Daft Punk does ballet, the introvert Olympics, and my Vogue shopping picks
The giveaway is a copy of ‘Daisy Jones and The Six’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Hey folks,
This Substack has been running weekly since September 2022 (gosh, where has the time gone?). The readership has been growing steadily and I reckon it’s time to officially see what you think.
I’ve made a little survey to gauge what you love and what you’d like to see less. It should take about a minute to answer. I won’t be offended by your answers, promise – and it’s all anonymous!
Also, as an added (dis)incentive, I’ve uploaded a photo of me with my new red hair to the page, so make sure to check it out. What do you think of my new look?
Many thanks and enjoy this issue!
News
1. If you only know Gillian Flynn as the author of Gone Girl, I highly recommend seeking out Sharp Objects (toxic family dynamics ahoy!), Dark Places (memory and the line between good and evil), and The Grownup (a ghost story for the modern age). As someone who’s read them all and has been impatiently waiting for more, I’m heart-poundingly pleased to hear Flynn is finally, FINALLY working on a new offering. She shares some rich insights into the psychological underpinnings of her work and what she’s been doing in the publishing space as well. Worth a read.
2. Kudos to Spanish athlete Beatriz Flamini who’s won the introvert Olympics aka holed up in a cave by herself for 500 days. My fellow introverts would probably join me in saying:
(No shade – I’m sure it had its moments, although Beatriz apparently enjoyed the experience so much, she wasn’t sure she wanted to leave.) She was apparently closely watched by a team of psychologists and other scientists and researchers, who were especially interested in the effects of being underground on her sleep patterns. She’s looking forward to sharing a meal with friends and reacquainting herself with the world after missing events such as the start of the Ukraine war and the death of the Queen, as well as embarking on future climbing and caving expeditions. What a legend.
3. As a fan of electronic music, ballet, and people taking their creativity into unexpected new realms, I was particularly taken by this news piece in The Guardian: ‘Up all night to get jeté! Thomas Bangalter on hanging up his Daft Punk helmet – and leaping into ballet’. Bangalter has an intriguing take on technology. He has always been fascinated by it, mostly in relation to how humans interact with it and who’s in control, a question that feels like it has never been more relevant in this era of ChatGPT. There’s more here, though – on the evolving nature of artistic endeavours and recycling trends in music. I’m keen to hear Mythologies for myself now.
Reviews
1. Crikey, these kids are a pessimistic bunch – the BBC showing children in 1966 predicting what life would be like in the year 2000. I find this sort of stuff fascinating. How did people in the past imagine our future? What would kids now predict about the year 2060? It’s so intriguing to see what they got right and wrong. Some of them were quite spot on, though thankfully not about the atomic bombs.
2. This New York Times article on body neutrality really resonated with me. The idea is to step away from either hating your body or the ‘loving your body no matter what’ philosophy of the body positivity movement and simply focus on how you feel. I’m not a person naturally inclined towards exercise – I wrote about this for The Guardian in 2020. To me, the best exercise for you is not the one that’ll shred the most calories in the smallest timeframe or give you a six-pack, it’s the one that you actually enjoy and will want to keep doing. Sure, there might be moments of discomfort and soreness, but do you find some fun and fulfillment in the activity as well? I don’t respond well to demands that I reach goals (made by me or by someone else) or punish my body or continuously improve. Sure, you might get better, but you could also end up injured. Sometimes I’m due a workout and my muscles are just too sore or I’m too tired. Instead of cursing myself for my weakness, I either show up and put in a half-arsed effort or just nope out of pushing myself that day. I might replace the harder form of exercise I was supposed to do with a walk or a stretch. If I’m not up for that, I decide to rest and try not to judge myself for it. Perhaps surprisingly, letting myself off the hook occasionally hasn’t meant I’ve grown completely lazy and will increasingly throw in the towel. Knowing I can say no without mentally beating myself up strangely makes me want to say yes more. But maybe that’s just my contrary nature. You can be fit and pudgy. You don’t have to look ‘perfect’ to be healthy. Just trying when you’re up to it is enough, that’s what I reckon.
3. I’m not generally enthused by primers, but I trialled Smashbox’s Photo Finish Control Mattifying Primer this weekend and I’ve gotta say, I was impressed. It does what it promises on the packaging, at least on my face. I have normal/combination skin, and it dulled down the shine without making it look like a dried-out husk. Plus, it provided a nice base for my make-up with no pilling in sight. I guess the real test would be on someone with oilier skin, but it seemed to give an almost airbrushed finish on mine. It’s also cruelty-free, which is a big tick in my eyes.
Raves and Faves
My fashion picks from the Vogue Online Shopping Night (VOSN) sales
Every year, VOSN serves up luxe buys at très reasonable prices. Usually, I tend to purchase staples like black tees and ballet flats in my favourite brands, but this year, I’m keen to branch out with a few on-trend styles. Here’s what I’m drooling over – on sale until 11:59pm tomorrow. (I don’t get any kickbacks from these links, by the way. Just sharing what’s giving me the warm fuzzies.)
1. Dinosaur Designs’ cream and lemon bangles
2. Aje’s ‘Equinox’ pleated wide-leg pants in deep violet
3. Proenza Schouler’s PS11 mini classic bag in taupe from The Iconic (a girl can dream, no?) and while we’re in dreamland, this Christopher Esber blazer would go nicely with those Dinosaur Design bangles
4. Rotate Birger Christensen’s sequin mini wrap dress from The Iconic
5. SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker’s ‘Rampling’ pump in pink satin from David Jones (how could I not include these?)
6. Manning Cartell’s ‘Cool Clique’ trench coat in chamois
7. Ecco’s ‘Soft 7’ Chelsea boots in black, which are begging to be taken on an overseas holiday or a trot around town
Giveaway
The winner of Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt from last week’s giveaway is Marlene. Awesome! Marlene, I’ve emailed you.
The giveaway this week is Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Pop your name and email address in here to enter.
Playlist of the Week
French hotel club lounge:
1. Liquefaction - Funkommunity
2. Coast - DAO
3. La legende urbaine - Voyou
4. Feeling Good – The Mighty Bop
5. Plain Song - Sidewinder
6. Le sac des filles - Camille
7. Bonzai View – Potatohead People
8. Beyond – Daft Punk
9. L’amoureuse – Carla Bruni
10. Wallflower – Tim Atlas
11. Smoothpipe – Flamingo Star
12. Le Coeur – Thievery Corporation, Lou Lou Ghelickhani
13. Clap Your Hands – Leo Dessi
14. La Belle Vie – Sacha Distel
15. You and I - Papooz