It may still be rather warm out there, but there’s a mental switch that happens as soon as the August Bank Holiday is over.
Autumn is here, starting with the great September reset.
Half-empty offices refill with tanned colleagues back from their holidays, kids get their pencil cases (and the rest) in order for a fresh year of learning and everyone starts digging out long-forgotten scarves and jumpers in anticipation for the chill.
If you’re looking to replenish your depleted wardrobe, the good news is that end-of-summer sales are going strong - so now’s the time to bag a bargain.
With exam results now in and future paths cast, many teens are preparing for Uni for the first time. Get your fledglings ready with our student-focused shopping guides, which cover everything from budget-but-brilliant laptops, top tech and living essentials.
What’s new for the month? There are brand new launches, initiatives and experiences to maximise your money and fight off the post-summer blues.
Here’s our roundup of the top buys and splash-out spends for September.
Roberts Revival iStream 3L DAB+/FM Internet Smart Radio with Bluetooth, Amy Winehouse Special Edition
Roberts Radio has released a new design in honour of Amy Winehouse, one of Britain's most legendary musicians. The leopard print model is inspired by the Back to Black's 2008 Brit Awards look, blending with the vintage style that Roberts is famous for. The portable device not only plays your favourite digital stations, but has Bluetooth and Spotify Connect compatibility too, allowing you to listen to Winehouse's entire back catalogue with crystal clear sound. The design has been released in collaboration with the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which will recieve a portion of the proceeds.
Buy now £249.99, John Lewis
IKEA brings home the light
The days may be getting shorter, but the festival of light is on its way. IKEA is on a mission to make this Diwali brighter than ever with its AROMATISK range, a collection of autumnal-hued home accessories, perfect for parties.
Riffing off India’s deep-rooted traditional crafts (think embroidery, block printing and indigo dyeing), marigold flowers are a signature element of the look.
Buy now, IKEA
eBay launches Essentials collections
With the cost-of-living crisis making headlines daily, affordability is at the top of the nation’s shopping list. With this in mind, eBay has launched Essentials on eBay, a collection of 400+ household items from a mix of sellers starting from 99p. There’s everything from mug sets, bedding, cookware and towels at prices that won’t make you wince.
Buy now £0.99, eBay
SodaStream crafts limited edition glass for sparkling drinks
It's a question that's frustrated sparkling water fans for years: how to keep their bubbly water from going flat. Now SodaStream has found a way to keep you glass fizzing for longer, with the creation of a new piece of glassware designed specifically for the job.
The glass, handblown by highly skilled glass artist Elliot Walker, is packed to the hilt with features to get the best out of your carbonated water. We're talking a fully nucleated surface to ensure there's a constant vertical stream of bubbles, a bubble bowl to allow the gas to collect, and a narrow lip so that the bubbles tickle your tastebuds for longer.
Want one? Only 100 are being made available for the time being, and you can get one by using the code ARTOFGLASS on the SodaStream website with the purchase of a SodaStream Art machine. Available from 5pm while stocks last.
Buy now £139.99, SodaStream
Nando’s launches heat-reactive collection
Think you’re hot stuff? Now you can let the world know thanks to Nando’s, who has launched a capsule collection of unisex casualwear. Crafted with thermochromic tech, the range of t-shirts, jumpers, bucket hats and socks are designed to change colour (tapping into the 90s tie-dye trend) as its wearer ramps up the heat. Cheeky. Prices from £15.
Buy now £15.00, Nando’s
M&S launches new celebration cakes
Few parties are complete without a cake. Now you can get your hands on even more designs at M&S Food, where the menu includes gender reveal cakes, mermaid cakes, a decadent red velvet cake and a confection made up entirely of M&S’s dangerously moreish Mini Bites. See the full line-up and just try to resist the urge to order now. Prices from just £10.
Find more cakes to order online here.
Buy now £10.00, M&S
PrettyLittleThing narrows the wasteful fashion loop
Wear-once fashion is among the most damaging things you can do to the environment. PrettyLittleThing is helping to turn the tide against mindless fashion with the launch of a new marketplace app, in which users can buy and sell unwanted pieces. Not only can you clear out your wardrobe and recoup some of your initial cost, but you’ll do your bit too for the environment by keeping clobber out of landfill. That’s what they call a win-win.
Buy now, PrettyLittleThing
Rixo embraces extended sizes
Cult fashion brand Rixo will have even trouble keeping its wildly popular collection in stock now it’s adding new sizes to its range, going from UK 6 - 24.
Showcased in the first drop of the newly launched Golden Age collection, the line-up is made for autumn wearing with winter florals, leopard print and feather trims and velvet all playing a starring role.
A few years in the making, co-founder Henrietta Rix said the more inclusive size range was only the beginning, "with more sizes already in the pipeline". Orlagh McCloskey, the brand’s other co-founder, added: "RIXO is all about making women feel amazing, and we hope even more #humansofrixo feel the best version of themselves whilst wearing our pieces.”
Hear, hear.
Buy now, Rixo
Astrid Wilson illustrates the perfect autumnal home
Swedish artist Astrid Wilson has tuned her hand to interiors with the launch of a new homewares brand that’s perfect for cottagecore fans. The whimsical range of cushions, lampshades and wall textiles (including cheerful floral prints) is perfect for bringing a warm, cosy, hygge update to your space this season. Granny cool.
Buy now £125.00, Astrid Wilson
#PublicCervixAnnouncement encourages bosses to give people time off for cervical screenings
Luna Daily, the intimate wellness brand, has launched a new campaign this September for Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month. The brand is asking companies to give their employees time off to attend a smear test, after a study found many women and people with a cervix cite work for being unable to attend vital screenings. So far 25 companies have signed up to Luna Daily’s #PublicCervixAnnouncement including Soho House, Psycle, Allbright, Hanx and Thursday Dating.
Buy now, Luna Daily
Marriott Bonvoy member experiences: it’s a mood; it’s a Moment
Ever wanted to see a rock star’s view? The roaring crowd, the weeping adoration, your words sung back at you with the force of a thousand voices? Thanks to Marriott Bonvoy, we found out.
As part of the hotel’s money-can’t-buy Moment experiences exclusively for members, we travelled to Paris for the city’s Rock en Seine festival (headlined by the Arctic Monkeys), hung out backstage, and watched Yungblud whip fans into a frenzy from the stage’s wings, an area usually reserved for the band’s inner circle only. Travelling on Eurostar Business class and staying at Le Metropolitan a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, Paris (with Gram-worthy views of the Eiffel Tower), it was a five-star trip from start to finish.
It’s only the start of Marriott’s Moments this autumn. Upcoming experiences include:
September 16 - 19: A high-powered Monaco weekend curated by the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. Enjoy luxury cars, sublime dining and a peek at the Prince of Monaco’s jaw-dropping car collection. You’ll stay at Le Meridien Beach Plaza and take home a replica race suit as a souvenir.
September 21 -22: See Madrid from a Penthouse vantage point at the city’s luxury EDITION hotel. A Moment made for foodie fans, you’ll sit down with chef Enrique Olvera to a dinner full of Mexican and Pacific flavours and watch a live cooking demo.
How to win these experiences? Shop. Bid for Moment experiences in an online auction or by submitting a fixed amount of points, which you can earn through hotel stays at over 8000 hotels globally, as well as everyday spending on a Marriott Bonvoy AmEx credit card. The more points you have, the better experiences to win.
If you shop for everyday purchases on a credit card anyway, joining a loyalty program like this is a no-brainer. Something (quite extraordinary) for nothing - what’s not to love?
Buy now, Marriott
