The beginning of the year has been a good month for favourites-new and old. From Summer must-haves, to earrings and the rest. Here's what I've been loving throughout January...

Self Tanning Foam  x Bondi Sands: I am a tanning NOVICE. I still make mistakes with it all the time but this product is a godsend. It's so quick and easy to use. It doesn't go streaky, it dries fast. I love it. Sure, I am not the best at applying it and give some of my friends great entertainment as a result. I am getting there though. If it makes my legs less 'translucent' then I am willing to persevere. 

Caramel Hydrating Lip Balm and Sugar Lip Polish x Fresh: I'm not sure if this heat or the matte lipsticks I seem to love are making my lips yuck*. This duo is setting about mending that though. I love this sugar scrub because it feels a lot gentler and is almost a touch balmy on the lips. The caramel balm though is the best! Not too heavy, or sticky and deliciously scented. It legit smells like butterscotch lollies and I LOVE it.

Florida x Lauren Groff: I really struggle with short story collections but lately I've found myself gravitating to them. Lauren Groff's collection, all set in Florida feature a host of flawed characters. As the unpredictable, heat-ridden, sometimes crocodile-laden landscape waxes and wanes around them, so too do their lives begin to unravel. With Groff's writing, you know that things are going to get grotesque but in a vivid, evocative way. I set myself the task of reading one story a day but oftentimes I'd find myself reaching to turn the pages on another story. Honorary mention for books this month: Winter** x Ali Smith, see my review here. 

Gold Earrings x Lovisa: Props to my friend Eve for the influencing here. Lately I've become kinda obsessed with gold earrings. These hoops are lush and I've been wearing them somewhat obsessively since buying them. Also on high rotation in the hoop side of things are my Hydrangea Ranger hoops, similar here. 

Caramel Melange Voyager Palette x Zoeva: Gosh dang Zoeva shadows are good. Like one swipe and you could be done levels of good. I love these shades. Paired with pressed glitter and lashings of liner and mascara. As JVN would say, "yass honey!"

Gratitude Journal x Kikki K: I'm sure gratitude journals are one of those things some people may find a little strange but I am all for them. Also for positivity in 2019. Anyway, this Kikki K one is designed so each day you write out three things you are grateful for. I am not going to lie, some days this comes more effortlessly than others. That being said I always make sure I do this each day, regardless of my mood, the day's events etc. Small steps but it's also a way to remember the smaller nuances of life you may otherwise forget. 

The Twenties Club: My go-to website for beauty, politics, fashion and basically, everything. If this twenty-something wants to read about it, Madeleine is bound to have an article already prepared for that. There's always fresh new things to read and I highly recommend you give her site a visit and subscribe to the newsletter whilst you are there.

-What have you loved during January?

*For lack of a better word.

**Review copy.

Another round of Sephora shopping inevitably means samples. Does any other beauty store do samples quite like Sephora? I think not. You get the gist, it just makes the whole experience that little bit more exciting. I've put these samples through their paces, a purchase even happened because I loved one of the above products that much. There's also my purchasing verdicts below as always. Enjoy!

Too Faced 'Better Than Sex' Mascara-That name is ever so slightly tacky. Is it just me thinking that? This was one of the 100 point-perks I chose with a recent order and despite its questionable name, it did not disappoint. My lashes are pin-straight yet this still managed to hold a curl in them. I love the hourglass-shaped fluffy brush. They're much better than plastic wands in my opinion.

Purchase? Maybe. This was a tough call because I do love my Bobbi Brown mascara and L'Oreal's Miss Manga just that fraction more though.

Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Shampoo & Conditioner-Along with the primer I featured last week, Bumble & Bumble have recently repackaged their shampoo and conditioners from this range. I love this range. Each product is infused with six oils designed to keep your hair detangled, frizz-free and feeling a lot silkier. Overuse of sea-salt infused products had left the ends of my hair feeling awfully dry and my hair feels a lot more nourished. It also seems to be drying a lot straighter too which I like, as my hair is prone to flicking out at the ends.

Purchase? Confession time, since trialling these I went out and bought the travel set from Mecca as I couldn't justify buying full bottles of new shampoo nor conditioner just yet. They're already getting a lot of use though and this set will be great to take away with me next week. 

Fresh Soy Conditioning Eye Makeup Remover-Now this is quite similar to the Benefit 'They're Real' remover but it's not as thick a consistency and breaks down to more of an oil. It was great at removing my eye makeup on the lids and also brow products but it didn't really do much in the way of breaking down mascara. It probably depends what mascara you use of course but that was a bit of a letdown for me. It's still a great product, but there are definitely better alternatives out there.

Purchase? No, and that's only because I like a new eye makeup remover that I've been using much more than this one. Psst..I'm reviewing it this time next week.

*Have you tried any of these products?

-I feel like this week's just gone by in a whirlwind yet I've not really been up to a lot aside from assignments, blogging and sleeping in (the best). Oh, a spot of online shopping happened because #feelingspendy and I've been filling in at my old job so $$. Yeah, that's my logic for ya. Today I have another driving lesson, some errands to run and hopefully just a chill afternoon ahead. Tomorrow though I'm having a self-imposed 'me' day. I plan on seeing Boyhood or Palo Alto, still deciding and trekking to Ponsonby Road and perhaps even some of my favourite stores on K Road. We'll see! I hope your week's have been rad. x 

Another highlight of the Sephora experience is of course leaving the checkout armed with free samples to try before you buy. If you're ordering internationally then you'll have to skip over the perfume vials but there are plenty of beauty and skincare goodies on offer as well. Here's what made its way into a couple of my recent Sephora orders. There's mini reviews and purchasing verdicts to cast your eyes over as well..

Make Up For Ever HD Pressed Powder-This powder is designed to soften the appearance of fine lines and pores. I kept it in my bag for the times when things began to look a bit too sheeny. This powder really made such a difference! Shine was kept at bay much longer and it left my skin looking much smoother. Purchase? If you're after a new powder for touch up then you should check this out. I personally prefer my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder over this one but it is still a great alternative.

Dior Addict Fluid Stick, various shades-My favourite sample. It arrived packaged like the actual fluid sticks themselves and contained four sample shades to try. I tried the shade Wonderland, a gorgeous pink toned red. These are pretty pigmented but it is also easy to build up the colour to the intensity you want it to be. These don't feel overly sticky on the lips and last well. I'm looking forward to trying the other colours. Purchase? If you're feeling particularly spendy, absolutely. They are definitely one of my favourite lipgloss-lipstick hybrids. 

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara-Now this wasn't exactly a free sample as such but this mascara was one I had been wanting to try so it made its way into a recent Sephora order. This won't make your lashes look thicker but it is perfect for lengthening and separating. Like Tarte's other mascaras this one is also super long-wearing. Purchase? I have a few mascaras on the go at the moment but once they bite the dust I know this one will be tempting me.

Whether you're a lipstick or a lipgloss girl, they're not going to look as good on you if you don't take care of your lips. Sometimes you need a bit of lip service, the time you take out of your day pre or post skincare. These scrubs, balms and butters will have you set..

EOS Lip Balm in Strawberry Sorbet-These lipbalms have shot to fame recently thanks to Miley Cyrus, but they were popular among beauty lovers long before then. They're 95% organic and formulated with completely natural ingredients, no petrolatum here! They're simple, fuss-free and keep your lips hydrated and smooth.

Korres Lip Butters in Jasmine and Pomegranate-I've mentioned Korres here before so if you've been reading my blog a while you'll know I love these. Both are deliciously scented and deposit a hint of tint to the lips, perfect for lazy makeup days or a quick outing to the local shops. They're also great lipstick bases. Apply this whilst doing your makeup and when you get to putting lipstick on, it'll glide onto the lips. You'll also have hydrated lips and will find matte lipsticks don't feel as drying on your lips. Wins all round.

Fresh Sugar Lip Polish-Lip scrubs are heavy duty so unless your lips are pretty dry it's best not to use them too frequently. I tend to use this polish at least once or twice a week. This smells divine, like lemon and sugar. Unlike traditional lip scrubs this isn't chunky, and applies like more of a gel to the lips. You rinse this off and apply a lip balm or butter over the top. If you're planning on wearing a matte lip product the next day, using a scrub to prep your lips is essential.

It's February favourites time! This month I gave my makeup bag a good old reshuffle and even did a bit of a cull in the packaging, perfume and lip product departments. In fact, every month from here on in I've decided to shuffle products around a lot more-variety is the spice of life after all! Anyway, here's what I've been loving during February..

NYX Powder Blush, pictured are Mocha, Summer Peach and Taupe-These blushers are great quality given how inexpensive they are. They're pigmented, long-wearing and such flattering shades. All of these haven't left my makeup bag this month-Summer Peach is my current favourite and Taupe is great for contouring if you've got a fairer complexion.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara-Mascaras don't tend to smudge on my lashes but during the day mascara on my bottom lashes tends to which is frustrating if like me you don't carry mascara around with you. Bottom Lash will solve your problems. It has a tiny mascara wand, perfect for getting in close to the root of your lower lashes. It stays put and there's no black spots under my eyes by the end of the day. 

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream*-I love this eye cream from Bobbi Brown. It has a lightweight, gel-like formula but it is still incredibly creamy so you know it's going to be hydrating. I'm prone to getting dark circles, more so if I've not been sleeping. Using this nightly makes those much less obvious. You can also wear this underneath makeup as well because it is so lightweight. Love.

If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen the amazing parcel I got from one of my blogging friends Hannah last month. She knows I love beauty so she sent over a ton of products for me. I decided to split them all up, trial everything for a month and then write about them all over the next three months. If you're in New Zealand some of these things may be harder to track down but there are links so you can see where everything is from.

Fresh Sugar Lip Polish-Lip scrubs are designed to remove the dry flaky patches from your lips to make them smoother and softer. This scrub has a lemon and brown sugar scent to it. Unlike traditional scrubs this has more of a gel-like feel to it and the texture isn't chunky pieces of sugar as such. I rub this in to my lips, pat the excess off with a facecloth and then apply a lip balm. You will be left with super smooth, hydrated lips by the next day so this is a great one to use if you're wanting to wear a particularly matte lip product out.

NYX Butter Gloss in Merengue-When we were in Melbourne last November I found the NYX counter in Target. They must have just had a sale though because practically every product was sold out. These butter glosses receive a lot of love online and they totally deserve it. These are super creamy and have a cake frosting scent to them. These are not sticky or tacky in any way so if you find yourself having hair meets gloss moments then you will like these. I have the shade Merengue which is described as a lilac pink. I didn't think this kind of colour was going to suit me but it does at the moment, thanks Summer skintone(!). 

Burt's Bees Refreshing Lip Balm, Grapefruit Scented-I'm not sure if I have ever declared my love for all things grapefruit scented on the blog before but Hannah knew I love it and sent me this lip balm. We can get Burt's Bees in New Zealand but I don't think I have seen this particular balm before. Anyway, aside from the fact that I love the scent, this lip balm goes perfectly with the lip scrub as well. My lips always feel fantastic after using this and a scrub together.