Jack's Love List #80: The £20 and Under Edit

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Love List and, would you believe it, this is officially the 80th Love List! Eighty weeks of me rummaging around the internet, wandering around shops and finding things I absolutely do not need but immediately deciding you all need to know about. Quite the milestone, really.

So, for number 80, we’re talking all things under £20. Yes, those little treats to yourself where you can add a bit of joy to your day and get that tiny dopamine hit of shopping without having to completely break the bank. Because sometimes you don’t need a new sofa, a designer bag or an entire room makeover. Sometimes a butter dish will do.

I’ve got things for the home as well as a few things for you, so whether you’re scrolling while the other half is watching the football, you’ve had a long week, or you’ve simply decided, ‘do you know what, I deserve a little treat’, hopefully I’ve got something for you. So let’s dive straight in and see if we can find you a budget friendly pick me up.

We’re starting off with the homeware because, let’s face it, that’s how these Love Lists all started, and I love nothing more than a good scout around the home stores looking for something I absolutely do not need but suddenly cannot imagine my life without.

We’re going to start with one of my favourites and, if you’re a regular reader, you’ve probably already guessed it’s Oliver Bonas and their Embroidered Cherry Print Cushion Cover. Oliver Bonas have an amazing sale on at the moment and there are definitely some bargains to be had. This embroidered cherry print cushion caught my eye and was reduced to £11.50. Caveat, since I created the images for this Love List it has actually been reduced again to £9, so even better. This has quite a clean aesthetic but still manages to have those fun, whimsical and slightly vintage elements I love from this retailer. The embroidery, the scalloped detailing and that literal cherry red against the cream just work perfectly together. What I also like is that it’s just the cushion cover, meaning you can add your cushion inner of choice. There is nothing worse than buying a beautiful cushion only to discover it has the saddest, flattest inner known to man and you end up swapping it out anyway.

Oliver Bonas also have their Cream Twist Loop Candelabra lurking in the sale, and I loved this even when it was full price at £39.50, so the fact it has now been reduced to just £12 makes it an absolute bargain in my eyes. I am always a tapered dinner candle over a pillar candle sort of person, and I love that this is tiered, meaning it gives different levels to your table display. You could also pop shorter dinner candles in here if you didn’t want to completely obstruct the view across your table. Although, depending on the dinner guest, perhaps a strategically placed candle isn’t always a bad thing.

Talking of tapered dinner candles, Anthropologie have these gorgeous Gingham Taper Candles which come in a set of two and are currently reduced to £10. They come in this beautiful powder blue and a punchy green and I genuinely don’t know which one I prefer more because, as you all know, these are two of my favourite colour palettes. I just think they’re such a simple way of adding a little bit of pattern and personality to a table without having to completely rethink your entire tablescape.

I also spotted the Anthropologie Lotta Bakeware Butter Dish, which is just so charming and so cute. It gives that whole country kitchen vibe with the little majolica styled blueberries on the top and the whimsical floral print running around it, which is almost reminiscent of a vintage wallpaper. I particularly love the typography around the butter plate at the bottom and, as we all know, I have a rather large soft spot for a butter dish. This one is a bargain too, so I really don’t think it will stick around for long. Do I need another butter dish? Absolutely not. Has that ever stopped me before? Also absolutely not.

If you’re planning a summer get together, then you need the Yvonne Ellen Giraffe Cocktail Shaker. Trust me, it will make your spicy margaritas taste all the better. I mean, I’m not sure there is any actual scientific proof behind that statement, but they will certainly look a lot better being poured out of this beautiful shaker. I love the giraffe illustration on this and there is something about it that feels very 60s/70s to me. Plus, as you know, I am always a gold hardware person over silver, so this is a complete chef’s kiss combination for me.

Over to H&M and their Sunflower Water Repellent Placemats now, and I’ve had my eye on these for quite a while. If I’m honest, I did think they were on the pricey side at £24.99 for two. I actually spotted these back in February when I was in Paris and was immediately drawn to them, but they’ve now been reduced to just £10 for the two, so £5 each, which feels a lot more reasonable to me. Perfect for a spring or summer tablescape, or even autumn at a push, and as the title says they’re water-repellent, so ideal for those particularly messy dinner guests. We all have one.

Now, if you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know I have a real love for the bobble collection at Habitat, and this Bobble Glass Vase is the perfect example. I’m sure I’ve featured the lamps on here before, but when I spotted that they had reduced the vase down to just £5, I thought it was definitely the perfect little treat yourself buy. It’s a really generous size too at 20cm high by 17cm wide. This would be perfect packed with tulips in the spring or, right now, filled with big fluffy hydrangeas. I love the fact it’s clear, so it allows the flowers to be the colour and the main feature, but the bobble texture still adds a little personality and interest to your space.

And lastly, we’re heading to Urban Outfitters for their Summertime Fruit Tablecloth, which has been reduced from £39 down to just £13. You already know exactly what I’m going to say and why I love it. Firstly, the thrill of the frill edging, which is made even better by the fact it’s striped. And not just any stripe, but a punchy orange and white stripe with a little green ticking stripe sliced in between. Then we have the fruit, which is giving full Mediterranean summer vibes, and I’m even not mad at the little fish dotted throughout the pattern either. Throw this over a table, add a few colourful plates, some candles and a bottle of something cold and suddenly you’re on the Amalfi Coast. Well, spiritually at least.

Links:

• Oliver Bonas Cherry Embroidered Cushion £9.00 - Click Here

• Oliver Bonas Cream Twist Candelabra £12.00 - Click Here

• Anthropologie Gingham Bow Taper Candles, Set of 2 £10.00 - Click Here

• Anthropologie Lotta Bakeware Butter Dish £14.00 - Click Here

• Yvonne Ellen Giraffe Cocktail Shaker £15.00 - Click Here

• H&M Set of 2 water-repellent place mats £10.00 - Click Here

• Habitat Medium Bobble Glass Vase £5.00 - Click Here

• Urban Outfitters Summertime Fruit Tablecloth £13.00 - Click Here

Now we move onto the little treats I’ve found for you, or perhaps a loved one if you’re feeling particularly generous, from skincare to sunglasses with a little cooling moment in between. Because apparently this Love List has now become a full lifestyle service.

I spotted these H&M Cat Eye Sunglasses and they are very similar in shape to a pair of Prada sunglasses I actually picked up on a cruise a couple of years ago using some ship credit. I love the chunky square sides paired with the cat eye shape at the front, and at £6 for this style, they are a bloody bargain. I always love a tortoiseshell too as I think it’s just that little bit softer against the face, especially when you’re wearing a larger framed pair of sunglasses, and it really helps enhance sun-kissed skin. Six pounds. You can barely get a glass of wine for that anymore.

When we’re in the sun we must, of course, remember to hydrate, and Regatta have some brilliant Insulated Travel Mugs in their sale at the moment. First up is this beautiful green and white striped one and, as we know, I do love a green and white stripe. This has been reduced to £15 and they’re very Stanley Cup-inspired in shape and style. I particularly love the pink detailing against the green and white, with the handle and lid having those little pops of pink which work perfectly. They also have one of their Cath Kidston collaborations reduced to £14 in this gorgeous Harmony Ditsy print. It’s also worth noting that, currently, there is an extra 10% off the sale if you use the code SALE10. Hydration, but make it financially responsible.

I spotted this TU at Sainsbury’s x Morris & Co Indian Rose Tote Bag online and I am obsessed. There are a couple of different influences going on here. The shape and colour palette are very reminiscent of the iconic Dior Book Tote and the Valentino Antibes totes, both of which hark back to antique carpet bags that were hugely popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, we all remember Mary Poppins. This modern take is covered in the famous Morris & Co Indian Rose print and is just £20. Dior vibes on a TU budget. Which I absolutely love to see it.

Now we move onto a practical purchase that feels slightly less treat and more necessity at the moment in this heat. I am, of course, talking about hand fans. H&M have a great selection of Hand Fans at the moment, but this cobalt electric blue one really caught my eye. It gives that perfect punch of Greek island aesthetic to your outfit this summer and I can already picture it with a crisp white shirt and a tan. They also do it in cream and soft pink, or for the more adventurous among us who love a maximalist moment, there is, of course, a zebra print. Something for everyone and every level of drama.

But if you want something with a little more power and the Shark Chill Pill (linked here for the boujie ones), which is amazing and my friend has one, isn’t quite in your budget, I found the JISULIFE Handheld Fan at Currys for just £19.99. It comes in this lovely soft sage green as well as white and, while the green one bizarrely only gets 2.5 stars on their website, I did a little further investigation because apparently I am now Which? Magazine (I love a deep dive), and the white version has 4.8 stars. It has five different speed settings, a quiet performance so you don’t have that awful drowning fan noise, and it’s incredibly lightweight at just 220g. I am very tempted to pick this up for Positano next month when I have a black tie wedding to attend at 6pm in the Italian heat. Tuxedo, bow tie, tiny sage green fan. Chic.

Now onto a little bit of skincare and one of my favourite treats to myself, Rituals The Ritual Body Scrub. In particular, I love the Ritual of Mehr scent, which combines sweet orange and cedarwood. These body scrubs leave your skin feeling so soft, silky and smooth and this has become part of my Wednesday night or Thursday morning routine. I use it to scrub off any excess tan, give myself a really good exfoliation and get my skin moisturised and ready before I reapply my tan on Thursday evening. Rituals do lots of different scents and both sugar and salt scrubs, but this one is definitely my favourite. I’ve been using it for years and a little bit really does go a long way. Just remember to put the lid back on properly so it doesn’t dry out. A lesson I have, unfortunately, learnt from experience.

And finally, another one of my absolute favourites and something I’ve mentioned many times before, L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil. They currently have an offer on, so grab yourself a bargain because you can pick up the 250ml size for just £17.60, which is a 20% saving. Or, if you’re heading off on a trip this summer like I am, pick up the 75ml travel size for just £6.40. Again, this keeps your skin feeling super soft and hydrated and I honestly don’t think I’ve ever recommended this to somebody who hasn’t ended up loving it. Be warned though, once you start using shower oil, normal shower gel suddenly feels very basic.

Links:

• H&M Square sunglasses £6.00 - Click Here

• Regatta Striped Insulated Mug £15.00 (10% extra off with SALE10) - Click Here

• Regatta Cath Kidston Mug £14.00 (10% extra off with SALE10) - Click Here

• TU Sainsburys x Morris & Co Jacquard Bag £20.00 - Click Here

• H&M Hand Fan Blue £8.50 - Click Here

• JISULIFE Handheld Fan 5 Plus £19.99 - Click Here

• Rituals The Ritual of Mehr Body Scrub £18.90 - Click Here

• L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil £17.60 - Click Here

Before you go, I have a tiny favour to ask. I’ve now been writing these Love Lists and Splurge or Save posts every week for over two years and we are SO close to 3,000 subscribers. I can practically see it. So, if you enjoy these weekly lists popping into your inbox and you have a friend, sister, mum, brother, husband, work wife or fellow shopping enabler who you think would love them too, please send this Love List their way and encourage them to subscribe. It genuinely means so much to me and helps this little corner of the internet continue to grow.

As always, like, share and comment. I absolutely love hearing what you’ve bought, what I’ve influenced you into buying and, occasionally, what sold out before you’ve had the chance. Thank you so much for your continued support and for reading along every week. Two years later and you’re still letting me rummage around the internet and tell you what to buy. What a dream.

See you next week x

P.S. As always, some of the links in this Love List are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy something through them, at absolutely no extra cost to you. Think of it as buying me a tiny imaginary coffee for spending far too many hours scrolling through sale sections so you don’t have to. Although, let’s face it, you probably still will.