Happy May! Here’s our eclectic collection of new things we love this month – from events and restaurant openings, to the best of new products in fashion, beauty, food and lifestyle – you’re welcome!
DO
Academy Cinemas
$5 Movie Tickets, Auckland CBD
ALICE: Remember when you’d head to the movie theatre and after buying a ticket and a tub of Tangy Fruits, you’d still get change from a $10 note?!? Well, while it doesn’t look like Tangy Fruits are going to be resurrected anytime soon, you can go back in time at the Academy Cinemas, where movie tickets are just FIVE BUCKS on Wednesdays!
Now, there isn’t a lot of choice – there’s one movie on offer each week, and it’s often not a new release (sometimes there’s throwbacks like Notting Hill or Pulp Ficton), but if you’re after a cosy night at the movies that isn’t going to cost an arm and a leg, this is the place to be!
Disney On Ice
Tickets from $33.50
ALICE: Okay, look, this event isn’t taking place until August, but chances are, if you don’t buy your tickets soon they’ll be all gone! Disney on Ice is the next best thing to getting to fly to Disneyland this year to celebrate Disney’s 100th anniversary – and it’s all right here in Auckland and Christchurch.
The show sees you join Mickey Mouse and his Disney friends (including characters from Moana, Coco, Aladdin, Toy Story and Frozen) on adventures filled with world-class skating, high-flying acrobatics and unexpected stunts!
Now, I am biased because I bloody love anything Disney, but I have been to two of these shows and they’re seriously good. Yes, yes, the kids will love it, but it’s also pretty fun for adults – there’s great acrobatics (once a dragon breathed fire across the stage), and it has a great atmosphere!
EAT
Cassia at SkyCity
Indian Fine Dining in the CBD
ALICE: Sid and Chand Sahrawat have had a tough go of it this year. In February, the award-winning restaurant. which combines classic Indian spice and flavour combinations with contemporary, local NZ ingredients, wound up a casualty of the Auckland floods. But somehow, in just a few short months, the couple have managed to reopen an entirely new restaurant in a new space at SkyCity, whilst also retaining all of their staff.
And, it’s one heck of a return – it’s fair to say they’re back and even better than before. Many of the classic favourites that Cassia was so well known for are still on the menu (including the Vindaloo Roasted Carrots with Cashew – incredible – and their famous Tandoori Chicken), but there’s also some unique new dishes, including a Tandoori Chicken Taco (yes Taco), which is a surprise delight.
BUY
Allbirds Riser
RRP $195
KELLY: Introducing Allbirds’ SuperLight collection, two new styles that deliver a “light as a feather” feeling without compromising on cutting carbon. Each of the SuperLight shoes offers Allbirds’ signature comfort in a package that feels great for your feet and for the planet. The SuperLight Wool Runner, for example, weighs in at just 119g – that’s lighter than an iPhone or a baseball (it literally feels like you’re wearing nothing on your feet!)
Kenwood MultiPro GO
RRP $149.99
If you love a kitchen gadget but HATE storing all the kitchen gadgets, this Kenwood MultiPro GO is for you. A mini food processor that’s big on power but small in stature, it’s an appliance that you’ll actually use because it’s not an absolute punish to bring out and put back. This food processor makes meal prep SO much easier. Combining the simplicity of a chopper with the performance of a food processor and limitless capacity, it’s super simple and enables limitless slicing and grating directly into pan or plate in seconds.
Versace Dylan Purple
From $112
Versace Dylan Purple is a bright and elegant fragrance that is floral, fruity and musky. The campaign talks to ‘the endless summer’ (offering us an olfactive way to experience it since our summer has been, uh, LACKING to say the best…), featuring Jude Law and Sadie Frost’s daughter, Iris Law. Bergamot is blended with freshly-harvested orange, and juicy pear and freesia adds a touch of modernity.
Ardell Brow Lamination Kit
RRP $33.99
i have to admit, I was a bit sceptical about this kit – I mean, if you stuff your brows up at home, you’ll be literally wearing the disaster on your face for months (which has happened to me in the overplucking era of 2005). But in the interests of journalism I gave it a go and holy HELL I’ll be damned if it’s not brilliant. It’s super-simple and it really does make your brows look fuller and bushier. I have microblading too and it worked wonderful on top of the ink. Give it a go – just read the instructions and don’t leave the cream on longer that it says to!
Manicare Crystal Hair Remover
RRP $44.99
Another beauty tool I was in two minds about trying, but i’m here to tell you that yup, this crystal thingie does work and it does remove hair. It works with its ultra-fine crystal technology – you literally buff the hair away, as well as the dead skin cells you don’t get with a normal exfoliator. I found it works best on leg hair (do not, whatever you do, use this on your face) and is much better if you suffer from ingrowns.
Speak Scents
From $68
Choosing a fragrance based on an algorithm might feel counter-intuitive, but for Speak Scents, it’s the base of a new business aiming to disrupt the beauty industry. The brainchild of Wellingtonians Madeleine and Dr Ankit Patel, Speak Scents uses data and bespoke algorithms to match people with their perfect perfume – and it’s all done via computer. Launching earlier this year, they’ve got a matching accuracy rate of more than 80%. Their perfumes are made in Grasse, France (the home of perfume) and are aimed at Gen Z and Millennial consumers.
Go onto their website, fill out the questionnaire and the perfect fragrance will be matched for you!
Ecoya The Great Indoors Collection
RRP from $29.99
Celebrating the turning of the seasons with its deep, rich hues and embracing the move indoors (like we’ve had a choice lately!), this limited ddition collection includes two luxurious fragrances – Eucalyptus and Patchouli and Blackcurrant and Tuberose – and brings the outdoors inside while you warm by the fire. Available in Ecoya’s iconic Madison Candle, Mini Madison Candle, Reed Diffuser and Car Diffuser.
Dancing Sands Wasabi Gin
RRP $89.99
Before you crinkle your nose up at the thought of wasabi gin, I’ll call on all lovers of a chilli marg to come through and support the concept of spicy cocktails. This locally-made gin harnesses fresh wasabi wonderfully for a little kick, but nothing that’ll blow you out of your chair. A little bit special, this gin is inspired by the wasabi root that grows locally in Golden Bay. Unlike most wasabi (which is often coloured horseradish), real wasabi root does not have that same searing heat – but rather a clean, earthy finish that is perfectly suited to a navy strength gin – and also a martini.
Neve Car Diffuser
RRP $44
Sleek and sophisticated, local brand Neve’s reusable Car Diffusers offer a stylishly sustainable way to take your favourite fragrance with you – wherever the road may lead. Made of modern and minimalistic matte black aluminium, each car diffuser includes one refillable fragrance stick, scented with our premium phthalate-free fragrance oils – lasting 30 to 60 days. Fragrances include french pear and brown sugar; pink peony and prosecco; wild pine and juniper berry and more. Designed to enhance every journey, the diffuser clips easily onto your car’s air vent – with one simple twist controlling the intensity of the fragrance, releasing a subtle scent with the airflow through your car.
Ashley & Co Bonberry
RRP $60
One of our favourite new scents, this sophisticated but clean fragrance is the perfect option for WFH burning. The combination of wild berries, musk blossoms, davana, geranium and lychee work together to create a modern, fresh fragrance you won’t want to stop burning.
