Another month, another round of beauty+lifestyle bits I've been loving. I feel like May has gone 'blink and you'll miss it' fast. It's been mostly good but a lil' not so good. Anyway... During May I've found a few new beauty loves, rediscovered some things from times past and finally read a book I'd avoided for years. May Favourites, here's lookin' at you. 

Eyeko 'Eye Do' Eyeliner: I used to use this eyeliner back in the day, after I purchased it in a set with the Eye Do Mascara, designed in collaboration with Alexa Chung. It's still alive and well and thankfully so because it's a bloomin' good liner. Easy to use, blacker than black, budge proof. There's not much more to it than that really. 

The Body Shop Adriatic Peony Bath & Shower Cream*: Peonies are some of my favourite flowers so I was probably bound to love this. Regardless, I feel like The Body Shop do bath+shower products well. Their shelf-lives are reasonable for starter. This one is available in a travel-friendly size too. Always a bonus. This is essentially an in-shower body moisturiser. It does have a slight lather as well and the scent is divine. It's not overpowering and is perhaps only detectable to the wearer post-spritz but I don't mind that in the slightest. 

How To Build A Girl** x Caitlin Moran: So I admittedly held off on reading this book for ages. By ages, I mean years. I think I had it in my head that Moran's fiction wouldn't live up to the greatness of her essays. A very misguided prediction. Safe to say I loved this 'semi-autobiographical' novel about Johanna Morrigan, an aspiring music journalist who dreams of seeing her name in print and a life of notoriety in London. She gets that and more, although perhaps at a cost. Such is the nature of being young and making mistakes. This book is hilarious, moving and captivating. Caitlin's fiction didn't disappoint me. I cannot wait to read How To Be Famous, released in July. 

MAC Extended Play Mascara: So I finally grabbed this after hearing Sam sing its praises in her videos for years. Worth the hype and it looks amazing layered up and worn with curled lashes. I know mascara's such a subjective thing but I believe this is one of MAC's bestsellers so that probably speaks volumes on its own. I think I might have found my dream mascaras in the last two months. It's only taken me a few years. 

Moleskine Notebooks: Way back in the Uni days, these were my notebook of choice. I had them in varying sizes and colours. Well I've gone back to these ones and they are so good. I use them for journalling, keeping to-do lists, noting down podcast recommendations and of course the not so exciting grocery shopping lists. I love that they're well-made, relatively inexpensive and have a back pocket for stowing away random scraps of paper and the like. 

Coco Mademoiselle Intense: The original Coco Mademoiselle is a staple in my perfume lineup, see this post for evidence. So when I spritzed and had the new incarnation sweep me off my metaphorical feet, I needed it. Think of this as a more longer lasting, powerful version of the original. It's my new MVP perfume.

-What have you liked during May?

*PR Sample

**Review Copy

Podcasts are my jam. I cannot live without them these days and find they're the perfect accompaniment when I'm at my desk working. Today we have four podcasts+some radio programs you should have a listen to. They're all ones I've loved and enjoyed lately and will keep listening to. Enjoy...

Stephen Fry x The Happy Place: This podcast comes at the recommendation of Emma, thanks Em! A podcast discussing mental health as well as generally fantastic yarns between Fearne Cotton and her guests. She's also interviewed Alexandra Shulman, formerly of British Vogue among others but her conversation with Stephen Fry stands out. Frick he's an amazing man and conversationalist. Get Fry on every podcast. All of them. 

Anne Marie Duff x Desert Island Discs: I bloomin' love Desert Island Discs. I've listened to some of the episodes more than once and have a lengthy list of archival episodes to listen to. A favourite, just for the sheer fascination alone is the Princess Margaret episode from the 1980's (questionable music taste, entertaining interview). Anyway, one of Kirsty Young's latest castaways was Anne Marie Duff, an amazing actress of both stage and screen. I think she's usually a bit press-shy so it was really fascinating listening to her talk about theatre and her schooling+background, as well as her songs she chose+why. Also, love the mix of music she selected as well. So good. 

The High Low: Hosted by Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes. My current favourite podcast and one I am probably going to make my way through the archives for. It's very topical and usually centres on a wide range of things per episode. You're never bored listening to this refreshingly raw and always hilarious podcast. Dolly and Pandora could yarn for hours and I would not tire of it. 

Emma Freud + Vanessa Kirby x Love Stories: Another podcast hosted by Dolly Alderton, this time in celebration of her book. It's not all lovey dovey and nauseating romance chat, which is what I feared it might be. I'm really not sure how to best describe this podcast but it's really interesting and I loved hearing Emma and Vanessa speak on the subject of lurve. Side note: Emma Freud also needs to be on every podcast. All of them. 

God Only Knows x Soul Music: I'm not sure if this is a podcast or not, I just listen to it on the BBC's website. This. Episode. Though. I don't have a particularly memorable relationship with this song, other than I just love it for mostly inexplicable reasons. Okay because it plays during this scene at the end of Love Actually and it makes me all emotional and happy and argh. Anyway, Soul Music interviews people from all walks of life, sharing their memories and associations with particular songs. This episode focuses on The Beach Boys classic and it is a ride from start to finish. Yes, I did have to disappear quick smart to the stairwell to have a lil' moment after hearing the story of the woman whose husband never came home. I need to look at some of the other songs they've covered actually.

-What podcasts do you listen to and rate?

"I'm tired of hearing people say they don't have time to read. I don't have time for anything else!" -George Whitman. If I had a dollar for every time I've had someone say they don't have time for reading, I'd have a nice lil' collection of gold coins. I totally get where people are coming from with this sentiment because lately I've been all kinds of tired and sometimes I do just want to stare mindlessly out the window on the train, listening to music. Sometimes I just want to come home and laugh at Karen Walker's one-liners on Will and Grace rather than reading a book. More often than not though, I will be reading in my spare time. Books are my tonic and my life would be so much less exciting without them. For that reason alone I am happy to make time for them. Today I thought I'd share some tips for incorporating reading into your life. Reading is fun okay!? 

Set Up A Goodreads Account: Goodreads is a bit clunky but it's pretty easy to use. Basically, you can use it to log books you are reading, have read or perhaps want to read. You can also see what your friends are reading too, granted they use the website and each year they have a reading challenge so you can use that as a goal/incentive to read. It also has a scanner within the app so if you're in a bookstore and want to remember a book to look up later you can use that. Side note, if you're on there, you can see my profile here. 

Have A Designated Time: For me, I like to unwind with a book at the end of the day. Usually I set a timer for 30/40 minutes before bed and just read. I'm not always consistent with this. If I'm tired I will just skip reading altogether and get some extra zzz's. Whether it's setting a reminder or making mental note of this time out, I highly recommend it. 

Go To A Bookstore: Ok so this isn't strictly about finding time to read but going to a bookstore and finding yourself some inspiration or a fresh tome to purchase can be all the enticing you need. Ask your local booksellers what they've been reading and loving lately. Get their recommendations based on what you've read and liked in the past. You cannot beat a firsthand recommendation. My go-to's in Auckland are Time Out and Unity Books. 

Join A Book Club: So this is one I kinda struggle with because it's surprisingly hard to find book clubs offline to join. I have found this one though and they have monthly meetups in Auckland and I believe somewhere in the South Island as well but also around the world. I'm yet to go to a meeting, this month will be the month though. Other great online ones are; Between Two Books, Belletrist and Our Shared Shelf. Heck, if you are super keen, start your own. 

Use Your Commute: I have a rather lengthy commute to work and honestly it's the perfect time for reading. I don't tend to come across people I know on the train very often so I can read uninterrupted and it's one of the best ways to zone out and get a rather decent chunk of reading done. On a good week I can sometimes finish two books this way, if not get a decent way through at least one. I know motion-sickness is a thing so this isn't necessarily an option for everyone. There's always audiobooks as an option as well. Books read by the authors themselves are the best in my opinion but there's brilliant narrators like Stephen Fry who narrates the entire Harry Potter series. 

Put Your Phone Down: Turn off Netflix. Unplug the devices. It's amazing how much time can be allocated and arguably wasted by these things. Yes I sound like an old person but seriously. Less Netflx, more pages. 

-What are your tips and tricks for reading more?