Capsule #5 ft. Hannah Ewens

Hi darlings,

I’m not sure about you, but this has been a bit of a week of two halves. Strange vibes when it was raining. Much better now it’s sunny. So predictable but it really makes a difference…

I’m trying not to worry about summer going by too quickly, so in this issue I’m leaning into the things that help us capture it in our little capsule: more SPF chat, thoughtful conversation starters, the perfect album for now. I hope you enjoy!

I’m also super excited about this week’s special guest, Hannah Ewens. I’ve admired Hannah’s writing for so long (if you don’t know where to start, her profile of Lana Del Rey for Rolling Stone is world class), so it’s very cool that she agreed to share her hot + not list with us today.

Have a gorgeous weekend wherever it takes you. Touch some grass!

Holly

First things first…

Sending love and light and power to Keke Palmer, whose baby daddy (Darius Daulton) is in our bad books this week. Ms Palmer attended the Usher show in Vegas, in those VIP seats previously enjoyed by Kim and Khloe Kardashian. She looked gorgeous, as always, in a bodysuit and mesh dress. ICYMI, Mr Daulton wasn’t pleased with her “showcasing the booty cheeks to please others”, and chose to share his thoughts on Twitter, rather than, say, a text.

There are already hundreds of takes on this, but I think it’s important to reaffirm a few things:

1. Mothers are hot

2. Mothers are allowed to retain a sense of self and sexuality

3. In the year 2023, mesh is basically cotton and neutral

4. This is a reminder to stop missing your toxic ex who used to ask you what you were wearing on nights when he wasn’t there

5. You deserve to feel confident in the company of people close to you (and anyone else)

I’m glad I opened…

This week’s issue of Service95, Dula Peep’s newsletter. I opened it to see which book they’d chosen for the next book club (it’s Pachinko), but enjoyed landing on some different content: ‘Esther Perel’s Five Questions To Ask On A Date’. The questions are below, and I like them. They tease out more than just finding out what someone did last week, and I think they have value beyond a date context. I especially like the last two questions, because I’ve never really considered their answers before. I encourage you to do the same! I was reminded of the time my boyfriend moved house for me - from one London rental to another, with a van - so I could go on a group holiday with my friends instead.

I’m giving more newsletter real estate to…

SPF chat. It’s here to stay! And this time it’s on the plight of wearing makeup in summertime when you know you should be topping your SPF up. Clodagh, our beloved friend of Capsule, enlightened me once more to SPF mists that you can apply on top of your makeup. Start with a solid factor 50 base, of course, but spritz the mist to keep your protection up. Get it here in the UK, and here in the US.

And finally something to make you smile…

I loved this tweet from a children’s presenter sharing the list of song requests she got from a Year 6 class for their leaver’s disco. 🌽 (That’s 5th Grade in the US.)

This week, Hannah Ewens popped into Capsule to share what’s 🔥hot🔥 and what’s not 🙅‍♀️ …

Hannah is a writer and author of Fangirls: Scenes From Modern Music Culture. She’s worked at Rolling Stone UK, VICE UK and Dazed, and specialises in music, spirituality and gender. She currently writes a brilliant Substack newsletter if you’re looking for more!

📺 Watching: This video, sent to me by TNM’s lovely intern, Charlotte, to encourage me to go on a run. It worked? And the run was great.

📖 Reading: Olivia Rodrigo’s Vogue cover story by Jia Tolentino, which is filled with quotes that make you remember retrospectively understand what it’s like to be a teenager wishing to be older: “you don’t realise how young you are when you’re young.”

🎧 Listening to: In the End It Always Does, the new album from The Japanese House, which sounds like how I imagine it would feel to be in this sort of house on a summer escape/digital detox/writer’s retreat.

As summers get sweatier and dewy make up reaches saturation, Honey has been pondering whether matte makeup will make a comeback. For those of us who dabbled the first time round, powered by Maybelline’s Dream Matte Mousse, we may fear the chalky finish and foundation lips.

But this got us thinking: does tapping into old trends feel different, less appealing, if you were there the first time round? Or does the nostalgia fuel a greater excitement to revert back? Let us know! Honey is dying to hear.

If you’d like to adopt Honey or one of her friends, click here to learn more.

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear how you’re finding Capsule - let me know here. See you next week 💋

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