October Favourites
10/31/2017

October Favourites



It's astounding, time is fleeting-can you tell I'm in a bit of a spooky mood today? I'm not usually a huge celebrator of Halloween but my office has been decked out to look like a creepy haunted space/asylum so I'm feeling the mood. That and all going to plan I will have a major red eye+bloody lip situation going on today. Anyway, spookiness aside, today I have my October Favourites to share. It's a little sparse on the beauty front as in all honesty I haven't been changing things up much at all here. There are a couple of newbies in that department though, as well as what I've been watching, reading and listening to this month... 

YSL All Hours Foundation*-Let's get this out of the way first, yes the price tag is weepingly expensive. I recommend trying it first and then waiting for things like reward vouchers, discount days or just a plain old excuse to treat yo'face. I don't know if this foundation lasts all hours, I'm not one to wear my makeup for a hideously long time but I can vouch for its almost minimal need to powder and touch up. As someone with combination-oily skin, this is seriously impressive. The finish leans more on the matte side of things so if you've got drier skin, this mightn't be for you. I really freakin' love it and think this'll be a godsend come Summer when makeup all but evaporates from my face.

Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow(s)-These eyeshadows are the business. Liquid shadows drenched in so much sparkle. I love 'em. Then again I do love glittery eyelids so it's not like I'd hate these really but I digress. They're unlike any other eyeshadow out there. My favourite of the two I own is probably Bronzed Bell but Kitten Karma is a close second. The only qualm I have is when you remove these, the glitter tends to go everywhere. Otherwise, I can't fault these liquid delights. 

Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo-I've already touched on these once this month so I will keep it brief. Pigment that packs a punch and longevity to boot. I have the shade Leader, a vibrant fuschia which looks stunning. There's some gorgeous nudes in the range too and I seriously recommend a swatchathon when it comes to these.

Will and Grace-I'm not sure why it took me, bedridden to finally watch this show properly. Props to 2 for having an all-day Will and Grace marathon at the end of last month. I am now hooked, alternating between older episodes and the new revival currently on TV. Hilarious, hilarious comedy and brilliant character writing. It's so good. Karen Walker is my favourite character-god love her but really the four main leads are all amazing. Well worth the watch if you're like me and somehow missed it. 

Paperboy Magazine-If you're in Auckland you'll probably be familiar with Paperboy. It's a magazine, published weekly and free to get your mitts on from many locations around the city. It contains a mix of everything; food, culture, fashion, to name a few and also contains extra content from the New York Times. Long story short, it's worth a peruse on your train trips/coffee outings each week. I love unwinding with it on my Thursday/Friday journeys home. So good.

Younger Now x Miley Cyrus-Miley is certainly no stranger to reinvention but with Younger Now she's going back to her country-pop roots. The album opens with the titular track and then we're taken on a journey of wondrousness for the next forty minutes. It's a great driving soundtrack and is really upbeat+mood raising. Even if you're a Miley cynic, it is worth a listen. 

Feeling Sorry for Celia x Jaclyn Moriarty-A bit of a reading throwback if ever there was one, as I first read this book back in high school. After I posted about it on my bookstagram, it seemed a lot of you were familiar with it as well. For some reason I thought this book was niche? Anyway, told through letters received and sent, this book is the story of teenaged Elizabeth Clarry. Also known as Liz or Lizzie, depending on who is writing. She deals with the usual teenage struggles but also has to deal with a mix of eclectic characters. From her eccentric Mum to her scatty best friend Celia. It also looks at mental illness in a way that doesn't romanticise the issue or try to make it seem glamorous. In fact, I feel like this is one of the first young adult books in this part of the world at least that probably did address the issue. Well worth a read, or a re-read if you're feeling nostalgic. 

-What have you liked during October?

*PR Sample

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Currently Reading: October
10/28/2017

Currently Reading: October



Hello, Happy Saturday and to those of you emerging from a Stranger Things-coma, I hope you have waffles handy. Today I have a little snippet of what I am currently reading. Even though October is drawing to a close and I've been all over the place with books and things, I still wanted to natter about books and magazines. It seems apt to post this today as it's #NZBookshopDay but anyway. I am rambling. Here is what I am currently reading...

I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes With Death x Maggie O'Farrell: Recommended and reviewed by Kiran from Unity Books, listen here. This is a memoir like no other. Novelist Maggie O'Farrell shares her stories; near fatal plane trips, what could have been a potentially deadly assault, seaside cliff jumping to name but a few. It's definitely not an easy read but it is wonderfully written. It really gets you thinking about mortality and the way in which we take life into our own hands on a daily basis. 

It's Messy: Essays on Boys, Boobs and Badass Women x Amanda De Cadenet: As soon as I heard the premise of this book by one of my favourite writers from Violet magazine and one of the founders of the #girlgaze project, I had it shelved. Subsequently I ended up pre-ordering it and I am glad I did. Filled with Amanda's own experiences and wisdom, it's the book you will want to gift to people this Christmas. If only for the fact that if it goes on loan, you will most likely not receive it back. I'm taking my time savouring this but it is not disappointing. 

Personal Style Blogs x Rosie Findlay: At the recommendation of Rosalind and having been a Fashademic enthsiast for some time, I needed to get ahold of this. Shamefully I am not very far into it yet but I love immersing myself in books like these. Knowledgeable people writing in an engaging way about subjects I am also passionate about really makes my book-loving self happy. 



Violet: Whenever I see the title of this magazine I think of Willy Wonka and the vile Violet Beauregarde. That anecdote aside, Violet magazine is far from vile and is certainly not vulgar. In fact, it's really rather lovely. The current issue is a feast of delicious proportions; be it fashion, or interviews with kiwi-expat Emilia Wickstead and the leading lady of The Handmaid's Tale, Elisabeth Moss.  I've actually done some more writing about Violet elsewhere so I'll share that when it's live. If you were a fan of Lula, the Leith Clark years and/or generally fawn over everything she does, get this. 

Collective Hub: Collective Hub is a magazine I flit in and out of. Usually when I'm in a bit of a creative, motivational rut. Its content, looking at creative people and business-minded folk doing extraordinary things is nothing short of inspiring. The current issue features an interview with Zoe Sugg aka Zoella which was one of my main motives for grabbing a copy, not gonna lie. Like I said, creative rut=a hefty dose of Collective Hub wisdom and hopefully I will be back on track.

Frankie: I feel like I wax lyrical about Frankie so much, it's almost embarrassing. I have no shame though and genuinely love this title so much. Issue 80, crikey(!) has been my companion on train trips. It's there to make me laugh, remind me of the greatness that is Helen Razer's writing, have me folding down the corners for gift ideas+things I have my own eye on and just generally puts a smile on my dial and a twinkle in my eye. That sentence was nauseating I am sorry but Frankie is deserving of all love, no matter how sickeningly sweet it may be.

-What have you read recently?
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5 Beauty Products I'm Loving: October '17
10/23/2017

5 Beauty Products I'm Loving: October '17



I used to do beauty reviews of sorts over on my Instagram fairly frequently but admittedly I've been a bit slack with that lately. So today I decided to round up five of the products I've been loving and probably need to talk about more. You will have seen some of these products before so apologies for any incoming deja vu. For those of you who aren't familiar with the above enjoy. If you're feeling like some new beauty, might I suggest one of these make their way into your basket?

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer: I feel like it's hard to find a concealer that can actually be used for everything. This one though covers all bases, literally. Its velvety finish means it is seamless to blend and despite being higher coverage, it never looks cakey or heavy. I have the shade Creme Brulee and I love it. Honestly this is one of the best products I've purchased this year and I might even favour it over the Radiant Creamy Concealer when it comes to heavy-duty concealing. 

Colourpop Get Paid Creme Gel Eyeliner: Honestly this is without a doubt one of my favourite liner pencils. Creamy, twist-up (no sharpening yass) and gorgeous colour. Get Paid is a metallic, rose gold that looks stunning along the lashline for something a bit different. I love how inexpensive it is too. Next time I do a Colourpop order, I'll definitely be grabbing another of these.


Tartelette In Bloom Palette x Tarte Cosmetics: So this palette has sat unloved for a while, as my preference for the Modern Renaissance palette really set in. Fiona loves this palette and uses it so often on herself+clients so I was reminded to revisit it. Thanks Fi! My favourite shades are the shimmers for sure but I love how complementary all the colours are to one another. The darks aren't too pigmented as well which I like. Side note: I have maybe had a fun morning blending like crazy with the Anastasia palette when I underestimated the intensity of one of the shades. Anyway, stunning palette. Their new Toasted palette looks rather dreamy as well. 

Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo: When beauty brands empower women, I do tend to take it with a bit of a grain of salt. That being said, I love the message and names behind these Hourglass lipsticks. I have the shade Leader, a vivid fuschia. These are so easy to apply and stay put for hours. You barely need to touch up with them, so if you're like me and have a bit of a blase attitude to makeup touchups, you will like these. They're extremely comfortable to wear as well. Four for you Hourglass, you go Hourglass. 

Byredo Mojave Ghost: If Daisy x Marc Jacobs had a grown-up, older sister, this would be it. It's floral, fruity and a bit woodsy too. I've done a more in-depth review here but I love this. I seem to oscillate between more intense fragrances and those that are a bit lighter and fresher, like this one. I'm not going to lie, its design is aesthetically pleasing too. 

-What beauty things have you been loving lately?

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Women & Their Books: Rosalind Jana
10/18/2017

Women & Their Books: Rosalind Jana



Two of my favourite things are inspiring women and books. I literally came up with the idea for this new series one morning on my train to work and was so excited, I hurriedly emailed Rosalind to ask if she'd be the first woman to talk all things literary. Much to my excitement she said yes and I can tell you, it's been tough for me to keep quiet about this series until now. I am hoping to include women from on and off the interwebs, regular ladies and perhaps even the odd gent or two if they want to get involved. 

Rosalind Jana, formerly known around the blogosphere as Clothes, Cameras & Coffee first came to my attention last year c/o Emma Gannon and her Ctrl Alt; Delete podcast but I'd actually been exposed to her work years earlier in Violet magazine without even realising. She is incredibly talented, having shared her voice in both poetry and nonfiction books as well as being Junior Editor at Violet magazine. She won the British Vogue Talent Contest when she was sixteen and is a regular contributor to SUITCASE magazine. She's a busy, busy lady so I feel very honoured she took the time to answer my questions and share what books and female writers have inspired her thus far. 



-What are you currently reading?

I’ve been picking up and putting down Extraordinary Women for ages now. It’s a little known romp of a read set in Europe during the early twentieth century - a fictionalised reimagining of various queer women (including Radclyffe Hall) and their exploits. Very silly. Very fun. Lots of ravishing descriptions of the main character Rosalba. I’m very promiscuous with my reading though, so I’m also in the midst of Grayson Perry’s The Descent of Man*, WG Sebald’s Rings of Saturn, Teju Cole’s Known and Strange Things, and my friend Rosie Findlay’s wonderful book Personal Style Blogs: Appearances That Fascinate. Oh, and I’ve been diving back into Eva Ibbotson recently too. I just read A Countess Below Stairs, which is among the most joyous books I’ve ever encountered.

-What is your most read book?

Great question! It’s possibly a tie between Laurie Lee’s As I Walked Out one Midsummer Morning and Angela Carter’s Wise Children. I’ve returned to both of them so many times. I guess they’re almost like comfort reads in some respects (though the real equivalent of a cup of tea under a blanket on a bad day is The Moomins: Tove Jansson has seen me through some dark times. And some sunny ones too, admittedly!) Lee’s prose is so evocative. It’s the book that made me fall in love with travel writing. And Carter has long been a favourite. I love how this book fizzes with revelry and mischief and artifice, all the while paying homage to Shakespeare in a very rambunctious fashion.

-As a gifted writer yourself, is there any book in particular that inspires your writing and/or makes you want to write?

Thank you! I hope I glean things from everything I read: whether it encourages me to work ever harder on my own projects, or I find it frustrating and want to unpick what didn’t work. A few books that have recently made me want to pick up my pen (well, more accurately hunch over my laptop) would include Ali Smith’s Artful, Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent, Olivia Laing’s The Lonely City, and, forever and always, Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle. Essays-wise, I always dip back into Woolf and Hilary Mantel when I need a real jolt of prose. Oh, and Alan Garner’s The Stone Book! That’s so dense and compact and mesmerising. There’s lots of poetry too, but I should stop already.

I think what all those works – and so many others – share is a real sense of exhilaration at what you can do with language, whether in the rhythm of a sentence, the twists of a satisfying story, or a particular precision of thought. Reading other people’s work and being both in awe and VERY envious of them really is a helpful spur.



-You’ve recently been travelling to Canada and Japan. What did you read while you were there? Did you pick up any local literature?

Very good question. I didn’t have much time for reading while actually in Japan – but I did gobble up lots on the plane trip there. I sped through Katherine Rundell’s The Explorer (Rundell is a delicious children’s writer whose books invariably make me want to weep/ laugh/ go climb rooftops in Paris, run with wolves in Russia, and battle my way through the Amazon), and Eleanor Catton’s The Rehearsal, which is full of deft observations on teenage girls, school, and sexuality.

On Fogo Island I read continuously, returning to Maggie Nelson’s Bluets (even better with the backdrop of the roaring North Atlantic behind), and deliving into Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing (had to have at least one Canadian author in there!), Nan Shepherd’s The Living Mountain (a superlatively good piece of nature writing), and various others. I also bought Diana Vreeland’s autobiography in a second hand bookshop in St John’s on my way back home. It’s ridiculous and over the top and I love it.

To my shame though, I didn’t manage to pick up any local literature in either!

-What is your favourite book by a British writer and why?

Is it a cliché to say Wuthering Heights? Probably. I don’t care. (Also, this is an IMPOSSIBLE question. I have so many favourites, especially when it comes to British writers, from Hilary Mantel to Alan Garner to Ali Smith to Saki to Jeanette Winterson to Jenny Diski to John Berger and beyond).



-Which women writer’s words have left a lasting impression on you?

Virginia Woolf, forever and always. From her astutely observed essays to the incandescent thrill of books like Orlando, I feel like I’m forever trying to get to grips with the depths of her works, despite having read many of them several times (I did my undergraduate dissertation on her). She continually reminds me of the flexibilities and possibilities of words, as well as the challenges they can present.

-Finally, if there was one book you’d recommend every woman have on their bookshelf, which would it be?

Similarly difficult to answer, given that I don’t think there’s any one thing we should all absolutely have to read. It’s going to depend on your tastes, your priorities etc. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists is a pretty safe/ necessary bet though.

// Thank you so much to Rosalind for being the first radtastic lady to contribute to this series. I hope you all enjoyed it. Be sure to give Rosalind a follow, her Instagram is especially dreamy. Stay tuned next month for another installment of this new series. //

*Book Depository affiliate links may have been used but where possible I am linking to my two favourite local bookstores. Shout out to you Unity Books and Time Out. 
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