Autumn Berries

Autumn is my favourite season. I love the crisp, fresh air, the cold but not unbearably freezing weather, the leaves turning beautiful browns and reds, conkers, Autumn fashion and of course Autumn cosmetics.
As soon as the season comes around I get so excited to whip out the berry lipsticks, nail varnish and when I'm feel adventurous the berry toned eyeshadows (think MAC Cranberry....*swoon*).

Berry lipsticks are my favourite. I'm a huge lover of a smokey eye and nude lip, but something about a berry toned lips makes me so happy. I instantly feel put together, confident and a lot more seasonal. I have a few lipsticks in this category, but I've whittled it down to 1 high end and 1 drugstore favourite.

Autumn Nails Comeback

Autumn is here! My favourite time of year…cold, crisp days, the beautiful autumnal colours the trees go, fallen leaves, scarves, layers, boots, and Autumn nail colours!
Darker nail polishes are definitely my thing, I'm not a fan of pastel or nude shades, so when A/W comes back around I get very excited.

My favourite Autumnal nail polish at the moment is by Avon, and it's in the shade Cherry Jubilee (£6).
This nail polish is named very well, as the colour certainly reminds me of those gorgeously dark red cherries (now I'm hungry). The shade is just amazing, and looks really nice against my pale skin in the colder seasons. The formulation is also a winner for me! I think I've mentioned before on my blog that I'm extremely fussy with nail polish, and there's a lot of factors that I like to be spot on.
The consistency of this nail polish is pretty great, it's not gloopy and thick, but it's not watery. Two coats is the perfect amount - it'll give you an almost gel like effect and a really deep colour. Drying time is another area this product wins in, it'll only take a couple of minutes for the polish to dry completely.
It's also very chip resistant, I'd actually say that this nail product is probably the one that lasts the longest on my nails with no chips, and no peeling. Yipeeee!
The brush isn't the thickest, but nor is it ridiculously thin, so I can't give it a thumbs down for that.
Basically, the Avon Nailwear Pro is an all round winner for me!

Hello Autumn

The sparkling dew on the grass in the morning.
The bright sun that shines light onto the newly orange trees that always reminds me of a fiery blaze.
The fresh, cold, crisp air that feels like ice when it hits you but there's something so nice about it.
The leaves that have shed onto the ground all ready for you to run through in your wellington boots.
The excitement of seeing the first conker of the year, alongside the acorns of course.
The sight of the wind blowing through the trees.
The wooly jumpers, knitted scarves, warm coats & chunky boots.
The smell of bonfires in the air.
The delight in taking your dogs for a walk in the woods & seeing them jumping through the leaves with glee.
The comfort foods; warm vegetable soup, a Sunday roast, rhubarb crumble & pie.
The Autumnal candles - that smell of spice, orange & warmth is so comforting.
The lighting of the fire in the living room, seeing the flames flicker & hearing the occasional crackle.
The need to dig out the fluffy socks & onesie.
The realisation that it's not long until Christmas.
The new TV dramas & programmes that you know you'll become addicted to.
The bliss of snuggling up on the sofa under a blanket with a new book.
The joy of coming in from a long day into a warm house & making yourself a tea or hot chocolate.
The new bath products at Lush - wanting to try them all out, & why not? Autumn is the time for baths!
The soothing sound of rain splattering against your window as you lay in bed.

What's your favourite thing about Autumn?

Fashion Wish List - September 2014

A new season is just around the corner, which means all the shops are getting new stock in, which results in me endlessly pining over new clothes, shoes and accessories.

I went into New Look the other day and saw this top and this jacket put together and the combination made me turn into that love heart emoji. The two colours go together so nicely - the crepe blazer style jacket (£24.99) is a light grey and the top with scallop hem (£12.99) is a dusky pink, both items of clothing are simple yet really pretty, and I really do need some new short sleeve shirts. Also, both the jacket and the top are under £25, New Look is great for bargains.

I have got an obsession with checked shirts. I only own one but I adore it and I always see others I want, this white one (£17.99) from New Look is really nice and inexpensive, I love that it would go with any colour jeans too.
I also saw these shoes (£14.99), which I'm sure will be a love/hate item, but I like them and I reckon they'd be super comfortable, a great style for going from Summer to Autumn and would go with more or less every outfit.

Urban Outfitters jewellery is my favourite, can I have it all? These are the pieces I'm currently dreaming of. Two necklaces - one has a double chain with a circle and triangle pendant (£12), and the other is a shorter necklace with a crystal and a coin on it (£14). This geometric bracelet with black drawstring fastening (£6) is the sort of style I'm drawn to a lot at the moment.

ASOS is a dream, isn't it? I daren't spent too long on the site or I'll end up with 200 items in my wish-list, at the least. But I did find these two items which I adore. The first is a stripy top (£12), such a staple piece that I need in my wardrobe. The second is another checked shirt (£28), surprise surprise, I like this one a lot..the colours are right up my street, I love the oversized style and the fabric looks so soft.

This wish-list was cut down by quite a few items, but still ended up being long….so I do hope you enjoy long blog posts! I'd love to know what piece of fashion you are looking to buy for the new season. 

xxx

L'Oreal True Match Blush in Rosewood | REVIEW

I was recently in Boots and they had a 3 for 2 deal on…that's just asking for money to be spent!
One of the things I looked for was an Autumn blush, and I came across this one by L'Oreal in the colour Rosewood.

Rosewood is a gorgeous dark pinky brown with a slight shimmer running through it…so slight I'd call it a sheen rather than a shimmer. In the pan the colour looks very strong and I was almost worried about how dark it would be on my pale skin but I went for it.
When this blush is applied it looks nowhere near as dark as in the pan, because it's quite sheer. If you want a really bold colour you'd have to use a heavy hand and go back in a few times.

I do like the packaging of this, although it is plastic it doesn't feel cheap or flimsy and the blush itself is in a metal pan inside, which flips up and underneath is a mirror and a little brush…which to be honest I will never use, it's very scratchy and just no where near as good as proper brushes like Real Techniques. I don't like that the pan isn't fixed down though, so if you turned it upside down or something when it was open the brush would fall out from underneath.

I tried to get a swatch of this but it was so sheer you couldn't really see, the camera wasn't picking it up. You'll just have to take my word for it that this blush is really gorgeous, I love the shade for a subtle bit of colour during this season.
L'Oreal True Match Blush in Rosewood retails for £7.69 here, and Boots still have their 3 for 2 on!

Have you tried this blush?

What's your 'go to' everyday blush for Autumn/Winter?

x

Rimmel Glam Eyes HD 5-Colour Eye Shadow in Brixton Brown

It's no secret that I'm a huge Rimmel fan. They're my favourite highstreet makeup brand, their lipsticks are my favourite, as are their foundations.
I was in Boots the other day and I saw this eyeshadow palette, the Glam Eyes HD 5 Colour Eyeshadow palette in Brixton Brown. I hadn't seen it before (it launched early October) and I thought the colours looked right up my street and super Autumnal, so I bought it.

In this 5 shadow palette you got a very dark shimmery grey, a super shimmery champagne colour, a dark brown that looks ever so slightly purply, a soft earthy green that is matte, and in the middle is a gorgeous coppery red with not too much shimmer. Beautiful.

What I love about this palette is you can create a really subtle daytime look with it, but also a super smoky nighttime look, and that red in the middle makes it perfect for this season.

The colours are well pigmented…not amazing, but good for the price, apart from the green which is shockingly badly pigmented, I can't seem to even see it once applied and is quite chalky..but the other 4 are great.

They also surprisingly didn't crease on my eyes! I wore the copper/red all over my lid and the dark grey just on the outer part of my eye for about 6 hours with no primer and they hadn't creased at all. 

L-R Top 2 shades and middle shade

Bottom 2 shades

This palette is £6.99 and there are 3 different ones in the collection.

Purchase here.

What's your favourite shade out of the 5?

November Wishlist!

Something I'm dying to get this month is Hydraluron, it's a serum that you apply before your moisturiser and it basically helps the moisturiser to sink in a lot more than it normally would. It's supposed to be a miracle worker, and as I suffer from dehydrated skin in the winter this would be amazing.
I really want a tartan scarf! I've been after one for a while, I've tried everywhere to get one - Topshop, New Look, Primark, H&M, River Island, Zara, etc. I might have to resort to eBay!
Origins Drink Up Overnight Intensive Mask is something that's raved about in the blogging world, I'm yet to try it, purely because of the hefty price tag, but I'm hoping this winter I can.
It might be hard to believe because everyone has one but I don't own a Onesie! This year I'll change that. The one pictured above is from ASOS.
Autumn lip colours are my favourite, when I saw the Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Grandest Grape I fell in love, it's the most gorgeous plum colour.
I love wearing dresses in the Autumn and Winter, I hate wearing them at any other time of year but especially in December I love them - they make me feel Christmassy for some reason. I like them quite basic so I can layer them up with chunky cardigans, scarves and jackets. The one above is from ASOS.
I'm seriously lacking in Autumn blushes, Nars Blush in Douceur looks so nice, it's a soft pink-brown and I want it!
Lastly is slipper boots! Last year I had some really comfy ones but they're falling apart now, so a pair of new ones is a must. They're so warm and snuggly for winter time. The ones above are from Next.

What's on your November wish list?

Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush - Pink Rose

As it's now Autumn I'm swapping in my peach and coral blushes for more pink and mauve toned blushes, and the one I've been wearing the last week is Rimmel's Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush in Pink Rose (what a mouthful!).

I've had this blush for about a year but haven't actually worn it that much because I wasn't at all impressed when I first got it.
Rimmel are my favourite high street/drugstore brand for makeup, they're very affordable and do brilliant lipsticks, lip glosses, foundation, concealer, I even love their nail varnishes, but I think they slack when it comes to blushes.
The packaging is shockingly bad, it's flimsy plastic, the lid always falls off yet it's hard to open and it just feels tacky!
However, the blush inside isn't as bad as the packaging (thank goodness).

Pink Rose is a rosy darkish pink (hence the name) colour, with a slight bit of silver shimmer in it - just enough to brighten up the face on these cold, dark Autumn days.
I find the texture of this blush isn't amazing, it's quite soft but still rather powdery but very pigmented! You really do only need a bit on your brush, and when applied like that it looks very natural and just brings a bit of colour and glow to your face.
Rimmel say it glides on smoothly, but I found it quite difficult to blend…maybe I've just been spoilt with Sleek.
Rimmel also claim the blush lasts 6 hours, which it might do…until it completely disappears, but it fades on me after about 3 hours.

Overall though, aside from the very poor packaging and not amazing texture, I do like this blush.
The colour is gorgeous, and it's great for an everyday look and if you don't need the makeup to last for ages!

For £3.99 I'd say this product is worth a buy, just don't carry it around loose in your handbag or it won't last long! Buy here.

Autumn blush recommendations

would be very welcome!

x

My Top 5 Autumn Lip Products!

Ahhhh October, when real Autumn starts to kick in. Colder weather, brown leaves covering the ground, jumpers and boots start to appear and it's time to change over from the summery makeup and go for more season appropriate choices, so I'm going to share with you my top 5 Autumn lip products!

L-R Rimmel Kate Moss 19, Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie,
Rimmel Kate Moss 01, Rimmel Apocalips in Celestial

(note - the colours look VERY similar in that photo but check the swatches below)

Lets get the boring, but essential, product out the way first - Carmex. Best lip balm I have used so far.

There, done. Now onto the pretty ones -

Autumn is the time for darker lip colours, berry tones and of course reds! 

It's no secret that I'm a massive fan of the Kate Moss for Rimmel lipsticks, and surprise surprise 2 of them have made it into my top 5 Autumn lip products! The first being number 19, I ADORE this shade - it's actually a lot more natural than it may look, it's a dark pinky brown and so perfect for a natural Autumnal shade, I often wear this dabbed in gently to my lips for a nice nude colour.

The other Kate Moss lipstick is 01, which is a true red. I've only worn this a few times (I'm not brave enough to wear it for an everyday look) but I love it a lot. It's a lot brighter than it looks in the tube, quite glossy and the lasting power is phenomenal. Reds are definitely are brilliant choice for Autumn and Winter!

Next is the Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie. I wear these lip butters all the time, they're the perfect thing if you're not into wearing heavy lipsticks or want something with nice colour payoff but still looks very natural. Berry Smoothie is a pinky purple with no shimmer in it but it's lovely and glossy.

Last but by no means least is Rimmel Apocalips in Celestial, I wore this to death last Autumn! It's a deep pinky purple, it applies like a dream and dries fairly matte and lasts a lot longer than you may 

think. 

Top to bottom - Rimmel Kate Moss 19, Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie,Rimmel Kate Moss 01, Rimmel Apocalips in Celestial

All these products can be purchased HERE!

What are your Autumn must-have lip products?