It's that time of month again. What is this sorcery!? In seriousness, I feel incredibly out of practice with blogging and writing in general. More on the latter later in the week. Anyway, September has somewhat sneakily flown by and I've been loving a whole lineup of things. It's been a good month for music. Since downloading Apple Music to my phone a few months ago I've really got back into mixing up what I listen to. I know, Sophie joins the 21st century. I also have read a few books and loved 'em and then there's some tried and true favourites in the mix...

zoe & morgan ring, similar here: This ring holds a lot of personal meaning for me, meaning which I'll leave in a corner of my mind. I guessperhaps it's that sentimentality I like about it more than anything. I do really love the design though-stars and moons feature in a few of my favourite pendants and earrings already. Unfortunately you cannot get this exact design anymore as it was part of an end-of-season sale but I highly recommend you check out Zoe and Morgan's extensive range. 

dodie clark: So I've been listening to a lotta music all month but the one artist I keep coming back to is Dodie. Her music is confessional, relatable and gives me Zooey Deschanel of She & Him vibes. I'm terrible at describing music I'm sorry. It's catchy and brilliant and I'm a Dodie fangirl anyways but I recommend you give her a listen. I love Human and Secret For The Mad atm. 

my year of rest and relaxation x ottessa moshfegh: Given I've been thinking about this book all week since finishing it and asking myself what my own personal year of rest+relaxation would look like, I'd say this left an impression. What a book. The main character is incredibly unlikeable yet I found myself understanding why she did what she did. She largely withdraws from New York city life and instead escapes c/o prescription drugs, watching a lot of Whoopi Goldberg and Harrison Ford films, surfacing for the occasional shopping spree. Her and her best friend Reva act as mirror-images of one another. Seeing what they want to see in themselves and in turn each other-bringing out their best and worst sides. It explores topics of escapism, addiction, celebrity worship and of course the questioning of identity that seems to go hand in hand with twenty-something life. It's darkly funny and brilliantly written. 

colourpop palette, similar here: I won't say too much about this palette because it's no longer available but I take it away with me all the time, including my recent travels to Melbourne and it is so useful. I don't know how I used to have one of those 15-pan MAC palettes because honestly I can get away with six shadows like this, maybe a couple of cream ones and be done. Anyway, Colourpop's eyeshadows are cheap as chips, deliver on the pigment stakes and are just bloomin' lovely. I can't fault 'em. 

anais anais x cacharel: I recently bought a bottle of this for my friend when I was on holiday and I decided to get myself one too. One because I'm a copycat and two because I wanted a small perfume to throw in my bag. I feel like smaller perfumes are harder to come by/really expensive here in NZ. Anais Anais is a classic and according to Pretty Iconic, it was to teens of the eighties what Daisy Marc Jacobs was to my generation. Its scent is floral and has base notes of amber and sandalwood. I think I like it though because it reminds me of Glow x jLO which was one of my first perfumes and pre-teen me used to spritz that around on special occasions. Side note; how great is Chemist Warehouse? Cheap fragrances and Bioderma. Yes ploise. 

expert concealer brush x real techniques: If Priceline is anything to go by, Australia love themselves a bit of Real Techniques. Seriously, I have never seen so many of their brushes in one place. When I was over they were on special so I nabbed the concealer brush. With Real Techniques brushes you are guaranteed brushes that will do the job and then some-you could use this with cream eyeshadows too if you really wanted. It makes blending concealer an absolute dream though and I love that. 

bone x yrsa daley-ward: Another book, this time poetry. A purchase enabled by the one and only Tara. Also indirectly enabled by Florence Welch who selected it for Between Two Books back in the day. I've not read anything quite like it. Poetry and storytelling that feels so truthful and in turn powerful. I deliberately drew out the process of reading this book because I wanted to make the experience last but I know it's one I will be going back to and annotating to oblivion. Daley-Ward's memoir is unsurprisingly at the top of my wishlist right now. 

-what have you loved during september?

The end of August signals the end of Winter and the beginnings of Spring. Groundbreaking florals, brighter skies, higher temperatures. Yes please. Before September truly gets underway though it's time to reflect on the favourites from the month that was. I certainly found some beauty gems this month along with some extra favourites. In all honesty this post could easily have been much longer. Today though, here are seven things, from music to a pale-skin friendly bronzer I am smitten with...

Mecca Max Sunlit Skin Bronzer in Light: Do not look too closely at the imagery for this online. It is deceiving and nowhere near as orange so I'm not sure why it was photographed as being warmer. Photography qualms aside, I LOVE this bronzer from the new Mecca Maxima, or Mecca Max if we're being overly technical, range. This light shade gives just the right amount of warmth and a hint of radiance to the complexion. 

Zoeva Buffer Brush: After hearing Anna declaring her love for this brush many a time I had to grab it a few months back when Sephora NZ had a sale going on. It does not disappoint and is so luxe and soft. Despite being denser, it doesn't soak up your foundation like it's going out of fashion and makes blending so fast. I don't know what goes in to the making of Zoeva's brushes, magic possibly but whatever it is, it is wondrous. 

Glamour Magazine (UK Edition): Where has Glamour been all my glossy loving life? After grabbing an issue to take on a mini weekend jaunt back in July, I've kept an eye out for the upcoming issues. Great stories, inspiring women, a column with Dawn O'Porter. You have me sold Glamour goddesses. Their podcast is really worth a listen to as well. 

Zoe and Morgan New Moon Necklace: Last month I turned 25 and this was one of my presents. I've loved Zoe and Morgan for a long time and the fact this was for my 25th birthday makes it feel doubly special. That and I get to feel like Stevie Nicks and Florence Welch whenever I wear it. I don't know, I just like to pretend it has some kind of magic encased inside it. Moreover I love it and wear it most days now. It's like my ritualistic talisman. 

Too Faced Love Light Prismatic Highlighter in Blinded By The Light: This is a thing of absolute beauty, in every sense of the world. I'm not one to apply highlighter with reckless abandon so I can appreciate something like this which does the whole wet look, somewhat subtler glow kind of thing. By all means you can dial up the intensity if that's how you like things, but armed with my duo fibre fan brush and an extremely light hand is how I prefer it to be. I like that there are also deeper colours, rose gold and a golden highlighter so there's something for every skintone. Well played Too Faced. 

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser: I know there's some whisperings about the politics and perhaps problematic nature of this brand online and I am certainly mindful of that. Some is just a bit outlandish, I don't think any beauty brand expects their products to only be used by people who are whatever society's version of flawless is. That'd skew the whole way in which the beauty industry works. Anyway, back to the product at hand. From the first time I used this lightweight, delight of a cleanser I could see why everyone loved it. Aside from being an absolute treat to use, it agrees with my skin and its refreshing, cooling texture goes down well after a long day. 

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful x Florence and the Machine: By no means a new album now, I think it's been three years almost since HBHBHB made its way into my life. Perhaps I am biased because Florence and the Machine are one of my all time favourite bands but it still holds up. Her lyrics are mesmerising, the orchestration is always theatrical and has such a cinematic, escapist quality to it. Queen of Peace is still undoubtedly my favourite song on the record but I love the whole thing. I often listen to it at work actually and have to resist the temptation to sing often. The struggle is sometimes real.

-What have you loved during August?

August is well and truly underway and with that comes another of my roundup posts. I feel like I need to preface this post and apologise if things are a bit lackluster on the blog front. I'll try my hardest to keep things consistent but at the moment I'm still trying to suss out how to manage my time outside of work. Bear with me! Anyway, five things for August; a magazine discovery, a makeup marvel, podcast finery and more...

The Sunday Girl: After bemoaning the lack of magazine outlets in Auckland CBD, I discovered a newsagents close to my work that has quite the selection. Props to those of you on Twitter who pointed me in the direction of it. I grabbed the latest issue of Glamour UK (August) and also The Sunday Girl, pictured. The latter is one I've spied on Liv's many channels and liked the look of. From the quick flick-through I had on my afternoon tea break, it looks super promising. Check out their site here and their dreamy Instagram feed here. 

Saying hello to Mecca Maxima+Mecca Max: In case you missed it, Mecca Maxima landed in Auckland last week and sent a range of beauty lovers into an excitable frenzy. Case in point, whenever I've walked past at lunchtime this week and even after work, the store has been filled to the brim with people. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you why having a Mecca Maxima around is a good/perhaps dangerous thing. Along with last week's launch which coincidentally fell on my birthday, Mecca Max, the new and extensive brand dropped. I still haven't had a chance to look at this range properly, see previous sentences but I did pick up the light bronzer. It's all reasonably affordable and the branding+thought behind the entire line is definitely worth noting. 

Podcast Loves: To break up the work day a bit I alternate between listening to music and podcasts every now and again. Solange, Lorde & Florence+The Machine are my go-to for music whilst I work. Podcast wise-I basically search for people/guests I want to listen to and go from there but I have found a podcast I really love. Glamour mag's Hey It's Ok is one of my favourites. Start with Jennifer Saunders' episode. You're welcome. I also recommend the Penguin UK podcast episode with Alexandra Shulman and Richard E Grant. So. Good. Last but not least, this episode with Scarlett Curtis on Emma Gannon's podcast is worth a listen.

Zoe and Morgan: I've been obsessed with Zoe and Morgan's gorgeous pieces for a while and was lucky enough to receive this for my birthday. Okay there was some very unsubtle hinting involved. I love it so, so much. It gives me Stevie Nicks vibes, never a bad thing and because it was a birthday gift it has that sentimentality attached to it too. Good luck getting me to wear any other necklaces now. 

Books & Things: So you may have noticed book blogging has really taken a backseat lately. In fact my last book post was nearly a month ago (!). Whoops. So just a quick PSA, the book blogging is still a thing. In fact I have a book themed post coming Monday. If you ever want more of a glimpse into what I'm reading, you can check out my bookstagram, which is dedicated mostly to books, naturally. You'll also find the odd Rory Gilmore picture that seem to attract a ton of likes, a mystery to me. 

To break up the gift guide a bit, I decided to share my Christmas wishlist which has become a yearly tradition. I don't expect to get any of these things, but in an ideal, money is no object world this is what I'd love. Surprisingly there's some practical things in the mix and of course makeup. Here's what I'd love for Christmas this year...

Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Party Eyes: Charlotte Tilbury's products are always winners with me and I've wanted to try her new Legendary Lashes mascara for ages as well as her eye kohls. This little Christmas bauble is the best of both worlds really. 

Donna Hay Basics to Brilliance: Donna Hay is one of my favourite chefs and I love her simple recipes. Don't let the simplicity put you off. Her food is always delicious and packed with decadent flavour. I love how her latest book makes use of ingredients across multiple recipes so you have a range of dishes and treats to whip up. I'm always looking for new things to make too so this would be perfect going into the new year.

Zoe and Morgan Little Moon Studs: Zoe and Morgan create stunning jewelry and I often find myself admiring friend's pieces from their collection. These earrings would be perfect for channeling your inner Stevie Nicks or Florence Welch. They also give me Chanel costume jewelry vibes and those pieces are much more expensive. Don't be surprised if I end up buying these for myself at some point actually. 

Kikki K S Keyring: When I was in Australia I saw someone wearing one of these on a necklace chain and I stopped them in the street to ask where it was from. I'm not hugely fond of personalised stuff but I don't mind when it's initialed like this and it would be worn to death around my neck, or on my keys where it would usually belong. 

Too Faced Born This Way Concealer: There is never not a need for new concealer and after hearing good things about this one, it has crept its way to the top of my to-try list. I really like the foundation that was the first product in this line so I am sure I'd enjoy this too. 

Kate Spade Makeup Card Case: In the interest of not taking my ridiculously overstuffed wallet everywhere I have been on the lookout for a cardholder to carry the cards I need and maybe some cash around with me. Kate Spade's are naturally top of the wishlist because they are beautiful. As a makeup lover this one really appeals to me. I'm also eyeing up the initialed ones over on The Daily Edited too. 

-What's on your wishlist for Christmas?