June has vanished just like that and it's been an..interesting month for lack of a better word. Today though, it's time to talk about what I loved in June because there were a few products and miscellaneous bits 'n pieces that definitely did stand out. 

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer: NARS' Radiant Creamy Concealer is my go-to and I've been through countless tubes of it now. I love the stuff. Lately when I've had a bit more time on my hands for makeup or want to quickly touch up with concealer, it's this I've been reaching for. I have the shade Creme Brulee, the third lightest and find it the perfect match. It's pretty heavy duty without being too thick so I like it for blemish concealing and also for redness. My favourite way to apply it is with the detailer brush x Real Techniques for pinpoint concealing a la Lisa Eldridge. I highly rate the NARS concealers if you're after a newbie.

The People vs OJ Simpson: Everyone is probably over hearing me wax lyrical on this show now. I think this is possibly the third post it's made its way into this month now, whoops. Having been way too young to remember the OJ Simpson trial the first time around, I found this so fascinating. It was particularly telling of the way media world, celebrity culture and the like were headed. The way in which Marcia Clark, played by Sarah Paulson was depicted by the media and treated despite being the head prosecutor was quite disgusting for lack of a better word. The comments made to her by the judge and members of the defense were unbelievable and as Paulson put it, wouldn't have been made to a male lawyer. The way it looks at sexism and the way media and the court of law in this case can skew perceptions really appealed to me. Such a brilliant show.

Balm Dotcom x Glossier: The hype with this one is real. Right on cue my lips have turned to their reliable, mosaic-y selves now it's Winter. Tried to make that description as non-graphic as possible for you all. This though is a saving grace. I have the Coconut Balm Dotcom which smells delightful, although it definitely gives me a caramel popcorn vibe which doesn't really matter because I like it. It's a multi-use product so while many people probably use it as a lip balm, I also love to apply it on my eyelids. Glossy lids without the tacky texture? Yes please. I've also been using it where I have dryness on my hands and around my fingers as well. If you make an order from Glossier you need to get yourself one of these too. Oh and a quick PSA, this is how I shop Glossier.

Antipodes Moisture Boost Natural Lipstick* in Queenstown Hot Chocolate: Antipodes has been a staple of my skincare routine in the past but at the moment it's their lipsticks I am particularly taken by. This shade has been my most-used, aptly named Queenstown Hot Chocolate for it's brown based, dusky pink properties. The satiny formula is so comfortable to wear on the lips and it's the kind of colour that will stick around. I also love the shade South Pacific Coral if you're after something a bit more vibrant.

British Vogue, April 2017: So I've been reading my issues of British Vogue out of order for reasons unknown. Anyway, I read the April issue this month and loved some of the articles so I wanted to mention them here. The cover story with Kate Moss about her modeling agency was particularly insightful and I loved hearing what she had to say about taking a more behind the scenes role. There was also a particularly brilliant one called Single Minded by Bella Mackie. It looked at why not having a partner in your thirties isn't necessarily a sign of inadequacy and I just loved the positivity it shined on the perks of flying solo. I love British Vogue though and highly rate it if you want a brilliant fashion magazine, combining journalism with editorial and arts+culture.

Journalling: In the last few weeks I've been putting pen to paper again and just writing down my thoughts and musings. It's so therapeutic but also it's a nice little sentimental thing to look back on. I'm particularly loving using my Muji notebook to write down five good things from each day. It's so easy to forget the good and the smaller details that are actually really quite rad. Highly recommend it if you want to end your day on a more positive note.

-What have you loved during June?

*PR Sample

It's the end of another month which means it's time to round up the things; beauty, books and the rest that I have liked during June. There's a bit less beauty in here, mainly because I've been sticking to products I use on the regular but there are some newfound loves among this bunch. There's also a couple of reads and a film I will be obsessed with for some time yet...

Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O'Porter-After listening to Dawn over on Emma's podcast I had to track down every single thing she'd written. I started with this semi-biographical novel about two teenaged girls in nineties Britain and loved it. This book was so captivating, hilarious, heartwarming and even a bit sad. I cried, I really did. If you liked the book Submarine, I think you'd enjoy this one.

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette, limited edition-I've raved about this palette already this month so I'll spare you an elaborate explanation. It's like a one stop makeup shop and I love it for that. I took this away traveling with me and it was so convenient not having to carry around individual blushers, eyeshadows etc. I really like these colours too. They're perfect for that effortless, Alexa Chung-style makeup look I love.

Koko K x Kylie Cosmetics-Matte lipsticks have been my go-to all month, perhaps longer. Kylie's liquid lipsticks are by far one of my favourite formulas though. Non-drying, easy to apply and pretty darn long lasting. I love this colour too. It's the perfect 'my lips, but better' colour. I just wish they weren't so tricky to get hold of.

Russh Issue 70-It's been a while since I grabbed an issue of Russh. After seeing it in one of Chloe's videos I was reminded how much I used to love it. Issue #70, aka the Models Inc. issue celebrates models. Russh is the magazine to embrace and support models, both new and old it seems like a perfect pairing. As well as their usual stunning editorials, there's some brilliant articles in the mix. Also, how stunning is that cover? Swoon.

Me Before You-It would've been such a letdown for me if this film hadn't delivered. Me Before You is one of my all-time favourite books so I would've cried doubly hard if it hadn't done Jojo Moyes' book justice. Thankfully she wrote the screenplay so there wasn't much to worry about. The book translated beautifully to the screen. Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin in the leading roles of Lou and Will were amazing. Not gonna lie I also kinda wanted most of Lou's outfits #goals. It's so, so good. I'm definitely going to be watching it again before it finishes at the cinema.

Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector-This was a free sample with a Cult Beauty/Sephora NZ order, I can't remember which and honestly I was dismissive of it. I believe my exact thoughts were 'it will be silicone-feeling and yuck'. Quite the contrary. This primer definitely feels smoothing but not matte if that makes sense. If your skin's on the drier side, this won't be hydrating enough for you but if you have combination skin you'll like this one. I am quite tempted to grab the full sized one of this at some point.

Zoeva 225 and 227 Brushes-It's taken me a while to get on the Zoeva bandwagon but if their eye brushes are any indication, this is one brand that should be on your radar. Firstly, they're beautiful. The rose-gold hardware feels chic rather than tacky. They're also super lightweight which I love-who wants a brush that feels clunky? These brushes are such good quality, they're comparable to MAC brushes and are so much cheaper. I highly recommend these if you're in the market for some new eye brushes.

Well June, you've been interesting and over really darn quickly as always. Time flies when you're having fun? This month I feel like I've been wearing less makeup because my skin's been throwing a few tantrums and also because I just haven't been bothered with it. I also didn't really acquire any new makeup this month until about midway through the month, and then in the last week with some online shopping. So this month's a real mixture of favourites as a result but I've loved all of these nonetheless. Maybe you'll find some gems among this list too...

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, Florence & The Machine-Was anyone expecting this not to be here? Florence returned to the music scene after a bit of a hiatus and it did not disappoint. Perhaps slightly less melancholy in tone than some of her other albums, there's still the soaring vocals that we know and love as well as some amazing orchestrations. Those horn sections make me so happy, I can't really explain it. I think I've mentioned this already on here but in my imagination, this is the ideal US roadtrip soundtrack. Standout tracks: Caught, Delilah, How Big+How Blue+How Beautiful and Queen of Peace. 

Maybelline ColorSensational Rebel Bloom Lipstick in Blushing Bud*, out July-Maybelline have some wicked launches headed our way next month but more on that soon. Some of the standouts for me though have to be these new ColorSensational lipsticks. Creamy, longlasting, vibrant colour all inspired by Spring/Summer blooms are what you'll find in this collection. Blushing Bud is the perfect rosy pink and reminds me of the colours essiebutton wears on her lips. Hibiscus Pop and Power Peony are next on my wishlist.

Secret Garden by Johanna Basford-Colouring for grown ups has really taken off recently which is mainly down to Johanna Basford's intricate colouring books. These drawings are so detailed and you can really unwind for a good hour or two completing these illustrations. I also find colouring in so relaxing and really zone out from any distractions. It's great. 

Nars Luminous Weightless Foundation in Mont Blanc-I never thought a fuller coverage base would take my fancy but the newest foundation from Nars seems to have changed my mind. This foundation is so lightweight, it feels like you're wearing no makeup at all. I also love how flawless it looks on the skin. My favourite thing about it though is the fact it stays put really well without powder. Seriously, I powder maybe once or twice during the day if I'm wearing this. There's also a really wide range of shades available too and if you have combination or oily skin, you'll probably get along well with this one.

Max Factor Masterpiece Glamour Extensions Mascara*-This mascara has been my holy-grail since I ran out of Roller Lash. I curl my lashes first, apply this and then it's like bam, hello fluttery elongated lashes. It really does hold a curl well throughout the day and is fairly water resistent even though I don't think this mascara is waterproof. Max Factor mascaras are pretty pricey here in NZ but I think they do some of the best 'drugstore' priced mascaras around so they're worth the hype.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt-So finishing this book has been a long time coming. 800 hefty pages does take a while to get through. I've read The Secret History which is also by Donna Tartt and really enjoyed that and The Goldfinch was just as good. I had no idea what this was about going in and really had no clue what was going to happen in this book which I think appealed to me most. I like a non-predictable storyline. This story also takes place through a number of different time periods and is mainly set in New York which I liked as well. I highly recommend this if you like mystery, drama-laden novels.

-What did you love throughout June?

*PR Sample

June, the month where Winter arrives and I reluctantly retire my Summer wardrobe for another year. This month it's been all about the eyes with these four fabulous products being on high rotation. There's also a new base love, a perfume I can't get enough of and the book that I just can't stop reading..

Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade-Strong eyebrow game in a jar. This gel-mousse hybrid leaves things looking a lot more natural and a lot more polished. The product itself is seriously pigmented so a little goes a long way. Once this sets in place it stays put all day. It's amazing stuff. 

Mac Kohl Liner in Teddy-We all know about Anna and her enabling ways. I was actually helping a friend buy makeup when this fell into my hands after spying it in this post. Don't leave me unattended in Mac.. Teddy is a dark brown with a touch of copper to it. Think of it as the dolled-up sister of Coffee, also from Mac. I like to apply this close to the lashline and then smudge it out with a brush for a more lived in look. Again it stays put all day and its creaminess means it would work well as an eyeshadow base too. Love.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Foundation-My experiences with foundation in the past have been dismal. Too orange, too dewy, too cakey. Then I met Perfection Lumiere Velvet, PLV for short. Combination and oily-skinned gals you will love this. Its matte-velvet finish counteracts redness and shine. It has buildable coverage and a shade range which is more in favour of paler complexions. It'll be a sad day if this ever gets discontinued.