September's almost been and gone, and for once I'm rather decisive with my monthly favourites. There's a book and mascara that everyone's loving, a movie that's taken me far too long to watch and a couple of new and old beauty loves...

Too Faced Hangover Primer-The primer I usually use, Hourglass's Veil didn't seem to be gelling well with my skin, or at least not the foundations I paired it with so I've gone back to this primer and love it. Despite this primer feeling quite hydrating and maybe better suited to drier skin types, my combination skin loves it. It adds a little bit of glow without making me look shiny and helps to keep my matte foundation looking flawless+intact. I've nearly run out of this and I will definitely be making a point of repurchasing it in Australia. 

YSL Lip Vinyls*-These are what I'd call an introduction to the liquid lipstick. They have the silky feeling of a gloss, combined with the staying power of a much more matte lipstick. They're so comfortable to wear on the lips and the colours are gorgeous. I have a vibrant pink but also a more peachy nude and they're both so pretty. I've had one, or sometimes both in my handbag all month. 

Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara*-In honesty I am usually not the biggest fan of Maybelline's mascaras. They're good, but not amazing. That being said, I am loving their newest addition to the Falsies range. It gives your lashes a curl and makes them look thicker and fuller. I've seen this applied on people who have sparser eyelashes than I do and it makes theirs look amazing as well. This one's worth the hype if you're hunting down a wallet-friendly mascara. 

Nowhere Boy-I am obsessed with this movie. In fact, it's hands-down one of the best movies I have seen this year. Nowhere Boy reveals just what made John Lennon who he was. We find out about his teenaged years, his struggles in school, his relationship with his Aunt Mimi and also his estranged mother Julia. We're introduced to his love of art and music, as well as the early formation of The Quarry Men who would go on to become The Beatles. The story is compelling and visually stunning as well. I loved the soundtrack+costuming too. It was brilliant. 

The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer*-Right at the beginning of the month I said to not be surprised if this ends up being my book of the month. It actually had some competition, in the form of this but in the end Amy's book really stood out and needs to be discussed. For a comedian's memoir I was expecting to laugh out loud, that I did. However I also cried in parts, books make me emotional okay? It made me think and it also increased my appreciation+love for Amy Schumer. Her chapter on women's magazines and the unrealistic images we are presented from the media in general really resonated with me. Emma touches on this more in her review. I also really related with her chapter on introverted behaviour and I'm glad she wrote on this. Being shy and preferring one's own company definitely isn't as taboo as some other topics but I think it's fantastic that Amy is helping to normalise it. This book's worth all the hype it's getting. Read it. Devour it. Buy everyone a copy for Christmas. 

-What have you loved during September?

*PR Sample

Books might not be as ironic or groundbreaking for Spring as florals are, but September's reading pile does bring about a bit of change with it. By change I mean the sudden appearance of two classics; Shakespearean soliloquies and a bit of Austen. I'd be doing my high school literature teachers proud. I think... There's also September's book club read of choice by Olivia Laing and Amy Schumer's book because I cannot stop talking about it. So without further ado, September's book list for your perusual...

The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo* by Amy Schumer-What's not to love about Amy Schumer? She's hilarious, flooring us all with Trainwreck and sketches such as this and this. She's mates with JLaw, bonded over Harry Potter with none other than JK Rowling herself and found the time to write this simply brilliant book. I'm still reading it but it was not what I was expecting at all and I mean that in the best possible way. It's hilarious and entertaining for sure, but I wasn't expecting it to be so relatable and real. If there is one book you reach for this month, make it this one.

Is this a dagger I see before me? by Wlliam Shakespeare-First things first, I love the idea of the Penguin Little Black Classics. They're slim and affordable pieces of literature that might otherwise go unnoticed in the world of all the books. This one is a collection of Shakespeare's soliloquies, including the well-known such as the titular one from Macbeth but also lesser known pieces as well. Aside from Shakespeare's history plays, staring long and hard at you Julius Caesar (bane of my existence), I have a lot of love for Shakespeare so I am looking forward to revisiting his writing. In truth, I haven't read any Shakespeare since I studied The Tempest and that was six years ago. Sheesh, it's about time huh?

The Lonely City by Olivia Laing-Olivia Laing's new book is generating a lot of interest in the wider book community and it was voted as the third book for my book club which honestly I was quite pleased about. I don't know an awful lot about this book but I know it joins the topics of loneliness and art together in a thought-provoking way. My review later in the month will be a bit more detail-heavy so keep an eye out for that.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen-Believe it or not I have never read Pride and Prejudice. I've seen the movie with Keira Knightley, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan etc but I've never read the book. After reading Eligible and loving it I knew I needed to read the original. I just need to remember that in this book, Darcy is not a neurosurgeon and Lizzy is not a magazine writer. 

-What are you reading during September?

*Review copy