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

Happy weekend! This post is a lil' different and is essentially me waxing lyrical on some of my favourite places to find clothes. The novelty of having a Zara about 15-20 minutes drive away is yet to wear off. Annoyingly, a lot of what I wanted to talk about is nightmarish to find online so I might generalise a bit. Apologies in advance. If in doubt, go peruse the shops in question. Anyway, fashion and fashion-y bits incoming...

Zara: Oh Zara, how I love thee. Ever since I discovered it in Melbourne six or so years back I have been smitten. Gorgeous pieces, fabulous tailoring, colours and on-trend without being too gimmicky. Zara is my go-to for blouses, basics and things that you won't really find elsewhere. For my birthday I was given some money and nabbed the dream skirt, it has pockets people, a shirt dress with dramatic sleeve detailing, I love me some sleeve drama and this oversized navy cardigan above. It has tortoiseshell style buttons and is so cosy. I literally feel like I'm walking in a blanket when I have this on. In a good way. This is why I'm not a fashion copywriter...

H&M: H&M can be a bit hit and miss sometimes, I'm not going to lie. If you're willing to tolerate the crowds and never ending racks, it can be a rewarding experience. I go here for basics like skirts and lightweight cardis but also blouses and tops. More recently I grabbed a burnt orange lace blouse with a slightly ruffled collar. It's not overly dramatic, period-actress looking, thank goodness but I love it. The stripes you see above are from a shirt I grabbed not too long ago, with flared sleeves. All about the shirts right now.

Alexa Chung: After watching Alexa's SS17 live stream in the early hours of the morning here in Auckland, I knew I wanted all many of the things. These star loafers are still calling out to me. Love Rays, her non-first date ready tee is in my wardrobe now. It mightn't quite be teeshirt weather yet but I have been wearing this underneath knits (see above) with skirts and tights+boots. I love it.

Pinch & Fold: The lovely folk at Pinch & Fold reached out to me recently and offered me some jewellery, which of course I couldn't turn down. I love their celestial themed pieces, in particular this* necklace, a star choker* (which I have a suspicion was part of the sale) and these earrings. Everything came beautifully packaged too, in a mini mason jar which I actually kept to stop these dainty pieces getting tangled/lost. 

Trade Aid: This is my go-to for ethically produced and sourced pieces from around the world. Whether it be their mugs, chocolate or their jewelry. Seriously their earrings are underrated and I love 'em. These were actually a gift from Emma and they've fast become my favourites to wear on an almost daily basis. Although they do have a tendency to get caught on my swipe-card's lanyard for work but that's redundant. They're a beaut. I've not linked their online store because the selection online is limited so I'd encourage you to head in to have a browse. 

-What are your fashion staples at the moment?

*I was sent these necklaces for review but all love of celestial motifs and dainty jewels are my own. 

We probably all have a list of things we need to buy. Lately for me that's been skincare (side note: why does everything run out at the same time?) and new running shoes. However it's always fun to make another list of the things you'd like to buy if money were no obstacle. I even have a board on Pinterest devoted to the very concept. Well, here's what's taking my fancy in February..

Zara Suede Combination Citybag-Zara's citybags have been on my wishlist for a while. If you know me you'll know I never carry big enough bags and this one is the perfect size from what I have heard and seen. I could only find them in garish colours when I was in Melbourne *sheds tear*. I love the combination of suede and leather in this style, it just adds a little bit more character to this bag. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes, pictured are Blissful and Exposed-My new favourite term is the 'blogger effect' wherein a blogger raves about a product (any product) and you feel compelled to try it yourself. The Essie Button effect is certainly at play here with my desire to own Tarte blushes. These blushes are highly pigmented and evidently super long-wearing. I like that the shade range is mostly matte as well. These colours in particular look so pretty. PS-Tarte, you should set up shop in Auckland xo.

Topshop Nina Mid Heels-Sequined, sky high heels sure are fun to look at but not so much to walk in. These simple, elegant heels look stunning. I love that they have a mid-length heel as well so you don't have to walk cautiously in them. Wins all round.

Ted Baker Medium Wash Bag-If you've ever been to a Ted Baker store you'll know that they have gorgeous bags, shoes, and dresses-girly heaven basically. These makeup bags are what take my fancy though and they are stunners in person. The ones with the rose gold hardware are particularly luxe. They're silk lined too. Who wouldn't feel special taking this traveling or rifling through it in the morning?