Back in the day I was a magpie. If it was oversized, extravagant and bold, it was around my wrists, on my fingers or adorning my neck. Seriously, I was a jewelry queen and there was many a day where I went to town with jewelry for school, regardless of the dress code. Nowadays my taste in accessories are much more simplified. I still like fun pieces, but they're nowhere near as intense as I used to have them. Today I thought I'd share with you my go-to accessory staples. These types of pieces are what I tend to reach for year round and rotate on the regular..

Karen Walker Wreath Ring-This is my favourite ring at the moment. My photo does it no justice but it really is stunning. I have some other statement rings but if I'm wanting something with wow-factor that's not too crazy, this is the one I reach for.

Emma and Roe Cubic Zirconia Stack Ring*-Stacking rings is only something I've really explored before with midi rings but I love the way these silver bands from Emma and Roe look together. I particularly like stacking this one with the hearts and also some midi rings.

Colette Daisy Ring-How cute is this ring? One of my friends got this for me as a birthday present and I was excited because it reminded me of the Daisy x Marc Jacobs flower. I've also not really worn statement rings like this in a while but I'm liking wearing this and the Spring vibes it's giving me.

Emma and Roe Three Daisy Stack Ring*-Can you tell I like flower rings? This was one of the rings I had to choose from Emma and Roe because it just looked so pretty. Mine is slightly too big for me so I have to wear it with the other stacking rings but I like the way it looks layered up.

Karen Walker Daisy Ring-This seems to be only showing up online in the midi size which is not cool KW. This has to have been one of the most popular fine jewelry rings of hers. Anyway, rants aside there's not much to say here other than I like this a lot and wear it to death.

Emma and Roe Sterling Silver Running Hearts Stack Ring*-This design is a bit more interesting than just a plain silver band but it's still simple enough that you can match it with other pieces and not have too much of a clash. Side note: I mix metals often. Is that some kind of jewelry/fashion sin? Stacking rings is definitely my new favourite way to wear rings.

Crystal on Chain and Clear Quartz Pendants, Matchbox Studios-If you're yet to visit Matchbox in Auckland or Wellington and like crystals and other crafty fare, get a move on. I wear these pendants all the time and think they're so rad. I may have to pick up another one next time I'm visiting their stores...

Semi-Precious Pendant, purchased in a sale from Lovisa-From memory this was super cheap, two or three dollars I think. Again it is one of my favourite pieces because it works with everything. Let's be real though, my wardrobe isn't that outlandish so it's difficult for accessories not to work with most things haha.

Colette Turquoise Statement Necklace-This was another gift from my friend for my birthday earlier in the month and I love it. It's one of my favourite colours and is so bright and Summery. Expect to see this in a lot of OOTD's and videos in the future.

-What are your go-to accessories?

*PR Sample-I did receive these pieces to feature on Nana Wintour but as always all thoughts, musings and love of pretty jewels are my own.

When it comes to beauty and fashion, I'm always on the hunt for bargains that are just as good as their higher end counterparts. To be honest, that can often end up being easier said than done here in New Zealand. The quality of products might not be as good or things that are traditionally much cheaper overseas end up with a ludicrously high markup once they make it to our shelves. 

Thankfully, when it comes to makeup brushes at least, finding a cheap, awesome alternative is no longer a total 'mare and that's all down to the brilliance of Shannon Harris aka Shaaanxo. I already owned one of her face brushes but decided to pick up some of the eye brushes to try recently. Given I got two brushes for $30 as opposed to double that price *cough Mac, cough* I was pleased. These brushes are really good so read on if you're curious about my new faves..

Angled Top Synthetic Eyeshadow Brush-This brush is great with cream shadows if you want a sheerer wash of colour. It also works well with powder shadows across the lids too and its tapered edge means you can even get a bit of crease definition happening as well. It's super soft and despite being densely packed with bristles, it dries up really quickly. This is such a plus if you're like me and don't like waiting for brushes to dry. 

Synthetic Eyeshadow Brush-This paintbrush style brush is also great for using with cream eyeshadows for a more even, concentrated layer of colour on the lids. I know some people prefer using their fingers with cream products but with eyeshadow in particular I find brushes easier to use. It's also extremely soft and I love it. 

-Have you tried any xoBeauty brushes before? What did you think of them?

Amy: Earlier in the week I went and saw Amy, the documentary about the late Amy Winehouse's life. As a fan this was fantastic. It really offers an in-depth insight into her life as an artist and of course showed where a lot of the inspiration for her songs stemmed from. She never wanted to be famous and just wanted to make great music. It was also interesting seeing the power of the media and music industry at play and just how destructive those two forces can be combined. It is quite a sad one to watch but I highly recommend you see it-just take tissues and opt out of mascara for this one.

Budget-Friendly Decor: As I said on Instagram last week, Kmart have really been bringing it in the homeware department lately. They've recently done a new drop of homeware goodness in store featuring a range of coppery bits and also some Scandinavian inspired designs there. Pops of colour throughout the range will be perfect going into Spring and Summer. I love the copper baskets (pictured) although I have no justifiable use for one. There's some cute gold foiled cushions in this line too. Everything's so inexpensive, it'd be rude to not have a gander at the collection if you've not yet done so..

Alice in Wonderland: Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co's illustrations have been favourites of mine ever since I discovered them. They've recently debuted their calendars for 2016 and while it's a little too early to be thinking about another year, I'm absolutely smitten with this Alice in Wonderland calendar. It's just stunning. Shipping for this one is a little bit on the pricy side to NZ but I may just have to make an exception.

Be Brave: My other favourite longtime stationery love, Kikki K have recently released their stunning new Be Brave collection and it is stunning guys. The soft, watercoloured hues combined with that foiled detailing makes for a dreamy range of goodness. My pick from this collection has to be these notebooks which I picked up last week. If you can find them, the vision board cards are worth looking at as well.

*Have an awesome weekend everybody! As I write this it is bucketing down outside, #raincanyounot. This week's been pretty rad though-the highlight being a makeup and cake date with the lovely Fiona from @fionaclarebeauty. This weekend I don't have any overly extravagant plans on the cards so I guess I will just see where Saturday+Sunday take me. See you all on Monday with another beauty post! 

It was quite recently that I realised that I don't write about books on my blog as much as I thought. These days I seem to get through a lot of them and I often run out of time to talk about everything so in an attempt to combat that I thought I'd start a new ish feature of books I have read, liked, but may not have had the chance to natter on to you lovely lot about just yet. Most of these I have read already or am currently reading just for reference. So yeah, here is what I have read and enjoyed...

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas*-I think it was in one of my videos recently that I talked about how this book had taken me a little while to get into but now I have and I am hooked. The first book of five tells the story of Celaena, an assassin who is selected as the prince's candidate to fight in a to-the-death tournament against other assassins from across the land, all in the name of her freedom. A few people have dubbed Celaena as a modern-day Buffy Summers which I do kinda agree with. I really like this series and can't wait to read the rest of these books. I was actually sent the fourth book, out in September yesterday so I really need to get a move on with the rest.

Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery-Considering how much I loved the film-length version of these books back in the day I am surprised I'd never read the book until last year. Anne Shirley is such an iconic character in literature and I loved her fiery nature, kindred spirit and love of good literature. I need to start reading the other books but I'm waiting until I go to a secondhand bookstore as I am sure there'll be some hiding there.

Life with a Sprinkle of Glitter by Louise Pentland*-I'll be honest, I was kinda worried Louise's book was going to be just another YouTube book but I shouldn't have. I mean it is Louise after all and she wouldn't let that happen. This book really epitomises everything Louise is about-fashion, friendly banter, a touch of sparkliness and of course some humour. There's stunning imagery throughout and I loved how every page has a different design. It's a really positive, uplifting read and would really go down a treat with teens or young adults. 

As If! The oral history of Clueless by Jen Chaney-After reading the writeup about Clueless in Vanity Fair's July issue I almost immediately requested this book from the local library. I love Clueless and reading about how it began, the many inspirations behind it and all the cast's relationships with the story really appeals to me y'know? I'll do a full review over on my Goodreads but so far, so good. 

-Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

*Review Copy

Ahh the lipliner, an absolute beauty staple if you love a long-wearing lip and aren't a fan of regular touchups. Some of us love them, others choose to leave them. As you can see, when I'm going for a bolder colour I like to have options. I also like to use lipliner to fill my lips in precisely first and then just go over with lipstick. It looks a lot cleaner and any mistakes can be easily wiped away with a cotton tip and some remover. Today I thought I'd talk you through my collection and inform you of my favourites..

Mac Liner Rave: I have tried a few lipliners over the years and Mac's just trump them all. You won't find patchy colour or pencils that feel more like they belong on paper here. Instead you are met with creamy colours that dry to a matte finish and are crazy pigmented. If your lips are in good nick you could wear these on their own. My favourite for a day-to-day option has to be Soar, which is said to be one of Kylie Jenner's go to's. It works well with any nude and helps to build the illusion of a fuller pout. Embrace Me is great with any pinks and while it was limited edition, Candy Yum Yum is very similar. Heroine is my new favourite. I'm having a real thing with purple lips at the moment and I love this colour. I pair it with Men Love Mystery* to deepen up the purple tones in that lipstick. Redd and Ruby Woo* look similar but they're actually quite different. Redd is better for more orangey based hues, think Lady Danger. Whereas Ruby Woo pairs nicely with the lipstick of the same name as well as more true red shades. Currant looks so scary in this photo. It isn't black! Promise. I use this with Rebel which I find tricky to apply neatly without a liner or lip brush. It's perfect for a more vampier lip look. The must-haves? Soar and Redd and if you like purples you cannot beat Heroine.

Charlotte Tilbury Love-The lone ranger, if you will. Side note: the Southern Hemisphere needs Charlotte Tilbury. Here we have one of her lip cheat pencils in the shade Pink Venus. After hearing Alix sing its praises I knew it was going to be a good'un. It's the perfect pinky nude with a slight peach tint to it. I find it really flattering to wear on the lips and it doesn't wash me out in the slightest. While these pencils are noticeably smaller than their Mac counterparts, they're definitely a touch creamier and less dehydrating on the lips. This might affect the lasting power slightly but I don't really notice it much.

-Are you a lipliner lover or loather? Which are your go-to's? 

*PR Sample