Making Autumnal Hues Work For You

A couple of years ago you would have been hard pressed to find me sporting the warmer berry shades akin to autumn, especially a deep red lipstick. A lack in confidence and struggling to find the right autumnal shades which worked against my olive complexion meant it was definitely a case of trial and error when it came to making the typical shades adored through autumn work for me. Now? Autumn is by far one of my favourite times of year makeup wise, the perfect in-between of summer brights and dark winter hues, where you can still go playful with a pop of colour or try something more sultry with shades that have that something-something extra that makes them stand out. 

It's not just berry shades that I love in autumn either, but a whole host of shades which I love to turn to in my favourite season. As leaves turn to copper and crunch under our feet, the days start getting darker earlier and we sneak the heating on that little bit more often than we should, it's the perfect excuse to get out my favourite autumn products. Today I'm going to share some of my favourite autumnal hues with you all, with tips and tricks on making them work for you.

This Month's Favourites | October 2015

October is about to disappear, Halloween is taking over for the weekend and November is about to be upon us. I don't know about you, but I for one am more than a little bit excited for what November brings. Bonfire Night, our local fair and of course, the excitement as Christmas draws near. Not forgetting that the closer we get to 2016, the closer my due date gets, but hey, no biggy.

This month has been all about the pampering. The long hot baths, the night time rituals and the subtle changes in my makeup routine switching from summer brights to autumn hues that are deeper and warmer in tone.

Lush Cup O' Coffee Face and Body Mask

Back in August when I headed over to the Nottingham Lush store to check out the new product releases (see here), one of the products which caught my eye the most on the night was the new Cup O' Coffee Face and Body Mask. I am a big fan of face masks on offer at Lush, adoring their Fresh Face Mask range, so I was pretty excited to give this new face and body mask a try - especially as I've been so smitten with stimulating coffee themed products this year.

Choosing Our Travel System | Cosatto Giggle 2

When we found out we were expecting one of the first things I thought about buying was the pushchair. Even before I was thinking about toys and a crib, all I could think about was what pushchair we would have. Neither my partner nor I drive, we're both pretty happy to walk to wherever we can (OK, him more so than me - I am so lazy it's unreal) and I'm very happy to use public transport. As our family expands I'm sure we'll see the necessity in getting a family car, but until then we're happy to carry on as we are. Because the majority of the time when we're getting out and about it'll be on foot, choosing a pushchair that suited our needs was really important.

As first time parents-to-be I think it is safe to say that both of us have found pushchairs the most confusing, time-consuming and indecisive thing to buy. So imagine our surprise when after much research we came across the perfect one, that also happened to be on sale, and also happened to have the car seat thrown in for free. Oh yes, we have ourselves quite the bargain buy...

Si by Giorgio Armani

Perfumes are something I find impossible to resist. Although I have some scents which I will always turn to, scents I'll repurchase for years to come, I'm not one of those girls who can get by with just a few select scents or who has a 'signature' scent. For me, I chose my perfume each day depending on my mood, the season, my plans for that day. 

Mamas & Papas Baby Haul

Time is flying past lately, with today making me officially 28 weeks pregnant. I can't believe we only have 12 weeks to go, or that in just a couple of weeks we'll be down to single figure weeks. Today is my 28 week midwife appointment and I'm so excited to hear Gizmo's heartbeat again, as well as finding out how I am measuring. So far I have measured spot on at all appointments, but I seem to have ballooned in size in the bump area over the past few weeks, so I'm not sure it'll stay that way!

Considering I buy new things for baby Gizmo every single day (it feels like all I do is place online orders!), I'm surprised I've shared so few things here on the blog. For those of you who follow me on social media such as Instagram or Twitter, you'll have seen me share quite a few baby related purchases on my social media channels, as I love sharing my latest purchases on there. It's been quite a while since I shared my Handmade Baby Haul (see here), so I thought today would be the perfect time to share another baby themed haul.

KIKO Rebel Romantic Intensely Lavish Lipstick

If like me you're a big fan of high-end makeup and you have a not-so-secret addiction to MAC lipsticks, then you might want to pay attention. Oh yes, this is another rave KIKO post, a brand that I have shared the love for here on the blog over and over and over about, whose products never disappoint, packed full of intense pigmentation with long-lasting formulas and super friendly prices. This time? It's all about lipsticks, lipsticks which have made this MAC obsessive stray from the £15.50 MAC offerings with their pretty classic black bullet and satisfying 'click'. Now? I'm all about those Intensely Lavish Lipsticks.

Lush Nottingham | Winter is Coming

Popping along to the Nottingham Lush store is definitely one of my favourite things to do and on Friday evening I had the pleasure of heading over for their latest blogger evening, showcasing all the latest product releases. Oh yes, it's that time of year again - the Halloween and Christmas releases have been rolled out and Lush are making it totally acceptable to start planning for Christmas (which is only 68 days away, by the way!). 

The Halloween and Christmas releases always go down well with Lush fans new and old, but what's brilliant about this year's releases is the sheer variety of products featured in the limited edition collections. There are of course some of the usual best-sellers you'll be used to seeing, but the collections have had a shake-up with some incredible new products being included and featuring ranges which previously wouldn't have featured in these special once-a-year collections. A couple of the yearly usual culprits have done a disappearing act, but the products which have taken their place are so deserving, and guaranteed to get all Lush fans excited and addicted as ever!

Vegan Friendly White Rabbit Skincare

I was first introduced to White Rabbit Skincare when one of their products featured in my favourite monthly lifestyle subscription box, The Vegan Kind. Falling head over heels in love with the product featured, White Rabbit Skincare soon became a brand I was really intrigued by. A brand which has been created with a passion for natural products, the environment and animal welfare, White Rabbit Skincare features a beautiful range of natural, vegan friendly products which are hand made in small batches to ensure their freshness and high quality. If you're on the lookout for ethical skincare products which are planet and animal friendly, then White Rabbit Skincare is definitely a brand to add to your to-try list.

Blotterazzi by Beautyblender

Although I've tried many, many dupes over the years, the original Beautyblender has never been beaten for me. It's one of my favourite ways to apply correctors, concealers, bases and most recently, loose setting powders, easily leaving an effortlessly flawless finish and helping to keep makeup in place all day long. When I heard about the newest product to join the Beautyblender family, the handbag favourite Blotterazzi, I was instantly intrigued. A Beautyblender product you use dry? Which will keep you shine free on-the-go, without the need for carrying powders and makeup brushes? Tell me more...

2nd Trimester | My Experience

Today I am 27 weeks exactly and my 3rd Trimester has officially started. It feels like the 2nd Trimester went on for ages, which I suppose is normal as by the time you find out you're pregnant (in our case at 5 weeks exactly), you're already several weeks into your 1st Trimester (read about my experience here). The 2nd Trimester definitely felt a lot longer to get through, a lot has happened to our growing baby over the 2nd Trimester and my body has changed dramatically.

Lush Yoga Bomb Bath Bomb

There are a lot of new products sneaking their way into Lush stores around the Country. Some have been filling Instagram feeds for months, adored by Lush fans for their fun, quirky and imaginative designs. There's products that really stand out from the long-standing Lush products we've all come to love over the years, and there's no denying they are taking the Lush world by storm. 

But what about the products which don't always catch your eye when you first go into store? Yoga Bomb Bath Bomb is one of the new products which has recently launched in-store and online, a Bath Bomb I haven't seen anyone give any love, one which is never raved about on Instagram or showed off in Lush hauls. Yoga Bomb doesn't look amazing, it doesn't stand-out and catch your eye. It's just a simply designed pastel orange bath bomb. Looks can be so deceiving....

The Body Shop Italian Summer Fig

OK so let's be honest, fig scents have been a bit of a thing over the past few years, haven't they? It all started with the likes of Diptyque Philosykos, a fragrance which has taken the beauty world by storm and adorns more than a few bloggers dressing tables (including mine - read review here). One of those blogger inspired purchases that everyone had on their wishlist and everyone needed to have in their fragrance collection. 

A few brands over the years have brought out fig-themed products and ranges, hoping to stir up that same adoration and lust as Diptyque, but none have managed to get the scent right for me. That was until The Body Shop released their Italian Summer Fig range, and finally I've found a fig-scented beauty range that's budget-friendly and more affordable than it's high-end counterpart. Listen up fig fans, because this is a range that needs to go on your wishlist.

Konjac Pink Clay Facial Heart Sponge

Carrying on the cleansing love after my recent post on my Double Cleanse with Vichy (read here), I wanted to share a very nifty little beauty tool with you all that has pride of place in my bathroom, a product which adds a lovely touch to any cleansing routine. 

Baby Friendly Brands

One of the first things I talked to my partner about when we found out we were expecting a baby, was what we would use on them products wise. Although I'm not a 'green blogger', using brands and products which are natural, organic and free of unnecessary ingredients where possible is extremely important to me, and that's something I want to carry on with our baby too. The way I see it, if there's ingredients, brands and formulas I avoid using on my own skin, why would I put them on my baby? Especially when they're a newborn and their skin will be so sensitive and easy to react. 

Thankfully, my partner agrees and he's more than happy for us to use natural and organic brands where possible, going for brands which avoid ingredients which can be harsh to skin and ultimately are pretty unnecessary ingredients just used to bulk products out. For today's pregnancy post, which marks my 26th week of pregnancy, I'm going to be sharing with you some of the organic, natural and baby-friendly brands we plan to use with Gizmo, giving you a little introduction to each brand and why we think they will be a good choice for our baby.

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette

The Urban Decay Naked range is constantly expanding, and it always seems to be the range which gets beauty adorers worldwide excited the most. What started with the perfect everyday neutral eyeshadow palette has turned into a huge phenomenon with eyeshadow palettes big and small, foundations, beauty balms and concealers, cheek palettes with everything you need for blush, bronze and highlight, lip-glosses and finishing powders. Undoubtedly one of the most famous beauty ranges out there, in everyone's makeup collection, on everyone's wishlist.

The latest Naked product to join the range and one which has been cropping up on quite a few blogs and Instagram accounts lately with mandatory swooning comments, is the Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette, but is it really worth all the hype it's getting?

Debenhams Flowers Moonlit Meadow | 25% Discount

Autumn is creeping it's way in, with summer soon to be a forgotten memory. The perfect way to keep a touch of summer, a glimmer of nature growing strong whilst everything around us turns to ambers and golds, with leaves falling from trees and rainy days becoming regular, are beautiful bouquets of flowers. My favourite way to brighten up our home, a beautiful sight to wake up to each morning, with the scent of fresh flowers being a comforting scent to envelope yourself in. 

FeelUnique Summer Time Beauty Box

OK so October is technically autumn, but seeing as the UK has been getting some pretty nice sunshine and very warm days over the past week or so, I think the FeelUnique Summer Time Beauty Box will fit in nicely, especially for anyone jetting off before the end of the year on a dream holiday.

A Double Cleanse with Vichy

Cleansing. It's probably the step most people find the biggest chore in a skincare routine, but for me it's my favourite step - and the step I think is the most important. I have more cleansers than any other aspect of skincare and I've always said that if you don't cleanse your skin properly, it won't matter how expensive or scientifically proven the rest of your skincare is, without a clean canvas they simply won't be as effective as they could be. 

For me cleansing both morning and night is a daily habit, it's part of my routine and something that signifies the start of a new day and the evening wind-down before bed. I'm a cleansing fiend, and lately there's two products which have taken top spot in my evening cleansing routine, leaving my skin pretty darn happy in return.