal’ so to speak + just like us, our wardrobes deserve a second chance to be loved by someone else in a new light + a refreshed perspective. So today I’m sharing some of the best places to shop + sell preowned luxury items..

T H E H O S T A

I recently came across The Hosta on IG + loved it first for it’s beautiful aesthetic + the flow of colours + then upon rabbit-holing my way through the page, for it’s minimal style + chic selection of preowned luxury + vintage bags, carefully selected within The Hosta style. It’s focus is a fully serviced consignment service where you can sell your beautiful preowned luxury (fully authenticated) bags + also shop it’s amazing selection. It’s a really good service if you’re Spring cleaning + want to let your bags be loved by someone new, as they only charge a flat fee of 30% of the sale price which is consignment terms is pretty good. New to the market, it’s collection is growing by the day.

Shop at T H E - H O S T A . C O M

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H E W I L O N D O N

Hewi London (aka Hardly Ever Worn It) is London’s most famed pre-owned luxury destination for fashion lovers to shop + sell their designer pieces. Founded in 2012 by Sharon Wolter-Ferguson + her two daughters, Natalya + Tatiana when she + her family were living in Monte Carlo, upon the idea of being able to keep up with the never ending jet-set lifestyle of Monaco’s elite - where parties are legendary + outfits are never repeated. Ever. Wolter-Ferguson began the Hewi journey so that women could shop + sell their poses with ease + have fun keeping their wardrobes fresh on a regular basis. Hewi ‘s HQ is in a beautiful townhouse in Mayfair, London + has gone from local shoppers to a global customer base with celebrities + fashion insiders as regular shoppers.

Housing everything from luxury watches + high end designer shoes to kids clothing + major wardrobe statements, Hewi is an absolute must to check out if you’re in the market for buying or selling..

Shop at H A R D L Y E V E R W O R N I T . C O M

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R E B A G

For the bag lovers of all bag lovers, Rebag is the ultimate bag lovers dream. At Rebag, it’s alllllll about the idea of stepping into a haven of bags + never wanting to leave. Having been to their LA + NYC locations in person I an attest the vibe is of so real. At Rebag you can sell, shop + exchange your favorite handbags. When selling through Rebag, they gives you cash up front based on condition, designer, + price + when buying, well, just be warned, the selection is OFF.THE.CHARTS. Something great about Rebag too is instead of waiting for your bag to sell, you can get a free binding offer + simply mail it to Rebag (which they cover the shipping of) + get paid within one to two days - this is an unbelievable service in the consignment world.

Shop + sell at R E B A G . C O M

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V E S T I A I R E C O L L E C T I V E

Vestiaire Collective is a well known platform, famed for it’s ample selection of amazing preowned luxury goods, with a very strong selection of  Hermès, Louis Vuitton + Céline specifically. For anyone looking to sell on the platform, unlike many other consignment stores’ T+C’s, Vestiaire Collective allows sellers choose the price of the items they are selling + takes you through an eBay style step-by-step guide of how to submit the piece. It’s very simple once you get started. In terms of buying, well it’s a chic jungle of (way to easy to navigate) beauty + desires to loose yourself to in a moment of true love.

Shop + sell at V E S T I A I R E C O L L E C T I V E . C O M

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W H A T G O E S A R O U N D C O M E S A R O U N D

Again, a more famous way to consign your luxury items, What Goes Around Comes Around is one of the first + almost celebrity/cult status vintage finds store that takes a strong ‘NO BS’ policy when it comes to the quality + vintage of their pieces. Having opened their first store in NYC’s SoHo in 1993, it’s been an upward journey for What Goes Around Comes Around for it’s reputable way of elevating vintage shopping into a serious high fashion experince. Now with stories in Miami, LA + The Hamptons + from Céline to Chanel, YSL, + far far beyond, you will always find what you’re looking for (+ all that you didn’t realise you were looking for) at What Goes Around.

Shop + sell at W H A T G O E S A R O U N D N Y C . C O M

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L X R + C O

Trading exclusively as a bags, watches + jewellery destination, international sensation LXR+CO is something of an accessories-only enthusiasts sanctuary. At LXR+CO you can buy + sell on the spot, both in store + online by simply sending the company’s dedicated appraisal team images for cash on the spot. Also available in some countries is the option to rent pieces on a use + return basis. From all the major designers, it’s a collection that’s constantly being updates + refreshed.

Shop + sell at L X R C O . C O M

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F A R F E T C H

Knowing you can never beat a classic piece to invest in for your wardrobe, Farfetch, the luxury e-commerce site, has it’s own preowned section which is FULL of amazing pieces. From accessories + bags to coats + dresses, watches, jewellery + lifestyle pieces, it’s a danger zone of WOW.

Shop at F A R F E T C H . C O M

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Documentaries, But Make it Fashion

Here at HSF we’re BIG on documentaries. Delving into the world of others + seeing how they see the world + how such vastly different ways can teach us a whole new perspective on life. We are all about that. As lovers of fashion; fashion as an art far beyond the obvious + much deeper than our next online order, we’re pieced together a list of documentaries that bring you into the world of those who’s lives behind the scenes aren’t necessarily as glamorous as you might thing + those who, without their craft, vision + exemplary talent, the world as we know it would be a completely different place. Not to mention, your wardrobe.

Great Reads, May 2020

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What's Hot on Your Bookshelf, May 2020

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‘THE WATER DANCER’ BY TA-NEHISI COATES

Hiram Walker is born into bondage on a Virginia plantation. But he is also born gifted with a mysterious power that he won't discover until he is almost a man, when he risks everything for a chance to escape. One fateful decision will carry him away from his makeshift plantation family - his adoptive mother, Thena, a woman of few words and many secrets, and his beloved, angry Sophia - and into the covert heart of the underground war on slavery.

Hidden amidst the corrupt grandeur of white plantation society, exiled as guerrilla cells in the wilderness, buried in the coffin of the deep South and agitating for utopian ideals in the North, there exists a widespread network of secret agents working to liberate the enslaved. Hiram joins their ranks and learns fast but in his heart he yearns to return to his own still-enslaved family, to topple the plantation that was his first home. But to do so, he must first master his unique power and reclaim the story of his greatest loss.

Propulsive, transcendent and blazing with truth, The Water Dancer is a story of oppression and resistance, separation and homecoming. Ta-Nehisi Coates imagines the covert war of an enslaved people in response to a generations-long human atrocity - a war for the right to life, to kin, to freedom.

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‘FOLLOW ME TO GROUND’ BY SUE RAINSFORD

In house in a wood, Ada and her father live peacefully, tending to their garden and the wildlife in it. They are not human though. Ada was made by her father from the Ground, a unique patch of earth with birthing and healing properties. Though perhaps he didn’t get her quite right. They spend their days healing the local human folk – named Cures - who visit them, suspiciously, with their ailments. 

When Ada embarks on a relationship with a local Cure named Samson, and is forced to choose between her old life with her father, and a new one with her human lover. Her decision will uproot the town – and the Ground itself – for ever.

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‘HOW TO CHANGE YOUR MIND’ BY MICHAEL POLLAN

Could psychedelic drugs change our worldview? Join Michael Pollan on a journey to the frontiers of the human mind.

Diving deep into an extraordinary world - from shamans and magic mushroom hunts to the pioneering labs mapping our brains - and putting himself forward as a guinea-pig, Michael Pollan has written a remarkable history of psychedelics and a compelling portrait of the new generation of scientists fascinated by the implications of these drugs. How to Change Your Mind is a report from what could very well be the future of consciousness.

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‘EXCITING TIMES’ BY NAOISE DOLAN

When you leave Ireland aged 22 to spend your parents' money, it's called a gap year. When Ava leaves Ireland aged 22 to make her own money, she's not sure what to call it, but it involves:

- a badly-paid job in Hong Kong, teaching English grammar to rich children;
- Julian, who likes to spend money on Ava and lets her move into his guest room;
- Edith, who Ava meets while Julian is out of town and actually listens to her when she talks;
- money, love, cynicism, unspoken feelings and unlikely connections.

Exciting times ensue.

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‘THE WHITE ALBUM’ BY JOAN DIDION

In this landmark essay collection, Joan Didion brilliantly interweaves her own “bad dreams” with those of a nation confronting the dark underside of 1960s counterculture.
 
From a jailhouse visit to Black Panther Party cofounder Huey Newton to witnessing First Lady of California Nancy Reagan pretend to pick flowers for the benefit of news cameras, Didion captures the paranoia and absurdity of the era with her signature blend of irony and insight. She takes readers to the “giddily splendid” Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the cool mountains of Bogotá, and the Jordanian Desert, where Bishop James Pike went to walk in Jesus’s footsteps—and died not far from his rented Ford Cortina. She anatomizes the culture of shopping malls—“toy garden cities in which no one lives but everyone consumes”—and exposes the contradictions and compromises of the women’s movement. In the iconic title essay, she documents her uneasy state of mind during the years leading up to and following the Manson murders—a terrifying crime that, in her memory, surprised no one.
 
Written in “a voice like no other in contemporary journalism,” The White Album is a masterpiece of literary reportage and a fearless work of autobiography by the National Book Award–winning author of The Year of Magical Thinking (The New York Times Book Review). Its power to electrify and inform remains undiminished nearly forty years after it was first published.
 

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‘THE SCENT KEEPER’ BY ERICA BAUERMEISTER

Emmeline lives on a remote island with her father, who teaches her about the natural world through her senses. What he won't explain are the mysterious scents stored in glass bottles that line the walls of their cabin, or the origin of the machine that creates them. As Emmeline grows, however, so too does her curiosity, until one day the unforeseen happens, and Emmeline is vaulted out into the real world--a place of love, betrayal, ambition, and revenge. To understand her past, Emmeline must unlock the clues to her identity, a quest that challenges the limits of her heart and imagination. 

Captivating and emotional, The Scent Keeper explores the provocative beauty of scent, the way it can reveal hidden truths, lead us to the person we seek, and even help us find our way back home.

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‘ATOMIC HABITS’ BY JAMES CLEAR

People think when you want to change your life, you need to think big. But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way. He knows that real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions doing two push-ups a day, waking up five minutes early, or holding a single short phone call.

He calls them atomic habits.

In this ground-breaking book, Clears reveals exactly how these minuscule changes can grow into such life-altering outcomes. He uncovers a handful of simple life hacks (the forgotten art of Habit Stacking, the unexpected power of the Two Minute Rule, or the trick to entering the Goldilocks Zone), and delves into cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience to explain why they matter. Along the way, he tells inspiring stories of Olympic gold medalists, leading CEOs, and distinguished scientists who have used the science of tiny habits to stay productive, motivated, and happy. 

These small changes will have a revolutionary effect on your career, your relationships, and your life.

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Who Is.. David Shrigley

The celebrated art of David Shrigley is a type of bizarrely irresistible craze level genius using cult-like + highly sarcastic humour to navigate his vision of everyday situations + the funny, sometimes misunderstood + often awkward human interactions. Seemingly inconsequential at the surface, his continuously fragmented narrative is satisfied with surreal bursts of deadpan hilarity + comes to life in the form of his now world-famous child-like texts + illustrations. 

Born in Macclesfield, Cheshire in the United Kingdom in 1968, Shrigley studied at the Glasgow School of art in 1991 where he then lived + worked for 27 years before more recently moving to Brighton in 2015. He finds inspiration for his pieces through the medium of (overheard) conversation + snippets of text from just about anywhere. Crude + at times ‘out there’ in terms of his messages, Shrigley confesses to being a complete outsider in the art world. His art possesses a sense of dark humour, as though he’s a rather wisest young child observing the adult world through a deeply witty, sometimes dirty lens. It’s a kind of genius. 

Although best known for his fascinating drawings, his work doesn’t finish there. Finding himself in a variety of other mediums including music, photography, large-scale installations, sculpture, painting + animation, he’s got a penchant for keeping things fun no matter the means of expression. 

Shrigley’s art has been the subject of major solo shows around the world including exhibitions at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery + Museum in Glasgow, + the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles while his works are included in seriously prominent collections around the world including MoMa NY, tate, London, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany, Thyssen-Bornemisza Contemporary Art Foundation, Vienna, Austria + Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, Scotland among others. He was nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize for his solo show David Shrigley: Brain Activity which came after a major mid-career retrospective at the Hayward Gallery in London in 2013. His pieces have been commissioned for massive public display, most notably his monumental sculptural creation, ‘Really Good' which was unveiled in Trafalgar Square, London for the Fourth Plinth Commission. Just this year, in January the artist was awarded the decoration of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, also know an OBE.

Despite feeling on the periphery of his own industry, he’s most certainly know by the in crowd. You can dine in what is essentially a gallery of Shrigley’s  exclusive creations which he made specifically for the popular restaurant in London, Sketch. Par for the course, excuse the pun, of course is it’s Instagramable pink interiors which play as the backdrop to his vision. 

David Shrigley is the king of the most elegant type of rude + crude when it comes to his drawings; simultaneously smart-ass + smart. Deadpan humour has never been more fun or fabulous, chic or wonderful. 

Find out more at davidshrigley.com

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Who Is.. Suzy Menkes

Understanding fashion as an industry in it’s entirety + in a way that’s both elegantly chic + brutally intelligent - beyond the obvious glamour + tempting frivolity of fashion’s fast pace excitement - isn’t always a given when it comes to much of the content that’s splashed in front of us in the modern-day world. Fast paced everything has become a concrete theme in our lives + it doesn’t always perform on the same plain as high-end quality. Where the sometimes superficiality or perhaps more aptly put, the flippancy + sometimes self-involved nature of the new-generation FROWers has taken hold; fashion journalists with whom there’s a sense of educated authority aren’t as easily come by today. There’s all that reality. And theres there’s: Suzy Menkes. 

Holding court as one of the most prolific fashion authorities in history, Menkes’ current title, since joining the Conde Nast family in 2014, is International Vogue Editor. With an accumulative audience of over 31 million viewers, her articles + written reports for the fashion conglomerate grace the web pages of 21 international Vogue websites which are translated into 15 different languages. To say she has scope would be an understatement.

However, such an empowered position wasn’t Menkes’ initial ambition. She isn’t just a fashion-focused, power-hungry woman but more a person with genuine authenticity + a deep commitment to upholding an excellence in what she does. She prides herself on seeing the bigger picture; life to her is more than prettiness + clothes however important + glamorous the industry deems itself. It’s about igniting a conversation + perhaps not always saying the right thing.

Writing has been a lifelong love of Menkes’ + on her first morning as a student, reading History + English Literature at Newnham College Cambridge, she joined Cambridge’s university newspaper, Varsity, becoming it’s first female editor-in-chief in her third year at the famous university. In 1967, upon graduating she joined The Times of London as a junior reporter which then led her to her first job as a fully-fledged fashion critic, at just 24, under the guidance of Charles Wintour, Anna Wintour’s father + the then editor of the London Evening Standard. It was back at The Times some time later that Mrs. Menkes met her late husband David Spanier. The couple went on to have three sons together.

Prior to her current position at Vogue, Menkes held a respected role as fashion critic at what was then known as the International Herald Tribune - which later of course rebranded as the The International New York Times, for 26 years. Her tenure there saw her build a solid presence in the industry + one that brought her immense regard as both a journalist + celebrity type within it’s inner circles. Throughout everything, her views on fashion itself has remained the same since starting out, of which she says 'It isn’t good because you like it; you like it because it’s good.'

In light of the truth over popularity, a good journalist must possess the ability to not hold back in their critical views + possess a confidence to share a decisively cultured opinion of a show or collection, despite the natural fear, + sometimes inevitable reality, of loosing popularity among fashion’s elite. Known for her truthful + independent views alongside a very strong personal principle, Menkes does not accept freebies or gifts from anyone. In the fashion world, people of influence receive a lot of free products from brands + designers. Editors, contributors, bloggers + anyone that a brand sees as a way to get their product out there. It is a practice that’s been around long before this current era of bloggers who openly chat about the array of beauty products + new outfits they’ve been sent though. It’s nothing new. Magazines + most print publications have been doing it for years in a different guise. What they share in terms of product shopping pages is all tied back to which brands are advertising the most that month + which they perhaps need to get more commitment from in terms of double-page spreads. The reality of what we’re seeing IS influenced by the bigger brands + those able to pay their way to a place in front of our eyes. But you won’t see Mrs. Menkes accepting any of this. Her distinct style of critical journalism remains firmly in tact + with serious respect, she’s never sold out in order to better her opportunities or her pocket. If she thinks something is good it’s for good reason + not just because she herself thinks it’s ‘nice’ or that she was simply ‘gifted’ it. Her opinion, you can be assured when reading any of her show reviews which come out one after the other during fashion month - isn’t a business deal, it’s both educated + deeply informed, never of the minute or of personal preference. 

Another massive contribution Suzy Menkes has made to fashion is in hosting a yearly luxury summit, known as the Conde Nast International Luxury Conference. The prestigious meeting celebrates + challenges the global luxury market bringing together well known names + newer, more innovative disruptors making their way into the luxury sphere. Mrs. Menkes has hosted it annually since it’s inauguration in 2015, taking in a new stylish city each year, from Florence to Seoul, Muscat to Lisbon + Cape Town. This year’s meeting is currently postponed but will be held in Vienna, Austria taking in topics around the opportunity for the luxury market as a result of the social + economical evolution in Central + Eastern Europe. You can watch an array of the conversations + topics in the CNIluxury’s Conference Library HERE.

Menkes has also recently launched her own podcast, Creative Conversations with Suzy Menkes which is available on most podcast platforms. Her first conversation is with Dior’s Creative Director Femme, Maria Grazia Chiuri with whom she discusses the reality of being the first woman to lead the brand, feminism, Couture, design inspiration + growing up in a fashion family. Click her to find out more..

When it comes to such a perceptive + insightful journalistic approach to fashion + the luxury market, Suzy Menkes commands her place in the industry as the epitome of class, authority + mastery. Never too far with her impeccable eye + wit, we hope to enjoy her intelligent + unforgivingly impartial words of wisdom for years to come. 

The HSF Documentary List Part II

During these restrictive times it’s important to keep your mind evolving + your imagination occupied. From climate change to fashion, iconic singers to the dark + dangerous underground of the drug world, the contemporary art space to politics, documentaries have quickly become one of the finest means by which to consume incredible, intelligent + eye-opening content.

Here we take a look at some of the top documentaries you cannot miss..

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This list is updated mi-monthly

The Indie Magazine Edit

S U I T C A S E

Suitcase magazine is an entire world in itself of wondrous escapism + bucketlist travel dreams combined. I’ve bought every single edition since it was founded + have loved it more + more each time. The Suitcase Instagram account too is a wonderful place to loose yourself in the rabbit hold of dreamy places + spaces, you can bet you’ll need to start a whole new + specifically dedicated ‘Saved’ folder for this one..

Available in print + online at suitcasemag.com // Follow on IG @suitcase

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H O L I D A Y

Between 1946 + 1977, Holiday was one of the most exciting magazines in the United States. Known for working with ambitious writers + photographers. Hugely noteworthy + successful writers such as Graham Greene, Joan Didion, Jack Kerouac + Truman Capote first appeared in the pages of Holiday with their work. HOLIDAY took a long hiatus, reappearing in 2014 under the direction of Parisian art director Franck Durand who has beautifully brought to life the core + essence of the original template while also venturing into the world of fashion as well as travel.

Published bi-annually // Follow on IG @holidaymagazine

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P A L M E R

In the words of Stefano Tonchi, Palmer’s Editorial Director “Palm Beach as a state of mind.” And that it is. Launched in March 2020 as one of the hottest new magazine’s in circulation since Holiday hit the worldin the 1940’s, Palmer is the ultimate invite into the realm of some of the world’s most interesting mind’s + lives, all portrayed through the lens of a Palm Beach state of living. Brought to life by Tonchi + his creative/business partner Michael J Berman, the quarterly coffee table publication reads as though you’ve just been invited to one of the most stimulating dinner parties t where phones are taken at the door whatever happens on the inside stays on the inside. It’s truly divine!

Published quarterly. Purchase Vol. 01 at PALMERPB.com // Follow on IG @palmerpalmbeach

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P E T I T E P A S S P O R T

Petite Passport is the brainchild of travel blogger, journalist + photographer Pauline Egge. Pauline has created an entire brand around her love of travel + exploring to find the best off-the-beaten-track hotspots. I’ve followed her blog for a long long time + have found some amazing spots I might otherwise have missed while visiting certain new cities. She has a collection of travel guides as well as her new print edition of the website, all of which I’ve bought + loved. Escape into Pauline’s view of the world, you won’t be disappointed.

Subscribe here // Follow on IG @petitepassport

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C E R E A L

Encompassing travel, art, design, cities + style, CEREAL magazine is another independent bible I’ve loved for a long time. Captivating aesthetics, it’s a minimalist-lovers dream come to life with a focus on specific locations + destinations in each issue, accompanied by engaging + interesting interviews + articles in the fashion, design + art worlds.

Published bi-annually // Visit readcereal.com // Follow on IG @cerealmag

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A E S T H E T I C A

Taking in the worlds of art, design, photography, architecture, music + film, AESTHETICA is a worldly destination for those interested in being interesting. A pioneer in the space, the magazine hosts + produces varying awards, exhibitions + events, with each focused on developing talents within the art, photography, literature + film spaces.

Visit aestheticamagazine.com // Follow on IG @aestheticamag

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C R F A S H I O N B O O K

Provocatively fabulous + dangerously sexy, CR (Carine Roitfeld) Fashion Book is the baby of Carine Roitfeld, former E-I-C of Vogue Paris which she founded in 2012 after leaving the helm of the French fashion bible. Roitfeld is known for her progressive stance +a risk taking spirit + each of her editions of the fashion bible style publication has been nothing short of WOW. It’s big, it’s glossy AF + the perfect destination to loose yourself into the world of high fashion.

Published bi-annually // Visit crfashionbook.com // Follow on IG @crfashionbook

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T H E G E N T L E W O M A N

This fabulous woman’s magazine delves deep into the authenticity of being a woman. With a strong accent on women with style + purpose, The Gentlewoman plays host to a variety of inspirational women with visionary motive to the backdrop of ti’s own strong + ambitious yet warm + personalable personality. The Gentlewomen is for everyone + nobody is excluded.

Published bi-annually // Follow on IG @the_gentlewoman

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L I T T L E W H I T E L I E S

Established in 1995, Little White Lies celebrates + supports fantastic movies, the directors + producers behind them + the actors who star in them. Featuring a strong play on independent films you can be sure to find some of the greatest movies our there + a variety of articles around every topic in the industry. Interesting + interested, Little White Lies tells the truth about what to watch + why!

Published bi-monthly // Visit lilies.com // Follow on IG @lwlies

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F R A N C

Franc magazine is an Irish fashion focused publication produced by Briony Somers which began as a college publication + now continues to evolve + inspire far beyond what it once started out as. Taking into account the magazines philosophy that fashion “is a way of doing things; it isn’t about the clothing or accessories”, each of the four issues are themed around a concept, offering editorials + articles around fashion that are deeply intelligent + consciously accessible.

Visit francmagazine.com // Follow on IG @francmagazine

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Bring the Zen Home

Z O E M C P H A I L

Zoe, a Manchester based Yogi GODDESS is one of the most beautiful teachers I’ve ever had the privilege of practicing with in person. Her energy is enveloping + takes you into a place where you feel safe + taken care of yet challenged + motivated to deepen your practice. Zoe brings the fabulous to yoga + the yoga to the fabulous; her words + actions align. Currently, during COVID-19, Zoe is offering a 21 Mindfulness where she + her studio’s team take you through a collection of daily videos which include mindful moments, Rocket yoga + full yoga flows, HIIT style workouts, all while Zoe brings her amazing energy to your day, all for just £21. Follow Zoe on Instagram to find out more..

FOLLOW @om_voyage

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S A S H A M I L J U S

My dear friend + soul sister Sasha is another of my ABSOLUTE favourite yoga ladies EVER! Sasha has the energy of an angel; that of exactly what you image a cool yoga babe to be. Her flows are so grounding + having practiced with her in person quite a bit in the UK I can absolutely attest to the fact that checking in to yourself with Sasha by your side (or in front of you on Zoom) you will come back to the beauty of basics, creating space to feel your way forward once again. Sash’s vibe is the most beautiful + right now, with her living by the beach in New Zealand, her online classes via Zoom are practiced on the beach with the most breathtaking sunsets as the backdrop. You can find Sasha’s current schedule here..

FOLLOW @sasha_miljus

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J A I M E H E P B U R N

Jaime Hepburn is someone I recently came across online + I have taken some of her IG Live classes of late while being home. Based in LA, Jaime’s energy is really gentle yet strong, open yet assuring. She holds space for all levels + takes you through flows with such great instruction. I adore a teacher who can guide you through without you having to keep looking at them to understand the postures in physical form. I’ve been practicing yoga for a few years so that helps I will admit but still it’s amazing when teachers do this so beautifully + seamlessly. Check out Jaime’s IG for her LIVE schedule.

FOLLOW @jaimehepburn

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M O L L Y M c K E E V E E R

Molly is someone I’ve followed for a long time on IG + have taken her classes on her Youtube channel. Fun + fabulous, Molly exudes vitality + a really fun personality that feels infectious. She has a really strong, inspiring practice + also brings strength to her flows with workout-style classes too. Her 30 Minute Power Flow class is one I go back to again + again. Also, if you’re into yogi’s with style, Molly raises the bar completely + brings serious style to her IG page too, long with her retreats + travel adventures. If you’re in Dublin (+ whenever we’re allowed “out + about” again) be sure to try out her very own studio, Sweaty Soul Studio. You can check out her current class schedule at sweatysoulstudio.com

FOLLOW @mollymckeeveryoga

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P H O E B E G R E E N A C R E

Phoebe Greenacre is a lady on a mission. As co-founder + CEO of Silou London, a consciously created activewear brand (that I adore), this marketing professional-turned- travel blogger-turned-yoga teacher-turned-entrepreneur and now holistic therapist, knows a thing or two about adapting + adjusting, letting go + finding the YOU you're meant to be. Phoebe is real + inspiring on her IG, bringing the chic to yoga + meditation. If you’re looking for a Sunday evening sundowner/something to ground you for the week ahead, Phoebe currently holds space on Zoom at 6pm each Sunday for a gorgeous Yin Therapy class which I’ve taken in recent weeks + trust me, if you’re into Yin, this is a dreamy dreamy practice. Sign up through her website phoebegreenacre.com

FOLLOW @phoebegreenacre

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Image Credits 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Great Reads, April 2020

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What's Hot on Your Bookshelf, April 2020

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‘HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD’ BY ROBERT KOLKER

Don and Mimi Galvin seemed to be living the American dream. After World War II, Don's work with the Air Force brought them to Colorado, where their twelve children perfectly spanned the baby boom: the oldest born in 1945, the youngest in 1965. In those years, there was an established script for a family like the Galvins - aspiration, hard work, upward mobility, domestic harmony - and they worked hard to play their parts. But behind the scenes was a different story: psychological breakdown, sudden shocking violence, hidden abuse. By the mid-1970s, six of the ten Galvin boys, one after the other, were diagnosed as schizophrenic. How could all this happen to one family?

What took place inside the house on Hidden Valley Road was so extraordinary that the Galvins became one of the first families to be studied by the National Institutes of Mental Health. Their story offers a shadow history of the science of schizophrenia, from the era of institutionalization, lobotomy, and the schizophrenogenic mother, to the search for genetic markers for the disease, always amidst profound disagreements about the nature of the illness itself. And unbeknownst to the Galvins, samples of their DNA informed decades of genetic research that continues today, offering paths to treatment, prediction, and even eradication of the disease for future generations.

With clarity and compassion, bestselling and award-winning author Robert Kolker uncovers one family's unforgettable legacy of suffering, love and hope.

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‘THE MIRROR + THE LIGHT’ BY HILARY MANTEL

England, May 1536. Anne Boleyn is dead, decapitated in the space of a heartbeat by a hired French executioner. As her remains are bundled into oblivion, Thomas Cromwell breakfasts with the victors. The blacksmith’s son from Putney emerges from the spring’s bloodbath to continue his climb to power and wealth, while his formidable master, Henry VIII, settles to short-lived happiness with his third queen, Jane Seymour.

Cromwell is a man with only his wits to rely on; he has no great family to back him, no private army. Despite rebellion at home, traitors plotting abroad and the threat of invasion testing Henry’s regime to breaking point, Cromwell’s robust imagination sees a new country in the mirror of the future. But can a nation, or a person, shed the past like a skin? Do the dead continually unbury themselves? What will you do, the Spanish ambassador asks Cromwell, when the king turns on you, as sooner or later he turns on everyone close to him?

With The Mirror and the Light, Hilary Mantel brings to a triumphant close the trilogy she began with Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. She traces the final years of Thomas Cromwell, the boy from nowhere who climbs to the heights of power, offering a defining portrait of predator and prey, of a ferocious contest between present and past, between royal will and a common man’s vision: of a modern nation making itself through conflict, passion and courage.

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‘REDHEAD. BY THE ROAD’ BY ANNE TYLER

Micah Mortimer isn’t the most polished person you’ll ever meet. His numerous sisters and in-laws regard him oddly but very fondly, but he has his ways and means of navigating the world. He measures out his days running errands for work – his TECH HERMIT sign cheerily displayed on the roof of his car – maintaining an impeccable cleaning regime and going for runs (7:15, every morning). He is content with the steady balance of his life.

But then the order of things starts to tilt. His woman friend Cassia (he refuses to call anyone in her late thirties a ‘girlfriend’) tells him she’s facing eviction because of a cat. And when a teenager shows up at Micah’s door claiming to be his son, Micah is confronted with another surprise he seems poorly equipped to handle. 

Redhead by the Side of the Road is an intimate look into the heart and mind of a man who sometimes finds those around him just out of reach – and a love story about the differences that make us all unique.

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‘DREAM HOUSE’ BY CARMEN MARIA MACHADO

In the Dream House is Carmen Maria Machado's engrossing and wildly innovative account of a relationship gone bad. Tracing the full arc of a harrowing experience with a charismatic but volatile woman, this is a bold dissection of the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse.

Each chapter views the relationship through a different lens, as Machado holds events up to the light and examines them from distinct angles. She casts a critical eye over legal proceedings, fairy tales, Star Trek and Disney villains, as well as iconic works of film and fiction, infusing all with her characteristic wit, playfulness and openness to enquiry. The result is a powerful book that explodes our ideas about what a memoir can do and be.

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‘EDUCATED’ BY TARA WESTOVER

Tara Westover and her family grew up preparing for the End of Days but, according to the government, she didn’t exist. She hadn’t been registered for a birth certificate. She had no school records because she’d never set foot in a classroom, and no medical records because her father didn’t believe in hospitals. 

As she grew older, her father became more radical and her brother more violent. At sixteen, Tara knew she had to leave home. In doing so she discovered both the transformative power of education, and the price she had to pay for it.A

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‘WHAT REMAINS’ BY CAROLE RAZIWILL

A stunning, tragic memoir about John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette, and his cousin Anthony Radziwill, by Radziwill's widow.

What Remains is a vivid and haunting memoir about a girl from a working-class town who becomes an award-winning television producer and marries a prince, Anthony Radziwill. Carole grew up in a small suburb with a large, eccentric cast of characters. At nineteen, she struck out for New York City to find a different life. Her career at ABC News led her to the refugee camps of Cambodia, to a bunker in Tel Aviv, and to the scene of the Menendez murders. Her marriage led her into the old world of European nobility and the newer world of American aristocracy. 

What Remains begins with loss and returns to loss. A small plane plunges into the ocean carrying John F. Kennedy Jr., Anthony's cousin, and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Carole's closest friend. Three weeks later Anthony dies of cancer. With unflinching honesty and a journalist's keen eye, Carole Radziwill explores the enduring ties of family, the complexities of marriage, the importance of friendship, and the challenges of self-invention. Beautifully written, What Remains "gets at the essence of what matters," wrote Oprah Winfrey. "Friendship, compassion, destiny."

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‘UNTAMED’ BY GLENNON DOYLE

There is a voice of longing inside each woman. We strive so mightily to be good: good partners, daughters, mothers, employees, and friends. We hope all this striving will make us feel alive. Instead, it leaves us feeling weary, stuck, overwhelmed, and underwhelmed. We look at our lives and wonder: Wasn't it all supposed to be more beautiful than this? We quickly silence that question, telling ourselves to be grateful, hiding our discontent--even from ourselves. 

For many years, Glennon Doyle denied her own discontent. Then, while speaking at a conference, she looked at a woman across the room and fell instantly in love. Three words flooded her mind: There She Is. At first, Glennon assumed these words came to her from on high. But she soon realized they had come to her from within. This was her own voice--the one she had buried beneath decades of numbing addictions, cultural conditioning, and institutional allegiances. This was the voice of the girl she had been before the world told her who to be. Glennon decided to quit abandoning herself and to instead abandon the world's expectations of her. She quit being good so she could be free. She quit pleasing and started living. 

Soulful and uproarious, forceful and tender, Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is the story of navigating divorce, forming a new blended family, and discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each member's ability to bring her full self to the table. And it is the story of how each of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honor our anger and heartbreak, and unleash our truest, wildest instincts so that we become women who can finally look at ourselves and say: There She Is. 

Untamed shows us how to be brave. As Glennon insists: The braver we are, the luckier we get.

Shop this title on Amazon

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Working Out in London

T H E L O U I S A D R A K E M E T H O D

Although one can’t quite avoid taking note of the fact that she’s trained stars like Gwyneth Paltrow + Victoria Beckham Louisa Drake is much more than just celebrity trainer made famous by her client list. As a dancer, choreographer + expert trainer, Drake is now an authority in her own unique method, a mix of all her years of movement. Her combination of multiple disciplines brought The Louisa Drake Method to life + people can’t get enough. Merging all the best parts of dance, yoga, pilates barre she has created a full body workout which thoughtfully targets exact muscle groups to ensure a longer, leaner + stronger form. Her boutique offering, located in her delightful Fitzrovia studio where you can be sure to find Louisa herself often leading the classes, is sure to put you through your paces + leave you ready for whatever the day throws your way. 

BOOK // louisadrake.com

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B A R R Y’ S

In a word, Barry’s is K.I.L.L.E.R. Killer as in the most insane ass-kicking workout you can do, in any city you might find yourself in (they have locations all over the planet now). Working from the second you step inside the Red Room to the second you leave, the session is different every time with a focus on a different body area each day of the week. However what remains the same is the treadmill to weights format and the fact that whether it’s your first time or your a Barry’s seasoned pro, you will leave on a naturally occurring endorphin induced high - not to mention a stiff and sore body (in all the good ways though of course). My favorite London location has to be the London Central or London East.

BOOK // barrysbootcamp.com

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S O U L C Y C L E

From city to city, SoulCycle is a go-to staple in the life of anyone who moves on the regular. A workout of sweaty proportions, this bike based session is build to make you feel like you’re on the night out of a lifetime - the music is loud + absolutely vibe-ing, the lights are low + moody, the instructors are hot AF + the experience is a whole entire thing. It’s all about peddling your way to an inner happiness + the body of a SoulCycle-r. The London outpost is situated in Soho + a definite scene..

BOOK // soul-cycle.com

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B O D Y B Y S I M O N E

Created by Aussie trainer + dance extraordinaire Simone De La Ru, Body by Simone, known as BBS to those in it’s ‘inner circle’, is a favourite of major celebrities like Reee Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Karlie Kloss, Sandra Bullock and of course Chrissy Teigen. BBS consists of five class varieties, including Dance Cardio, Trampoline Cardio, ABC (Arms, Back and Core), HTB (Hips, thighs and Buns) and Full body. No matter the class or the location, any of the signature classes are the perfect time to leave all your inhibitions at the door and get your sweat on, dancing your way through the graceful and powerful BBS method. 

BOOK // bodybysimone.com

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H O U S E O F V O G A

Voga is like nothing you’ve ever tried. Trust me, it’s the dream workout + perhaps one of the only styles of movement that you look + feel as fabulous doing it as you do in your head. Taking the core elements of yoga + merging them with fabulosity of vogueing, Voga is all about channeling your inner goddess + getting your body flowing. Voga was by Juliet Murrell, a successful set designer in the fashion, film + design industry who qualified as a yoga instructor in 2011 to restore her natural energy levels, which had been depleted by post-viral chronic fatigue + if ever there was an inspiration to get your ass moving, Juliet’s class is it! With trained instructors across the globe from London, Paris, Barcelona and Ibiza to New York, Rio, Buenos Aires, Edinburgh + Mexico City, you can be sure that catching a Voga class in London you’ll get all the feels of what it’s meant to feel like to workout. V fab! 

BOOK // houseofvoga.com

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Image Credits 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

The HSF Movie List Part II

A life filled with movies is a life well lived. From real-life stories that inspire + change perspectives, to fictional creations that take you away from real-life + of course (my favourite) indie films that leave you in a sense of awe at the creativity involved in producing such a piece of art in motion; in all their forms, movies move us + continuously make life that bit richer. Here, the HSF Movie List Part II is updated bi-monthly to bring you more essential moments of cinematic magic..

Check out Part I of the HSF Movie list here

Where to Stay.. The London Edit

T H E L O N D O N E D I T I O N

Primely situated on the edge of Soho and just a seven-minute walk from Oxford Circus, The London EDITION is a faultless blend of edgy elegance. The brainchild of American entrepreneur Ian Schrager, the once co-founder of Studio 54, it’s a bucket list London stay that doesn’t disappoint. Upon stepping inside, one is left somewhat open-mouthed at the splendour of the lobby. Swiftly captured by the sheer opulence, it’s a room within itself, doubling as a meeting space come day or night with it’s statement, low-lit bar and stylish seating area. A destination of sorts, the hotel conquers the quintessential magnificence of London with it’s social hub spirit. Rooms at The Edition are a minimalist affair; one that lovers of contemporary interiors will really appreciate. Cosy in a chalet way, the rooms are a true escape.

The London Edition is a new generation of luxury with an attainable feel at the heart of exactly what makes London have that London feel. 

Rooms from £288 per night // Reserve at editionhotels.com

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T H E S T A N D A R D

If you know, you know and knowing starts and ends at the Standard’s latest addition in London. With existing locations in New York, California and, now, the Maldives, The Standard’s British outpost was it’s first outside the the US, opening in 2019. It has quickly and undoubtedly become thee place to wake up to and party at till the lights go down for those who know. 

Founded by hotelier André Balazs - who’s other properties include Chiltern Firehouse in London, The Mercer in New York City, and Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles - the Standard is located directly across from King’s Cross Station, towering above Euston Road. Housed in the former Camden Town Hall Annex the building boasts a very distinct Brutalist architecture of the 1970’s. Inside too plays homage to those 70’s vibes. Designed by Shawn Hausman, with the aim to be in complete contrast to the greyness of London, visitors are treated to bright red ceilings met with striped wooden walls in the ground-level offerings and can treat themselves to any of the many themed areas specifically designed to lounge around in. 

The lobby lounge with its library setting plays homage to the buildings original use where the Sounds studio (yes the hotel’s VERY own recording studio) holds weekly talks and live music. Next door to the lounge is the now infamous Double Standard bar, headed up by executive chef Adam Rawson where guests can expect a casual - yet always cool - drinks and dining experience. Also part of the hotel’s restaurant offerings is Isla, also headed up by Rawson and the recently launched Decimo by Michelin-starred Chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias who merges the Spanish cuisine of his family with his deep love of Mexico, created for his first ever London restaurant. 

The rooms are witty, in a sense playfully lighthearted - they are bright (AF) and come in a variety of sizes and shapes. From the typical London small to suite size, there’s something common to all and it’s the outlandish swanky kitsch vibes - think curved walls, retro style lighting, bold Wallace Sewell geometric-patterned bedspreads, deep blue carpets and the bathrooms which are adorned with pink-and-black tiled walls. It’s V seventies without fail. 

Whether you’re there to stay or just to play, The Standard London is the absolute chic!

Rooms from £198 per night // Reserve at standardhotels.com

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T H E N E D

This 11-floor hotel and member’s club bares some family resemblance to it’s founders now infamous ability to create a vibe with each new Soho House opening.. however, The Ned is really it’s own thing. Mature and more decidedly grown-up than it’s younger, party-lover counterparts, it’s Edwardian grandeur plays into a more opulent clientele looking for London glamour at it’s absolute best!

The £200 million creation took four years to complete and was worth the wait.. and every penny it seems. It’s a vibe-seekers haven with everything apart from the rooftop and underground Vault Bar open to non-members. The rooms themselves ooze opulence and elegance and are adorned with magnificent intricacies. There are armchairs and big luxurious sofas in lavishly appointed colours like rose and chartreuse and the four-poster beds come in mahogany, while the light situation is rather on point - think palm-tree shaped chandeliers and uniquely shaped lamps bringing the mood to another level. It’s luxury chic, in the true sense of the meaning. 

It’s got plenty to see and do, with 252 bedrooms to chose from, nine restaurants, 15 bars, a spa, a barber shop, a boxing gym, two pools and as one would rightly expect at The Ned, a vintage cabinet is situated at the door to the old Tapestry Room, with specifically designed compartments to ensure the highly secured storage of one’s bowler hat. I mean.. what else could one want, right? It would seem The Ned has it all.

Rooms from £208 per night // Reserve at thened.com

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A C E H O T E L

Whether you’re a trendy traveller or simply on the lookout for somewhere to ‘co-work’ with the too-cool-for-school Shoreditch crew, the Shoreditch outpost of the Ace Hotel is definitely your first stop in London. Located on Shoreditch High Street and just a 10 minute stroll north of Liverpool Street Station, the hotel is a hotspot for the cities achingly cool crowd. Upon entering through the main entrance, you’re met with a fetching first impression: the lobby with it’s concrete walls, dark wood floors and chipboard ceilings set the tone around the main feature of the lobby which is the endless array of hipsters holding meetings and working away on their laptops in the hotel’s, a space that has infamously become that of a co-workers heaven.

From NYC to LA, Chicago to Palm Springs and Seattle to Pennsylvania, staying the night is always a treat at the Ace. Upstairs, with seven different categories, rooms are in complete contrast with the lobby’s dark characteristics and are enveloped in the freshness of stark white walls and industrial style lighting, all adorned with Ace appropriate mid-century modern furniture. It’s innately and authentically Ace at it’s core, yet very East London in it’s detailed eccentricities - there are acoustic guitars on the walls with each room hosting it’s own quirky elements, think fun amenities like record players and vinyls. 

Hoi Polloi is the hotel’s independently popular brasserie style restaurant and is typically buzzing with a vibe-y atmosphere. The menu is extensive, serving everything from oysters to burgers. For coffee lovers too there’s Bulldog Edition which serves (delicious) coffee and on-the-go pastries, small bites and juices. 

Rooms from £151 per night // Reserve at ACEHOTEL.COM

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T H E H O X T O N

With three locations in London - Shoreditch, Holborn and Southwark - The Hoxton has quickly become a favourite of trend seeking travellers in appreciation of a quality hotel stay at reasonable price points. No matter which of the groups London settings you decide to frequent, you’re sure to fall in love with each destinations ability to fit right in with it’s selected surroundings. From Shoreditch to Holborn to Southwark, each Hoxton has it’s own interesting finishings while collectively boasting a combination of old-fashioned elegance alongside elements of bold playfulness. 

Like The Ace, it’s very London. Each lobby is full of creatives hosting power breakfast meetings and click-click-clicking away on their Macs. Sitting for a morning coffee makes for very good people-watching. On the food front, each hotel has it’s own in-house restaurant, the Hoxton Grill in Shoreditch, Hubbard + Bell and Chicken Shop in Holborn and Albie and Seabird in Southwark. 

In Shoreditch, the rooms come in four different sizes, from smallest to biggest, the ‘shoebox’, ‘cosy’, ‘roomy’, and the nine ‘concept’ rooms, each of which have been designed by a local artist. The nine ‘concept’ rooms cannot be booked however, only requested upon reservation, so fingers crossed you’ll be luck out when booking. In Holborn and Southwark, the room sizes are a similar system with one or two more sized rooms available. 

All-in-all the group attracts a loyal repeat customer for it’s atmosphere and attractive prices. 

Rooms from £155 per night // Reserve at THEHOXTON.COM