With everything that's going on in the world right now, I've been trying to contemplate whether it's right for me to be blogging about frivolous things like fashion at the moment. It feels so trivial and unimportant when people are dying, we're struggling just to get hold off basic supplies, people have lost their jobs, and virtually the entire world has come to a standstill.
Another part of me reasons that blogging about frivolous topics might be what some of us need right now, to offer some escapism from our frightening reality, and help keep a little normality. Sharing my thoughts on something I love is definitely a welcome distraction from anxiously worrying about everything that's happening around the globe for me, too, so perhaps there's little harm in the odd review of products I've bought myself? It's a difficult call to make. What are you thoughts on this? Are you happy to see frivolous fashion and beauty reviews right now?
I'm going to review some brooches I bought with my own money today, but please know I'm just showing you some pretty things I bought, and am not trying to encourage you to go off and buy them. I know money is tight for many of us right now and shopping for fashion is the last thing on our minds. (Although, if you feel the urge to buy, you would be supporting a small business, and perhaps also a small stockist, too, which I'm sure need our support more than ever during these difficult times).
Just before the shit hit the fan in the UK, Erstwilder released their very first Easter jewellery collection called Exuberant Easter Parade. Easter is my favourite time of year after Christmas, and I've been hoping and wishing that Erstwilder would do an Easter collection for years. Their Christmas and Halloween ranges are always amazing, and I could only imagine how fantastic their take on Easter would be, too. Last month, my dreams finally became reality when they released a nineteen piece collection, and it didn't disappoint. I couldn't help myself and bought six of the brooches the morning they went on sale- although, three were put on lay-buy for a month, which I won't get for at least another ten days. By the time the first three arrived, the virus was getting real and everyone was going in to isolation and having difficulty finding food, so I felt guilty and frivolous for buying myself brooches... although, they did bring a smile to my face amidst the chaos of the first week of lockdown and I'm grateful for that. Someone told me I shouldn't feel guilty for buying them as you need to do what you need to do to find some happiness right now, and y'know what, they were right. We need to hold on to what makes us happy, whether that's collecting brooches, binge-watching a box set with a tub of ice cream, or dancing around the living room to cheesy music. If it can give us some comfort during times like these, we should hold on to it and enjoy it as much as possible.
So, I'm going to show you the first three brooches from my haul today, and review the other three (less Easter-y ones) at a later date once I've received them. I've also got a couple of pairs of bunny earrings to show you from an earlier collection which I know you're gonna love.
One of the first pieces I was drawn to in this collection was the cutest nesting bluebirds brooch called True Love, and I was powerless to resist adding one to my collection. True Love features two loved up bluebirds made from the most amazing ocean blue marbled resin that looks like turquoise seas, proudly guarding a giant peach coloured egg in a caramel coloured nest. It's easily one of the cutest brooch designs I've ever seen, and the resins used to make the brooch are stunning. The retro bluebirds remind me of the bluebirds in old Disney movies, which I think was part of its appeal for me, and I have a feeling I'm going to be wearing it to death this spring. I've already worn it several times since it arrived.
Easter wouldn't be Easter without a wicker basket overflowing with brightly coloured eggs- even if there has never been one present in my own Easters- so I was instantly drawn to the Egg Hunter's Hamper brooch. Even so, I almost overlooked it in favour of another animal brooch, thinking perhaps it wasn't as impressive as some of the other designs. I'm glad I went with my gut feeling, and bought it, because it's turned out to be my favourite of the three I have so far! The hamper is a beautiful caramel colour with an impressive woven textured resin, decorated with a pearlescent white daisy and a glossy crimson bow. It's filled with three large marbled Easter eggs in mint green, dusky pink, and baby blue, and it couldn't be more festive if it tried. It's the perfect brooch for accessorising Easter outfits, and I'm planning to wear it on Easter Sunday while watching Steel Magnolias, my favourite Easter film, for the millionth time.
When I think of Easter and springtime, I often picture cute baby farm animals like fluffy white lambs, and fuzzy yellow chicks, so I had to have Happy Hatchling, a newly hatched chick brooch, in my collection. Happy Hatchling is a vibrant yellow chick (not a murky yellow as my photo appears) happily greeting the world after hatching out of a marbled duck-egg-blue and pearlescent-white egg decorated with daisies, and he's utterly adorable. He's the perfect Easter brooch, and as he's quite a large brooch, he makes a great statement piece, too. He's definitely going to take pride of place on more than one of my outfits this Easter weekend.
At the beginning of March, Erstwilder rereleased their Peter Rabbit collection, and alongside it, they launched a range of bunny shaped Essentials earrings to compliment the Beatrix Potter designs. I couldn't quite afford anything from the Peter Rabbit range, but I did treat myself to a couple of pairs of the bunny studs. I had to. I've always loved bunnies, and used to have two of my own called Tigerlily and Honey, until they died of old age at the grand ages of ten and eleven in my late twenties. They were awesome bunnies and I still miss them. They're the reason I love anything bunny-themed, so I couldn't resist picking up a couple of pairs of bunny studs to remind me of my years as a bunny Mum. I chose the pastel pink bubble resin studs and white textured resin studs, as I thought the delicate colours would be perfect for wearing over Easter. I normally avoid wearing these colours as they get lost in my super pale complexion, but they were too lovely to resist, and are so pretty in real life. The resins are gorgeous, and I love the bunny designs. They were such a bargain at just £5.50 each. Unfortunately, both of these colours appear to be sold out everywhere now, but they do come in a variety of other colours and resins, and some are still available from Erstwilder and their stockists.
Most of The Exuberant Easter Parade collection is also still available, which you can shop with Erstwilder here, and via their stockists around the world here.
I'm really impressed with Erstwilder's first Easter collection, and can't wait to see what Easter designs they bring out in the future. I'm also looking forward to receiving the other half of my order in a couple of weeks, which includes two of my favourite designs from this year's collection- a mother hen and a chipmunk brooch! I can't wait to review them for you.
I'm really impressed with Erstwilder's first Easter collection, and can't wait to see what Easter designs they bring out in the future. I'm also looking forward to receiving the other half of my order in a couple of weeks, which includes two of my favourite designs from this year's collection- a mother hen and a chipmunk brooch! I can't wait to review them for you.
Look out for part two of my Erstwilder Easter haul coming to the blog in a few weeks.
Did you buy anything from the Exuberant Easter range? Which pieces are your favourites?
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