The Acne Spring/Summer preview from Paris Men’s fashion week is absolutely perfect, styled with a 1970’s flare that is often imitated but nearly always badly executed - this is done just right. The shirt collars alone are enough to make me fall in love, this teamed with mint cable knits and a muted colour palette brings colours usually saved for autumnal wear into the brighter months serving as a perfect contrast to shades favored by some. The neutral colour matching is done with style and perfection, the blazers teamed with the ‘too short’ trousers from the apposing matching suit injects the summer vibe into the collection whilst stopping it from seeming too formal. Probably the most important thing however, it is all incredibly wearable! And I would wear it all, but if this is a taste of the summer months I’m going to need a much bigger wardrobe.

I don’t often utter the words ‘If I was a woman’ - however, if I was a woman I would be so incredibly excited for the Jason We capsule collection appearing at Target soon! Not only are the pieces sophisticated and demure, but also rather cute (a combination quite difficult to achieve.) The accessories that complete the collection are equally stunning, ranging from flower printed bags to scarfs featuring kittens. The collection pulling influence from the 1960s is going to be available at target stores from Feb 5th, and is actually incredibly affordable, leaving me incredibly jealous. I just wish menswear with such sophistication was easy enough to find at such perfect pricing, we can only hope!

Two purchases that I made myself for christmas were from the Etsy seller Flossie Fern, a provider of ‘Herbal body care for modern flappers’ a brand that combines 1920s style alongside a natural and rustic charm that I can’t help but find appealing. 

Their ‘Lost in the Forest’ scented dry shampoo is about as natural as dry shampoo get’s, I’m a strong believer in dry shampoos to aid in shaping the perfect quiff so am no stranger to the popular and less popular brands - Flossie Fern’s however may just be my favorite yet! The powder itself contains a blend of ceadarwood and sage, giving it a warm, earthy smell (no bubblegum scents here, thank god) - one that is almost medicinal in the top notes but fades away to the feeling of a walk through an autumnal forest. 
 The talc-free formula pleases me incredibly as dry shampoo without talc within it’s contents is so hard to find. The lack of talc in Flossie Fern’s concoction doesn’t make the dry shampoo any less effective, it’s been doing an amazing job at getting rid of any grease in my ‘day after’ hair as well as helping give it that volume needed for the quiff I usually desire.

Now, I have always been incredibly disappointed with perfumes ordered from Etsy (especially solids), I’m quite a particular person when it comes to fragrance and often words and lists of perfume notes can make a scent sound much more appealing than it actually smells and what is ‘earthy’, ‘tobacco’ or even ‘lavender’ to one person is actually something completely different to a different nose. So it was a little bit of a risk for me to order Flossie Fern’s ‘Gold Spice’ christmas solid perfume, I am however a fiend for seasonal scents and found it hard not giving it a try. I wasn’t disappointed and it’s no small thing when I say that this is by far the best solid perfume I have not only ever experienced from Etsy, but that I have ever tried. It really is that good! Firstly the tin, it’s larger than most solid tins and hefty too it has a weight to it that smaller tins just don’t have. It feels good in the palm of your hand, if you know what I mean. Small things like this matter to me.
 The consistency of the solid fragrance itself is the most wonderful thing about the item itself. I’ve tried so many solid’s in the past, most far to firm in consistency, difficult to apply to the skin with a scent that fades almost immediately. Flossie Fern’s base is the complete opposite to this, it is a soft, creamy organic olive and jojoba oils base that just glides out of the tin on your fingers and more importantly rather than whispering it’s way onto your wrists the heat from your body warms the base and the fragrance itself bursts out. 

Gold Spice itself is festive scent without the usual trappings of such a title, it still maintains that 1920s appeal playing it’s way onto your skin in a cheeky, naughty manner. The cinnamon and nutmeg stand out on my own skin and feel like a warm drink on a cold day, with a small hint of cedar creeping out adding to the warm and spicy mixture - all this rounded off with a breath of bitter orange just holding the fragrance back from being too woody - walking the line between sweet and spicy but still strong enough in my opinion to last as long as I like my fragrances to.
 This solid has restored my faith in Etsy fragrances and I’m actually completely looking forward to trying some more of Flossie Fern’s scents if they’re all as nice as Gold Spice I know I won’t be disappointed. 

So, if you like your cosmetics with a hint of old world charm and you like your fragrances strong enough to be smelled I’d highly recommend giving Flossie Fern’s Vulgar Medicinals a try!

Another amazing tutorial from How About Orange, these paper ball ornaments are actually super easy to make but look so cute. I especially like the vintage look of the ornaments made using pop coloured printer paper, and you can even attach a small ribbon to them to turn them into… you guessed it, decorations! So adorable!

Find the templates and full tutorial to make some of your very own here.