Autumnal Eyes

The part of my makeup routine that I enjoy most is doing my eyes. Especially since Autumn came into play, I have been loving a little more dramatic eye makeup look. When I first got into makeup, eye makeup was always the scary part for me and looking back now I do slightly worry what I looked like when I left the house! Although I would like to think that I have upped my skills since then! Anyway over the last while I have been reaching for a variety of eyeshadows from singles to palettes all in my usual brown, warm toned shades so I thought I would share my top picks for the season.

The Palettes 

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette – This was an obvious one. I raved about this last week here if you missed it. This is such a perfect Autumnal eye palette with more dark and smoky shades fit for a more dramatic look. Who would have thought I would be rocking a smoky eye but this palette makes it easier and more wearable to create something a little smoky even if its just for everyday wear. The palette also has a mix of both cool toned and warm toned shades so its super versatile and the looks are endless.

Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette – Another highly raved about palette from moi, check my full review here. This is Autumn in an eyeshadow palette. I believe this palette can be a little tricky to get a hold of sometimes but I so recommend this to anyone. The quality of the shadows are fantastic with a good mix of shimmers and mattes and the shades are super beautiful too. Ooo and did I mention its a complete bargain too!

The Creams 

Maybelline Colour Tattoos (On and On Bronze/ Metallic Pomegranate) – One of my favourite drugstore eyeshadow formulas has to be these cream shadows from Maybelline. The formula is a dream to work with, they are super easy to apply with a smooth creamy formula that applies so evenly. The colour options are also gorgeous, in particular the bronze and plum-y red shade which are ever so fit for the Autumn months!

Max Factor Excess Shimmer (Bronze) – Another fabulous drugstore cream formulation comes from Max Factor. These differ slightly from the Maybelline shadows as the Excess Shimmers have a more mousse cream like formula. I find these eyeshadows completely underrated as they are truly a unique product to the drugstore that could be worth so much more. The mousse-y formula is so lovely and the shades are gorgeous especially Bronze which is a perfect warm toasty brown with incredible pigmentation that is basically Autumn in a jar.

The Powders 

H&M Eyeshadow (Robusta) – I spoke about the highly raved H&M beauty line here and mentioned my love for this eyeshadow.  The colour Robusta is a shimmery gold-y bronze shade that would look gorgeous as the festive season creeps in. The quality of these are great too and super impressive for such a budget line.

Burberry Wet & Dry Silk Shadow (Midnight Brown) – Are these not the most beautiful looking eyeshadows you have ever seen!? I sadly only have one shade (not for long I imagine!) although it’s such a gorgeous colour. I have the shade Midnight Brown which is a lovely soft shimmery brown which can be worn sheerly or built to be more intense. The formula is great too and blends really nicely on the lid.

What is your go-to eye looks for Autumn?

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October Favourites

It’s favourites time once again! I have been doing quite a lot of beauty spending in the last couple of months so I have been spending my time trying out a bunch of new products. This month I definitely was swayed by a lot of the newbies in my collection and have found some that I know I will love for a long time to come. As October settled in, I definitely got back into the whole Autumnal makeup look. I have been loving wearing darker lips and bold eye makeup, it’s without a doubt my favourite time of year. So without anymore rambling, here is my beauty favourites for the month of October, enjoy…

Blush is one of my favourite makeup products. I just love collecting different tones of blusher. In fact I’ve bought quite a few additions in the last month but my new addition from Nars has been proving to be a strong favourite. Nars Dolce Vita is the perfect blush for the Autumnal months. A gorgeous rosy pink shade that adds a bit of warmth and life to my pale skin. The formula of these are fab too, a little goes a long way and they last for ages.

As the month has went on I have actually been abandoning highlighter which is a little strange for me although my skin has been quite glowy recently and I am struggling for time in the morning for extra steps in my routine. Although when highlighter has been on the need list I have been reaching for the Seventeen Skin Wow Highlighter*, a gorgeous liquid pearl toned highlighter that adds a beautiful glow to the cheekbones. This actually reminds me of the Nars Illuminator in Copacobana but for a fraction of the price. Definitely a drugstore pick to check out!

Alongside the autumnal inspired makeup I also love dark nails. Those gorgeous berries and deep purples are my kinda shades and I would happily take them over a bright coral any day of the week. I have been loving Essie Bahama Mama, a gorgeous plum colour perfect for this time of year. Of course the formula of Essie is unbeatable and definitely worth the extra few pennies.

This month, I also finally picked up something from Bobbi Brown. Whilst I own one of their brushes I never properly tried anything from their makeup range but I finally changed that this month when I picked up the Bobbi Brown Corrector. I have been suffering from a bit of discolouration under the eyes and thought that this cult product would do the job. After popping to a counter I picked up the shade Extra Light Bisque which works wonders at hiding the blue tones from under my eyes. The formula is super creamy and blends beautifully, a product I know I will rely on for a long time to come!

Finally, what’s Autumn without a berry toned lip. My seasonal pick this year comes from Mac in the form of their Plumful lipstick. A gorgeous plum berry shade in Mac’s lustre finish which offers a sheer but buildable colour. This colour is quite different for me, it fits more into the pink/purple category rather than red so is pretty unique in my collection and it just looks super gorgeous. Love, love, love!

*pr sample

What have you been loving during October?

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Monthly Roundup: October

With November days away it’s time to round up my month of October. Oh how scary that sounds! October has been a bit of a hectic month for me to say the least. With demanding uni deadlines and just not enough hours in the day unfortunately my blog came last in my list of priorities this month. Writing blog posts has been a bit of a rush this month and I did annoyingly miss a couple of posting days. I really do apologise for that, it is incredibly annoying and pretty difficult trying to keep everything in schedule. With a couple of assignments getting out the way I do hope that I can keep on top of things for next month and maybe get a little more organised (potential blog post right there?).

Anyway moving on from the negatives, whilst my month was consumed by work and more work I also had a few exciting things happen. Firstly, now If you recall my monthly roundup back in July here I spoke about how I passed my driving theory test. It’s been a few months since then but after booking my practical driving test, I passed first time! So I am now a legal driver, how exciting! I am so so happy! It’s just been so much more convenient now that I can drive! I also tried my hand at motorway driving last week which is very different but not too bad. Definitely something I will need to get used to though!

Also yet again something I will be mentioning for the billionth time but I finally had my One Direction concert this month. You may or may not know but I am a huge fan of the boys and have been waiting for months to see them on their UK tour. My show finally came around and it was truly amazing! It was also really nice to have something to look forward to and it was just an amazing night that I wish I could do all over again.

Lastly, an exciting and very well longed after purchase happened. You may recall way back in August I did a Birthday wishlist post and featured the Tarte Tartelette palette which of course was sold out for ages. After doing a little bit of browsing I found it in stock and of course had to pick it up! I am more of a shimmer gal than matte so it’s definitely a bit different for me but I am enjoying using it so far. I will give you all a more detailed review though later! Speaking of Tarte though, I would love to hear any recommendations from the brand, I am dying to try out more of their products! So please do let me know your favourite Tarte products! I was hoping that October would be a no spending month but of course that never happened so I did pick up a few other beauty bits that I am sure I will be mentioning over the course of the next month.

Catch up on October posts: Discovering Maple Holistics, Contouring & Highlighting with Seventeen, Four for Fall: Blush, When You’re Feeling Under The Weather and the Autumn Nails Edit.

What did you get up to during the month of October?

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My First Foray Into H&M Beauty

If I am honest I wasn’t really that excited or in fact even interested by the fact that H&M were launching a new beauty line. They had a smaller collection of beauty bits before that were pretty boring and looked cheap and I suppose I wasn’t expecting too much. Although after seeing the line in full I have to say I am totally digging this new collection by H&M and obviously had to pick up a couple of pieces! I have to say I am pretty impressed at the range and some of the packaging looks super chic especially those hexagon blushes! Although I limited myself to just two things from the range and thought I would give you my lowdown to my first taster of H&M Beauty.

They had an incredibly impressive range of eyeshadow products with cream eyeshadows, beautiful palettes and eye pencils. I went with one of the single eyeshadows or should I say High Impact Eye colours in the shade Robusta. When it comes to eyeshadow I always gravitate to my usual bronze-y and brown shades. The shade ‘Robusta’ is a gorgeous deep bronze-y gold shade. The shade can be worn lightly as a sheer wash of colour or built up to full colour in which it boasts impressive pigmentation. The formula blends easily on the lids and also lasts really well during the day. At £4.99 it’s a complete bargain and I will definitely need to try out more shades from the brand!

Next up surprisingly is a lip gloss. Now I say surprisingly because you may or may not be aware but I am not really a lip gloss fan. I don’t like the stickiness and it all just pretty much reminds me of being a little girl with a tube of thick gloopy gloss. Not pretty! Now when I went to buy this I actually thought I was buying a liquid lipstick and then soon realised my mistake as I tried this on back home and of course read the label… silly me! However I actually really like this. I picked up the shade Tuscan Blush which is a gorgeous rosy mauve colour that is a perfect everyday colour for the Autumnal months. Now the reason I really like this is that it isn’t like your average lip gloss, it boasts a high pigmented colour that lasts really well on the lips but also the formula isn’t overly sticky in any way, it feels super comfortable. I would definitely consider picking up another couple of gloss shades, I am without a doubt a lip gloss convert…

Have you tried H&M Beauty?

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The Autumn Beauty Edit

It really feels like Summer was a lifetime away now. The air is crisp and the mornings are dark. Autumn is officially here (and has been for like the last month..). Autumn is without a doubt my favourite season and one of the reasons I adore this time of year is due to the beauty. I am a huge lover of berry lips and bronze-y eyes, the perfect Autumnal duo. I always feel more myself when wearing my more fall reserved makeup as I am not the biggest fan of the creamy products of Summer and I always prefer something a little more deep or neutral than a coral lip. Today I thought I would share some of my favourite makeup picks for the season and the kind of products I sway for at this time of year.

For base, I love a good satin finish. I know that many people sway for a more matte complexion at this time of year but I do prefer to have a little glow. The Nars Sheer Glow foundation will forever remain one of my all time favourites for providing a flawless base. I like to wear a little more coverage at this time of year too and the Nars has a really great buildable coverage. In terms of concealing, it is my usual go to for blemishes; the Nars Creamy Radiant Concealer. Again it provides great coverage and doesn’t appear cakey or drying. For my under eyes I am still loving the Clarins Instant Concealer which is super lightweight and looks fresh on the skin.

To warm up the skin, I am still loving the Body Shop Honey Bronzer in fact I feel like this deserves holy grail status! Such a gorgeous shade for my pale complexion. For blush, I have been reaching for my new Nars Dolce Vita blush that I mentioned in my Fall Blush post here. It’s such a gorgeous rosy shade that again works really well with my skin tone. To add a little glow I’ve been opting for the Seventeen Skin Wow Highlighter* that offers a gorgeous fresh radiant look to the skin. Again I spoke more about this one here.

Moving onto eyes. For eyebrows it is of course my usual Benefit Gimme Brow. What would I do without it!? For eyeshadow, there is one palette that just screams Autumn. It is of course the Zoeva Cocoa Blend palette, the one I raved about a while back here. The warm toned shades are basically made with Autumn in mind and I can’t wait to start using this again. Definitely one of my favourite eyeshadow palettes! To finish the eyes, a few coats of my current favourite mascara; Benefit They’re Real.

To finish off my Autumnal look it’s all about the lips. This is the one thing I like to change up quite a lot during the Autumn months as I have so many seasonal appropriate shades that I am always looking forward to digging out. A newbie this season for me and one that I think will be a longtime favourite is Mac Plumful. A beautiful plum-y pink shade in a lustre finish that offers moisture but still gives great pigment.

*pr sample

What is your go-to makeup look for Autumn? 

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The Autumn Nails Edit

Without a doubt dark nails are my thing. I always get really excited for this time of year when it’s completely acceptable to start bringing out the deeper and darker shades. It’s not all dark plums and berries though as I do love the neutrals and all of those shades that feel super cosy and warm, if that makes any sense? In line with all my autumnal inspired posts I thought it was about time to share my favourite nail shades for this time of year.

The Neutrals 

Barry M Matte Nail Paint Caramel – Matte nails were never really much my thing but I was so obsessed with this matte range from Barry M a few years back. The collection had the best lineup of fall shades and the shade Caramel is one of my favourites. A beautiful beige nude colour, this shade goes with anything and looks super sophisticated.

Essie Sand Tropez – A new shade in my collection, this nude shade sits more as a grey-ish shade to Caramel, think greige. The sand hued shade fits as a perfect nude and you can always rely on the formula of Essie.

The Warm Browns 

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint Cocoa – The shade name really sums this colour up. Think a deep warm brown that conjuncts images of drinking hot chocolate by a roasting fire. Sheer Bliss. A very autumnal shade in another one of my favourite formulas, expect a great finish with this one.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint Paprika – Same formula, another brown based shade but a different hue. Paprika is such a typical Autumn like colour. An orange-y brown reminiscent of pumpkins and Halloween. I mean just imagine wearing this shade with a Pumpkin Spiced Latte in hand, Autumn goals right there!

The Berries and Plums 

Essie Bahama Mama – Another newbie in my collection, this gorgeous plum purple-y shade is currently chipping it’s way off my nails as we speak. No need to worry though as this has been on my nails for a little too long now! The colour though is gorgeous and pretty different from anything I’ve already got. It falls more into the purple side of things rather than the usual red which I love. A new favourite of mine for sure.

Nails Inc Grosvenor Crescent – I picked up this shade as part of the Nails Inc A/W collection from last year although I actually haven’t tried this shade out yet but I can’t wait to get this on my nails! This is such a perfect Autumn shade, a deep plum-y aubergine shade that appears to be the darkest shade in my lineup. I love a good dark nail and I am currently loving Nails Inc so this one I know I will love!

Essie Shearling Darling – I only have a little mini of this shade but it is one I definitely recommend. A must have fall shade, the perfect deep burgundy that everyone needs in their collection for this time of year. This is definitely one of my favourites.

Barry M Matte Nail Paint Crush – Another one from the matte range, this shade lies more on the red spectrum and is a fail safe deep berry shade. Again I really like the formula of these and the matte finish is a little different than the usual glossy style.

The Winter Blues

Essie Parka Perfect – Since wearing nail polish for many years I’ve took my time in realising the shades I truly love. Grey-ish blues are definitely one of my favourites, pretty specific there I know! Parka Perfect is a gorgeous blue-y grey shade that is slick and looks polished but still offers something more unique than a simple nude.

Essie Maximillian Strasse Her – One of my favourites, a similar shade to Parka Perfect although this runs a little lighter and appears to have a slight green-ish hue running though it. I spoke fully about this shade here but it’s a colour I will forever be coming back to no matter what season.

What are your favourite nail shades for Autumn? 

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Five For Fall: Lipstick

If there is one thing to get excited about at this time of year it is without a doubt berry and red toned lips. You’ve seen my blush choices for the new season but now it’s time to look at some of my favourite lip picks for Autumn, all of which of course follow the typical plum/red/berry tones.

First up is the darkest in the bunch and one of the budget options from the drugstore. Revlon Black Cherry is an intense plum toned shade that was basically created for this time of year. Personally I actually find this shade a little too dark on it’s own but when applied on top of the Benefit Benebalm tinted lip balm the shade is much more wearable. This is actually my only lipstick from Revlon, in fact the only product I own from the brand but I definitely need to pick up some more as the formula is beautiful. Super creamy, the lipstick glides on smoothly on the lips and is a dream to wear.

Speaking of fabulous formulas, I am a huge fan of the Nars Lip Pencils, in fact I think they are one of the best lip products around. The formulas are everything you could want in a lipstick, super creamy and comfortable to wear but also well pigmented and long lasting on the lips. The shade Mandore was part of the limited edition collection last Winter although it appears to be still available. It is a gorgeous deep red shade that will not look out of place during the colder months.

The shade I will probably be getting the most wear out of during the Autumn months is one of the new additions to my collection, Mac Plumful. I mean come on what is a lip post without a Mac lipstick! With a change in season I basically had to head to Mac (it’s like a tradition obvs?) and I had one shade in particular in my mind that I just had to pick up. Plumful is an incredibly popular shade and as the name suggests is a beautiful plum-y pink colour that is completely different to anything in my collection. It is a lustre finish so has a balmy texture whilst the colour appears more on the sheerer side of things although I find Plumful to be rather buildable and can be worn as more of statement lip. This is a lipstick I know I will love for a long time to come.

Another new addition from Mac is from their matte range namely the shade D for Danger. I had originally planned to pick this up at the same time as Plumful although it was out of stock. Luckily for me though I spotted this online at the House of Fraser and was rather surprised to find it slightly cheaper at £14 rather than the usual £15.50. Whilst not much a saving it’s always nice to grab some sort of bargain especially on Mac. The shade is gorgeous and perfect for Autumn. A typical dark berry red shade with a comfortable but long lasting matte finish.

Lastly, I obviously had to mention the Fall classic. Rimmel Kate Moss 107, the perfect berry lip at an affordable price. This is actually a very similar shade to D for Danger that it could be considered as a dupe. Again this one has a matte finish and lasts well on the lips whilst still feeling comfortable.

What is your favourite lip product for Fall?

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When You’re Feeling Under The Weather…

Whilst Autumn is the time to be excited about pumpkin spiced lattes and changing up your wardrobe, it is also the time when your health and wellbeing takes a slump. I know from own experience particularly at this time that it’s easy to catch the many bugs flying around as the chilly days settle in. This week has been a little off, I have been feeling a bit under the weather and basically can’t leave the house without my trusty pack of tissues and a hot drink. I am sure I am not the only one falling down this trap and I thought I would share some tips on how to help yourself when you are feeling a little under the weather…

As I mentioned briefly I have been relying a lot on hot drinks. If you are suffering from the cold then drinking fluids particularly hot can help clear out your system. Peppermint is really good for helping with sore throats and therefore I have been working my way through a box of peppermint tea to help decongest the body. I am not a big tea/coffee person but it does help you relax a little more and there is nothing better than a warm drink when feeling poorly. Speaking of warmness, soup is also great when you aren’t feeling on top form. I know from experience that when I am unwell I don’t have much appetite so soup is such an easy thing to digest so is perfect and warming for the body.

I think one thing we all do when we don’t feel too good is to run a bath or have a warm shower. I for one prefer baths as I find them relaxing and with the addition of bath oils or bubble bars etc it really helps you unwind. The steam from a bath/shower is also really good for clearing your nasal passages.

Looking after your skin is also very important. The skin can get quite dry especially in the colder season so its important to ensure your skin is nourished and has the hydration it needs. I am obsessed with the Body Shop Aqua Boost Sorbet, a lightweight but incredibly refreshing and cooling moisturiser. Great for cooling down the skin but also giving it the moisture it craves. Your lips are also likely to get dry so it’s also important to have a good lip balm that offers nourishment. I have been loving the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm which is great at repairing cracked and sore lips. Also if you are needing to run errands or go to work/school/uni you want to leave the house looking the best you can but also feeling good. I tend to strip down my makeup routine and go for something lightweight and minimal. Something quite like my minimal makeup look.

How do you cope when you are feeling under the weather?

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Four For Fall: Blush

As October has begun, Autumn is officially in full swing. There is a crisp chill in the air and the nights appear to be getting darker. In return, my daily makeup has had a little switch up lately to adapt to the new season. One thing in particular that I have changed around is my choice of blush. Out goes the coral and peachy toned blush for something a little more rosy and plum. There are four blushes in my stash that will be on rotation throughout the season as they are all so perfect for the colder months ahead.

Probably the one that I will get the most wear out of during the season is the newbie in my collection; Nars Dolce Vita. I was desperate to get my hands on another shade from the Nars blush range after falling in love with Nars Orgasm blush. The shade ‘Dolce Vita’ was literally calling my name and the perfect choice for the new season. The shade above appears a little lighter than reality but the shade is more of a warm rosy colour. It works beautifully with my pale complexion and has that sort of English Rose look about it providing a little flushed rosy look to the cheeks. The formula is super too, really fine and long lasting.

A more budget friendly option comes from Max Factor in the form of their Creme Puff blushes in the shade Gorgeous Berries. Blush is probably one of my most cherished beauty products but if I am honest the drugstore don’t have the finest selection. I don’t really find that they offer the best and most appealing varieties. Although one of the most exciting drugstore launches this year was indeed Max Factor’s new blush range. These are simply gorgeous and with that swirly multi-toned effect they offer similarities to the much pricer Hourglass Ambient Blushes. The shade Gorgeous Berries has Fall written all over it with it’s beautiful plum and berry toned shade. The blushes also have a highlighting effect to give the skin a beautiful glow on application.

In terms of blush formulations, I always prefer powder over cream. No matter what season I am never really the biggest cream blush fan. Although I am going to mention a cream formulated blush that I really do love. The Illamasqua Velvet Blusher in Peaked is a gorgeous dusky pink shade that is a perfect match for Autumn. The formula is really nice, it isn’t in any way too creamy, it applies more like a powder which makes it a winner for me. The formula also boasts a decent longevity and that square-ish packaging is to die for!

Lastly, probably one of my favourite ever blushes, Mac Breezy. I talked about this last year (excuse really bad old post) here and instantly fell in love with it. After buying this it made me fall for those berry toned warm blushes that are now my all time favourites. Despite being part of the Sheertone Shimmer blush range, it boasts great pigmentation and with fair skin I only need to use this one lightly. The shade is very similar to the Max Factor option but a little more cooler. It still offers that beautiful glowy feel to the cheeks and is great for those days when you need to give your skin a bit of life.

What is your favourite blush for Fall? 

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