summer cruelty free beauty edit & more!

My transition to cruelty free beauty products has been pretty smooth - I've been mindful of what beauty products I've been buying for a while, and trying to minimise the possibility of funding animal testing somewhere along the supply line, so the move to out n' out cruelty free makeup was pretty easy.

For anybody considering starting to buy cruelty free, I can assure you it's really not as difficult as it looks! I understand that any lifestyle that rejects products welcomed by the mainstream (vegan, veggie, cruelty free, ethical, dairy/gluten free etc.) can construed by the media as living whilst dodging bullets of temptation... This is certainly not the experience I've had of buying cruelty free, and researching the makeup I buy in more detail has led to me making some amazing new discoveries, and purchases. (See: Emma Watson's Into The Gloss top shelf)

It's actually super easy to only buy cruelty free makeup in the UK, since a 2013 EU law bans the sale of cosmetics tested on animals in Europe. However, naturally for some companies dolla dolla bills are an incentive worth sacrificing morals and ethics (and in some cases, customer transparency too) for. These corporations all distribute their products in China, the only country that legally requires cosmetics sold to be tested on animals. Brands that sell in China also often claim to be cruelty free which is just incorrect (sorry!). Whilst if you buy from them in Europe, you wouldn't be directly contributing to animal testing in Europe, you would indirectly be funding the practice. There's also a common one in which a brand itself doesn't market in China, but is owned by a parent company (L'Oréal, Estée Lauder and Procter & Gamble, for instance) which does, which is also a no-no for me. I'm sure some names on the "to avoid" list will be familiar; it does boast Maybelline, Mac, Benefit and Bobbi Brown as just a few examples. However, the list of cruelty free companies is also extensive and definitely has well known and varied options too - Pixi, Charlotte Tilbury and Kat Von D are all there along with many more. (If you'd like a more comprehensive look at brands that are/aren't cruelty free, Cruelty Free Kitty is an excellent resource, with lists of cruelty free brands, brands that do test on animals, and lots of useful links. Ethical Elephant has also proven very helpful).

Before I start on some of my own current cruelty free loooooves, I just wanna offer a small disclaimer; I've only just properly started shopping completely cruelty free and am aware of some slight hypocrisy! (I have, after all, reviewed and promoted brands that have tested on animals before on this blog.) But I've really enjoyed learning more about how to shop for cosmetics more ethically, and hope you'll join me in continuing to learn about how to look your sexyyyyy self without helping anybody bash bunnies. You'll hopefully also be surprised about how many beauty brands you probably use are cruelty free already.

OKAY!!!!! I hope you enjoyed that whistle stop tour and now I can continue writing the post I actually intended to write. I'll start with Glossier. I could write volumes about Glossier (srsly @Glossier if you're ever in need of a sponsor or another ambassador hit me up ;)) but all you really need to know is they make me feel like one of those Instagram girls, with tiled marble bathrooms full of plants, dewy perfect skin, silky bathrobes, probably a French bulldog and an irrational love of chia smoothie bowls, which I assume can only be a good thing in small doses. Their packaging is stuff of DREAMS, (as lame as it is, when I saw the slanty black logo in real life for the first time my tummy did that swoopy thing) and SO photogenic (sorry for copious photos of the same lipgloss...). Their "skin first, makeup second" ethos matched with beautiful, simplistic branding and products has gained them a feverish following in the US. Oh... yeah. That's the catch. Glossier don't actually sell in the UK yet, (not that that's deterred the hoards of British Instagram fans) but have promised shipping to Britain by autumn. On a recent trip to New York I visited their Lafayette showroom (obviously) and I left with a quivering lip, a lipgloss, a lipstick and vow to get the haloscope highlighter the minute UK shipping commences, (and a little embroidered headband to make my face mask sessions infinitely more glamorous).

Glossier promised me "cushiony, crystal clear shine", and it delivered on the shine. I thought the lipgloss was nice and moisturizing; it gave me high definition shine which lasted for around 3 hours before I needed to reapply. My favourite thing was the lack of the gluey texture I'd come to associate with lipgloss, it slides on easily and cleanly. I can't lie and say your hair wouldn't stick to it in a big 'ol gust of wind, but it is lipgloss after all! I adore the glassy sparkle it adds, and it's a perfect "finishing touch" product.

vegan: no

Now, a lipstick among mere mortals. Ohhhhh goodness. I don't wear lipstick all that often, I'm not into having to check it the entire time and for some reason it always seems to end up drying my lips until they're just chapped sandpaper or smeared. This is a game changer, particularly if you're a "no makeup makeup" devotee. It gives the most delightful wash of colour which looks like maybe your lips are stained from just eating some summer strawberries, maybe it's just a natural flush, or maybe it's just blessed good genes. I've got the shade "like" which is one of the sheerest, but which has been an absolute summer staple. Going shopping? Generation G. Going swimming? Generation G? Sitting at home, typing a blog post, listening to the b-52's and eating madeleines? Generation G. It's a lovely formula - matte, sheer and buttery. Summer dreeeeeeams, guys.

vegan: no

The darling Sofia got me this argan oil from her travels to Morocco (which you can read about here!) and I am besotted. I know I am late to the argan oil bandwagon, but I'm a total convert. I use a drop of it to moisturize in the evenings, sometimes as a body oil after a bath, and sometimes even put a drop or two in my shampoo for extra silkiness.

vegan: yes!

In the corner you can also see a mini Pixi tube, which was a birthday present. It's the Pixi Glow Mud Cleanser which has been perfect for summer travelling, and for the first step of double cleansing. It's light, and cleanses your skin properly without leaving it feeling tight. I've been using it in conjunction with the Pixi Glow Tonic, which needs no introduction. The glycolic acid has really helped my skin look and feel smoother and softer, without the harshness or slight tearing of a textured exfoliator like a scrub.

vegan: yes, and yes

Milk makeup is another brand that doesn't ship to the UK yet (I'm sorry, I'm sorry) but is worth bookmarking if you're travelling to the states or for when they hopefully start shipping in the near future. Their makeup is fun, pliable and made to be experimented with. This lip and cheek stick in perk is the first piece I've got from them, another gift from a friend (thank you very much Olivia! mwah) and I have been wearing it all summer. It's got a lovely little goldy sheen, and melts right into your skin. It's seriously foolproof - I've been drawing bright pink, clowny circles straight onto my cheeks with the stick and blending upwards with my fingers - it quickly goes sheer and takes about six seconds, great for a lazy girl who just wants that fresh fresh summer flush, such as myself.

vegan: yah huh!


The Mario Badescu drying lotion is, again, a product I doubt many of you will need to be introduced to. And here I am, again, telling you that yes, it is indeed one hundred percent worth the hype. Dab it on overnight with a cotton bud, look pretty, pink and pockmarked, sleep, wake up, wash off, all redness and swelling reduced. Magic. I've also been using this in tandem with Mario Badescu's glycolic foaming cleanser a couple of times a week, which has worked rather well.


vegan: yes, and yes

I have been searching for a cruelty free palette similar to Lime Crime's Venus one for eons and eons. This Makeup Revolution Flawless Three Resurrection palette has filled the position very nicely, and is one of the most affordable buys I've made in a long while. The matte shades are going to be great transitional shades for autumn, but they're all so blendable that they can be light and summery just as easily as vampy and autumnal. The shimmers aren't the most pigmented, but I'm really not bothered considering I only really need the other three rows for a spectrum of looks. Love love love love, thank you makeup revolution for helping me reach my Peak Vampy Self. All I've gotta do now is learn to apply pink eyeshadow without looking like I've got conjunctivitis.

vegan: ...unsure. I did some research and I'm inconclusive. If anybody knows, please let me know!

Proof that buying cruelty free is suited to all budgets is this M&S autograph nail varnish. Ya perfect pastelly pink shade for your Barbie doll days, I can't promise it's the most amazing polish in the entire world, but it's not painfully clumpy and goes opaque in around two coats, so pretty decent!

vegan: ...again, inconclusive, but I am assuming not. But Kure Bazaar is a wonderful vegan nail varnish brand if you're in need!

Now these aren't beauty, but I thought I'd give you a little roundup of "What Esme's Done/Gone To/Been Liking", just to persuade you that I do actually do things (though my twitter, recording all the various times I've eaten vienetta, would probably lead you to believe otherwise).

I've been adoring my little water marble notebook from & other stories, mainly because I've been on a few long summer journeys lately and a pen and notebook is escapism. This one has been used to "jot down blog ideas". I put that in quotation marks because
a) it makes me sound like a blogger with her blogging life put together, which we all know is not quite true
and, b) because it makes me sound like I live an oh-so-rushed life with barely enough time to "jot down" my fascinating musings before I flip my blow dry, grab my decaf, and juggle a phone call to an agent with a small toy dog. Which, again, is not quite true, being a fifteen year old school girl with limp locks who doesn't like decaf coffee. (I do have a toy dog, though.)

If you squint a little, you might even be able to catch a glimpse of posts to hopefully come, next to a monochrome peach. <3

Lastly, some pages from Grayson Perry's recent exhibition's catalogue. It was on at the Serpentine so I had a quick mosey, seeing as I love his documentaries and some of the pots and prints I've seen. It was wonderful; and witty and acerbic but sensitive and gentle at the same time. His work is very reflective of the times we're living in, and I love the references he makes in his pieces. On his vases, he's interwoven pictures and phrases into ceramic, making for a beautiful patchwork effect with meaning in each crevice. He also does beautiful installations, tapestries and photography. The entire exhibition encapsulates the diverse, eccentric and evolving Britain that I've grown up loving so dearly. It runs until the 10th September, so catch it whilst you can (and maybe eat at the Magazine restaurant while you're there - it's designed by Zaha Hadid and worth a visit).


I hope you've all liked this long rambly post. I wanted to update you and generally check in, but also wanted to give you some cruelty free recs - it's something I really believe in and I've actually found it really empowering (as overused as that word is) to keep up and invest my time in something I know will actually make a difference, and incorporate that into my life. Shopping cruelty free is emotionally and physically rewarding, and has made me rethink so many of my makeup buying habits. It's forced me to research products and learn more about ingredients, ethics, processes behind products, and what works for my skin and what doesn't. I feel more aware about what I'm putting onto my skin, how it got there, and what was involved in that process. Helping the planet, even just fractionally, helps me feel less helpless as a young person right now, which is cool.

It also feels so good to just be blogging again. As usual, I have post ideas and titles spinning around my head at a million miles a minute. I know every time I come back here it's with a fresh promise to not neglect this it tucked under my arm, but summer has cleared my head and I feel more determined than ever to write as much as I can here. I think I feel more certain on what I want to be putting out onto my blog too, which is a lovely feeling.

Do you shop cruelty free? Is it something you're interested in?

I'm listening to:

sycamore girl -  rex orange county

I-69 - roman gianarthur

electric avenue - eddy grant

novoacane - frank ocean

treat me like fire - lion babe

anything from haim's new album

Esme x

(P.S - I got a blog instagram! Go and follow @esmemadeline if an unruly feed is your cup of tea.)

love island... and feminism????

Every summer, like the rest of nation, I fall down the sticky rabbit hole of Love Island. Even though I feel like I need a bath (and maybe a cup of herbal tea) every time after I watch an episode, I keep watching, like everybody else, utterly addicted to whatever new gossip the Islanders are chatting about, probably vowing not to put all "their eggs in one basket" sitting on the daybed, or insisting that they're "not the ones that should be grafting". When I think of Love Island, I think of hot dog legs, those ultra zoomed moon shots, Caroline Flack, that fire pit they all sit around at night, and specifically this year, Blazin' Squad. I do not think of feminism.

Yet, somehow, I have ended up thinking about feminism much more than usual the past few weeks, all prompted by Love Island. 2017 hasn't ceased to surprise me...
For those who don't watch, towards the start of the series, there was a small debacle between couple Jonny and Camilla (camilla is a total babe, along with gabby and marcel, just fyi) over Jonny's position on feminism. I think Jonny's exact words were "real feminists believe in a slope towards them". Now, Camilla tried to explain her own opinion, but this little row ended in them breaking up temporarily.

here come a few collages that I made that have no relevance but break up the text and I think they're nice? enjoy ahah. They were made using some material from the April 2017 rookie collage kit by Katie lib, found here <333 

Me being me jumped straight onto Twitter, wanting to get a sense of the general population's reaction to this lil tiff. There were a few people protesting Jonny's apparent ignorance, but the vast majority on the Love Island hashtag were agreeing with Jonny, and proclaiming their hatred of feminism.

Before I continue, I would like to offer a little disclaimer: I am a feminist, and a relatively outspoken one at that. But I come from an environment where that is an obvious choice - I would say 98% of my school identifies as a feminist, and the online "sphere" I am familiar with is pretty liberal, and feminist orientated. (hello blogger friends! you are all too cool and I love you!)
The official Merriam-Webster dictionary definition for feminism is as follows:

Definition of feminism

1:  the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes


I think that's pretty hard to argue with. But feminism has an awful reputation, and the label of "feminist" is often considered to be a statement. Ironically, it's a feminist goal to break down the label itself, and hopefully to educate the masses to dissolve the social stigma surrounding feminism. I understand the traditional issues people have with feminism, and to be honest most of it is to do with incorrect media representation, plain ignorance, or misunderstanding.

 As Jonny summed it up so perfectly, apparently "real feminists believe in a slope to them". (They don't, as Merriam-Webster has demonstrated.) Lots of it also takes its form in the classic: "You know those damned feminists, burning their bras and not shaving their armpits, taking away all our rights!!!! Go and make me a sandwich, love"  (No, I will not make you a sandwich. There's an M&S next door. Go away.) That is another common misconception, stemming all the way back from the 60's. Feminists are people, and all people look different! You can indeed be a feminist and shave your armpits, and wear an underwired bra, or you can be a feminist and not wear a bra and let your hair grow. You can be a feminist and a man. You can be a feminist, be nude, and feel empowered by your body. You can be a feminist and cover yourself head to toe, and still feel empowered by your body! And, as the teachers checking uniform at my school can attest, you can be a feminist and wear a short skirt. 

But it takes time for stigmas so huge and stormy like the one surrounding feminism to fade. And sadly, Twitter on the day Love Island aired was a stark reminder of that. I try very hard to understand other people's opinions, and understand their perspectives on issues. I am always trying to expand my knowledge, and not become the dreaded "white feminist". (a feminist who excludes woc and other minorities like the lgbt+ community. basically an internet feminist only truly concerned with the needs of straight, cis, white women being promoted globally. No thx!) But I saw tweets that were nearing abusive, truly vile in intention and language, all directed towards women and feminists. It's sad to think that you're progressing as a society to a fairer environment, to see something like that. However, it was also a necessary reality check for me. It was all fine and good being a feminist in an environment where everybody is a feminist, but when faced with the "real world", it really made me reconsider my own feminism and how I can make it more applicable to the world I actually live in, and break out of my comfortable little liberal internet bubble, if you will. A 2016 Telegraph article found that only 7% of Brits described themselves a feminist, which is truly a tiny minority. I can continue to preach to my audience and friends, who are generally already feminists, about the benefits of feminism for the world as a whole, but what will change that way? (I recognise that a significant proportion of my blog readership identifies as a feminist and I LOVE AND VALUE YOU ALL!!!! I am using this post as a platform to voice my thoughts and vent.) I can even say that in such an anti-feminist feed I was scrolling through that day after Love Island, it made my own feminism recoil back just a little. It's intimidating to be shown such public resent over something you believe in, and it felt more difficult to be so sure in my beliefs as I had been previously. Whilst it's important to acknowledge that Twitter is not an accurate reflection of the population, and that many Tweets are often published with the intent to provoke, I used it for the purpose to take a general measure of the mood.

welcome to the inside of my head

I think if I ever have brain surgery (lets pray that's never) they would open it up to find collage cuttings and pen lids, along with some stray french fries, some used ASOS vouchers, some old un-sticky rookie stickers, some random crusty old bronze eyeshadow pots and all seven harry potter books, tattered and crinkled from when I've accidentally dropped them in the bath.

Aside from my love of harry potter and cholesterol heightening food, what I'm trying to say is I like to scribble and collage. Sometimes, usually after spending some time scrolling through some artist's instagrams (see: @lacun.a, @isabizzy, @cactei, @beanparty for a bit of inspo) I might sit down and try to think of something in my life that is worth writing about. I would LOVE to collage more, but all my collaging backgrounds are currently saved onto a computer connected to a defunct printer, so I have been scouring books and magazines which has been delightful but often not quite enough. In an ideal world, I do a bit o' a mix n match with book and internet material, but it's been a bit restricted lately with the printer. Sometimes I paint (badly) and sometimes I write (equally badly) too. 

I find it so liberating to have a small space where I can put anything that comes into my head down, which is why I guess I feel like it is a physical representation of my mind. These pages are all from quite a long time ago, and already they feel dated. (When I was cropping them for this photo set I decided I actually disliked quite a number of them lol). This is because I like to think I am always writing or doodling something, which means I am quite prolific in my filling-up-of-pages, and some immediately feel old. 

Anyways, here are a few pages from quite a while ago (I felt I should start at the beginning) which I have made wooo. I hope you like having a peek into this little book, and if you do I can always show you more - there's a whole bookful. It's not quite what I'd like it to be yet - but we're getting there. Slowly but surely. The dream is that one day I can have a whole book full of Wes Anderson collages, nice outfits and memories, words and some random stickers. High hopes! :-)

I'm listening to:

gemini feed - banks

i'm a little christmas cracker - diane decker

(because SOMEHOW december has crept up on me and its CHRISTMAS soon ooof what <3)

warm on a cold night - honne (super funky)

pink skies - LANY

Esme x

WHERE have you been all summer Esme?!

... is a good question, the answer of which not even I am sure of. If swimming with mermaids or taking transfiguration lessons isn't a satisfactory answer, I suppose I'd have to say...

• going to BAAAAALIIIIIIIII - which is an utterly gorgeous and breathtaking world of natural beauty. I find it's easy to become very close minded when surrounded with the same work, lessons, problems and people. Going to new places and experiencing a way of life so insanely different to one you're used to broadens your horizons. THERES'S MORE TO LIFE THAN QUALIFICATIONS, KIDS. Also, it is just mind-numblingly stunning, serene and tropical. White, perfect beaches, manta rays, rockpooling, smoothies galore? SIGN ME UP. IT WAS WONDERFUL.

• collaging. I have made more collages and scrapbook pages than Kim K has worn bodycon dresses, which is to say, a lot.

• taking photos on disposable cameras, all summer long. I have quite a collection now, mostly of my friends being dorkish and lovely around the city, which is super special and glorious memories and golden days and all that jazz. I've really enjoyed getting them developed too, nothing equals the feeling of being given a wedged envelope of photos you took weeks ago, and rifling through them,  specific moments and places in time all immortalised in a hazy, filtered summer daze.

• researching, which may seem like an odd thing to do during summer, but has been completely fascinating. I've been educating myself via the reliable means of wikipedia (lols) and many thick and yellowed books (intellectual or what hur hur hur), on old feminist movements like the suffragettes, racist issues issues currently in America, and of course, the riot grrl movement in California a few decades ago. more to come on all that later, my loves!

• mourning the maccabees. fairly self explanatory. I'm still healing.

• Immersing myself in the harry potter books and films, for the seventeeth million time. I am obsessed (and I'm also a Gryffindor and Thunderbird, for those interested <3)

• buying ethically, and fashion-ing more than ever. perhaps not very well, but I'm making more of a significant effort to broaden my personal style boundaries than ever... which means more fashion posts to come!

What have you been up to? I want to know. Talk to me, and my apologies, again, for the extended "hiatus". I need to start posting regularly, I know. <3

I'm listening to:

I feel fine - the beatles

deep six textbook - let's eat grandma (?!)

hot topic - le tigre

girls get angry too - GIRLI

Esme xx

P.S - I seem to have also managed to completely avoided/ continue to avoid the fashion weeks?! NOt intentionally, but I have. what an awful excuse for a 'fashion blogger' I am. whoops.

frolicking round florence

Florence, or Firenze for you italian babes, is a city of undeniable beauty, and one which I have been dying to visit for aaaaaages. Mainly because of the gorgeous art, culture and architecture, and the food. Ravioli and Esme go together like two peas in a pod. I recently visited and have come back full to the brim of inspiration and love; it is almost hard to believe that so much art and beauty can be packed into a city. I visited the Uffizi Gallery, which houses some of the most famous paintings in the world. Think Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Botticelli and Raphael, and thoooooouuuuuuusands more Renaissance art icons (the teenage mutant ninja turtle crew). I was so excited to see The Birth of Venus in person, with all the cultural buzz it has inspired, constantly referenced in modern day art and music. That, along with the equally famous Primavera are two magnificent paintings which absolutely deserve the fame they have acquired. The delicacy of the detailing in them is exquisite.

(note: sorry sorry sorry but blogger has gone insane on me and decided to randomly change the colour and size of my font in various parts of this post, which is why half of this is written in dull grey. plz accept my apologies and ignore it. my coding skills do not live up to such arduous situations ;) <3 )

dress details in "Primavera" - reminiscent of Valentino's A/W '15 collection???? so pretty :')

And, of course, a trip to the Duomo, Florence's cathedral was due. Made with the most glorious marble, it's basically a vast miracle of its time. Rad, beautiful, stunning, and very very old. I shuffled around the base of the cathedral, gawping at the sheer size of the thing. A kind of incredible experience. Not to mention that the whole thing is delightfully 'grammable. I had to kick myself to get off of my phone... It's incredible in photos but indescribable in real life.

And then a quick trip round an Italian market, some gelato at Vivilles' (RUNNN to Vivilles if you're in Florence. the best damn raspberry ice cream. my heart, and the gelato, melted.) and a novel opportunity for some out of focus outfit shots. My tshirt dress is just your average roll-out-of-bed-omg-its-boiling-shove-on-a-dress dress, from the summer simples queens Brandy Melville - literally my whole wardrobe. It's drained my bank account but I sure do have some cute summer tops.

The last thing that I've managed to salvage from my camera's recent photos (which are generally blurry and a bit dodge, or out of focus... huh. sorry.) is our trip to the Palazzo Pitti, or the Pitti Palace. I have never seen so much gilding in my whole entire life. Renaissance splendour at its most recognisable, its full to bursting with glorious original frescos and beautiful ceiling art. Stunning and equally photogenic.

GOOOOOOOOOLD. Lotta gold.

We did a lot of other beautiful things in Florence (a trip to Santa Croche, and of course Grom gelataria, Ponte Veccheio, Boboli Gardens, etc.) but I'm afraid my photography skills didn't do such incredible places justice. It was one of those cities which instantly makes you feel at ease. Although its very very touristy, Florence is a city I am sure I'll find myself in again. The art and culture and genuine beauty in Florence is everywhere; the food, the streets, the museums, it's not hard to see why it has such a wonderful reputation. Visit if you ever get the chance! <333

Have you ever been to Florence? Did you like it? Give me all the info ;)

I'm listening to:

the less I know the better - tame impala

me - the 1975

private eyes - the bird and the bee

Esme xx

P.S - v sorry for the mini hiatus. BUT ITS SUMMER AND IM BACK. ALL IS GOOD.

paris, 1984

top - brandy melville

trousers - zara (old)

sunglasses - giant vintage

To my dismay, I was unfortunately not even born in the 80's, let alone old enough to properly understand the decade. Not that I expect everybody to have been walking around wearing chunky shoulder pads or spandex neon sportwear, but I completely looooooove the music and fashion of the time (or at least what I've heard about it...) So when I saw this top on the brandy website, I was 100% in love already. Plus the font... so whimsical, it reminded me of the kooples' logo, and marina and the diamonds (and my own blog header, who am I kidding pshh. #narcisstic).

But my favourite thing... absolutely nothing happened in paris, in 1984. I love the kitsch randomness of the whole thing. I wore it with zara striped trousers and MY MOST FAVOURITE SUNGLASSES EVER EVER EVER. Famously sported by the ever insanely awesome kurt cobain, (p.s - please watch the kurt documentary on netflix! <3) audrey hepburn, and more recently harry styles (?) they are the perfect mod shape, and I'm in love. I found them on giant vintage, the vintage sunglasses haven. Have a lil scroll, thank me later. 

I'm listening to: 

space song - beach house (dreamy)

oino - la priest

clean - the japanese house

Esme x

(if you're doing exams, alllll the love n luck from me <3 )

sakura - the embroidered bomber jacket

There is something undeniably perfect about a bomber jacket. They're excellent for that casual, put-it-on-and-feel-hella-cool opposite vibe, a la Miss Kate Moss. This season it's been all about shiny exotic ones, taking inspiration from both Japanese embroidery (see these souvenir jackets!!!!) and American baseball jackets. (Think pink ladies meet tigers and dragons...?) I've gone for this muted Zara one, half because I'm not brave/cool enough to wear a silk pink one (I wish lol) and half because I looove the embroidery, which reminded me of the Japanese cherry blossom, sakura. Esme approves. I wore mine with a plain white oversized t shirt, and some black skinny jeans, keeping most of the focus on the embroidery. Whilst the outfit itself is very very very simple (doesn't take a genius to put a white shirt, black jeans and a jacket together, non?) I can imagine these with a denim pinafore or some dungarees, especially those boyfriend ones with the ripped bits - just not in April in London. Still dreaming of summer.

Apologies for the muddy background... searched in vain for a prettier setting but there was nothing whoops

bomber jacket - zara

t shirt - my brother's shhh

jeans - american eagle

I'm listening to:

still - the japanese house

primadonna - marina and the diamonds

menswear - the 1975

supermodel - jill sobule

Esme x