The Autumn Beauty Edit

Autumn is without shadow of a doubt, my favourite time of year. Blustering winds, drizzling rain, golden leaves and dark days are the best, and when this time of year approaches, you'll find me stocking up on Zara Scarves, dark nail polishes, and spicy candles. I'm an autumnal girl through and through.

As with every change of season, the time has come for me to shake up my makeup and beauty routine, out with the corals and in with the plums, so I thought I'd show you the products I'm going for this season. I'll link in any full reviews I've done!

Face Bases

L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint - My current everyday pick. So light you can't feel it on your skin at all, but with enough coverage to even out the skin tone. Makes your skin feel almost powdered, and gives a matter finish. This is my favourite at the moment.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - Oil Free - I thought I'd throw in a high end pick. During Autumn I tend to lean for matter finishes in my bases, but this is what I lean for when I want a bit of natural glow. Low coverage, light finish and all around lovely.

Max Factor Facefinity - For long days, nights out, or when I just need a little more coverage. My favourite full coverage foundation, lasts all day with a matte finish.

Nars Laguna - I tend to ditch the bronzer in winter, but I'm not quite ready to give it up yet. I've been using a cream bronzer in the last few weeks, but I'm heading back to my old faithful. Light on the skin and not orangey at all, just adds a little glow.

Sleek Flushed - A blush I reserve solely for the colder months. The perfect pink flush, I reach for this when I go neutral on the eyes and lips, as it's a little much otherwise.

Benefit Hervana - A natural, lilac tinged pink flush, warms up the complexion beautifully.

Honourable mentions to MAC Ripe for Love, Chanel Creme Blush in Revelation.

 Eyes

Urban Decay Naked Palette - When the warmer months leave us, I shun my Naked 2 palette and reach for this. The warmer colours are perfect for the cold months. I particularly love the combo of Toasted & Hustle.

Bobbi Brown Rich Chocolate Palette - The perfect wintery palette for neutral lovers. Warm colours, with the perfect mix of matte and shimmer shades. 

NARS Fairy's Kiss Palette - Beautiful purple tones, with that infallible NARS formula.

MAC Cranberry, Sketch, Blackberry & Satin Taupe - I have two MAC palettes, but this one is the one I reach for during Autumn/Winter. I love the warm berry shades, and Satin Taupe is just gorgeous. I'm going to do a post on my MAC palettes later this week!

MAC Constructivist Paint Pot - Melted chocolate in a pot. Perfect for when faffing with eyeshadow is not ideal.

Smashbox Eyeliners in Antique Gold, Bronze Citrine, Graphite & Imperial - Pretty liners that can be smudged along the lid, can work as a base, and generally look very pretty.

 L-R MAC Russian Red, MAC All Out Gorgeous, Korres Lip Butter in Plum, MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Glorious Intent, Benefit Hydra-Smooth Lip Colour in Fling Thing, MAC Plumful & Rimmel Let's Get Naked

Lips

 

MAC Russian Red - I tend to save reds for Winter, they make me feel Christmassy, but Russian Red is a touch darker, than most reds.

MAC All Out Gorgeous - A berry toned red that's super glossy on the lips. I love berry colours in the Autumn! 

Korres Lip Butter in Plum - Perfect for adding a touch of colour to dry lips. This is probably my favourite colour of the lot. 

MAC Sheen Supreme Lipglass Tint in Glorious Intent - A lipstain reminiscent of the YSL glossy stains. Beautiful dark berry shade.

Benefit Hydra-Smooth Lip Colour in Fling Thing - subtle and it stays on all day. What more could you want?

MAC Plumful - A sheer berry plum colour. 

Rimmel Let's Get Naked - When I'm going for a dark smokey eye, I love a nude lip. This is slightly peach toned so it doesn't wash me out!

Honourable mentions, Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet & MAC Brick O La

Nails

Barry M Texture Effect Nail Paint in Countess and Duchess - I love these glitter polishes, and these might just be my favourites. 

Essie Chinchilly - Gorgeous mink grey colour.

Revlon Vixen - A beautiful red wine colour. Super sophisticated.

Skincare & Scents

Hand Dream Super Cream - Because perfectly manicured paws don't matter if they're dry and scaley! A little more intense than Hand Food. 

Ultrabland - I tend to swap out my cleansers for heavier, oil based ones, that give my skin a little more hydration. I love Ultrabland because it gets all my makeup off in one go. Super easy.

Let The Good Times Roll - Ahh it's back! Keeping my skin breakout free and radiant, I always reach for this scrub in the colder months, mostly for the popcorn scent!

Trilogy Rosehip Oil - Instead of an evening moisturiser, I reach for this, which makes my skin crazy hydrated, soft & supple. 

Nuxe Reve De Miel - Soft lips for matte lipsticks. This is the best of the bunch!

Gucci Guilty - A spicy, oriental scent, with Mandarin & Amber. Perfect spritzed onto scarves!

Lush Vanillary - Just what it says, Vanillary! Warm and comforting, this is a solid perfume that can be dabbed onto the wrists and necks and smells so yummy.

Phew! I need a lie down after that one! 

What are your favourite autumn products?

The Flu Edit

 Firstly, I should apologise yet again for disappearing on you all, between a week with no internet and being ill, I've been struggling to get my act together on my little corner of the internet! I have working wifi again now, and I've dosed myself up enough to have a little chat with y'all.

Speaking of being ill, I seem to have been hit by either the flu or some mutant cold that is worse than any I've had before. I sound like a bloke and can't breath through my nose, and my body feels like I've been run over by a ten ton truck, so I seriously hope this isn't something everyone has!

That being said, it is that time of year again where colds are rife and every other person on the underground is sneezing on the escalator hand rail and all over your copy of the Metro, so I thought I'd give you my rough guide to surviving the germs without dying of boredom, or scaring anyone with your sick face.

Now normally if I have a cold, I like to dose myself up and keep going, cause I feel like I notice less (enter stage left, cold & flu tablets, and copious amounts of soothers) but this week my body has been completely knocked for six, and I've been tucked up in bed. There have been a couple of days where I have had to go out though, and whilst makeup has been the last thing on my mind, I didn't want to scare everyone with my bare face (even my boyfriend who tends to soften the blow for me, says I look like death. Thanks babe). So I've found a few makeup products that I can wear (my skin has magically gotten really dry) without wanting to scratch my face off. A super light base to even out my skin and add colour (god knows I need it, can you say, grim reaper?), I've been using the Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser, which fits the bill nicely. A pop of colour on the cheeks, and the Max Factor Miracle Touch blush in Soft Pink is perfect, I reviewed this last week here, it just adds a very natural glow to the cheeks. A curl of the lashes with my Shu Umera curlers, and a slick of Rimmel's nude pencil in my waterline brightens up my eyes, and the holy grail that is Nars' Creamy Concealer under the eyes to cover up the 'I'm not sleeping because I can't breathe" under eye bags.  Finished off by dusting MAC's Mineralize Skin Finish in Lightscapade to brighten the skin and blur any imperfections.

My skin has totally dried up and looks really lacklustre, so I'm tag teaming it in the mornings with the Origins Ginzing face and eye cream, and in the evenings alternating between the Kiko Peeling mask to brighten my skin, and the No7 Hydration mask to rehydrate.

Other than that it's been a case of resting, catching up on the stack of magazines I haven't had time to read, that has been growing on my coffee table, and plying myself with Vitamin C.