#26 Mid-week Quickie: my thoughts on Materialists, all the colours of the Prada Men's 2026 RTW rainbow, stained glass windows and the super hyped concealer I finally came around to
Hi friends!
Hope June has been treating you well. I always lay low this time of year. Something just comes over me and I need so much rest and warmth. I haven’t had alcohol since January and have really, truly loved the year without it. No hangovers. No alcohol infused anxiety post events, better sleep. I don’t have a plan to stop anytime soon but I also am not giving myself rules or restrictions. Maybe I’ll have an aperol in Europe when we go in August. Maybe I won’t. I’m still figuring it out. I’m just glad I did it, and took the break I’d been contemplating for a while.
I’m looking forward to sharing our trip - we’re going to Copenhagen - for Fashion Week but we have 10 days there total. It’s one of my favourite cities of all time. Then we go to Stockholm (send me tips/recs if you have them!). Before going to Scotland and then finally, to Paris. Guides and travel Substacks will be coming your way!
In this Substack - I’m sharing my thoughts on the film, Materialists and other bits we’ve been watching; Dying for Sex, Stick etc. Some home things like stained glass windows and coloured floors. Beauty bits - in the form of a very hyped concealer that I’ve finally come around to and more.
Let’s kick things off with the beautiful colours hot off the Prada 2026 Men’s Spring Ready-To-Wear runway that just took place in Milan.
Prada colours
I love menswear. I feel so at home in oversized jackets, knits, jeans, coats. I always keep an eye on men’s fashion week but especially the Prada show (I’m always watching what comes out of the Pradasphere, Miu Miu etc). While I’m unlikely to purchase much of what I’m seeing (despite lusting after most of it), what I take away are the silhouettes, styling and of course, colour combinations. Some gorgeous moments here:
Something that I always think about when it comes to Prada are their specific colour choices. They always go with something a little off the usual red, blue, green, pink. A colour they use frequently is this specific shade of green. I love it so much.
Home
A Pinterest rabbithole I’ve been diving into lately is all things stained glass windows. The joy they bring to a space! I think they are an under utilised home decor option.
Another home decor choice I’m into; coloured floors:
When I sent this photo to Angus, sharing how cool I thought this blue flooring was he didn’t return my positive feelings saying, “Oh no I hate that, sorry.” At least he apologised. He usually is very pro colour. Anywho. I still stand by my controversial fascination.
Watching / listening
Materialists
So. We went to see Materialists. I always avoid trailers and most commentary before I see a movie. My sister who went to the Melbourne premiere however had warned me Materialists is not a rom-com. It’s more of a rom-drama. Her energy about the film was not encouraging and therefore I knew she wasn’t the biggest fan of it. My hopes were low.
I won’t give any spoilers but here’s what I will say. Thematically, the film felt very confused and strange. Despite being about love and romance, the film felt completely void and stripped of it. No warmth. It was very cold and sterile. At one point I wondered if it was about to descend into a horror film. Like I said, tonally/thematically confusing and strange.
I am a huge fan of Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal. It’s sad when some of your favourite actors get paired up for a film but the chemistry doesn’t translate to the screen. Their press tour / interview rollout has shown they have great banter together - when they’re just Dakota and Pedro….so where did it all go wrong?
For the most part, the acting didn’t feel genuine - although of the three main actors, Chris Evans was the most endearing despite playing a bit of a no-hoper. But where was the chemistry?! When I say the acting didn’t feel genuine, maybe that was more of a directorial decision. Maybe they were encouraged to act a bit more on the robotic side. As an astute follower of mine said to me in the DMs, “at times it felt like the cast was reading dialogue off a teleprompter. Like reading it out instead of living it.” I couldn’t agree more - and that’s what I mean when I say it felt cold. There was no heart.
Considering the director, Celine Song’s previous film, Past Lives was exceptional and devastatingly moving, I really did expect more. I didn’t hate the film. I’m glad I saw it. Materialists certainly left me with things to think and talk about. But it did not move me.
This one clip from Vanity Fair was more intriguing and stimulating than the entirety of Materialists.
If you’ve seen the movie and would like a laugh, I came across this hilarious and scathing review of Materialists.
After listening to actress Michelle Williams interview on podcast Armchair Expert (a great listen) it led me to watch Dying for Sex on Disney+. We’re two eps in and it’s really good. Based on a true story, it follows Molly Kochan, who after receiving a diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, decides to leave her husband to explore the complexity of her sexual desires for the first time in her life, with her best friend Nikki (played by Jenny Slate) by her side. While it explores heavy subject matter, the show is a comedy.
Another Armchair podcast episode that I found incredible was an interview with Michael Lewis. Michael wrote the books that led to the films, The Big Short, Moneyball and The Blindside. He is fascinating! I loved learning about his life and varied career which included working for a big art gallery in New York, before he moved into the finance sector. Hearing him speak about The Big Short made me want to revisit that film. I watched it initially when it was released and most of it went over my head. I remember not enjoying the film at all. So I gave the film another go over the weekend and absolutely loved it. Highly recommend a first watch or rewatch (like me).
If you’re in need of something light and heartwarming, we’re currently watching new Apple+ TV show, Stick. It’s for you if you loved Ted Lasso. It has the same feel good, underdog energy. It stars Owen Wilson as a former golf pro, who discovers a new, young mega golf talent. I love it!
And if you need some new music in your ears, my latest music obsession is this playlist.
Beauty bits
In great beauty news for those that need their unruly brows brushed and gelled into place, my favourite clear brow gel of all time - the Mecca Max, Brow Guru Power Brow Strong Hold Gel - is finally back in stock!
While in store picking up the brow gel, I remembered I’m low on concealer. I asked the very helpful Mecca staff member for the best high coverage concealer for redness + blemishes. She led me to super hyped Kosas Revealer Concealer.
Now, I know how beloved this concealer is. I’ve previously tried it but always felt it oxidised on me and was too yellow/orange for my skintone. I tried a few shades. The same thing always happened. But I trusted this Mecca employee, I had a good feeling about her and her knowledge. We shade matched a few and I went for a few lighter shades. I ended up going with the lighter of the three she brought out. I now finally get the hype. Fantastic coverage, no oxidisation, good longevity, hydrating with skin loving ingredients. I’m all in.
More Smooth Brain Thoughts soon!
Ali xx
I love that shade of green!!!!
That movie reviewer is so good, his other reviews make me laugh hysterically