October was the month we finally moved in. We were only about a week late, which for a renovation is pretty good going. Since then we’ve been opening boxes, buying cutlery and finding out how many things a home needs that you never think about. It’s not that we’ve never bought these things before, but we’ve always rented before. The best way I can put it is that in rented accommodation we bought a Nespresso coffee machine. In our new home that we own, we bought a Siemens one, along with a Siemens fridge, oven, dishwasher etc. It’s still not finished and I’m still getting used to it, but we’re in. This is the first Unpacking I’m writing from our own home.
I wasn’t really sure how this month would go. The one thing I did know was that we’d potentially be moving into our new home. I say potentially because I know renovations can always go over, but I was staying optimistic and hoping for the best.
I also knew event season had officially started, so I figured I’d be busy with that. I’m very picky about the events I go to though. I’m definitely not one of those creators who goes to three events in one evening. I honestly can’t think of anything worse than rushing from one event to the next, so I knew I’d be saying no to a lot. Plus I honestly prefer skipping routine or over-saturated events so I can focus on high-impact, meaningful appearances.
I knew this month would probably be all about unpacking. So I guess let’s unpack this month.
We were only around a week late moving in, and it’s been the strangest feeling moving into a home we now fully own. It’s also been strange seeing our vision come to life. We’re still in the middle of that, because there are so many little things that keep needing to be done. I think the styling side is going to be an ongoing thing for quite a while, and I’m okay with that.
I have decided on my colors though. I made sure the house has a neutral base, so I could bring color in once we’d moved. I’ve gone for sage as my main color with a pop of burgundy. I’ll keep you updated with home content over on Instagram.
This month was also a lot of home shopping. Bedding, cutlery, cooking pans and loads more. We got rid of everything from our old place, so everything in our new home is brand new. I think that’s part of why it feels so special. It really does feel like a new chapter for us.
It was also the Haus Labs launch for the Middle East, and I decided this one was worth going to, plus I had a one to one with Sarah Tanno - the global artistry director for Haus Labs and also Lady Gaga’s personal makeup artist. I was doing a brand campaign with them as well, so I got to play around with the whole range. I’m now fully obsessed with the Triclone Skin Tech concealer. It’s literally like an eye cream in a concealer!
I also went to the Hourglass launch for the new Charm palettes. I’m already a big fan of Hourglass, and it was an intimate dinner, which made it even better. That’s exactly the kind of event I like.
Once we moved in, the next part was the one I wasn’t looking forward to, which was all of our storage being delivered. I remembered how many boxes we packed when we left our last home. We’d spent six weeks in a service apartment while the renovations carried on, so I’d been dreading unpacking them for a while. When they arrived, they turned into my worst nightmare. Everywhere I looked, there was a box.
Thankfully, I’d labelled every single one, so we knew which room each box belonged in. To be completely honest, I was surprised at how quickly we got through them. We decided to unpack straight into the cupboards without organizing anything. The idea was that if we could empty the boxes and get rid of them, there would be less mess, and it would be easier to organize the cupboards and shelves afterwards. And it actually worked.
We still have a few rooms to finish, but we worked nonstop, room by room, until most of the house was in order. My makeup room is taking a bit longer, which I expected. My friend also still has a couple of my boxes. I left them with her because I was worried about temperature control. I still need to bring those over and get them into my cupboards, and it’s stressing me out a little because I’m not sure where it will all go. That’s one for another newsletter.
It’s also been so good to cook from home again. For the last six to seven weeks we’ve been living off takeaways. We didn’t realize before we moved into the temporary place that it had no hob, so you can imagine what that did to our gut health. Being able to cook a proper meal at home again has felt amazing. I even made school cake the other day! If you don’t know what school cake it…it’s a plain sponge cake (I like adding some lemon zest too) with custard!
As you can imagine, my fitness has gone out the window. I haven’t been to the gym in the past three to four weeks because everything has been up in the air. We’ve been busy unpacking and organizing, and we’ve also been out shopping for things we needed straight away, like cutlery! Honestly, when it comes to my fitness, it’s been the complete opposite to how I thought the last month would be. I really didn’t expect to not have time!
On top of that, my YouTube content ran out, so I had to get straight into filming as soon as we moved in. That hasn’t been easy. The studio isn’t properly set up yet, and we needed to upgrade some of our equipment, so everything’s been all over the place. We’re not used to being this unorganized, and it’s been a bit of a mess and kind of overwhelming.
It’s been so hard to get to the gym, and it’s honestly got me feeling quite down. I’ve managed to go once, maybe twice, since we moved in. I’m hoping even that helps with movement in general, but I can’t wait to get back into a proper routine.
As I mentioned, I did go to a couple of events this month. I already had brand campaigns going with these brands, and I genuinely love them and they’ve always supported me, so I wanted to show my support too. Some other events I went to reminded me why I don’t like evening events. It’s not the brand and it’s not the team behind the event. It’s some of the creators. Some creators these days can be so rude, it’s unreal.
I want to be clear that I don’t have a lot of friends, and I’m very happy with that. My best friend is my husband. I have a few people I’d call friends, but they’re not people I’d phone if something was really bothering me. I just don’t have that kind of friend circle and I’m very content with my life. I do know a lot of people through the industry, and I never know what to call them, because I wouldn’t call them friends. When we see each other at events, we’re always pleasant and polite, and that’s enough for me.
At one of the evening events, I was really put off by a particular creator. She was giving off the vibe that she needed someone to film her. That’s honestly the only way I can describe it. It was an awkward feeling, and I could tell she wanted someone to offer. So I did, because I was genuinely trying to be helpful. When she finished her video, I handed the phone back, she said thank you and walked off.
I find it incredibly rude that she didn’t offer the same for me. To be honest, I didn’t want a video of myself, but that’s not the point. If I had, she wouldn’t have offered. I just can’t stand obvious fake energy you get from some people.
Most of what we bought this month was for the home. I don’t think I bought a single piece of clothing, which is very unlike me. I bought marble trays, the Le Creuset dining collection (I’ve gone for the sea salt collection…sticking to the sage theme), the HexClad cooking pans, bedding and so much more.
I’m going to be creating more content around home life, so I’ll share my thoughts on a lot of these things once I’ve used them properly. You’ll find all of that over on my Instagram.
I genuinely think I’m a bit of a makeup hoarder. Bobby has been telling me this for so long, and I never really paid attention because I kind of felt he thinks anyone and everyone is a hoarder compared to him…he’s OCD and the most organized person I’ve ever known. When I packed up my old makeup room and had to give away so much makeup…that’s when I realized just how bad it had got.
My new makeup room is separate from my studio now, and this time I want to be a lot more organized. Bobby gave up a whole day to help me work out where everything should go. I’d be lying if I said it went smoothly, but I really appreciate his help. His OCD levels are so useful for jobs like this.
That’s as much as I’m going to say about it, because I’m pretty embarrassed that I’ve been hoarding this much stuff.
There’s so much in my cart right now, from every home brand you can think of. My wish list got out of control, so Bobby had to sit down with me and go through it to work out what I realistically need. To be honest, about 50% of what I’ve bought was a want rather than a need. Soup bowls are a good example. They’re really not a necessity, but they look so good and I do like soup.
I’m on the lookout for some good mirrors, one for my makeup room and one for the lounge. If you have any ideas, let me know in the comments below. I’d love to see what you’ve got at home.
I’m pretty obsessed with the new Saie Super Suede baked eyeshadows. They look like little macarons, and the shimmer is ultra soft and not OTT, which is exactly how I like it.
I’m also still loving the Haus Labs concealer. Like I said earlier, it’s like an eye cream, but it’s a concealer. I’ve been reaching for it every day.
We’ve just finished all the seasons of SEAL Team, and it has to be one of my favorite shows I’ve ever watched. I was so sad when we got to the final episode, and it even made me cry. If you haven’t seen it, you need to watch it. It’s really that good.
We’re now watching Slow Horses, which I was already a huge fan of, and I’m halfway through The Great British Bake Off. I’m loving Nigella Lawson. She’s such a breath of fresh air, and did I mention she follows me on Instagram?!
October taught me that a home doesn’t feel finished just because you’ve moved in. I think I expected to walk through the door and feel settled straight away, but it’s more like you slowly grow into it. A lot of it still feels new and a bit strange, because it’s ours in a way no home has been before, and I’m still getting used to that.
I also learned that I don’t need to organize everything straight away. Getting the boxes empty first and sorting the cupboards afterwards felt wrong, but it was the right call and it saved my sanity. And I learned, a bit embarrassingly, that I own a lot more makeup than I’d admit, and that half my cart is things I want, not things I need. Soup bowls….I’m looking at you!
What I’m taking away from the month is that I’m not as bothered about our home looking perfect as I thought I’d be. I just want it to feel like us. Missing the gym has made me feel a bit flat, and I really want my routine back, so I’m hoping November does that for me. I know it’ll come back once things settle, and I’m trying to be kind to myself about it in the meantime.
Mostly, I’m happy. I’m cooking again, we’re surrounded by our own things, and I’m excited for what’s coming next. Thank you for coming along with me on this journey….it means a lot to have you with me while we make this house a home.
Until next month…
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