Belated Top 10 of 2015
My first few days of 2015 have been a mix of getting up early to go to work, coughing and spluttering my way through the day (I got a nasty flu just after Christmas) and coming home to watch back-to-back episodes of Gotham with Nick and The Cat. There hasn't been a whole lot of time for reflection on the past year. Even New Years Eve I was voiceless and sick (and it was 40 degrees) so we amped up the aircon and watched the Melbourne fireworks from the window of our apartment. Anyway, now's the time to have a look back on the past year and some of my #1 favourite things.
1. Place
The Lofoten Islands
I've raved about the Lofotens a lot this year. They weren't on our to-visit list, but we went there because they weren't likely to be as snowy as the rest of Norway. The frost had mostly melted, and it was easily one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I talk about it more here.
2. Clothing Item
Skeleton Dress
It's a real testament to an item of clothing if you can wear it on every non-hiking, non-freezing day for 9 months and not want to burn it afterwards. That's me with this dress. It's pretty faded now, and pretty worn (and no longer glows in the dark which is the ultimate sadness) so I might have to pick up another. Get it from Modcloth.
3. Makeup Item
Jackie Oates
Whether I'm travelling everyday or standing under hot lights at Lush, heavy foundations have not been my jam this year. Jackie Oates - one of Lush's skin tints - is super buildable and doesn't feel like you're wearing makeup. Get it from Lush.
4. Technology
Pico Pro
This is a recent addition to our home. We'd been looking for a small projector for a long time, reading reviews, looking for something that could accompany us overnight camping (for moonlit projections on the side of the tent, perhaps?) and make a good day-to-day screen, seeing as we ditched our TV. So far, it's pretty impressive. Automatically focuses, decent brightness, good definition, about the size of a large Smart Phone. Get it from Urban Outfitters.
5. Perfume
Furze
Lush actually discontinued this perfume late 2014 (but it can still be bought at the Oxford St store in the form of a body spray, I think). I picked one up on a whim but wasn't totally sold on the sugar-sweet vanilla and coconut scent. I changed my tune when we were strolling through the Northern Highlands of Scotland and the gorse was all in bloom and I kept thinking, "where do I know this smell?" It was Furze (which is another name for gorse) and I was in love.
6. Food
Smith and Deli
Okay, this has been the bane of my wallet since I got back to Melbourne. This place is ridiculous. If you live in Melbourne or you find yourself visiting, you need to go. Sandwiches served after 11.30am and different sweets every day. Follow them on Instagram.
7. City
Edinburgh
I don't know if Edinburgh was merely the right place at the right time (anything would've been a welcome relief after the bustling, overwhelming adventure that was London), or whether our 7am, sunrise arrival - pulling our suitcases up the hill and watching the orange light hit the city - inspired us to want to stay. We fell asleep in The Meadows in the afternoon and were already saying that we could live there. The fact they have a Lush Spa helps, too.
8. Skincare
Magical Moringa Moisturiser
This is the third and last mention of Lush in this little favourites post. I write it with a heavy heart because I'm currently out of stock (luckily, a friend of mine is in Hong Kong where they stock the Oxford St line... thank goodness). The Magical Moringa Moisturiser is a duo moisturiser + primer sent from the heavens, truly. Try it out if you can.
9. TV Show
Dexter & Jessica Jones
I'm a little late to the party with Dexter, but found myself devouring every season while I was in Iceland. I was housebound for a couple of weeks (unable to visit the studio, grocery store or anything else) with crazy painful bronchitis while cold, wet storms raged outside. I doodled and watched Dexter every day.
Jessica Jones was a discovery Nick and I made once I'd returned to Melbourne and we binged the whole (short) season in just a couple of days. David Tennant still gets me excited, 10 years after falling in love with him as the Doctor (even when he's a creepy villain).
10. Movie
The Dressmaker (also The Fall)
A few weeks back, Nick and I sat in the back row at the Sun Theatre to watch The Dressmaker because it came highly recommended by both our parents. It was bizarrely theatrical, completely beautiful and sad at times. Hugo Weaving's character reminded me of his role in Priscilla Queen of the Desert (potentially the last great film to come out of my country) and Kate Winslet looked way too hot to have had a baby. All in all, excellent.
Another strange and theatrical film I fell in love with this year was The Fall. I have no real words to describe it, and most people probably won't love it as I did, but you should watch it anyway, if only for the cinematography. It's pretty spectacular.
About the Author
0 comments