The Autumn Tag!

Hey! I've been seeing a lot of these around the last few weeks, and although I haven't technically been tagged, I wanted to jump in on the action.

photo credit here (edited by me)

Favourite thing about Autumn?

That weather that's not too hot, and not too cold - -no need to worry about layers just yet! Also having a reason to light all my scented candles I've been accumulating!

Favourite drink?

Lattes! All of the flavours really, but I particularly love gingerbread and caramel. While we're on the subject of hot beverages, I really want to try Costa's new Chocolate and Orange Mocha Latte!

Favourite scent?

With summer over, I'm finding myself returning to my beloved Nina by Nina Ricci which I got for Christmas last year! It's the perfect balance of fruity and oriental for me, making it great for day or night.

Best lipstick?

Has to be Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lisptick in 107; this is a recent purchase but it really is the perfect wearable berry lip colour!

Go to moisturiser?

Body-wise I don't really have a staple moisturiser, but for my face I make sure to use one which isn't too heavy on my combination skin. At the moment I'm using Clinique's Anti-Blemish moisturiser.

Go to colours for the eyes?

My favourite has to be a gold smokey eye, but this season I'm trying to branch out with plum and berry colours as well as more bronzey tones.

Favourite band/singer to listen to?

At the moment I'm really loving a new-ish duo called Capital Cities (they have such catchy songs!) and Diana Vickers new album; Music to Make the Boys Cry. I also don't think I can ever go wrong with a bit of Bastille or Ellie Goulding!

Favourite outfit to wear?

I love that Autumn fashion can be so easy, just by throwing on a cosy jumper and some leggings. And depending on choice of boots/shoes, an outfit can be dressed up or down.

Another thing that's good about Autumn is having the excuse to hide a bad hair day under a chunky beanie hat.

Autumn treat?

Fluffy socks! I'm not a big fan of wearing normal socks around the house, or slippers but there's something about fluffy bed-type socks that make a difference!

Favourite place to be?

In the kitchen baking up some yummy treats to be eaten fresh and warm from the oven. Mince pies anyone? Or am I thinking a bit too far ahead...

Let me know if you've done this tag, I'd love to have a read!

xxx

Back to University; OOTN & EOTN

Hey! So I'm back at university this week, ready to start year 3 of my degree (nope, not final year I'm on a 4 year course). But more than that, I'm ready to catch up with friends, get dressed up and enjoy some nights out again!

And on that note, I thought I'd share something I'm definitely planning on wearing at some point in the near future; clothes and makeup.

Quite often at uni, you end up going out pretty last minute and don't really have time to do all this, but on a night which was planned and I had time, this is something I would absolutely wear.

This polka-dot bodycon dress was a bargain in the River Island sale at just £10, and although you can't see, I've accessorised with glittery gold shoes and also this balloon elephant necklace. 

For makeup, I've kept the focus on the eyes with a bold and classic grey smokey eye and I've also lightly filled in my brows. The rest of the makeup is kept very simple so as not to look like I fell face first into my makeup collection.

For my hair, I really would need some time to do this (my hair is both long and thick, so takes ages to curl) but I wanted to keep the outfit fun, and I felt curls would fit best.

xxx

Weekend Wishlist #3 & #roseenospend

Hey! Okay, I know its not the weekend any more (wishful thinking) but this was meant to go up yesterday - oops! So at the moment, I'm taking part in Sophie's joint bloggers spending ban #roseenospend which means no skincare, beauty or fashion purchases for 30 days! I've been doing this for a week now and the first week has been pretty easy, since I only recently went shopping (purchases here). Having said that, I'm pretty much always lusting after some new beauty product or item of clothing! So today I'm going to share with you the latest version of my never-ending but ever-changing wishlist.

1. Kiehl's Rare Earth Pore Refining Tonic - £17 here
I've recently noticed that my skin is tending more toward oily than usual (I normally have combination skin with an just oily T-zone) and I heard that this product is good for reducing oil. That, and I need a new toner anyway.

2. Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder - £23.50 here
A little pricey for a bronzer, but I'm struggling to find a cheaper alternative which is a matte finish and suited to pale skin (any suggestions welcome!) and I love the Coralista blush so I'm hoping this will live up to similar hype.

3. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray 75ml - £18 here
Okay, this is Zoella's fault... I just bought a volume/root boosting spray and it is working pretty well, but when I saw her blog post about this, I immediately wanted one myself! The full size is very expensive but Space NK do have a smaller version for cheaper.

4. A Rose Gold Watch
For some reason, even though I hardly ever wear a watch (and that's being generous), I really fancy a rose gold watch! The other problem is all the ones I really like are quite pricey. Such as this one by Marc Jacobs.

5. Topshop Iridescent Chain Necklace - £10 here
A slightly more within budget accessory, is this iridescent chain necklace from Topshop which I saw last time I was shopping but opted not to buy as I already have dozens of necklaces.

6. Urban Decay Super Saturated Lip Colour in Punch Drunk - £14 here
I mentioned here that I quite wanted this lip crayon, and I still do but I think I'll wait until springtime and the sunshine is back, when bright colours will be a but more on trend.

7. Oh My Love Lace Skater Dress - £22 here
And finally we have this gorgeous dress from Oh My Love. It's £40 on their website, but nearly half price on ASOS. I really hope this stays this way until my spending ban is over!

xxx

Suits Nail Art

Hey! Lately I've been a tad addicted to the TV program Suits and so I thought I'd share some nail art inspired by that!

The picture on the left is the one I did most recently, but I also thought I'd show some of the other suits-style designs I've done in the past. The middle one is the nails I had a New Years last year, and the tuxedos on the right are my go-to for formal events.

The design itself is actually really easy to create: simply paint you nails in whatever colour you wish, then add a triangle of a different colour at the top or the bottom of the nail with a thinner brush, and finish with details using a nail art pen or small dotting tool. You could do a normal tie or a bow tie and buttons. Simples!

In other news, I recently won a giveaway to have my blog completely (and properly) redesigned! Exciting times, so keep an eye out.

xxx

Beauty Haul & Urban Decay Makeover!

Hey! I had planned for this weekend's post to be a wishlist, but then I went shopping and sort of bought half the things on it... so instead I thought I'd write a haul post. I also had the opportunity for a complimentary makeover at the Urban Decay counter, and you can't really say no to that!

I really like what the makeup artist did, and both the lip crayon and foundation she used are on my new wishlist! Products used (all Urban Decay): Naked Skin Foundation, Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in 'Spandex', 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in 'LSD' (I think), Super Saturated Lip Colour in 'Punch Drunk' and the Naked Flushed palette.

The items I actually bought from the Urban Decay counter were the new b6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray and a lip colour in 'Apocalypse'. I've wanted to try the prep spray since I saw it on their Instagram, but at that time it was only available in America! And the lip colour is a perfect vampy berry red which I've fancied for this Autumn as an alternative to MAC's Rebel; since I know the formula of these lip colours are ace!

I also popped into boots and took advantage of their 'Buy one get 2nd half price' offer, and got a new foundation brush, top and base coats from Essie, and Rimmel's Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107. Three of these were sort of a necessity - my current foundation brush isn't doing such a good job any more, and I'm running out of base/top coat - plus the lippy because I really do want to brave a darker lip this season!

I've also got a few other things to try out: including a new face mask, concealer, volume boosting spray (which smells soo good - exactly like strawberries and cream!), and a bronze glitter nail varnish. Not pictured is MAC's Eyeshadow in 'Cranberry' - but I also bought this recently; my first MAC purchase!

Finally, you can also see a couple of magazine freebies here: the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer from Instyle, and Bumble and Bumble's Thickening Hairspray from Elle.

And those are intended to be the last beauty things I buy for a while, as I'm about to embark on another spending ban - this time a joint one! I'm not sure I need to, but they are a fun challenge and it's nice to think you're doing it with other people! If you'd like to join in too; the details are here.

What have you bought recently?

xxx

Autumn Lookbook

Hey! September has officially landed, and with it: Autumn! I love summer as much as the next beauty blogger; but I can't say enough how excited I am to embrace all the AW13 trends! 

Today I thought I'd share basically a mini lookbook for the sorts of things I'd like to wear this season. I've chosen three main trends: Monchrome, Tartan, and Floral.

My first look is for Monochrome, and includes two of my favourite things: oversize knitted jumpers and ankle boots. The colder weather means I can bring out my trusty beanie (a saviour on bad hair days!) and I also feel this outfit would be appropriate for more wintery months with a big coat thrown on top.

My second look, Tartan, also includes ankle boots but I think this check shirt is absolutely gorgeous as it's made of a sheer fabric. I think this would be a perfect look for uni, but it doesn't feel complete without a red lip!

Last but not least is Floral, and I think this is a nice transitional outfit - one for the warmer weather we're still getting. Having said that, you could definitely add a thick pair of tights and a cosy cardigan to this for the chillier weather. I also own a pair of shoes like this, and I feel they ought to get a bit more love this Autumn.

Bonus look! Another floral-themed outfit, I spotted this skirt on Polyvore and couldn't resist making a look with it! I think this would be more suitable for an evening out, and you could wear heels with this.

So those are my looks for this AW13! Hope you've enjoyed, and maybe got some inspiration.

xxx