Beauty, Meet Style: Hayls Beauty Tales Is Getting Dressed

I’ve been keeping something out of Hayls Beauty Tales.

Clothes.

Which, when you consider my background in styling, is actually quite ridiculous.

😂

I’ve spent years talking about beauty while apparently pretending that once I’ve done my hair and makeup I simply float around underneath as a disembodied head.

So we’re fixing that.

Fashion is officially joining Hayls Beauty Tales.

Don’t panic.

I’m not about to start photographing myself looking mysteriously into the distance while wearing a £4,000 handbag.

Although if someone would like to provide the handbag, I’m willing to reconsider.

Why Fashion?

Because beauty and style have always belonged together for me.

Getting ready isn’t separated into neat little categories.

I don’t think:

Now I shall complete the beauty portion of proceedings.

Then close one imaginary department and open Fashion.

I think:

What am I wearing?

What makeup works with it?

Do I want my hair up or down?

Gold or silver jewellery?

Trainers or something prettier?

Which bag?

And, inevitably:

Why is the thing I actually want to wear currently in the wash?

That’s getting dressed.

Beauty is part of it.

Fashion is part of it.

Personal style is what connects everything.

I’m Not Interested in Telling You What’s “Out”

One thing we’re establishing immediately:

I don’t particularly like the idea that somebody somewhere gets to announce that something you love is suddenly unacceptable because it’s no longer trending.

Wear it.

If you feel fabulous in it, I’m considerably more interested in why it works for you than whether an algorithm has declared it fashionable this week.

Of course we’ll talk trends.

Trends are fun.

New-season fashion is fun.

I love seeing what’s appearing in the shops.

But we’re going to treat trends as a menu.

Pick what you fancy.

Leave the rest.

Expect Actual Clothes You Can Wear

I want the fashion side of Hayls Beauty Tales to feel like the beauty side.

Useful.

Personal.

Occasionally ridiculous.

And based around real life.

There will be outfits.

Accessories.

Seasonal edits.

Things I’ve spotted.

Things I think are worth buying.

Things I absolutely do not think are worth buying.

There will be pieces that make an old outfit feel new again.

There will be discussions about personal style.

And there will definitely be moments where I fall hopelessly in love with something completely impractical.

We contain multitudes.

We’re Shopping Our Wardrobes Too

You knew this was coming.

😂

Something has been changing in my relationship with beauty this summer.

I’ve been rediscovering things.

Using products properly.

Finishing favourites.

Thinking before automatically buying the next thing.

And I’ve realised I want to do exactly the same thing with clothes.

Because somewhere inside my wardrobe are outfits I’ve forgotten exist.

There are pieces I bought because I loved them.

Then something newer arrived and distracted me.

Sound familiar?

Apparently my beauty cupboard and wardrobe have been conspiring.

So alongside discovering new fashion, we’re going wardrobe shopping.

No delivery required.

But Don’t Worry — I Still Like Shopping

Let’s not get carried away.

This is not going to become:

Hayls Beauty Tales: A Year of Buying Absolutely Nothing.

Have you met me?

I still want to find beautiful things.

I still want to talk about what’s in the shops.

I still want seasonal fashion.

I still want the occasional completely unnecessary accessory that makes me disproportionately happy.

I just want the things I buy to earn their place.

That’s the difference.

Beauty + Style + Real Life

You might have noticed those three words appearing around here.

Beauty. Style. Real life.

That’s where Hayls Beauty Tales is going.

Beauty will always be home.

But now we’re getting dressed before we leave it.

We’ll talk about the lipstick and the dress.

The hair and the earrings.

The manicure and the bag I’m holding while showing it off.

And hopefully we’ll build wardrobes and beauty collections filled with things we genuinely enjoy rather than things we bought because somebody told us we needed them.

So consider this your official warning.

The wardrobe doors are open.

Fashion has arrived.

And I have a feeling this could get expensive.

😂

Love,
Hayls x