September has slipped away like that *clicks fingers*. It's been quite the month for lack of a better word. September saw many things; housesitting, goodbyes, a newfound love for diary writing and an appreciation for the return of flowers and more hours of sunshine. This month's favourites selection is a bit of everything; music, perfume, literature and of course some beauty to round it all out...

Kenzo World EDP*: Fragrance has definitely been something I've been drifting between during September. This new scent from Kenzo is one I keep coming back to. Floral, light and rather lovely if I do say so myself. That gorgeous eye shaped bottle is difficult to resist too.

Ring Cone x Claybird Ceramics: Isn't this exquisite? I've been eyeing up ring cones for a while, usually online and haven't wanted to buy one. Simply because the idea of one arriving in the post, crushed to smithereens by less than gentle post staff crossed my mind one time too many. Anyway, this month Claybird Ceramics had a pop-up stall inside Ponsonby Central and given this combined many of my favourite things; dots, gold, navy, it would have been rude to ignore it. I don't know what to say other than it is beautiful and it keeps my rings in one place. 

Mecca Max The Illuminati Shadow in Showbiz: Glittery, cream shadows are my weakness. That's no secret around these parts. I decided to give Mecca Max's own brand ones a go to see how they deliver. They definitely do not disappoint. What I will say though is because these go from a cream to a powder finish quite quickly you do have to be quite fast applying them. That being said, it's the kind of formula that is easy to apply and layer on top of. Showbiz is a coppery, rose gold piece of perfection. I reach for it several times a week now when I'm deciding what makeup to wear.

Stardust Sunglasses x Glassons: I've only just discovered the name of these sunnies and I love it. I don't usually go into Glassons but I wanted some cheap eyewear I can just throw on when I go out on my breaks and vice versa. I like that they're a bit oversized, have a slight yellow-y tint to the lens so everything looks a bit more sunny and make me feel cooler than I am when I wear them. They also give me John Lennon vibes too which I am never going to complain about.

Drying Lotion x Mario Badescu: Apologies for the lack of links here, blame my Internet for being temperamental. This truly is a hero product and I am so glad Kylie Jenner bought it to my attention. During her year of realising stuff if I remember correctly. Thank you KJ and Snapchat. Anyway, this solution, which you apply to a cotton bud and then on to blemishes works wonders. Seriously, it renders most pesky blemishes invisible in twelve hours. I've had to use it a couple of times to banish more planet-like ones but I can't complain when it gets rid of them so easily. Absolute lifesaver if you want to get rid of zits without popping them. Gross but true.

Conversations With Friends** by Sally Rooney: First things first, this is a debut novel by a twenty-something. I'm not sure why that blows my mind so much. The story of Bobbi and Frances, two 21 year olds on the verge of graduating University. Frances is an aspiring writer and Bobbi is her former lover and best friend. The two are profiled by renowned writer Melissa and introduced to her actor husband Nick and a world of adult sophistication and ideals. As the title would suggest, the book centres around conversation. The intimate intricacies, the symbolism in the silence, the way in which lingering on a phrase or talking point can communicate so much. All of the characters are flawed, mistake-makers and discovering their destiny and in turn themselves. It's such compelling reading and I've loved being absorbed in its pages on my train trips this month. 

Something To Tell You x Haim: It took me a long time to listen to Haim properly but now I am fully on the bandwagon. Their latest album reminds me of parties and evenings with friends. Going through all the motions, the changing patterns of the light as candlelight flickers in swirling shadows on the walls, the deep and meaningful banter. It's just a brilliant listening fest all round really. 

-What have you loved during September?

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Hello, happy Monday. It's been a whole entire week since I blogged. Spending the better part of a week without Internet and only shoddy hot spotting c/o my phone at the best of times will do that. I apologise and I am back now with a fresh lineup of posts, starting today with this one on things I've read on and offline during September. There's also a guest post coming on Wednesday so keep an eye out for that one too. Anyway, here's some of what I've been reading during the month. 

What Happened x Hillary Clinton: It feels like the last presidential election was an entire lifetime ago but it hasn't quite been a year since it happened yet. Anyway, when I heard Clinton was releasing a new book, set to be her most candid yet, I promptly requested it from the library. By the time you read this post I will either have just finished it or be coming close to finishing. It has not disappointed. As well of course as the intimate insights, it's really illuminated many of the problematic sides of the election; media involvement and spin, Russian interference, misogyny among countless other things. A lot of the backstory to the campaign to derail Hillary wasn't covered in much detail by the local media here so I found those insights particularly fascinating, albeit frustrating. Well worth the read, even if at times it's a bit depressing given the eventual outcome. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower x Stephen Chbosky: I had intended to revisit Gone Girl this month but decided I wanted something not quite as heavy instead so I opted for this. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of my all time favourite novels. The way in which it describes the teenage experience but also delves into some darker issues is so well done. I also love the references to mixtapes, literature, Stevie Nicks, Rocky Horror, The Beatles and of course kids living life on their terms. As someone who never felt like they fit in during high school, this book is like a breath of fresh air. I do kinda wish I'd read it at that time because it might've put some of my experiences in a new light but in hindsight I am glad I discovered it when I did. 

Creatives Reading x frankie magazine: My love for frankie is incredibly well documented so I will keep this brief. The latest issue, number 79 contains a feature with creative types from Australia and their book recommendations. Georgia Perry (one of my faves, if only for her gorgeous pins) and Benjamin Law are just two of the peeps featured but the whole thing is worth looking at. As is the issue so grab yourself a copy. It's the flora and fauna adorned beauty currently on newsstands. 

Questionable Intimacy x Makanaka Tuwe: In my quest to support more local writers and talented wordsmiths I grabbed this on a whim in The Bread & Butter Letter. Wondrous, magic and a candid account of the self love journey. It's also a celebration of womanhood and black girl magic. Go get yourself a copy and prepare to be enchanted. 

Serial Book Clubbing: Laura's written this fantastic article on book clubs for Book Riot and I had to share it here. At present I am currently in only digital book clubs but I yearn for something more. Coffee, wine and banter with likeminded people perhaps. Passionate discussion about the words we love or loathe. I actually have a picture in my phone of a book club's flier I saw advertised so I seriously need to look into it. Alternatively, Aucklanders if you know of any good book clubs around that will accept someone who likes a hefty amount of literary banter, sing out.

-What have you read in September?

One thing that really helps to brighten my mood as well as unpack the ideas in my head is journalling. Not on a screen, on paper. It's why I carry around several notebooks everywhere and in a large part I credit writing with keeping me levelheaded. At least I think and hope it does. Today I thought I'd talk you through what I call my good vibes journal. Each day I try to write down a list of five positive things from the day. It could be something simple, like the way the sun shone down on the pavement as I walked to get my train, or a compliment someone paid me. I have been doing this on and off for years but more recently since the 15th of June, in the above Muji notebook you see. It is now just over three months since I started this so I thought I'd share with you a list of twenty things from those many days that are just positive anecdotes at their simplest. Idk if this is a lame post but I love reading these little life musings from people so maybe some of you will as well. Anyway, list incoming as well as the dates..

15/6: Reading Caitlin Moran's holiday tales at the carwash.

23/6: Winning tickets to see Tim Minchin! *Side note: This was amazing.

5/7: Learning effective new mindfulness techniques.

7/7: People saying lovely things.

14/7: Long chats with E. 

24/7: Feeling smiley at work.

2/8: Listening to Alexandra Shulman being interviewed by Richard E. Grant for Penguin & Jennifer Saunders on the Glamour podcast.

10/8: Engaging in fashion themed banter with L. 

20/8: Reading and underlining passages I connect with.

22/8: The song Younger Now x Miley Cyrus.

25/8: Exploring the Winter Gardens with Emma. 

29/8: Feeling confident rocking minimal makeup. *Side note: In honesty this confidence thing I'm struggling with a bit at the moment so it's definitely going to take time.

4/9: Vodka Daisies. *A drink at Bedford Soda Co. that I love.

9/9: Seeing Matilda at the Civic.

11/9: The twinkling lights out the train window at nighttime. 

15/9: Being honest.

16/9: Getting to vote.

3/7: Reading Frankie magazine during the power cut.

1/8: Lovely supportive blog comments and emails.

16/8: The in-depth article on feminism in Lula, Volume 16.

Prints are one of my favourite things to spruce up a space. Especially now where I try to avoid blu-tacking things to my walls. I also daydream about having my own wall devoted to prints, photos and other framed oddities one day so they appeal to me in that regard as well. Recently I've acquired a trio of new prints so I thought I'd do what any blogger should; document them and then showcase them here for your eyes to peruse. Enjoy...

// Willow in a floral Jumpsuit x andsmilestudio: When I saw this on Etsy initially it made me smile and I just felt like it was so 'me'. Florals, red lip, messy hair. There's just something about it that I find so magnetic and captivating. The lovely Viktorija also threw in some of her illustrated cards as well, including a miniature of this which I keep in my diary. It's just exquisite and I am so happy with it. 

// Hold my bag x Studio Bon: Local illustrator Bonnie has fast become one of my favourite illustrators for her beautiful fashion and beauty illustrations. When she opened her own shop I knew I had to grab something and this Chloe Faye bag illustration was it. It is going to go beautifully with the colour on my wall, it's a similar albeit muted shade. It will also tide me over because the reality of me owning the real deal is unlikely unless I ever win the lottery. This Diptyque illustration is also stunning as well. 

// XO x Maiko Nagao: How gorgeous is this custom foil print? A couple of weeks back I was invited to skincare brand Trilogy's 15 year celebrations and this was in our goody bag. Along with a rather scrumptious cake from The Caker. Despite my love of metallics, it's actually not a feature of any of the other prints I have already so I'm looking forward to getting this up on my wall. Sparkles and shine are such mood raisers for me. 

-Where are your favourite places to find new prints?