The Edit: September Things I’m Loving

I cannot believe we are nearly in October.

Although, actually, September does have a strange way of feeling like both the longest and shortest month of the year.

It starts with the chaos of getting everyone back to school — new shoes, new uniform, forgotten water bottles, approximately 47 emails from school — and then suddenly you look up and realise you’re already talking about half term.

Slowly, though, I feel like I’m settling back into a routine. The school runs are becoming automatic again, we’re getting back into our normal rhythm and I’m actually starting to look forward to autumn.

I love this time of year. The darker evenings, the crisp mornings, coats coming back out of the wardrobe and that feeling that everyone is starting again after the summer.

And with that comes a lot of things I’ve been buying, trying and generally being influenced by.

So here is this week’s Les Petits Plaisirs — a slightly random collection, as usual, of things I’m loving lately.

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My Viral Beauty Buys

I am so easily influenced by beauty products online.

Show me a TikTok of someone saying “You NEED this” and, frankly, there’s a very good chance I’ll need it approximately four minutes later.

But I’ve started becoming much more interested in whether the viral products are actually worth the hype.

So I’ve been having a proper look at what’s trending at the moment and have pulled together some of the beauty products that seem to be absolutely everywhere.

There are some brilliant ones in here.

Clinique Black Honey, Laneige Berry Lip Glowy Balm, Bioderma Sensibio, Kosas Revealer Concealer, Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter, Beauty Pie Triple Hyaluronic Acid, Medicube Zero Pore Pads, Maybelline Sky High Mascara, Nizoral Shampoo and Dr Melaxin Eyephalt Eyebag Cream.

Some are cult classics that have been around for years, some are suddenly having a huge moment online and some I simply wanted to try because everyone else seemed to be talking about them.

I’ve put them all together in my Amazon Beauty Storefront, so you don’t have to spend half an hour trying to find the exact products yourself.

And if something is currently viral, I would probably buy sooner rather than later because these things have an annoying habit of disappearing just when you’ve decided you actually want one.

Shop my Viral Beauty Buys on Amazon⁠

Some of my links are affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.

Now, on to something I have actually properly tested…

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Bonded Lashes — fake eyelashes for people who are rubbish at fake eyelashes

I have always loved having my eyelashes done.

There is something about walking out of a salon with a full set of lashes that makes you feel instantly more glamorous, even if you are still wearing yesterday’s leggings and have three children shouting at you.

The problem is that eyelash extensions are an expensive habit.

They also take FOREVER.

You are lying there while someone painstakingly attaches individual eyelashes to your individual eyelashes, and while it looks lovely afterwards, I am not particularly good at the maintenance.

Then they start falling out.

One eye looks fabulous. The other looks like it has been through a hedge backwards.

I’ve also had many disasters with false eyelashes over the years.

I’ve stuck them on my forehead.

I’ve put them on wonky.

I’ve gone out with one hanging off.

I’ve had one stay on while the other has disappeared entirely.

Eventually, I gave up.

And then I found Bonded Lashes.

Honestly, these are a game changer.

They are so much easier to apply than traditional strip lashes that even I can do them — which means you definitely can.

I’ve now tried several packets, so I feel like I can actually recommend them rather than just saying “I’ve seen these all over Instagram and they look good.”

The clever thing is that they give you that individual-lash effect without having to go through the full salon process. If you choose the really natural styles, they don’t look like you’re wearing enormous false eyelashes either. They just give your eyes a little bit of definition.

And I particularly like them for everyday wear.

They’re brilliant when you want to look slightly more put together without actually having to put much more effort in.

At the moment, the ones I’ve been buying are £19 rather than £25, although unfortunately you do have to pay postage.

They aren’t currently on Amazon, although I will have a look for some similar alternatives because I know some of you will want the convenience of Prime.

I don’t have an affiliate code for Bonded at the moment, but I’m hoping that might change in the future.

Shop Bonded Lashes⁠

For now, though, if you have given up on false eyelashes because you are as hopeless at applying them as I am, give these a go.

You can thank me later.

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My new school-run flask

The mornings are getting darker.

Which means coffee is no longer optional.

It is equipment.

I bought myself a new thermal flask specifically for the school run and I’ve been using it for around three weeks now, so I feel I can give it a proper recommendation.

It’s sleek, black, dishwasher-friendly and really easy to drink from.

This is important because I have a Stanley and, honestly, I find it awful to drink out of. It’s enormous and I’m always worried I’m going to pour half of it down myself.

This one is much simpler.

You literally press the button on the top to drink and press it back up when you’re finished.

Simple.

I love simple.

Especially before 8.30am.

Shop my school-run thermal flask on Amazon⁠

It’s become one of those things that just lives by the front door now, ready to be filled before we leave in the morning.

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And then I bought a proper coffee machine…

This may be my favourite purchase of the month.

We hadn’t had a proper coffee machine for about eight years. Our previous one finally died, and there was genuine mourning in our house.

We are coffee people.

So I went into full research mode.

I read reviews, compared machines and generally became far more invested in the subject than anyone needs to be.

I have to admit, I was initially a little dubious about Ninja. I don’t know why — I think I’d somehow categorised it in my head as slightly cheap and plasticky.

Then I bought a Ninja air fryer last year.

And it was brilliant.

So I decided I needed to get over myself and look at their coffee machines properly.

I eventually bought the Ninja Pro coffee machine and I can honestly say I am completely converted.

It feels like having a little coffee shop in the kitchen.

The coffee is delicious, the milk froths beautifully and the whole thing is surprisingly easy to use.

And I say surprisingly because normally something like this would immediately be handed over to my husband with a sentence along the lines of:

“Can you set this up because I haven’t got the patience?”

But I decided to have a go myself.

Even the setup was straightforward.

I used the online support and found the instructions really easy to follow, and now I can make proper coffee without having to call James in for technical assistance.

The things I particularly love

One of my favourite features is the two coffee-bean compartments.

One side can have caffeinated coffee and the other can have decaf.

This is genius for me because I love coffee throughout the day, but I don’t necessarily need to be bouncing off the ceiling at 9pm.

There are also two profiles, so you can save your preferred settings, and you can make different types of drinks including espresso-style coffees and iced drinks.

And then there is the milk frother.

This was a big one for me.

I’ve had coffee machines before where the milk container sits attached to the machine, and I always found them slightly grim. They get a bit smelly, you have to remember to clean them constantly and the milk never seems to froth particularly well.

This one comes with a proper metal milk jug, so you can froth your milk properly and get that lovely coffee-shop texture.

It feels much more like making a proper coffee rather than pressing a button and hoping for the best.

I’ve also been really impressed with Ninja’s customer service so far, which is always reassuring when you’ve spent a considerable amount of money on a kitchen appliance.

I have tried to find it on offer.

I have searched for codes.

I’ve hunted around.

I haven’t found anything particularly exciting, unfortunately.

But now that I’ve got it, I genuinely think it is worth the money.

And if you live locally…

I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to come round to mine for coffee now.

Shop the Ninja coffee machine on Amazon⁠

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M&S is absolutely killing it

And finally, we need to talk about Marks & Spencer.

Because honestly…

M&S. You are absolutely KILLING IT at the moment.

I’ve been having a proper scroll through the new-in section and there are so many pieces I love that I had to put together my own little M&S fashion edit.

And what I particularly love is that the clothes feel fashionable without trying too hard.

They’re not too trendy.

They’re just right.

Which, as someone who is firmly in the “I want to look current but I don’t want to look like I’ve raided my daughter’s wardrobe” category, is exactly what I’m after.

There are gorgeous autumnal colours, beautiful textures and loads of really wearable pieces.

I’ve spotted everything from an ivory satin scarf-neck blouse and textured blazer to burgundy faux-leather trousers, chocolate corduroy flares, lace-hem skirts and Mary Jane ballet flats.

And then there are the coats.

So many good coats.

The sort of pieces you can actually build a wardrobe around rather than wearing once for an Instagram photograph and never seeing again.

I love that mix of classic British style with something a little more fashion-forward.

It’s grown-up fashion, but it doesn’t feel boring.

And can we talk about Gillian Anderson?

Because I absolutely LOVE what M&S are doing with her.

She is such a fantastic fit for the brand and looks incredible in the new campaign.

She is M&S’s first Chief Compliments Officer and is fronting the current Love That autumn campaign — and I think the whole thing feels fresh, fun and confident.

It feels like M&S has really thought about the direction of its fashion offering.

The styling, the photography, the campaigns and the people they’re working with all feel much more exciting.

And after M&S held its first London Fashion Week show, celebrating 100 years of M&S fashion, it certainly feels as though the brand is having a proper fashion moment.

So I’ve put together my current M&S favourites for you.

There are some absolute gems.

Shop my M&S fashion edit⁠

The pieces are linked through my affiliate links, so I may receive a small commission if you shop through them, at no extra cost to you.

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So that’s September, apparently…

And there we are.

September nearly done.

I’m not quite sure how.

We’ve gone from “Where are the school shoes?” to “What are we doing for half term?” in approximately five minutes.

But I’m enjoying getting back into a routine and I’m looking forward to the next few weeks.

Autumn is definitely here now, and I’m ready for it.

Good coats.

Good coffee.

A little bit of beauty.

A few new things for the wardrobe.

And, hopefully, slightly fewer school emails.

See you next Wednesday.

Caroline x

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