Last week when I was in London I wandered down Regent Street and passed & Other Stories, the new-to-the-UK store by H&M and COS. Any of you interested in fashion will have already heard the hype but now I have experienced the store and collection for myself I feel ready to share it here.
Hands up, although I love the aesthetic of COS, it’s usually the accessories I’m more drawn to and that was exactly the same in & Other Stories. Although it’s supposed to be a midway point price wise between H&M and COS, I found that applied to the fashion, but not the accessories. That said, the quality was fantastic and I felt the bags were worth to £65 for a large clutch or £100 for a leather bag. Shoes were similar with leather flats from £45 ranging up to around £100 for more detailed heels or wedges.
Accessories were similarly covetable with chunky stylish jewellery to give everyday outfits a fierce touch and price points were lower here.
However, by far my favourite aspect of the store was the beauty department. Stocking some Scandinavian brands alongside their own body range and extensive make up selection (which had a brilliantly wide colour range for darker skins,) the best bit was the way you could try everything. Stools sat in front of mirrors with clean brushes and make up remover for you to try every shade and product available from foundation through to eyeshadows and lipstick. Even better, next to the bath and body products were two huge sinks, running water and paper towesl so you could try them too – Such a brilliant idea that makes you so much more likely to make a purchase if you’re confident in your selection. Eye shadows were £7, lip colours £12 and face bases £15.
Overall, I’d say it’s more of a buy in person store for me, but if you like any of the (leather) shoes and bags and decide to order online, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the quality and finish.
So readers, have you been? Do you want to?
Love,
Rebecca
xo
