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I've learned a thing or two in my 52 years on the planet, but nothing really prepared me for the sheer volume of untapped knowledge that I was going to have access to once I joined TikTok. Granted, a lot of what you see on TikTok boils down to where in the algorithm you end up, which of course depends on which rabbit holes you choose to go down...then of course there are the very real national security and data concerns.... But all that aside, last week, I happened to be in the right place at the right time, I found myself in the makeup TikTok algorithm! There I came across several videos all showcasing what the kids are calling "puppy liner." Twee name notwithstanding, puppy liner is essentially a more user-friendly version of a classic winged eyeliner, that works with the natural shape of your eyes to produce a flattering result that (allegedly) works on everyone. After watching a few of these videos, I realized that it did indeed look ridiculously easy, that I needed to check it out as a matter of urgency, and that I had probably been attempting (unsuccessfully) to achieve winged eyeliner the wrong way for pretty much the entirety of my life. National security be damned, this is winged eyeliner we're talking about here! Up until that point, I had mostly moved away from the liquid and felt liners that one needs to use to create a winged eye. This is really due to their difficulty of use (for me) and harsh appearance, which I realize now speaks more to my lack of skill than to the actual product itself. Of course there's also the inconvenient fact that putting on winged eyeliner in your 50s is a little like trying to put eyeliner on a 17 year-old hairless Shar Pei. It can be particularly daunting when you get it wrong, and hoo-boy do I excel at getting it wrong. Luckily for me, turns out it's never too late! Since adopting this ridiculously simple technique, I have done some version of a winged eye just about every day since I learned this little trick, and now I find it fun. Needless to say I've also been scouring the internet for every imaginable color of liner, trying to make up for lost time! Read on for the basics on how it works. Winged Eyeliner in Your 50s: Puppy Liner Basics As the kids on the TikTok tell it, the reason that puppy liner works so well on everyone is that instead of trying to create the upward flick of a cat eye by drawing it in an upward direction, you use the natural canthal tilt of your eyes as your guide. We'll get to what that is in a minute. This technique is quite subtle, and for people with quite positive canthal tilts it may not change what you're doing all that much if you do a winged eye on the regular. However, for those of us with maturing skin, hooded eyes, who anyone else who struggles with wings (or any eyeliner potentially ending up "above the fold"), it's a life-changing adjustment, even if it does at first feel a bit counterintuitive. Besides a good name for a band, what on Earth is canthal tilt? Having witnessed the absolute flurry of anxiety on TikTok that ensued after the canthal tilt filter was introduced, I'm not going to dwell too much on canthal tilt other than to provide a brief overview. I believe that using digital trends to inform any assessment that affects your self image is a slippery slope, and quite frankly, kinda dumb. However, from an eyeliner perspective, the filter does a pretty good job of putting the line in the right place, making it as good a jumping-off point as any. For the sake of neutrality, let us now turn to our good friends at Wikipedia for a quickie definition of canthal tilt to get started. The tilt of a line drawn from the outer corner (the lateral canthus) to the inner corner (the medial canthus) of one's eyes; a lower inner corner is referred to as a positive tilt while a lower outer corner is referred to as a negative tilt. There are all sorts of scientific (and a whole lot more pseudo-scientific) theories on how a positive (upwards) or negative (downwards) canthal tilt influences whether or not we percieive someone as attractive. I am not touching any of that with a 10 foot barge pole. This article is quite simply about where to start the base of your winged eyeliner. If however you're interested in learning more about canthal tilt, This recent article written by Danielle Sinay for Glamour goes into greater detail about what canthal tilt is, how it supposedly influences our perception of attractiveness, and why it is a source of consternation for those who harbor anxiety about all things appearance-related. A word of warning however if you're on TikTok and specifically wish to scroll the canthal tilt search results; the incels have grabbed hold of this trend mightily, so if you're going to wade in there I strongly suggest you tread lightly, bring something sharp with you, and always know where your exits are. My winged liner road map So this is what I started with; this is the notorious TikTok canthal tilt filter. If the filter is to be believed (and in the context of eyeliner it can be), I have a neutral to very slightly positive canthal tilt. You can see that over my nose it makes a slight v-shaped dip then very subtly goes up towards the temples. For me, that means my perfect winged liner will have a baseline right where the little line extends from the outer corner of my eye in a very gentle slight upwards slope in the direction if my temple. This is a lot less of a steep incline than I had been attempting to draw before, and a whole heck of a lot easier! A quick word about tools When I made my first attempts at this liner, I actually found that I was more relaxed and more able to practice without angst when I was using a cheaper tool that I didn't have to worry about wasting. Really, the only requirement when you're starting out is that you're comfortable with whatever eyeliner you choose, so I'm not gonna dwell on products too much at this point. That said, you'll have an easier time if you have a nice thin brush or felt tip to work with, and plenty of product left in whatever eyeliner you decide to use. For what it's worth, I've found that felt tip liners promise convenience and ease of use but ultimately are actually more problematic than liners you use with a little brush. Felt tips can be difficult to handle because product-wise the formula gets dry and they tend to skip and pull a bit, whereas with a brush you have more control over how much product is on the bristles and you can ensure a nice glide. Whatever tool you're using, create your winged eye using the following guidance, beginning with the bottom line based on your cantal tilt. I've made the liner orange for this particular demonstration so it stands out (it does look kinda cool though - Halloween). Start small. There is nothing wrong with using multiple small strokes to get there, that's how I do it. You can continue to layer and shape as you go, and you can use a q-tip and some micellar water to walk it back if you mess-up. As you get better with practice, you'll be able to use longer, more confident strokes. Personally, once I get the liner where I like it, I often will finish mine with a layer of eyeshadow on top to smoke it out and soften the edges, giving it a less "done" appearance. What you do after you get the basic shape done is completely up to you, but the basics stay the same. Play with it, have fun, and don't be afraid of color! PRODUCTS USED (includes affiliate links)| Loreal Infallible Super Slim Liner, Brown | Loreal infallible Flash Cat Eye Liner in Black | Mayblline Tattoo Studio Liner in teal | ELF Bite Size Eyeshadow in Cream & Sugar , Hot Jalapeno

A Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans! Yes, it can feel a bit odd celebrating the 4th when you live most of the year in the UK. Even if you happen to be doing it from the confines of your post international flight 10 day quarantine, as I am. Yes, best you stay right there...that's close enough. Don't come any closer, I could start to turn at any minute. You have to admit it's more than a little funny celebrating severed ties from British oppression when you are living in actual Britain with an actual British person, while paying taxes to the actual British government. Funny how things tend to level-out in life isn't it? Despite our best efforts, The Universe always manages to return to a state of homeostasis. If only we could get a copy of the script it's working from. That would be neat. Taking Back the Pants; Ultra Flare Star Jeans Okay, I know, I know. We have to talk about these pants. Yes, I know. Star print ultra flare jeans are a lot to take in. That's the point of the exercise - stay with me. I reached for these on purpose today, it being the 4th and all. I have heard a lot of consternation all over social media over the last several years regarding the co opting of symbols of Americana to serve extreme, right wing views. I'm not here to argue that this isn't a thing, because a brief internet search will demonstrate to even the dimmest of wits that this is absolutely, demonstrably a thing. Stars, flags, eagles...whatever, have all been herded into a corral that leads to a life of servitude to causes that they were never ever designed to support. Racism. Nationalism. Misogyny. It gets ugly. But here's the thing. When your spectacularly drunk uncle is making a scene in the parking lot of the local bar at closing time, waving his keys around and throwing verbal abuse at anyone who will listen, do you react by swearing off driving for life, changing your name, and moving to a different state to avoid any potential association? Of course not. You take away his keys, throw him in a cab and tell him to go work on himself. It's the same with these co-opted American images - the eagles, stars, flags...whatever, that many have come to associate with the right wing extremist idea of "patriotism" (read: violence). Why on earth would you hand over the metaphorical keys to these people? I'm wearing stars. It's a pair of jeans with stars on them. They're jeans, and jeans are for everybody - the way our country is supposed to be for everybody. However, our country isn't working well for everybody at the moment, so it falls to those of us who still have enough energy left to take the keys away from the violent extremists, the conspiracy enablers, the racists, the Q-loving mouth breathers, and all other manner of disinformation consuming no goodniks and send them off in a cab to go work on themselves. It is absolutely possible to love and appreciate your country and at the same time want it to do and be better, despite what the people at Fox tell you. This is not a zero sum equation, and it is a false choice to present it as such. It's simple really; be the change, wear the pants. Everybody gets to wear the pants.

Welp, it's fall. I can't deny it any longer. I generally like fall, but equally I'm not one of those people who goes mad every year and buys a zillion pumpkins, bags full of faux autumn-hued leaves from the craft shop, and pumpkin-spice everything (because, eew). I spend a bulk of the year in Scotland, where it literally always feels like fall, so it isn't exactly a huge transition. That said, this year, I still managed somehow to feel a bit caught-out by the changing weather. This past summer I spent most of my time sweating it out in the US in the heat, so I sort of feel like I've been suddenly thrust back into the cold and have had a bit of a slow start getting up to speed. So here we go. This is me throwing it into gear with a long overdue fall outfit of the day. With the exception of the boots, everything you see here is thrifted, but the corduroy shirt was practically new when I found it at the thrift shop, and I was actually able to still find a link to it online! I've offered you some other options as well should you care to attempt to recreate the look and don't have all the parts (the actual faux sherpa vest shown here is available in my eBay shop). And yes, many of the product links I offer are affiliate links where I might make a (very) small commission, but don't let that put you off - I promise not to spend my millions all in one place. Fall Layering Looks: From T-Shirts to Fleece-Lined Jackets and Back In One Afternoon I always think of fall as "forget your jacket at work" season. It's cold, even frosty in the mornings, but it heats-up in the afternoons forcing you to take off that cashmere sweater or favorite blazer and drape it over the back of your chair, then instantly forget it's there, where it shall remain as you slowly amass a pile of similar garments over the top of it with each passing day. Don't worry, you'll take them all home in mid to late November once it's properly cold out and you've run out of sweaters and blazers. While this look isn't really "office friendly" in the traditional sense, these days that hardly means anything since a lot of us are working from home at least some of the time. This is more of what I like to think of as an overall foolproof strategy for dressing in transitional weather, and is the same strategy I employ when shuttling between the cold of Scotland and the heat of Florida. At it's core, this fall layering look is a t-shirt and a denim skirt; a base look that can work with sandals in hotter temps as well. Using a base look like this is a ridiculously easy formula that I use religiously, and it never lets me down. Oh, and I almost forgot. See that t-shirt? That's not thrifted either. I actually got that t-shirt at Express... in the 90s. I know right!? I can't believe it's still in one piece, let alone wearable! Aztec print accent corduroy shaket | thrifted Levis a line skirt, similar | Dan Post "heartbreaker" vintage distressed boots (no longer available), similar | Knox Rose faux sherpa fleece lined vest (L) | Or Paz silver and cultured pearl ring (no longer available), similar | sterling silver feather cuff bracelet (no longer available), similar | Silver long dangle star and chain earrings (no longer available), similar | Accessorise UK sunglasses (no longer available), similar | thrifted belt, similar

Attention all thrifters, vintage lovers and one-of-a-kind, small-batch treasure hunters! This weekend Etsy is running their GET5 promo code which will get you $5 off orders of $25 or more! This promo is open to shoppers in the US, UK, and Canada! What's even cooler is that there’s no limit to the number of times you can use the GET5 code between Friday and Sunday! If like me, you have approximately a metric ton of little goodies sitting in your shopping cart and/or "saved for later" list, you can bundle them up and use that code as many times as you need to in order to secure a healthy discount on all your loot! This promo is not just limited to one shop, but is good across all of Etsy. To kick things off, here are a few new 90s era additions to Highland Fashionista Vintage that you may not have seen. Click on any of the individual garment photos with titles for more information on specific items. GenX, this next part comes with a trigger warning; some of these 90s and Y2K era garments look as if I travelled back in time and raided our twenty-something closets! Yes, we're that old that the garments of our raucous 20s are considered true vintage. Eek.

Don't worry. I don't mean "old school" as in waxing nostalgic about the days of bullet bras and talcum powder; this isn't a piece about foundation garments or cosmetic safety. In fact, it's quite the opposite of that. (But since it came up, go ahead and rely on the Environmental Working Group's database/website for all your cosmetic safety needs.) No, this piece is a keepin' it real love letter to the cosmetics in my collection that are old. Like, really old. My favorite old beauty products from the back of the drawer. The Comfort of Favorite Old Beauty Products So much of what we see and read on social media is based around the model of influencers marketing the next best thing. And don't get me wrong, I love trying new things, but inevitably, I seem to find myself ending up reaching for the back of the drawer. I imagine cosmetic years are at least as exponentially ageing as dog years, and I'm quite certain that at this point I have more than one centenarian eyeshadow palette in my makeup collection. But isn't that the mark of a real holy grail product? From where I'm sitting, there is a lot of value in a product that you are willing to pick the lint out of repeatedly so that you can keep right on using it until you can see your reflection in the empty tin. With that in mind, here I present to you a couple of my trusty old standbys. Hopefully lint free, but probably not. Bobbi Brown Bronzer in Telluride (Matte) I purchased this Bobbi Brown Telluride bronzer in a bargain bin at TK Maxx in Glasgow, not realizing that it was a limited edition piece. I am now in the midst of a full-blown existential crisis. I'm freaking out because I can see that the end is near for this product, and a brief internet search has shown me that I'm never going to be able to find it again. This is the matte version of this bronzer, and I use it virtually every day in varying amounts, mostly just to create a bit of warmth to my look as well as ensure that whatever stage of tan I may be at, my makeup blends well. It keeps me from having to have 800 shades of BB cream in my colleciton. With my increasingly silver hair, bronzers tend to go very orange on me, so finding one like this - one that's just the right amount of warmth to complement my warm skin tone while avoiding the ubiquitous orange-based brown cast...that has been at least a decade-long quest. There are a few of the illuminating versions of this bronzer still floating around out there, but I have not been able to secure the matte version. With matte bronzers, you are really able to create a more natural look, and you always have the option to add shimmer over the top to change-up the look. I have subsequently launched into a campaign of trying to find a dupe, so this is going to be a watch this space kind of situation here folks. It's hard to find matte bronzers at the best of times, let alone in the shade I'm looking for. A few potential replacements that show early promise that I will definitely be trying in the future (not limited to matte): Korres Zea Mays Blush in Pupple Brown (hard to find - also probably discontinued), Stila Convertible Color Lip and Cheek Stain in Magnolia (discontinued in the UK, can still find it in the USA), and Guerlain Bronzing Powder in Medium Cool. Revlon Colorstay Creme Eyeshadow in Praline This is my second pot of this cream eyeshadow by Revlon. This one is a no brainer for me. It's a lovely warm pinkish shade that blends well with my skin tone. Yes, it's shimmery which can be problematic for those of us who aren't 25, but the creamy formula dries down and sort of sets in such a way that you don't need to worry about it settling into your creases. I get a lot of wear out of this stuff, and I use this most days. It's quick and easy, and I just stick a finger in, do a quick few swipes on each lid, and it gives me a bit of a glow without looking too "done", which I am not a fan of. This stuff gets me out the door fast, and I'm not messing with a bunch of brushes and colors and blending tools. I haven't tried any of the other shades yet, because quite frankly, I don't feel the need to. If I want a more dramatic eye, I often use this as a base, then build up with some of my other ancient eyeshadows on top of this to get the desired effect. But these days, this is pretty much what I wear every single day. These are available just about anywhere that carries Revlon products. Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 in Shade 27 This is a Korean product, and it has been on the scene for a while. Finding the right shade can be a bit tricky with very little to go on other than online research and watching YouTubers half your age apply twice as much product as you would use, but with a relatively low price tag of around $10-$15 in the US, you can afford to experiment. It's a bit more in the UK through mainstream beauty suppliers, but there is a workaround. More on that in a minute The coverage of this product is quite sheer despite the very rich texture, so even if you get the shade slightly wrong as I did initially, you can still kind of get away with it. (For the record, Shade 23 was too light for me, and is a very cool undertoned light to medium shade that looks grey in the tube - but don't let it scare you. it would be perfect for someone with a light/medium complexion and cool undertones ). Shade 27 was the shade that I ultimately landed on, and it is a perfect match for my yellow-undertoned and often tanned skin. This product has a way of sort of emulsifying once it's on your skin and it really becomes quite seamless. Even if you feel initially that the shade may not be ideal, sit with it a moment, it takes a few minutes to fully settle. Incidentally, this photo is a representation of their older shade offerings. I believe they have since expanded it a bit more. This stuff has a good SPF comprised of a combo of a common chemical sunscreen and a mineral zinc oxide physical sunscreen. A little goes a very long way with this product; it lasts all day, has buildable coverage, and I absolutely love it. As I said earlier, it can be slightly more expensive (not much more) and harder to find in the UK, but if you can wait a few weeks, order it from Korean sites like YesStyle and you'll get it for half of what they sell it for on Amazon and other UK beauty sites.

Greetings everyone, and apologies for the long pause in posting - I was away for a bit and like many of you have been quite busy, but all the same I'd like to welcome you to this, my official Patricia Field / Sex and the City (SATC) 50 year-old fangirl post. Yeah, I turned 50 this past August. I didn't make a big deal about it, because really...who gives a s**t? With the exception of a particularly diva-like right hamstring, nothing has really changed all that much for me at 50, and while I thought about trying to do something with it for the blog, it felt kind of disingenuous to try and make some sort of celebratory event out of something that basically felt like any other Tuesday. I guess I don't really talk a lot about the age stuff on the blog any more because there are plenty of people doing it better than I would. I prefer to just stick with the sartorial inspo that brought us all here in the first place. Besides, If one sees a photo of a woman with a head full of silver floofy hair, it an be safely assumed she's not 25. No need to state the obvious. Anyhoo, back to why we're here. I've been sitting on this SATC "Carrie" flower dress for quite a while now (not literally), nearly two years, to be exact, waiting for my moment. But I figured since the new SATC spinoff series is out now, the time was right to dust it off and take it for a spin. I readily admit, since the pandemic hit, I miss having an occasion to get dressed all fancy. Thankfully I have you guys to bounce this stuff off of, and of course the vintage clothing shop to run, so I do get my fix...but still. The SATC Carrie Flower Dress Origin Story Back in 2008, inimitable stylist, clothing and costume designer Patricia Field did a Sex and the City inspired capsule collection in partnership with the British landmark department store Marks & Spencer. I did not know this at the time - I was busy completing graduate school in upstate New York and trying to fit my life into boxes so that I could move to Scotland, but years later when I eventually learned how I had missed out on it, being the fan that I am I was pretty bummed-out. Especially when I saw that she had done a black version of the original white Eugene Alexander big flower dress that Sarah Jessica Parker wore (and Whitney Houston before her in the 80s). To this day, I swear would consider trading one of my kidneys for that white dress, such is the extent of my lust. Fast forward to about two years ago. I was fiddling about on Ebay, treasure hunting as I am inclined to do, and boom! There it was. The black SATC Carrie dress from the Patricia Field + M&S capsule collection - in my size! I can honestly say that pulling the trigger on that "buy it now" auction was the fastest I've ever moved in my life. I'm certain I set some sort of global speed record, the likes of which would make Usain Bolt hang his head in shame. And it was worth it, because I seriously love this dress, although sadly if you love it too it may be a bit hard to find by now. But you never know - keep your eyes peeled, because guys...seriously. This thing is lit. SATC in a Post Me Too World I make no apologies for my love of SATC. Sure, when you re-watch some of the older episodes, there are moments when it is a bit out of step with our modern sensibilities, but that can be said for most episodic television programs whose currency is pop culture. When I hear women maligning SATC from a feminist perspective, I always remind them to look back at what was on television at that time from a female role representation perspective. When SATC started in 1998, the TV industry was only just starting to pull itself out from under the ""older sitcom dad with a hot younger wife" days. Hell - it still has one foot firmly planted in that sinkhole. Granted, there were also a fair amount of "teenaged" shows at the time, like Dawsons Creek and Charmed, but it was really just the beginning of the evolution of our era of TV into what we know in 2021. While we're on the subject, I will say that Will & Grace is another show of that time that certainly should get a shout out for representation, but I digress. Looking specifically at the representation of women in TV, in the Y2K era, female-centric TV ensemble casts were only still emerging from the Lifetime TV for Women days when the industry thought anything written about women needed to be either about some type of victimhood, or...if they were really pushing the boat out, a "crazy lady" storyline where a female rival is trying to insert herself into another woman's life and steal her man/baby/identity. You know, fighting over a man. That old nugget. But, at the end of the day, if you're not a fan, hey - we're all different. But if you're here, you probably like clothes. We all will have that in common, so even if you're not a fan of the show, seriously...turn the sound off if you must and enjoy the clothes! So many iconic looks - so many things I'm still trying to reproduce, even all these years later. Sometimes, ya just gotta let your fangirl freak flag fly! Sorry not sorry. Patricia Fields + M&S dress (2008) | Donald J. Pliner shoes (2010) | pebbled leather gold clutch from my Etsy shop | see below for similar pieces to create the look

If you like all things fashion and haven't been living under a rock (but really, haven't we all been living under a rock lately?), you certainly will have already noticed that Y2K era fashion has been steadily making a beeline for us over the past year or so. Nobody is more excited about this than I am. Sure, I suppose this means a resurgence in the tackier things from the era like velour tracksuits, crop tops and blingy, logo-emblazoned handbags (yes, all of those things have their place and are very much making a comeback right now), but there are also more sophisticated, tailored, and whimsical sides to this new take on Y2K style that makes me sit up straighter and take notice. Y2K version 2.0 has a better eclectic balance to it than its original counterpart. Interesting shapes, denim, sequins, and strange and unexpected textures and materials...all these things have all been incorporated into our old favorites to give our lockdown-starved sartorial auras an injection of some much needed life. This is apparent in everything from separates and sportswear to gowns, footwear and bags. However, this time around there's less of a prescribed feel to how one should wear these pieces; a sort of everything-goes attitude befitting a citizenry sick and tired of looking at themselves in sweatpants, but not yet ready to give up entirely on said sweatpants' comfort. Perhaps what's best about this latest revival is how accessible it is. You do not need to spend a lot of money to take advantage of these trends! That said, you certainly can spend a lot if you want to. I mentally spent about three million British pounds just drooling over some of the pieces I looked at while researching this post. However, if you're like me and can't afford to purchase new investment pieces (or even one new investment piece) every season, there's hope. Those of us who deal in vintage and preloved clothing are likely sitting atop a giant heap of authentic and affordable Y2K specimens, and the spring and pre-fall runways offer no shortage of inspiration as to how to incorporate these pieces into our 2022 wardrobes. Not that you guys need any help in the inspiration department. Seeing so many 90s / Y2K pieces trending really makes my slacker GenX heart swell, and I'm willing to bet I'm not alone. For those of us who remember these pieces fondly from their first run, it feels a bit like the band is back together again, so go out there and have fun with it - you got this. Y2K Style Then and Now, A Story in Pictures Trend: Shiny Silk & Satin Tops Trend: Mock Necks Trend: Minimalist Investment Leather Bags Trend: A Sleek Black Leather Jacket Trend: Colorful Tailoring Trend: A Sharp, Pointy Bootie Trend: Funky Printed Jackets Trend: Double Denim Trend: The Baguette shop the looks

To donate to humanitarian relief for the people of Ukraine: British Red Cross (UK) Global Giving (USA) Unicef Direct Relief (USA) Oxfam (UK) Medecines Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) Humane Society Ukraine Animal Rescue Fund International Fund for Animal Welfare (iFAW) World Central Kitchen

Hoooo-boyyy, it has been a stressful time here at Highland Fashionista HQ since Hurricane Ian plowed right over us in Charlotte County. However, I hasten to add that our experience pales in comparison to what many Floridians are going through. The stories being told around the state right now are both terrifying and heartbreaking. This was an absolutely catastrophic storm for many, many people, and despite being directly in the path of the storm, all of the people we know have emerged safe and sound. Our house weathered the storm well, and miraculously we did not experience any flooding. Do we have damage? Yes. Absolutely. You cannot endure 160 MPH winds without getting your hair messed up a bit. Will it be expensive? Undoubtedly. But bent pool cages and loose shingles can be repaired, and we are still standing, bent but not broken. Escaping Hurricane Ian Before it Hit We weren't actually in residence when the storm hit. My husband was back in the UK working, and I had only just left Florida a week prior having cleaned the place in anticipation of some fall rentals. I'd packed up as much of my stored shop inventory as I could carry and departed for the UK, blissfully ignorant of the coming chaos. In one week's time, I would be glued to the tiny screen on my iPhone, mainlining the storm tracking feature on my NOAA app while I watched this behemoth slowly change its predicted course and position itself for a direct hit as a Category 4 hurricane. There's a reason those of us with ties to Florida pay so much attention to exactly how these storms approach and make landfall. You may have heard Floridians refer to the "dirty" and "clean" sides of a hurricane before. Granted, there is no literal "clean" part of any hurricane, but what this does refer is best boiled-down in this handy infographic that was put out by Orlando's WFTV9 in 2020 in the days before hurricane Laura. You can read the full explanation on their page. Basically a hurricane has four distinct anatomical parts that each have slightly different impact on whatever is in its path. Front Left: This is where storm surge can be most significant Front Right: THE WORST. Winds, smaller storm systems within the storm, rain bands, lightning...all of it. The front right side of a hurricane is the everything bagel of storms. Back Left: the weakest point, still not a lot of fun Back Right: the strongest winds of the hurricane When Ian made landfall, our place was pretty much in the front to front left quadrant, and we spent a good chunk of time in the storm's eye wall, the condensed area surrounds the eye and packs the most powerful punch. In the case of Ian, that eye was thirty, yes...thirty miles wide. This clip was recorded by my next door neighbour, who captured the fury of the eye wall as it passed over. Like a lot of Floridians, she and her husband rode out the storm at home. Phew, right? At this point our pontoon boat had blown off the lift and floated away. You can see the empty lift in the background. Since 2002, homes in Florida are built to code that dictates they withstand hurricane force winds, referred to as the FBC (Florida Building Code). This change happened on the back of some of the lessons learned from Hurricane Andrew, which pretty much took out Punta Gorda in 1992. If you look at Punta Gorda (situated directly across the Charlotte Harbor from us), a majority of their homes and buildings are still standing. This is because so much of that city was rebuilt to the new Florida building code. Our home, built in 2016-2017, was built similarly. Our community has a canal system that leads to a lagoon, which then joins into the Charlotte Harbor, which then feeds into the Gulf of Mexico. Normally, when a hurricane approaches it sucks all of the water out of the harbors that flow into the Gulf, only to have it come rushing back with force once the storm passes over. It was this phenomenon that caused so much catastrophic damage throughout Southwest Florida. Unlike with the Florida building code upgrade of 2002, there is no code or amount of sand bags that will keep the raging Gulf in check when it gets tossed ashore by a CAT 4 hurricane. This was a major cause of so much of the destruction and loss of life we are seeing with this storm. We are lucky where we are situated, because the lagoon that connects our community to the Harbor via a series of canals is surrounded by mangroves, and most importantly, has a lock that opens and closes so boats can pass through. The water cannot freely just flow in and out from the lagoon to the harbor, it has to work a little harder if it wants to flood. This is a big reason we didn't get hammered by the surge as badly as they did in other places. This reverse surge phenomenon was observable in the Charlotte Harbor as Ian approached. The Aftermath of the Storm In the immediate aftermath of the storm, with literally no communications working, it felt like a loooong wait until we could get some news on our friends, neighbours and property. My husband's BFF is a concractor stateside, and he offered to go down to our house, take stock of the damage, and secure the roof to repair any shingles and make sure it was watertight. We were so relieved and grateful to him for this offer that when we finally did get a text from our neighbour shortly thereafter, it took me a full minute to process it. After reassuring us that all was well and the property came through like a champ, things took a turn for the weird. At the end of her text was the following note. "you have a couple from the UK staying in your house. Very nice. Didn't ask how long they were renting. No power or water still." Wait....what!? Our October rental showed up. From the UK. The day after the storm. They had booked through the home management company for the month, and apparently not wanting to miss their holiday and not having gotten any correspondence from the management company, flew from the UK to go to a rental house in a town where literally 24 hours prior, a CAT 4 hurricane had made landfall and left destruction and chaos in its wake. We were stunned. We had not even been able to get in touch with our home management company ourselves at this point. No comms were working anywhere near us. We had no idea if the people who manage our home were even accounted for at this point. We figured the British holidaymakers must gotten a welcome email from the rental company with all the codes to get in, and I guess just figured they'd just pitch up and hope for the best. But I'm not gonna lie, Im having a hard time wrapping my head around it. Laying aside the appropriateness of the whole thing, Just to arrive there, they had to have driven through a lot of heartbreaking devastation. At that point there was still a lot of flooding and debris on the roadways. It is actually kind of a miracle they arrived without being stopped, or worse yet without having gotten themselves in serious trouble or killed by a downed power line or some such. Like everyone at that point, we had no power in the house. No water. No AC. No sewer. At the time of this posting, we still don't have power, a week later. We did for about a day, then a damaged transformer blew. So power may be a bit of a wait. In addition, most of the screens were blown out of the lanai, and parts of the cage were twisted and loose, making opening any doors to the house an invitation to every bug in Charlotte County. But by golly these people wanted to stay. There was no way to cook or bathe. They had apparently picked up enough info to know to flush the toilets with a bucket of water, but what they couldn't know is that the houses in our area have mini sewers, a septic-type system that fills to a certain point, then a pump kicks in to suck the waste out to the main sewer. If you have no electricity, you have no pump. Eventually if you keep flushing toilets with no power, that sewage is gonna back right up into your drains and come shooting out at you through your shower drain while you're in your bathroom, unsuspectingly plucking your eyebrows. This was not the post hurricane problem set I was anticipating, and my husband and I were quite literally stunned into silence. With no comms working and our management company AWOL, how can we even begin to approach this? Renters in the house with no power! When there's no light people burn candles! My imagination was running through house burning down scenarios on a loop. My husband did finally get to speak to the people in our house, thanks to our neighbour. I have to say, it took my husband considerable time and energy to convince them that they needed to pack up and vacate our home until we could secure it and services were restored. That not so fun job fell to him because of the two of us, he is the diplomat. If you need conflict resolution, he's your man. If you need someone to reach into the chest of your enemy and pull out his beating heart while looking him in the eye à la Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, that's my department. In the end, common sense prevailed, and the couple, who were reportedly very nice, moved to another property, or maybe got refunded...I actually don't know, and I don't care. The point is they vacated and allowed us to get on with the task of damage assessment and repair. But that whole completely unanticipated and utterly weird experience did provide me with a rather stark reminder that in life, not everything is always as clear and obvious to others as it may be to us. So that's it. That's our brush with Ian. It is absolutely small potatoes compared to what many people in our area are going to have to endure for a very long time. If you wish to contribute to the ongoing relief efforts, I'm leaving some links below. If you wish to support us directly, the best way to do so is to make a purchase from the Highland Fashionista Etsy shop, or contribute to the blog. Stay safe everyone, and check the weather before you go on that vacation! Feeding Florida: coordinating all of the food banks in the state to help provide food for displaced people in the state of FL World Central Kitchen: providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises Direct Relief: works to equip health professionals in resource-poor and hard hit communities. American Red Cross: the Red Cross is focusing on providing safe shelter, meals and comfort to victims of Hurricane Ian.

Last week was awful. We had to suddenly say goodbye to our nearly 16 year-old bearded collie, Fergus. Fergus has been a central part of our lives the entire 15 years I have been in Scotland. With a (very) old dog you know that every day is a blessing, but that doesn't make losing a pet any easier. I've had the makings of a few posts sitting on my desktop for over a week now, but quite frankly, I'm just not feeling it. Eyeshadow can wait. Clothing can wait. It can all wait. It'll get done soon. In the meantime, please enjoy these photos of our beloved departed boy, and I'll be back after the massive hole in my heart has a chance to heal at least a little bit.

Hey fashionistas. I'm happy to report that after many of us who sell on the Etsy platform enquired about ways we could support Ukrainian artists on the platform, Etsy has come up with a stratgegy to help try and give these sellers a boost in trying times. There is some really lovely stuff that comes out of Ukraine, and a ton of sellers who up until recent events were earning their keep on the platform. You can read about Etsy's strategy here and lend your support!

**UPDATED JUNE 2023** Ahoy there Internetters!  Yes, I know that for many of you, this seems like a strange time of year to be providing an update to my periodic safe sunscreens postings, but I'm afraid this is just the way it is with me. When you live between Scotland and Florida, summer is winter, winter is summer, and spring and fall are more theoretical constructs than times of year, so I really pay no mind at all to the changing of seasons. I am led completely by necessity, and this past few weeks, I needed sunscreen. First off, if you're new or need a refresher, have a read-through of my previous safe sunscreen postings: The original post - Sunscreen Safety can be found here The follow-up - More Safe Sunscreens can be found here As with my two previous postings, I always check any product I am trying-out for the first time against the Environmental Working Group's Safe Sunscreens database. They have amassed an incredible amount of data and have reviewed just about every major brand you can think of that is readily available - particularly those in the US. If you have never visited this website, you simply must. Every year, they test a raft of sunscreens and rate them, giving the consumer a tidy list of some of the safest and most effective products on the market. And some surprising recommendations of products to steer clear of as well (seriously, if you're still using those aerosolized sunscreens, or worse yet any of the Ambre Solaire products - I strongly encourage you to visit this site and read-up!) Generally speaking, the safest sunscreens are always going to be the mineral-based ones -  the zinc and titanium dioxide sunscreens. Yes, they tend to leave a bit of a whiteish cast on the skin, but if safety is what you're after, there simply is no alternative. There are some good "hybrid" products out there (sunscreens that are a combination of a chemical sunscreen and minerals), but as far as effectiveness, sensitivity, and side effects go, your mineral sunscreens are always going to be at the top of the list. A Slightly Different Approach to Safe Sunscreen This time around,  I took a different tack than I have in the past when looking at sunscreens. Normally, I would look at the EWG recommendations, then order a handful of their top-rated sunscreens and take them for a whirl. However, a lot of their top-rated versions are not readily available in stores, particularly if you live in a place with limited access to more "natural" brands, which a lot of these top-rated mineral sunscreens tend to be. Added to that I get sent a lot of stuff for the blog, so I always have a few products laying-around that I did not come by because of the website. With that in mind, I made my selections this time based on things that were more readily-available in stores. Sure, I cheated a bit to make sure that the ones I was choosing had been reviewed, but this time, you should be able to walk into a Walgreens or a Boots and put your hands on the product without having to order it from Amazon. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Amazon has literally been here to the house in FL about eight times in the past two weeks as I fly into a panic preparing to return to the UK. But I digress. Here's the intel, and a quick reminder that with the EWG, the lower score is what you want - think of it as a "demerit" system -  a 1 is their highest rating. The higher the score, the less safe the sunscreen. Think Baby SPF 50+ Sunscreen $17 US / £14 UK I mention this one again because it is my hands-down favorite sunscreen of all time. I've been using it for years. It goes on easily (for a mineral sunscreen), does not leave you looking too much like a ghost, can be used on your face with ease, smells amazing, and stays on forever, even in the pool (that's not to say you don't need to re-apply, but I'm a medium-olivey skinned girl so I likely get a little more time out of it than some). This one will probably always be in my cache here in Florida.  This one gets the top rating of 1/10 from the EWG. And from me. A+ UPDATE JUNE 2023: This sunscreen is consistently in my top picks, and probably always will be. I have no notes on this. Still one of the best. Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 50+ $11 US / £21 UK While this sunscreen isn't the cheapest you'll find in the drugstore, it is without a doubt probably one of the best. This pure mineral sunscreen gets a top rating of 1/10 from EWG (the face version gets a 2/10) goes on easily, and it definitely does have less of a whiteish cast than your average mineral sunscreen. One of the best things about this sunscreen is that it dries-down on your skin and doesn't leave you feeling like a piece of walking fly paper. Need to buy some sunscreen in a pinch? I reach for this, every time. A JUNE 2023 UPDATE: This Sunscreen really hasn't been in my rotation, really only because it really doesn't represent a particularly great value for the amount of product you get, as good as siad product is. You get so much more product with just about any other drugstore sunscreen, and a UK price tag of over £20 for 3 oz of product? Eek!! If you're looking for a great option that really dries down and sinks into the skin (particularly for the face), I like the Simple Kind to Skin Light Moisturizer With Sunscreen. Granted, it's only SPF 15, so you may want to step it up a bit and try the Raw Elements Daily Moisturizer, SPF 30. Banana Boat Kids Tear-Free, Sting-Free Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ $8 US / £8 GBP (similar mineral-based product for babies) If affordability is what you're after, this is an excellent option - but tread lightly. Make sure you are purchasing the Tear-Free, Sting-Free Kids formula, and not one of the other many variations that Banana Boat has out (like the Kids Sport, which unfortunately is much more readily available on shelves). This tear-free formula gets a 3/10 from EWG (while the other permutations get a 6/10 and more), and it has great protection. Granted,  it's a bit more difficult to spread evenly than say, the ThinkBaby sunscreen. However, if you can find this in the store, it will only set you back between $8-10 USD, a bargain when you compare it to some of the pricier "natural" options. If you are going to be somewhere where you think you'll go through a lot of sunscreen, this is a great option. B JUNE 2023 UPDATE: At the time of the original writing, Banana Boat was in the midst of changing a lot of their formulas and branding labels, so their offerings are quite different now, and sadly no longer carry any that I would currently recommend you try. A better sensitive/kids option is the Earth Mama Baby Mineral Sunscreen Lotion.