October Favourites

It's that time of the month again, and seriously where has October gone! So many exciting things have happened this month I haven't had a great deal of time to try out new products, but some oldies have definitely become firm favourites.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate (£4.99):

Anyone who has ever read my blog before must know how much I love these cream shadows. They last for ages on the lid, come it a great range of shades and are so affordable! I wear berry shades all year round, but at this time of year there is nothing better than a red-toned eye with lashings of liquid liner. Metallic Pomegranate is such a pigmented yet wearable shade which really compliments my green eyes.

Payday Wishlist

It's pay day this week! I am so excited! As it's my first paycheck from my new job I feel a spend coming on! So I've complied a wishlist and hopefully at least a few of these will be making their way into my stash throughout the month.

1. This Zara Scarf (£19.99) is just stunningly simplistic and would go with my entire monochrome wardrobe. Zara always do amazing scarves this time of year, from traditional checks to full on blanket scarves there is always some good ones in stock. But if you see one you like, get it, it won't still be there by the time you go back (talking from experience I'm afraid). 

Seasonal Skincare Switchup

During the summer I settled into a pretty consistent skincare routine and my skin seemed fairly normal. As soon as the cold weather hits, which has come out of nowhere this past week, my skin gets dry and tight and becomes a general nuisance. Here's a few things I like to switch up to keep my skin happy during the season change.

As much as I like balmy cleansers normally, when the cold weather comes they are basically all I use to cleanse my skin, as they are so nourishing and never leave my skin feeling stripped. I love the Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter and Sarah Chapman's Ultimate Cleanse. Both hydrate my skin and provide a clean fresh base ready for the next layers of my routine.

MAC Lipstick Collection

I haven't done a MAC lipstick collection before, because well, I am not sure you could call four a collection. But there are a couple of shades that don't get talked about much online, and I have just bought a fifth, so I thought I would compile a mini collection post.

The Seven Day Manicure

Last week I chatted about my favourite manicure essentials, the tools to make regular nail polish look on point, but when it comes to a fuss-free manicure that lasts all week, there is only one thing I reach for.

The CND Vinylux Weekly Polishes are the at-home sister of Shellac, which can be taken off with regular nail polish remover. There is no need to use a base coat with these ones as the colour coat is 'self-adhering'. I am not entirely sure what that means as it does adhere to the nails too, but it doesn't stain or damage the nails at all so a base coat is unnecessary. When used with the Weekly Top Coat these dry so quickly! Most topcoats claim 'touch dry in seconds', and touch dry is never really touch dry, where as this one is genuinely dry within a matter of minutes, creating a perfect manicure even if you are short on time.

Boxset Weather

I love this time of year, the cold is always the perfect excuse for curling up with a good boxset and ignoring that ever-growing to-do list. Here is a round-up of the series' I have been loving at the moment.

Friends: Now who doesn't love Friends? It has got to be the best sitcom of all time, big statement I know, but it has truly stood the test of time with younger generations falling in love with it all. Since they removed it from E4 I have watched the boxset all the way through at least twice a year and it just never gets old. I still laugh out loud at Chandler's one-liners and am jealous of Rachel's hair, especially in seasons 5/6.

Empties #2

As blogger traditions/clichés/common posts go, I always find routing through rubbish a bit of bizarre one, but I love reading them. So here's a quick look at the products I have finished up in the past few months.

Skincare

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (£4.99):

I absolutely love this cleansing water, as it removes all traces of makeup and leaves skin feeling clean and fresh ready for a second cleanse. Even my sister, who's idea of skincare is a face wipe and maybe moisturiser if she could be bothered has been converted to this Micellar Water instead of wipes. It is so quick and easy to use, and although it will never replace a traditional skin cleanser, it is a perfect first cleanse and helps my white flannels to stay white.

Life Update

I can't believe that this is my 60th post. I know for many that probably doesn't sound a lot, but just thinking how much my life has changed throughout those 60 posts is incredible. I don't usually make this blog too personal, if anything it is my way of forgetting about everything that is going on in my real life and immersing myself into a world of makeup and skincare and everything beauty related. But I have some very exciting news, and it felt weird to not share it.

The Essentials: Perfect Manicure Favourites

Prep: Buffing your nails is a great way to remove ridges and ensure a smooth base for nail varnish. I use a Nails Inc 4 Way Buffer (no longer available) as it contains a file, ridge remover and buffer as well as a shine-giving side. It definitely helps to keep my varnish and nails looking smoother. However, it is reported that over buffing can weaken nails, and although I have never had a problem, I don't do this more than once a week. When it comes to filing I will only use this Bio Sculpture one (also not available - useful) which is many years old, and yes, is covered in Santas. But it's the best one I have ever tried, it isn't flimsy, so doesn't overly bend, and files with such ease without damaging my nails.

If I could only pick one...

I've been asked 'if you could only choose one' by friends quite a lot recently, so I thought I would collate a list of scenarios and see if I could chose just one. And honestly, it has been so difficult.

Foundation:

This was a tough one for me as although I am completely in love with the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue, it's not a versatile base. It is sheer-light coverage, which I love at the moment, but if I could only choose one I would want something more versatile, so I have chosen the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation. It's lovely and lightweight, but can be built up to a medium coverage if desired. And most importantly for me, it comes in a wide range of colours and porcelain matches my skin perfectly.

Transitioning Into Autumn: Makeup

Outside the rain ins pouring down and the leaves on the trees are beginning to turn a gorgeous orangey-red shade; I am wrapped in so many blankets as is still feels too early to put the heating on. The seasons have definitely changed, Autumn is here and I am so excited that coat weather is upon us. The season changing is also the perfect time to switch up your makeup, so here are my top picks for transitioning into colder weather.

Mini Ikea Haul

Last weekend I visited a friend at uni, and we went on a spontaneous Ikea trip to grab her a chest of drawers. On the plus, I am officially a flat-pack furniture wizz. I seem to speak the same language as the questionable diagrams. Anyway I digress, having only been in Ikea once in my life, and that was ages ago, I couldn't help myself and picked up a few homeware bits.

The Review: Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette

Anything to do with chocolate and I am in, but when Too Faced released the Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette I wasn't convinced. However, it has quickly become a firm favourite in my collection and when they announced a Semi-Sweet version (£39) I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. After multiple tweets and emails to Debenhams, and six months after the US release, I finally managed to get my hands on this beauty, and it is truly stunning.