Happy July!
Wimbledon! Evita! Pink Birkies! And why THAT West End performance gave me goosebumps, even in a heatwave.
Hello, happy July! How are you coping in this heat? We have two types of white noise on the go here at the moment: the whir of a 16” white plastic pedestal fan I dashed out to buy this morning before it got too hot (I couldn’t carry the chrome one home, too heavy), and Wimbledon.
Having “the tennis on” in the background is the British summer white noise of the most comforting sort, don’t you think? A seasonal place holder, and a reassuring reminder that some things don’t change (other than the absence of line judges on court, which has made things notably quieter, and seems a huge shame).
I grew up in south west London and, as I mentioned last month, my brother wangled a summer job working in the Wimbledon players’ cafeteria in the late Seventies/early Eighties. This meant lots of (mostly illegible) signatures for his little sister’s Holly Hobbie autograph book (the same post includes where to buy limited edition, tennis core-inspired nail polishes, if you feel so inclined).
And a Swingball set will never not be tempting at this time of year. I defy anyone, of any age, to resist the urge to pick up a neon plastic racket and have a go, glass of something long and cool in the other hand.
I was in London for work at the weekend (hence no Saturday edition—apologies!—and catching up now), where the tournament vibes were already strong.
Of course, the other sport reaching fever pitch is Formula 1, post-the new movie hype, and with the British Grand Prix coming up at Silverstone this weekend. I dived into Selfridges to check out its F1 pop-up, F1 75 Years in Motion - a pop-up shop celebrating 75 years of Formula 1. Well worth a visit if you’re nearby, there’s a collection of historic memorabilia on display—including an F1 Lotus that was driven by Ayrton Senna. The pop-up is on the ground floor, at the Corner Shop, and runs until July 6.
I passed on the F1 merch at Selfridges, but I did buy PINK BIRKIES! This pic, at the Birkenstock website, doesn’t convey the full fun-ness of them, I feel. The contrast between the jelly-look buckle and the shoe really pops IRL. (They’re SO comfy, and, strangely, not at all sticky in the heat).
Evita officially opens tonight in the West End (possibly as you’re reading this!)
As I was nearby on Saturday, I managed to time things to dash and catch Rachel Zeglar’s already infamous performance of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, from the balcony of The London Palladium, midway through the matinée performance (until now, it’s been on previews).
It was very hot, very crowded, but very much worth it. I couldn’t help thinking of how much my father, a big fan of the OG Elaine Paige version, would have loved it. But there’s no way he’d be able to manage it now, which made it all the more poignant.
It was the arms that got me. Walking away down Argyl Street afterwards, my legs were a little bit jelly-like.
In beauty updates, fab self-tanner for the face incoming!
I’m here to say that the *Gatineau Golden Glow Gradual Tan Face Serum is every bit as deserving of the love shown to the body version, loved by beauty influencers and insiders.
It comes in Light/Medium or Medium/Dark (not at all intense, but buildable). Like the body formula, the serum is super-light, instantly absorbed, and develops gently into a natural-looking, but very noticeable, golden glow.
Summer around the stack …
Looking for summer scented candle inspo? Fragrance writer and presenter extra-extraordinaire, has you covered, and has curated some lovely hurricane lantern holders, too, here (including a great find from M&S).
Likewise, turns her attention to what smells like summer, fragrance-wise, in Unlock Your Summer Scent: The fragrances you need to try right now. “To me, a scent is the closest thing to time travel — but only through your own timeline,” Emma writes. So good!
I pay attention to whatever Jane, AKA , has to say about beauty newness, so I was super-interested in her take on this affordable sunscreen which you can mist on top of make-up.
Run out of ice cream? shares a one-ingredient banana ice cream recipe, via The New York Times—along with other summer puddings—here.
Also, happy first Substack birthday to and of , who shared some exciting news yesterday (and thank you for the kind shout-out in Cheryl’s great deep-dive into how beauty brands are catering to Gen X shoppers).
This week, last year
I can’t believe it’s been a year since I posted what remains one of the most popular editions of That’s beautiful!, written when I’d just got back from visiting family in Italy. It’s so fun to look back at the archives, and see the changes (the name of this newsletter, for a start!).
Wherever you are reading form, and whenever you joined us, thank you so much for being part of That’s beautiful! I’m in awe every time I peek under the Substack bonnet at the world map, and see where everyone is. Also, I so appreciate every single Like ❤️ below posts, comment and share!
And if you haven’t signed up yet, there’s a summer saving still valid for all monthly and annual subscriptions, which instantly unlocks the full That’s beautiful! archive of glossy content—the ball’s in your court! (Had to.)
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Pink birks!! And that Farrah pic is giving me major inspo (for the outfit, not playing tennis 😂). Thank you for including us!!💕💕💕
I am SO here for the pink Birkies. 🩷