Mollie's Feel-Good Feed: Introducing Mollie King's weekly round-up of joy

Introducing our newest columnist, here to bring a smile to your face in these uncertain times

Welcome to Mollie’s Feel-Good Feed, a place where each week Mollie King shares her round-up of the things bringing her joy in these strange and uncertain times. Check back each week for uplifting music, self care tips and, hopefully, a smile being put on your face.

It seems a lot of us have more time on our hands than usual, which in any normal circumstance would be a lovely thing. However, understandably there’s a lot of uncertainty around, and I for one find myself feeling rather anxious a lot of the time.

How do I combat that? In a few different ways, to be honest… exercise, distraction, watching feel-good films, cooking (can’t guarantee this always ends well!) – in as many different ways as possible. In Mollie’s Feel-Good Feed I would love to share with you some of the things putting a smile on my face at the moment, and I really hope you might be able to share some of the enjoyment I've been getting.

Singles

Let's start with my main and biggest passion, music. Music always has been and probably always will be my favourite form of escapism. I get so taken in by the lyrics in songs, and even a banging beat can transport me to somewhere else… Enter, Lady Gaga’s Stupid Love. I had the first play of this song on my Radio 1 show, where Stefani herself left me a voice note about the song (I’d be lying if I said that didn’t play a part in me loving the song instantly).

But honestly, the minute I heard the first few bars I knew this was going to be a song I’d instantly add to my playlist. It’s classic Lady Gaga, at her best, but with modern production. I just can’t get enough of it. Whether it’s blasting it out first thing when I wake up in the morning, or putting it on when I exercise, it will always find a way to get played in my house.

Another song I love singing along to at the top of my lungs is Little Mix’s Break Up Song – what can I say, I love a girl band tune! It’s the first song to come from their fifth album, and it really excites me to think about what is next in this era for them.

If you’ve found yourself scrolling TikTok recently, you might recognise this next track. It’s Benee and Gus Dapperton, Supalonely. It’s got that laid back, Sunday vibe to it, with the contrast of an upbeat melody.

Albums

An album I’m listening back to a lot at the moment is Tom Misch, Geography. It was released back in 2018 but it’s a great one to have on at home to set a relaxed mood. I’m pretty new to jazz, but I love listening to this album while I’m catching up on emails or cooking dinner.

I’m also excited to have the second album by Dua Lipa here. I spoke to her about it on Radio 1 and she said she wants to make people dance around their homes to this album – which is exactly what I've been doing. My favourite tracks are Break My Heart and Cool. Such good pop songs!

TV shows

One of the shows I've been seriously bingeing is Love Is Blind, which if you haven’t watched, I seriously recommend you do, tonight!! It’s a group of single people dating each other – but without ever seeing each other. Now, if that isn’t enticing enough for you, how about the fact that they can only see each other and date face-to-face if they propose. Yes, actually propose!

Another show I’ve loved bingeing is Cheer. It’s a Netflix documentary series following one of the top cheerleading squads in America. Now, before you think Bring It On, it’s obviously got elements of that (thank goodness), but it’s also very much about learning about the people in the squad and their life stories. It’s really uplifting and heart-felt at the same time.

Self care

I try to take care of my skin in the best way I can. Simple things I love doing are applying face oils at night-time – I love Oskia and Kiehl's. Also stripping my nails of polish and covering them in cuticle oil; I feel like that really helps them look healthy and helps hydrate them.

Hair-wise, I've been using Kérastase Bain Lumière shampoo. It’s for blonde hair and keeps the colour looking fresh. I also love their hair masks – they’re great to put on at home and leave in for a few hours to soak (because I’m hardly leaving the house!). My hair does feel noticeably softer once I've washed it out.

If I’m styling it, the tool I’m using a lot at the moment is ghd straighteners. I love these for a relaxed wave – I’ve put a video of this on my Instagram, but I feel like straighteners are good for not over-doing the curl, and straightening the ends for more of a beach wave look.

Thanks so much for reading the first Mollie’s Feel-Good Feed – check back on Marie Claire every Friday for more of my feel-good recommendations. Take care and stay safe!