QB Bookclub: Our Favourite Must-Reads

Scrolling through Pinterest and Insta may be fun, but sometimes nothing beats sitting down with a cuppa and a good ‘ol fashioned book. Full of helpful tips and lovely pictures, here are a few we’re loving at the moment.

The Cocktail Garden, Ed Loveday, Hardie Grant Books

The Cocktail Garden, Ed Loveday
Hardie Grant Books // RRP $29

Need a signature cocktail for your big day? With 80 recipes using seasonal botanical flavours that you can (theoretically) find in your backyard, The Cocktail Garden will make you actually want to don gardening gloves. From Autumn-inspired fig and thyme coolers to wintertime pomegranate highballs, the tipples in this book are seriously delicious.

Detox Waters: 80 simple infusions for health and vitality by Géraldine Olivo, Quadrille

Detox Waters, Géraldine Olivo
Quadrille // RRP$14.99

Full of recipes that just might come in handy the morning after the hen’s party, Detox Waters will help you make concoctions that are super healthy and actually taste good. Like, really good.

The Honeymoon Handbook, Lonely Planet

The Honeymoon Handbook, from Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet // RRP $29.99

The Honeymoon Handbook features more than 25 of the most exciting locations for couples, plus everything from budgeting to the art of compromise. Oh, and a quiz to help determine what kind of trip you should take, based on what you both love the most!

Bobbi Brown Beauty from the Inside Out, Chronicle

Bobbi Brown’s Beauty from the Inside Out, Bobbi Brown with Sarah Bliss
Chronicle // RRP$45

Bobbi Brown’s Beauty from the Inside Out is a go-to manual for a healthy, lasting approach to beauty. It gives in-depth advice about everything from nutrition, diet, sleep, fitness and self-confidence, as well as new makeup techniques and stunning makeovers. Ooh, we love a makeover!

Flowersmith by Jennifer Tran, Hardie Grant Books

Flowersmith, Jennifer Tran
Hardie Grant Books // RRP $40

DIY brides, rejoice. If you’ve ever wanted to know how to make and arrange true-to-life paper flowers, Flowersmith by Jennifer Tran is the book for you. It features more than 30 projects, photos, step-by-step instructions and templates you can cut out and use again and again. Or just once, for your big day!

Amazinger Face by Zoe Foster Blake, Viking

Amazinger Face, Zoe Foster Blake
Viking // RRP: $45.00

In case you didn’t know, Zoe Foster Blake is just slaying it right now. Not only is she the CEO of her own skincare line, author of book/television series The Wrong Girl and mother to a simply adorable little boy, Zoe has also given the world Amazinger Face. Using her experience as former Cosmopolitan beauty editor, Zoe takes you through the perils of beauty care and shares some helpful advice for looking your best. Want to know how to shape your brows? Looking for a way to ward off that pesky cold sore? Dreaming of getting textured second-day hair every day? Zoe’s like a helpful friend that guides you through it all, sharing a few hilarious horror stories along the way.

The Homemade Wedding Cake by Natasha Collins, Murdoch Books

The Homemade Wedding Cake, Natasha Collins
Murdoch Books // RRP: $49.99

Cakes. Gorgeous cakes. Gorgeous cakes that aren’t impossibly hard to make. Enough said. Whether you’re a baking novice or a domestic goddess, Natasha Collins will walk you through creating your dream wedding cake in easy step-by-step instructions and plenty of helpful pictures. We’re not talking just a photo of the end product – The Homemade Wedding Cake really shows you how to bake, assemble and decorate from start to finish. Some absolutely scrumptious flavours include elderflower and gooseberry, and chocolate popcorn. Yes please! For a bonus, there’s also cocktail recipes, table styling ideas and an adorable wedding cake piñata tutorial.

French Complexion, Christine Clais, Viking

French Complexion: The Secrets to Beautiful Skin at Any Age, Christine Clais
Viking // RRP: $39.99

We all dream of skin that seems to glow by itself, but admittedly there’s days when skincare is the last thing on our to-do list. French skincare expert and facialist Christine Clais shares her secrets for getting beautiful skin that always looks good in her book French Complexion: The Secrets to Beautiful Skin at Any Age. If routines and treatments scare you, Christine explains it all in terms that are easy to understand and reveals how to get the best results for you. Also full of handy makeup tips, pimple concealing wizardry and skin repair tricks, French Complexion will get you looking ah-mazing for your wedding day and every day after.

For more expert tips, check out the QB wedding directory!

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