HSF LOVES
Welcome to the HSF LOVES series in which I champion + celebrate amazing independent brands + businesses around the world; each on their individual mission to bring some beauty to the world in what they make, create or offer. Each brand is available for purchase on their own site while some are, alongside their own e-commerce, available on larger sites like Net-a-Porter or Farfetch. However, where they are sold, my mission in this series is to share some of the most beautiful, elegant, innovative + design-led brands I adore in my own life + know you’ll enjoy too. Each week I add something new to the mix + while I design something cool + better in my new website, I’m stepping out of my own perfectionist way to share them here with you as they arise, because there is no perfect time to begin sharing. It’s simply now.
M E D E A
Medea is a Milan-based leather bags brand I’ve been following + loving for some years; recently investing in my first piece. Simplicity at it’s chicest, Medea is the design baby of Italian twin sisters, artists + generally cool chicks, Giulia + Camilla Venturini + is aptly named after Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1969 film about the Greek mythological sorceress, Medea. The collection consists of a growing selection of styles + colours; all within the very solid + striking Medea style with consists of a strong thread of a super-structured elegance, previously unknown in any young brand I’ve come across in its calibre. Think statement without screaming about it + a style I find so extraordinary, tasteful + understated in the coolest manner.
With a retail launch that began in Dover Street Market, Opening Ceremony + Selfridges, the brand has gone from strength to strength in recent times, thanks to - beyond the fact they are exquisitely designed by the Ventuini sisters - going viral on social media + famously worn on stars like Rihanna, Kaia Gerber + Kendall Jenner. The collection consists of seasonal collaborations with fellow artists to the sisters; most notably thus far Nan Goldin + Kiko Kostadinov.
Shop the full collection at M E D E A M E D E A . I T
G R O U N D
G R O U N D is a newly launched luxury wellness brand I was recently introduced to + am truly loving. Focusing on artisan aromatherapy for your entire family, each product is created to awaken your senses through the beauty of + healing properties found in essential oils. Hand-crafted in small, quality-controlled batches in Cork, Ireland by Peigín Crowley, a globally celebrated curator of luxury spas, GROUND is neutral by design with each product created to encourage a sense of relaxation + grounding.
Peigín, has established a highly respected career in the wellness space as the originator + designer of high-end luxury spas in Ireland’s most indulgent properties including Cliff House Hotel, Old Head of Kinsale + Adore Manor. Her love of constructing beautiful experiences has been brought to life in her latest venture + is something you can see, smell + touch in each drop; a treasured treat in the every day rituals of self-care.
I was gifted some of the beautiful products from the range by Peigín about 8 weeks ago - the Recovery Hair Oil + Sleep Face Oil + I have been using them ever since. The Recovery Hair Oil has quickly become a favourite; each time I wash my hair I gently massage the product into my scalp before getting into the shower, then after towel drying it, post shower, I put about 5 drops into the ends of my hair - again gently massaging it in. I’m particular about what I use on my hair + skin as I get older + I just love how natural GROUND products are - no gross pesticides or herbicides + each ingredient is organic (where possible) + completely sourced naturally.
One of the other products I love is the Sleep Face Oil. On the nights when I Gua Sha this is amazing, as with it’s beautiful texture, it means my Gua Sha stone glides so smoothly over my skin instead of pulling on it. Also with chamomile as one of it’s main ingredients, it means it’s a great way to de-stress your mind + body before bed. Peigín advises to rub the oils between your palms + inhale deeply before applying to the skin for an added boost to the senses - something that is applicable for the entire collection.
Since falling in love with G R O U N D products, I’ve ordered several others myself including the Uplifting Body Oil which is so divine after a lovely hot shower or bath. Our bodies skin needs that extra TLC in Winter + I‘ve found this (along with my unfailing love of Jojoba Oil) to be such a treat for dry skin + it smells so divine too.
You can find the full range, including Bath Salt, Body Oils, Face Balms, Face Oils, Face & Body Masks, Beard Oils + Mother + Baby products exclusively on BrownThomas.ie
S Ó M A S
Founded by Margaret Urbanowicz in early 2019, Sómas - an Irish word, which as a direct translation, means ‘ease’ or ‘comfort’ - is a luxury candle company dreamed up upon a desire to bring to life the beauty of the Irish landscape through a collection of luxury scented candles; something Margaret has done with, as the brands title might hint at, an ‘ease’ + ‘comfort’ that flows without fault. I ordered a few of the candles recently upon coming across the brand on a friends Instagram + being a sucker for elegant aesthetics + good packaging was immediately sucked into the Sómas world without hesitation. Receiving them (the next day.. an unheard of treat in 2020 I didn’t think existed much any more with this slower pace of life) though cemented this love with a certainty of respect that these candles are made, not only with a global standard of luxury in mind but also a love of Ireland that’s so palpable, going far beyond the sometimes stereotypical aran-sweater-wearing-tourist vibe that doesn’t always necessarily showcase Ireland as the progressive, design led culture we have come more + more to possess in recent years. Each candle is handcrafted in Cork, Ireland using a high quality natural soy wax along with cotton wicks for a cleaner burn + a more luxurious feel.
Whether you’re in the market for a little pick-me-up for yourself, a gift to take to a dinner party (YES.. dinner parties are thankfully making a rightful comeback), or perhaps searching for a little gift that says everything in one small beautifully packaged Sómas candle, this brand is exactly where it’s at.
Shop Sómas at somasstudio.com + follow the Sómas journey on IG @somas.studio
W E S T 2 2
West 22 is a top secret (not so secret) fashionistas paradise. With dupe versions of the latest Bottega’s, in full leather, cute cashmere beanies, the prettiest hair accessories + endless fashion finds that add the perfect touch of fabulous to any outfit (currently wearing my mini La Pouche with my PJ’s.. who am I kidding!), this website is one of my favourites to get a stylish fix or little pick-me-up + really, there’s never been a more apt time for a pick-me-up. Founded by the lovely Amber, West 22 is where I've purchased some of my latest + most loved bags in the last year; ones that, in not always wanting to go to investment level prices in terms of trend pieces, have been the perfect personal investment bringing a new joy + fresh perspective to my wardrobe. The bags Amber stocks are all fully leather + made just as well as their designer status counterparts but just without the price tags. Right now, we may not being going 'out out' but bringing a little joy to your days + treating yourself to something can make all the difference.
Shop West 22 through their IG @west22_
S U P E R N O V A L I V I N G
What if, in the hope of hitting the right cocktail of goodness + rather than blindly adding a million supplements + powders to your morning routine, you could bypass all the BS + there was maybe - just mayyyybe - a simple, beautiful way of allowing your body create exactly what it needs in one healthy scoop of wholesomeness? Efficient, right? Well with the swish of a magic wand, let me introduce you to Supernova Living, a vegan life powder made from whole organic plant protein + an abundance of natural adaptogens.
Making supplementation simple, Supernova Living is way more than a protein powder; it’s a life powder that acts like that of a magic wand in my day-to-day life. I’ve been taking it for almost a year now + day on day it’s become a non-negotiable part of my daily practice. Supernova was created by husband-and-wife duo Laura and Jermaine Beckford who rightly saw the need for a simple, clean + effective answer to all the junk proteins on the market and as something that can truly nourish from the inside out. Taken daily, it acts as a helping-hand in the daily fight to combat stress, fatigue + the general toll modern day living can take on our minds and bodies and as a result, our compromised potential. Adaptogens like ashwagandha work to balance anxiety levels in the body while camu camu strengthens your immune system + red maca aids in hormone balancing. Supernova Living has three blends, WOMAN 01 for woman, MAN 02 for the guys + a another beautiful one that can be used by either, NAKED 00.
You can read my interview with Laura, Supernova Living’s co-founder here + shop the full range of blends at supernovaliving.com
R O A D S
ROADS is one of my all time favourite luxury brands. Specialising in beautiful niche style fragrances + candles, it was founded in 2013 by the amazing Danielle Ryan + has been something of a love affair from the beginning. The creation of each fragrance is an unparalleled kind of genius - something that Danielle has pieced together in it’s entirety + is personally involved in each step of the journey. With three full collections, including the Asia collection, the Core collection + the Africa collection, each scent tells a story within each collections larger contemporary themed subject.
Scent is an important part of one’s identity. Unlike the clothes we wear + the manner in which we act - both of which are only linkable to a physical interaction, the fragrance a person wears is a beautiful, delicate impression that lingers + lives on long past the time spent in their company. ROADS understands this impeccably; focusing on incredible, multi-layered scents which take a year to craft from the birth of idea to the end product. The luxuriousness of each scent transports you into the person you want to be while wearing it. Fragrance is so individualised + personal + ROADS gets this. So right. Having worn the brand since the beginning, I’ve tested the entire collection, each with their own distinct reason for being + to be adored. Ones I continue to have on repeat are Digital Daze, Afropolois, This Weekend, I Am Dance + Art Addict. The ROADS collection of candles is a delightful way to ignite your senses privately at home or as a perfect gift to someone, Paper Pink or Hotel Kissing are my treasured picks.
You can shop the collection at roads.co
G I A C O U T U R E
Gia Couture is an Italian luxury shoe brand founded in 2016 by Florentine designer Barbara Borghini who wanted to make empowering, fun shoes for strong + fun-loving women around the world. Each pair of Gia Couture shoes are entirely hand-made by carefully chosen artisans near Florence + are designed with a "couture-rish, artisanal spirit" as the core of the brands aesthetic. As a designer Borghini teams up with incredibly stylish influential women to create specific collaborative collections that represent a part of her own design vision along with that of the partnership’s muse. She has also designed collections in partnership with Luisa Beccaria, Chiara Ferragni of The Blonde Salad, Dou Uod Kids, Alex Eagle, Silvia Tcherassi + most recently style icon Pernille Teisbaek.
You can shop GIA COUTURE by clicking through to their website here..
This list is updated weekly + all images are with the owners permission, along with some of my own personally taken ones.