Another month bites the dust and just like that it's time for favourites to be reflected upon again. March has been a real ride but rather than dwell on that side of things, some good from this month: I walked 8.4 kms with a group of ladies+gents from my office at work for Round the Bays. It was a good time and I managed to complete it without complaints. Although the blisters the next day, you were not welcome. I read a lot. I wrote a lot-am still writing a lot, for myself and other places. Oh-and I got my blogging juice back. In truth this month I've struggled with the ol' blog so it was a relief to myself when I sat down and devised a posting schedule for April, without staring at blank paper for hours. Anyway, March Favourites and there's a real variety. Beverages, books, beauty, podcasts...the whole enchilada. *Props if you get that reference* 

-Bronze Eyeshadow: Bronze glittery eyeshadow is my makeup MVP. I've literally been gravitating towards this tone of eyeshadow alone all month. Probably spurred on by this makeup look. It could also be the slight Autumnal crispness to the air that is drawing me to these colours as well. There's no specific eyeshadow I've been reaching for over another but stand-outs have been this, this in the shade Twig and this palette.

-Rushower Dry Shampoo x Soap and Glory: This is good, inexpensive stuff. Hey-if it makes my hair smell good and kinda disguises the hair washing laziness, I am not going to complain. This mini can is cheaper than a takeaway coffee, where I frequent at least, and the larger can is only $7 so it's not going to set you back a lot. A++ would recommend.

-Oh Comely magazine: I have a lotta love for this independent British title. It's packed full with brilliant stories, imagery, women, books and just a whole bunch of goodness basically. Like my beloved frankie, it's released bimonthly and also like frankie, it's a magazine best savoured over several readings. As I'm a bit behind on magazine reading I had two issues of this to read this month and loved them both. Roll on April because another issue is released then. 

-The Fringe Of It Podcast: Sorry not sorry for mentioning this podcast again. Liv+Charlotte in a podcast=a whole lot of  brilliant banter and ideas. Each episode they talk about what they've been watching and buying and then they move into a themed discussion. The two most recent episodes have looked at getting out of a funk and style. The podcast is on a lil' break at the moment while Liv is in New Zealand(!!) but there's plenty to listen to while you wait if you need a catch up. 

-Lovisa Earrings: I like my celestial jewels, that's not new information for anyone. I've been wearing these ones a bunch recently, until I can fork out for something a bit fancier. Despite their appearance, they're surprisingly lightweight and I love 'em. If only for the fact it makes me feel like I'm channeling Stevie Nicks a bit whenever I wear them.

-The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath: This hefty tome has been carted everywhere with me. I'm still not finished and because I like to dip in and out of it, reading it will probably take a while. Sylvia's writing is so captivating and profound in many ways. She does like the odd grotesque metaphor which did take me a bit of getting used to. I wish I could quote something memorable from it but the one line staying with me right now is her aside about an ex's new girlfriend, in which she called them a "brilliant whore". In seriousness, I do have many passages underlined and will collate my thoughts about this book into something more cohesive when I do eventually finish it.

-Rekorderlig Elderflower & Lime Cider: First off, not sure how many youths are reading this blog *waves*, please drink responsibly. Everyone else, you need to try this cider. I had a glass post Round the Bays at The Glass Goose and it is divine. Not too sweet, not too bitter and mighty refreshing. Bold claim but this might be my favourite Rekorderlig flavour. In fact you can bet I'll be celebrating the end of the short working week with one of these tomorrow. 

Another month, another lot of beauty newness. While my beauty magpie tendencies seem to be somewhat on the backburner these days, I do still love a new addition to the lineup and especially with the changing of the seasons, I enjoy mixing it up a bit. In saying that, I had a few days last week where I just threw concealer on because leaving for work an hour earlier than usual=less care factor about makeup. Sorry not sorry. Anyway, if you want to hear me wax lyrical on the new, fantastic foursome, keep reading...

Majolica Majorca Mascara: A makeup-loving friend of mine bought this back for me from her travels and I'm not one hundred percent certain if you can buy it in New Zealand. I'll update this if you can. Anyway, I have a feeling Anna may have tried this too, maybe. Either way it was new to me and I love it. The brush is quite unusual, being more like a comb you'd use in your hair with bristles of differing thickness. The mascara itself has a tubing formula I believe which lengthen your lashes like nothing else. The beauty (ha) in this mascara though is really in the wand. At first I was rather perplexed by it because it is so unusual but whatever it is, works. Again I feel mean showing y'all this because I'm not sure how accessible it is but I will do some investigating. 

Soap and Glory Rushower Dry Shampoo: My friend and fellow blogger Cass loves this dry shampoo. In fact I know it often makes an appearance in her empties posts because she's repurchased it a few times. Anyway, it's cheap as chips, I love dry shampoo (don't tell my hair stylist) and there's not much more to it than that. I'm yet to use it-but I have high hopes. 

Glossier Cloud Paint in Beam: I am not a cream blush person usually but these ones I am totally here for. Pigmented, yet easy to blend away to something less intense, long-lasting and flattering on the cheeks. As someone who deals with adult acne, bane of my freakin' existence, cream products that don't draw attention to uneven texture are the best. You can even use these on the lips too, with a bit of balm and I know Fiona's experimented with them on the eyes as well. 

Stila Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow in Twig: My love for the glitter and glow shadows is well documented around these parts so when I saw that Stila had new additions to the family, well, I did not hesitate. These are definitely less glittery and more metallic in finish, you'll understand if you swatch them. Still absolutely stunning though. This deep bronze reminds me of a limited edition paint pot I used to own called Eclair. It's going to get a thrashing in Winter when I decide to make my eye makeup dark like my soul and the weather perhaps. 

-Have you tried any new beauty bits 'n pieces lately?

When it comes to beauty, I'm sure it's no secret that I am a bit of a fan. It's always been one of those things along with fashion that have piqued my interest. Thanks to this blog I'm fortunate to be in the position where I get to try and be in the loop about new releases, brands and the like. Right now it feels like every other week a new launch is debuting and we're certainly not deprived in the variety department. Today though, rather than focusing on the new I wanted to shine the spotlight on some repurchases aka the ones I will continually buy, unless they've been discontinued, more on that in a minute, or I switch loyalties. Many I've repurchased recently but some I pick up time and time again. They're tried and tested staples as far as I'm concerned and I love 'em. Here's why...

Sugar Crush Body Scrub x Soap & Glory: This must be my third or fourth tub of Sugar Crush, a fruity, sweet body treat from Soap and Glory. Finally it's more accessible now we have a Mecca Maxima in Auckland, carrying the S&G body product selection. It's definitely a scent that will not be for everyone but I love it. Compared to other scrubs it feels less abrasive and more gentle on your limbs. At $14 this is quite the bargain and a little goes a long way so this ends up lasting me a good few months. 

The Comforter Shower Cream x Lush: I'm still wondering if Lush HQ are playing a cruel trick on us all, announcing the discontinuing of this shower cream. In case it's not obvious, I am not thrilled. Shower creams are the perfect accompaniment after you've scrubbed and lathered up. If you're like me and find body moisturiser a bit of a faff, this is for you. It also happens to smell absolutely delightful and I'm really unimpressed that it's leaving the shelves. 

Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base x NARS: So I have lost count of the number of times I've repurchased this eyeshadow primer. A quick scan through the archives here tells me I've been using it for four years now though. I've spoken about it countless times on here so in brief, if eyeshadow disappears from your eyelids like it's going out of fashion, get this. It's the best primer I've tried and nothing else comes close.

Lemongrass Soap x Ecostore: This'll probably seem random and I'm sure some of you are like, "soap, Sophie...what the heck." Hear me out, I've found some soaps seem to not agree with my skin and this one is designed with no nasty ingredients. It's a lot less harsh and the lemongrass scent is so invigorating. I also like Ecostore's vanilla and the grapefruit+mint soaps as well. Highly recommend.

Luxe Eye Blender Brush x Zoeva: Zoeva brushes are one of those products that are all over the internet and I know they work with a few bloggers+vloggers so I do take all their products with a grain of salt. That being said I think that these brushes are superb, the ones I've tried at least and I think the quality+price point is brilliant. The luxe eye blender brushes are my go-to for depositing colour onto the lids and then using the curved edges to blend it out. They're super soft and well designed. I love 'em. Pro tip: Side note-ha, hardly a pro but anyway, buy them when Sephora NZ are having a discount day. 

-Have you used any of these products before? What did you think of them?

Now that Summer's well and truly on the horizon, it's time to inject a little bit of bronze back into your life. I'm not a fan of full on colour, my pale skintone just never seems to be able to pull it off. I am all about warming up the skin in a safe way though, no sunbeds or excessive time in the sun here. Today I'm going to share with you a few of my favourite bronzing products that I think are perfect for paler skintones. They'll all give you a sunkissed look without the sun damage or telltale Oompa Loompa streaks...

Soap and Glory Solar Powder-This is a bit harder to come by in New Zealand. I think mine was purchased on Trade Me, but if you're in the UK you'll be able to get your mitts on this a lot easier. It's one of my favourite bronzers for the face as it's not orangey toned and warms the face up without leaving you looking muddy. To apply this I swirl the colours together and blend in the standard 'three-shape' that is recommended for bronzing. Aside from its annoying cardboard packaging, I love this bronzer and will definitely try to get it again when I've run out of it.

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Tinted Leg Mist*-The Body Shop have extended their popular Honey Bronze range and there's a lineup of new beauty+body bits, including a face tint, cream blush+bronzing domes and this leg mist. It's an oil-free, transparent mist that dries matte and gives your legs that sun-kissed look without the streaks. It is so easy to apply and dries really quickly so even tanning novices like myself can get to grips with it. I hope this is a permanent product because I can see it becoming a staple in my beauty collection. 

Australis 'AC ON TOUR' kit in Medium-People seem to have had a love-hate relationship with the original contour kit from Australis. I was never too convinced by it, but when I saw the new colour additions in Medium and Dark, I found myself more intrigued. The medium has a lot more brown toned shades in it and they lean on the cooler side of things. I use this on days when I want more colour on my face and stronger contouring. The colours are super pigmented so I use a very light dusting of colour on a fluffy brush to apply these. I've been really impressed with this palette so far.

-What are your go-to beauty products for creating a bronzed look?

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I'm sounding the monthly favourites klaxon, reference c/Anna . This month's been a bit of in with the old and the new when it comes to beauty. I've rediscovered just how good a certain concealer is and found my new favourite bronzer. There's also my monthly book favourites and a DVD which I am sure will come as no surprise to many of you.. 

Beauty

Real Techniques Bold Metal Brushes, #100 and #300-My brushes are dirty so yep, I have not cleaned them. *taps wrist for being a bad blogger* On the other hand, that just shows how well loved and used these gems are. I've already written about these here but in short, the powder brush is amazing for setting makeup down. Its density means it doesn't pick up too much product so you aren't left looking caked in powder. The blush brush is ideal if you find application scary. Its tapered edge fits perfectly into the cheekbone area. Lovelovelove. 

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla-My concealer of choice for blemishes and whatnot offers great coverage but I find the heat just makes it slip off my face way too fast. I rediscovered this Nars one this month and haven't looked back. I love that I don't really need to touch up concealer with this on because it just stays put. The colour range is fantastic as well and it provides decent coverage without being too thick. 

Soap and Glory Solar Powder-Aside from its cardboard packaging, this bronzer is perfect. It's matte so there's no shimmer if that's something you like to avoid. These two shades are perfect for paler complexions as there's no orangey tones to them whatsoever. If you can get your hands on this bronzer, get one asap. 

Mac Lip Pencil in Soar-This seems to be sold out everywhere online but try in stores because they may be floating around there. You've probably already seen this liner online a lot. According to Kim K, it's little sister Kylie's liner of choice. This mauve-pink liner is such a flattering colour. It'd complement a range of skintones. It makes your pout look fuller, regardless of whether you overdraw your lips. I like to wear this on its own or under my more brown based nudes. 

Fairydrops Quattro Mascara, a gift-Fairydrops is notoriously difficult to find unless you're in Japan or can easily access a BeautyMart. One of my friends bought this back for me from her travels recently and I'm not gonna lie, I was quite excited. The wand on this one is quite bizarre, google it to see what I mean. The effect it has on the lashes however is stunning. It's not the most dramatic of mascaras but it really separates the lash and holds a curl.

Extras

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven*-This has to be one of the best young-adult novels I have read in a long, long time. The way it presents mental illness, dealing with grief and the multi-faceted role that is being a young adult is fantastic. In no way does this book romanticise any of the serious issues at hand which some YA books/films tend to do. I found this book really touching and beautifully written. Read it. 

New Girl Season One-As always, I'm a bit late to the bandwagon with this one. I freakin' love New Girl though. It's one of those shows that never fails to put me in a good mood. The hilarity and awkwardness of Zooey's character, while a bit too relatable at times, is brilliant. Not gonna lie, I think Schmidt is rather fit as well. 

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell-I couldn't pick one book this month so you're getting two. Again, Eleanor and Park deals with some heavier issues. It also unites two outcasts who bond over pop culture and their different upbringings. It's a sweet story but be warned, it will make you feel all the feels. 

-What have you been loving during February?

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