With a flourish, February is upon us. Another busy month lies ahead-both on and off this blog. I'm really looking forward to it but also am mindful of remembering to take time to pause. I have a tendency to want to cram my days with a lot and that's unsurprisingly quite tiring sometimes. Anyway, five things for February; books, fashion, makeup and stationery. My loves. Enjoy...

Summertime Reads: Maybe it's the seasonal FOMO I experience at Christmas when everyone in the Northern Hemisphere seems to pick up the perfect wintery tome. More likely though it's the pure beauty and lustfulness that Andre Anciman evokes in the Summer haze of Italy. Piazzas, wine, reading, basking in the sun, admiring Monet's berm. Yep, I am talking about Call Me By Your Name. Without a doubt one of the most breathtakingly exquisite books I've ever read. Now I've picked up The Accidental by Ali Smith to read. Another book, this time set on a Summer retreat with an eccentric array of characters, a falling-apart house and of course Smith's humour and appreciation for detail. 

Bucket Bag: I used to be a bit of a handbag fiend. I'm thinking back to the Roxy, Paul Frank and Billabong bags I owned and loved, From memory they were all quite...repulsive but to teenaged me they were heaven. Long story short, I've wanted a Zara bag for a long time but haven't ever found something quite right, until I stumbled upon this beauty a couple of weeks ago. The only qualm I have is the lack of zip closure but for day-to-day it's fine. I can fit a fair bit in there, a book+notebook, my wallet, phone, random bits in the drawstring purse inside. I lovelovelove it.

wet n wild proline: It is still very early days with these brushes but I couldn't resist sharing my thoughts about these two. I've been using the flat contour brush* and the tapered highlighter* brushes all week and am so impressed. They're also friendly on the wallet too, priced between $14 and $17. I'm flagging these up now because they are limited edition and with their aesthetically-pleasing appearance, good quality and affordability, I don't think they'll be around for long. Walk don't run to Farmers, kiwi babes.

Love is Love: I'll spare my cynicism about one Feb 14th for today and draw your attention to Kikki K's More Love collection. For every item purchased in this range, Kikki K will donate $1 to Amnesty International. This is in aid of their work supporting LGBTQI rights globally. Marriage equality is only the first step! Such a worthy cause and I love the inclusiveness. Not to mention, the bold colours and rainbow motifs are stunning. These items are for showing off long past single girl's nightmare Valentines Day.

Shopping the Stash: Long overdue but much needed-I am having a serious beauty de-clutter. First to be culled was my perfume collection. I have halved it and the other half has (mostly) gone to new homes. Next up is my makeup. Let's be real, I have one face and gravitate towards many of the same things time after time. If you want to see what makes the cut, fragrance or otherwise, sing out.

*PR Sample

While it definitely doesn't feel quite as Autumnal as I'd like here at the moment, it doesn't stop me from wanting to change up the beauty products I reach for. Autumn is the time for berry lips, shimmery copper-toned eyes, metallic nails and a touch of glow. Today I wanted to share some of my favourite, affordable beauty products for Autumn or Fall as the American folk call it. There's some real gems in here and the best part is they won't make your wallet weep...

Essence Lash Mania Mascara-This is one of my friend's favourite mascaras and she's been known to buy it in bulk so I had to see what all the fuss was about when she was buying it. Update: Since I wrote this I've found out this mascara has been discontinued which is sad but I might as well leave this review here anyway in case it's still around somewhere. Oh my goodness guys it is good. It's one of the few mascaras I have tried that curls your lashes properly, without an additional lash tool. It gives you a ton of volume and makes your lashes look thick and lush. 

Topshop Beauty Glow Highlighter-Admittedly I tend to not reach for this a lot because I do prefer my powder highlighters. For a cream highlight though this champagne number is so pretty. It's not filled with chunky shimmer particles and is perfect for paler skintones. Topshop makeup, despite being a bit pricier than some of the other products in this post is still pretty affordable and fairly decent value for money. 

Milani Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Sand-Milani is one of my favourite drugstore brands. You can shop them online here in NZ via Makeup.co.nz but they don't seem to have these online at the moment. These are such lovely shadows though. Uber pigmented with a silky finish. I love the colour range as well. Bella Sand is my favourite neutral shadow for days when I just can't be bothered putting any effort into my makeup, it happens more often than you'd think(!). 

Wet N Wild Lip Color in Cherry Picking-This was inspired by Tara and Ellen because I know they love these lipsticks. My friend in the US (shout out to you Hannah) sent me this colour last year and I love it. It's a gorgeous berry colour that leans a bit more on the pink side of things so it's less intimidating if you're not a fan of the vampier lip look. I need to wear this in a video/in real life sometime soon actually. It's been a while.

Wet N Wild Eyeshadow Palette in Comfort Zone-Another little gem sent over by Hannah. She's a legend that one. This palette is stunning. The eyeshadows all have such strong pigmentation and I love how they're all laid out with their uses clearly labelled. Palettes like these are perfect for people who aren't quite confident with their eyeshadow knowledge. Let's face it, not having to think about makeup in the mornings is also a mega bonus. 

Maybelline Colorsensational Lip Matte lipstick in Daringly Nude*-I only received this colour from Maybelline at the end of last week but it's fast becoming one of my favourite lipsticks. The colour is basically identical to the hue of my lips and reminds me so much of my beloved Patisserie lipstick x MAC. I'm really loving these nude lipsticks from Maybelline so be prepared to see me waxing lyrical on them a bit more soon.

Essie Polish in Jiggle Hi Jiggle Low-This was purchased at Postie Plus of all places for the bargain price of $8. That's less than half the price of what they usually sell for here in NZ! They don't have the greatest colour selection but they're still worth checking out. This shade is described as a molten gold but to me it leans more silver. It's super pretty and that's all there is to say about it really.

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush-An oldie but a goodie. This shade isn't sold in NZ but it's easy enough to hunt down online if you're keen. The perfect, coppery bronze eyeshadow with a touch of glitz to it. It's one of my all-time favourites and these shadows are so underrated, they need a bit more love!

-What are your Autumn beauty staples?

*PR Sample

A few months back my lovely American pal Hannah and I did a swap of all things beauty, food and magazine related from our respective countries. It was kinda a belated birthday present session in a way, but also a chance for us to try some of one another's favourite things. She sent me over a ton of beauty products so I thought I'd do some little mini reviews of them for y'all here. This is part one of two, and I have to say I've loved using a lot of these so far. Here are my thoughts...

Marc Jacobs New Nudes Sheer Lip Gel in Understudy-First things first*, this definitely isn't a sheer lipstick in the slightest so I'm not entirely sure why it has that name. Names aside though, I really like this lipstick. It's the perfect nudey pink with a hint of peachiness to it. It's one of those colours you can whip on and not do too much thinking about, and for that reason alone I can see it becoming a fast favourite.

Milani Baked Blush in Dolce Pink-Milani's baked blushers are hyped for a reason. Aside from being a pretty decent dupe for the Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushers, they're just gorgeous products. Dolce Pink reminds me of Nars Orgasm but with less shimmer particles and a much more flattering colour. These really brighten up the complexion and are so beautiful. I'd be surprised if anyone tried these blushers and didn't like them.

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Sand-These shadows are similar in texture to the Mac Extra Dimension shadows. Their cushiony texture leaves them softer than some of the other drugstore shadows out there. Bella Sand is a great neutral shade to add a hint of colour to the lids without going crazy. It also works well as a base colour for adding things over the top such as shimmery shadows or pigments. I really like the packaging on these too, they're so easy to store.

Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Set in Comfort Zone-I wish we had Wet N Wild in New Zealand. Their products are so affordable and the ones I've tried haven't disappointed me. This palette gets a lot of love from beauty bloggers and it's easy to see why. They may not be the most amazing eyeshadows on earth but they're pretty fantastic for the price you pay. The pigmentation is strong and they're easy to blend. I like how each shadow is labeled with its use which I think is a great thing for anyone just getting into makeup. I'm definitely going to be busting those earthier shadows out soon too, just to push myself out of my comfort zone. See what I did there?

Milani Fierce Foils Eye Palette in Milan-This is one of those products you'll either love or hate. People expecting a dupe for the Stila Magnificent Metals shadows may be left a touch disappointed as these aren't anywhere near as pigmented. The darker shades deliver but the paler shades are more glittery than anything else. In saying that, I still like this palette. The shadows have a cream to powder finish and look so pretty over other shadows for a touch of sparkle. 

-Have you tried any of these beauty bits before? What did you think of them?

*I'm the realest.. 

Oh and side note if you're still reading this, I posted a new video over on my channel so check it out here if you're interested+into bookish goodness.

Our local drugstore pickings often leave me disappointed. #1-The range is lacklustre and #2-so overpriced in comparison to what you'd pay in the States and even the UK. Price complaints aside, recently I decided to do another order from Drugstore.com using YouShop to get my parcel to New Zealand. From memory this took just over a week to arrive on my doorstep, it certainly wasn't long at all. I thought I'd show you what I picked up in today's post because there isn't a dud to be seen and if you have ten dollars to spare then maybe you could add some of these to your stash...

Maybelline Baby Lips Electro in Pink Shock-The Baby Lips balms from Maybelline seem to have people divided. I particularly love them. All the colours that I own are rather pigmented and have reasonable staying power. This one was no exception. 

L'Oreal Paris Infallible Eyeshadow in Iced Latte-I do love the infallible eyeshadows and this champagne shade works perfectly all over the lid and as an inner corner highlight. I like pairing it with the Maybelline Color Tattoo and also with a bit of Fix+ to intensify the colour.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded-Now I'll be honest, in the past I've never really understood the mass hysteria about these. I'm a devoted Mac Paint Pot girl after all. This shade however may just have me converted. It applies quite sheerly so it'd work well under your powder favourites for a bit of longevity. One thing I find with these is they aren't the easiest to apply so I tend to use a brush to pat the colour on. I'm quite keen to try some of the Leather Color Tattoos now as apparently they're much more creamier than the originals.

EOS Hand Lotion in Berry Blossom-EOS' lip balms leave a lot to be desired but their body offerings are a lot more promising. This hand cream smells delightful, sinks in easily and doesn't leave your hands feeling dry. It also comes in cute packaging too which is just an added bonus.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Trio in Walking On Eggshells-As you can see this got a little bit broken in transit. It's still useable though so I wasn't too bothered about it. This trio is $3 and the eyeshadows are amazing. They're not chalky in the slightest and are so easy to apply then blend out. They're just beautiful. I'm impressed!

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso-This blush is always out of stock on drugstore.com so that led me to believe it had to be good. It's been compared to Nars Orgasm blush and I definitely prefer this to its high-end counterpart. It's more peachy and less glittery. Full on pink blushers just don't seem to suit me so this one is right up my street. It's such a beautiful blush. I love it. 

Maybelline Baby Lips Crystal in Pink Quartz-Nineties ladies you'll like this one. The tube alone is plastic and glittery. Compared to Pink Shock (above) this is a bit more sheer. It has a hint of shimmer to it but it's nothing overly detectable on the lips. As I said above I don't rate the EOS balms so if you're on the hunt for something else affordable, these may take your fancy.

*Have you tried any of these products?