“February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March.” 
– J.R. Stockton

It may be a short month but I found a wide range of things to go giddy over this February. Here’s my list of top five pleasures, what are yours?

Pretty Iconic, by Sali Hughes. One of Britain’s best beauty writers strikes again with her latest book. Her first was a friendly guide to navigating the world of products, services, and options available to the enthusiastic but perhaps baffled customer. This books is a retrospective of the (mostly 20th century) products that changed the beauty industry and how women (and men) make themselves up today.

The Road to Little Dribbling, audiobook by Bill Bryson. I’m hideously late to the game with this well-beloved writer, but I’ve been inhaling his work ever since reading his In a Sunburned Country, which is basically a love letter to Australia in the form of a travelogue. His ditto on the UK, which itself is a follow up to a similar book he wrote twenty years previously, was a joy to listen to. By turns grumpy and delighted with his adopted country (Bryson is an American by birth), his insights to some of the less well traveled parts of Britain are hilarious and perceptive.

Glossier serums. This fairly recently created but very quickly beloved brand doesn’t ship to the UK, but I’ve been lucky (or wily) in getting my hands on it. Either kind friends have been willing to help a girl out, or I’ve timed deliveries to coincide with our visits to the States last year. I picked the 3-pack of their serums up on our visit to my family over Christmas, but have waited to give them a proper test drive until this month. Consider me converted. Each of the formulas are designed to address different skin needs and by far the most useful to me is the Super Glow serum, which I will find a way to repurchase, so help me god.

Uniqlo cowlneck cashmere sweaters. A quick scroll through my Instagram feed confirmed my worst suspicions: I’ve been practically living in these jumpers all season. Uniqlo does some decent affordable cashmere options and, though they don’t last as long as a quality cashmere buy, at a fraction of the price, they are worth picking up and wearing out. We’re moving towards Spring fashions but that means it’s time to do a scan of the sale sections of stores to see if you can find a bargain. This image is of a v-neck rather than a cowl neck, but I’ve found the quality to hold up regardless of neckline.

The Tory 2.0 dress, by MM LaFleur. This dress is my workhorse work piece and, as I’ve been working at a corporate client’s office since the start of the year, I’ve been reaching for it again and again this month when I need to look sharp. I own three dresses from this line and it’s a long term goal for me to buy at least a couple more to have a go-to capsule work wardrobe. They aren’t the cheapest options available, but treating them like investment buys and throwing in some professional tailoring has been a very good decision for me personally.