Temperature Dips, Berry Lips and Winter Beauty Tips

Brace yourselves lovers of summer, sunshine and sea – autumn time is upon us and before we know it, the Christmas songs will be blasting and we’ll be left fighting for that last green triangle Quality Street once again. However, if confirming the disappearance of sun and welcoming the autumn breeze doesn’t appeal to you just yet, the long awaited beauty trends that this time of year brings will surely bring a smile to your face (maybe even more so than your favourite Christmas chocolate treat!)

Gone are the days where it was all about the bronzed, beach-tastic glow that made us pale girls reach for the St. Tropez bottles – now the colder weather is here, it’s all about embracing our natural (if you’re like me, rather porcelain) beauty and getting that glow from dewy bases rather than bronzers. Start off your make up routine with a lovely glowy primer like the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in the shade Pearl to add the look of beautiful, healthy skin, followed by a foundation of your choice. My personal picks for this time of year, when the pale complexion has lured around again are the Georgio Armani Luminous Silk or for a more purse-friendly option, Rimmel Match Perfection – both of which offer good but not cakey coverage and a beautiful glow alongside the primer.

Now the base is sorted, your next autumnal addition will be through the help of some blush – that of the terracotta or berry variety will capture that seasonal glow and give you a gorgeous flush (to pretend you’ve been on a lovely winter walk and caught the rosy cheeks instead of staying in bed watching netflix, we know the drill). A dusting of MAC Powder Blush in ‘Fleur Power’, a soft terracotta-pinky shade or Sleek Powder Blush in ‘Flamingo’ if you’re up for a pop of raspberry pink blush will warm up the complexion nicely – even if the sun doesn’t. Highlight the tops of the cheekbones with a pearly highlighter of your choice (if you’re really ‘glowing’ all out!)

For the eye shadow palette that can do no wrong, this time of year is definitely the prime opportunity to crack out your Urban Decay Naked Palette, or any palette bursting with warm, bronzey neutral shades, like MUA Undress Me for a drugstore alternative. For everyday, a nice matte taupe through the crease with a little inner corner highlight will suit, or if your Christmas party is on the way, whack out the deep bronzey shades in the outer corners or just all over the lid. Don’t skimp on the glitter either – if there’s a time for the most shimmering shadows, it’s now. Also on the idea of eyes, the natural summer look of bare lashes is out for the season and it’s all about the doll-like look, so lashings of the blackest mascara will be your best friend to add more definition. Some great drugstore ones include Maybelline The Falsies for a serious false lash look, and if you’re up for the splurge, Diorshow Iconic Overcurl and Benefit They’re Real always tick the boxes for length, curl and a hell of a lot of volume.

Finally, my personal favourite trend for the autumn/winter months are the lip choices – berry, wine and deep red tones are finally acceptable and the darker the better! Keep it a matte formula and your lippy will be hanging around all throughout your Christmas dinner, and the possible under - the - mistletoe peck to follow. A few to try are MAC Russian Red for the perfect Christmas pout, or Rimmel Kate Moss 01 for those looking for a budget alternative (after spending a little too much on the presents). For berry tones, you may want to check out MAC Diva for a serious statement, or Rimmel Kate Moss 107 is a perfect dupe for this and packs just as much of a punch.

However, if bolds just aren’t your thing, fear not! The 90’s nudes are making a huge comeback this autumn/winter time, so pair a deep or mauve-toned nude with the rest of your makeup for a more toned down, yet still super seasonal look. A great pairing from MAC are Brave (more pinky toned) or Velvet Teddy (more brown toned) on top of Soar lip liner, or if you’re after more of a glossy look, go for Maybelline’s Colour Elixir in Caramel Infused for a girlier version of the trend.

This look has quickly become my go-to favourite, as the colder months are definitely when I’m in my element, so I love matching the look to the season – plus, why not have your eye shadow match the autumn leaves and your lippy resembling a holly berry?

Getting on the Glow

Hello all - long time no see! I've been pretty M.I.A on here for the last few months, but hopefully posts will be up regularly once again, and what better way to start than talking about some of my favourite glow - enhancing products?

I don't know about you, but for me, looking glowy doesn't stop when the colder months come about; in fact, I love pairing a good highlight or blush with a sheen with a berry lip this time of year! These are the top 4 that I will be whipping out this month to add the perfect touch of shimmer:

Before applying the base, I like to use my new favourite multi-purpose product, the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl, to add a lovely dewy look to the entire face before applying foundation. This little product just fab as a little really goes a long way, and it can also be mixed in with your foundation or worn over the top as a liquid highlight - my personal favourite way of using it!

If blush is more your thing, a new discovery of mine that I'm just in love with is the Milani Baked Blush in Corallina. This little beauty is just the most beautiful peachy coral with a running gold shimmer, adding the perfect flush to the cheekbones with the prettiest, not too 'in your face' highlighting effect. Unfortunately, it is a USA exclusive, so apologies to the UK girls not heading off anytime soon! However, it is rather comparable to one of my oldies but goodies, Benefit Rockateur blush, which gives a similar glowing look but with more of a rosey tone.

Finally - your typical shimmery powder highlight. One I can't wait to crack out again is the classic MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle. Every girl and their mum are pretty much obsessed with this, and it's perfectly understandable as the gorgeous champagne highlight is the perfect balance of subtlety and shimmer, perfect for pairing with your favourite vampy lipstick this season.

Thank you for reading (if anyone is still here) and I wish you a lovely week and welcome into October! 

My MAC Lipstick Collection

Hello everyone - I've been missing from here for a while due to the crazy exam schedule I have coming up and being busy revising, but I decided to do a little post today with a teeny bit of spare time I have, and what better to talk about than lipsticks? I bought my first Mac lipstick around two years ago and have been hooked ever since - in terms of quality, colour selection and not to mention gorgeous vanilla scent, they are some of the best lippies around and because of this, I have acquired nine of the beautiful bullets.

Top row shades from left to right: Diva (matte), Russian Red (matte), Hot Tahiti (glaze), Craving (cremesheen), Lustering (lustre)

Bottom row shades from left to right: Party Parrot (matte), Crosswires (cremesheen), Lovelorn (lustre), Patisserie (lustre).

As a self-proclaimed lipstick addict, I do love and use all of these, however some of them get more use than others and I do have my favourites! For a bold and bright red for any occasion, I always gravitate towards Russian Red - it's matte formula means that it stays on and looking gorgeous all day long but it isn't terribly drying or uncomfortable on the lips. For the upcoming spring months, I adore Lustering as the perfect sheer wash of pink, it stands out if you build it up but as it is a lustre finish, a dab on the lips gives a lovely subtle pop of colour too. And if it's the perfect nude you're after, look no further than Patisserie - another lustre finish that is a subtle but lovely 'your lips but better' with a pretty peachy shimmer running through. 

Shades from left to right : Diva, Russian Red, Hot Tahiti, Craving, Lustering, Party Parrot, Crosswires, Lovelorn, Patisserie. 

Hope you enjoyed a little look into these lovely lippies! What's your favourite Mac lipstick?

A Few Little Ways to Brighten your Day

As the first month of the year is drawing to a close and we are truly starting the new year, sometimes it's inevitable that we may be hit with a little case of the 'January blues'. Christmas and the holidays are over, school is back in full swing and for a lot of us, including myself, it's getting close to a pretty important set of exams, so I often find myself pretty stressed and all the little worries seem to build up. However, considering there's no way of changing the fact that we have to go to work or school, and need to revise etc, there are other things we can do to lift our spirits and tackle it all with a positive attitude, which is super important if we are going to succeed. And considering we are all fabulous unique individuals who are hard working and ambitious, we will succeed.

1. Go for a walk!

As strange as it sounds, and as hard as it may seem in the morning to get up, I find getting up, wrapping up nice and warm with my coffee and heading out of the door with my headphones in, listening to my favourite music outside is such a simple yet wonderful way to unwind. It doesn't even have to be really early, maybe around 9am when it's still quiet and not many people are out, when you can walk around with your own thoughts, with the fresh air and nature around you, it helps me to feel a lot more zen and makes me feel very grateful that I live a life that I can just walk around freely and enjoy the world around me. Cheesy, but you'll have to try it to see!

2. Meet up with friends

This one never fails to make me happy, as we all have a friend or group of girls that we can always have a great time with and laugh and even cry with, so arrange to get to a local coffee shop or even someone's house to have a chat about what's on your mind - chances are, they're feeling the same way and you can all discuss how you're feeling and how to solve it. Being with my closest friends always makes me so happy because you can just chat for hours and it's a great way to de stress, especially if your friends can listen to what you're feeling and even offer advice if you want it.

3. Take a social media break!

As horrible and scary as this may seem at first, as I am a self confessed instagram and twitter addict, getting off your phone even for as little as an hour can really help with any build up of worries in your mind, as social media never seems to help any of them and can often make you feel worse. Take a point in your day, whether it be just before you go to bed, when you wake up, when you're home from school, whenever to switch off your technology and just be with yourself. When you don't have a million things to think about at once, your mind is more settled and you'll find it easier to relax. Read a bit of a book, a magazine, write in a diary, listen to your favourite music, take a bubble bath, do a workout, even just dance around your room for a little while and you'll feel a whole lot better.

4. Treat yourself (you deserve it!)

This doesn't mean simply food-based, although if you are feeling that last slice of chocolate cake, now is the time to go for it. Sometimes, although a little materialistic, retail therapy is a great way to let off steam and when you have something to look forward to or to make you feel great about yourself, you'll instantly feel a little more uplifted. Take a bath with the bath bomb you've been saving, buy the shoes that you thought were a little too much, because although I hate the phrase 'yolo' it really is true, and if these things are what make you happy, sometimes it's okay to treat yourself.

You deserve happiness and the right to feel great inside and out. The only person who can truly make you happy is YOU, so start by loving yourself from the inside, and others will see and love you for this. You can do it.

The Perfect Glossy Nude Lip

As many of you know, one of my biggest struggles makeup-wise is finding a nude lipstick that suits me perfectly - both my hair and skin tone. Most nude lipsticks tend to wash me out and make me look even paler, so I tend to go for the darker lips, so I don't look quite so dead! However, Maybelline Colour Elixirs have changed the game, and I've finally found a nude lip worth rocking.

As a recommendation from the lovely Anna (Viviannadoesmakeup), I thought it would be worth picking it up since it looked so gorgeous on her! The shade of the liquid lipstick range 'Caramel Infused' is a slightly rosey nude that is a gorgeous inbetween brown and pink colour, so it looks fab with pale skin like mine. 

Another thing I love about these Maybelline Colour Elixirs are the formula, they go on like a balm and feel so smooth and buttery on the lips, but unlike most tinted balms, are super long wearing! Also as a liquid lipstick formula, they aren't thick and gloopy like others I've tried, but are just the perfect lipstick-gloss hybrid - I'm excited to try out the rest of the colour range!

As shown on the photo above, the wand is slightly unusual looking but makes for great application, it's almost a heart shape and is big enough to comfortably glide product onto the whole lip, but not too big that you look like Kylie Jenner gone wrong. 

One thing I must say about this is that I'm not the biggest fab of the packaging ; the mirrored silver lid and clear plastic is slightly cheap looking and maybe takes the aestethic appeal away from the great product inside! If you can see past this, this may be the perfect new lip product for you.