Autumn Wish List

So I've already done an entire post dedicated to my love of Tartan, and that definitely features very heavily on what I'm loving this autumn. But while I was putting together that post I couldn't help but mentally add some other things to my ever growing 'wish list' and I thought I'd shared them with you

Maybelline Great Lash
I think it's because the packaging is so distinctive, but I swear everyone seems to have used this mascara. My Benefit They're Real is steadily running out and this one is next up

Days of Blood and Starlight
I read the first book in this trilogy years ago and truly fell in love with the characters the author created. And now I'm back in the UK this is right at the top of my list for new book as I can't wait to emerse myself in her writing again.

Nude Shoes
I still don't own a comfortable pair of nude heels and i am determined to rectify that this autumn. These ones from ASOS look really promising with a decent sized heel at a pretty affordable price

Tory Burch Teresa Riding Boots (currently out of stock)
Carly mentioned these a few weeks back and I haven't been able to get them out of my mind. I really want to get some riding boots this winter, and although there's no way it's going to be these beautiful ones (since they're way out of my price range) I'm on the hunt for a similar pair.

Unicorn Top
This is just so cute, and so affordable. Part of me wants to just order it right now, this very minute. But I also know I'll probably only ever wear it for lounging around the house, and I have enough comfy clothes to last me a lifetime… #firstworldproblems right there

Boujois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks
These are all over the blogging sphere with claims a formula that's comfortable to wear but doesn't budge. I desperately want to give them a go, but I just can't narrow it down! My top picks are definitely Ole Flamingo, Pink Pong and Grand Cru but I think getting three would be a little excessive!

Brighter is Better!

I've been steadily creeping closer to this point with my hair for the last 8 months. And yesterday I finally took the plunge and attempted to go 'blonde'. My colour before could have, possibly, been called blonde, but it could just have easily fallen into the 'light brown' category and I decided that at least once in my life I wanted to be blonde!

And I'm loving it so far, because I've gradually lightened by hair (deciding to go a little lighter every few months) it's not a huge change, but it still feels quite weird to look in the mirror and see such light hair! Especially considering my natural colour is a very, very dark brown!

I've kept my 'roots' as dark as I felt I could so regrowth shouldn't be a complete pain. But my biggest hurdle is definitely my eyebrows as they're naturally so dark - luckily bold brows are very in so I think I can just about get away with them!

The day after dying it I popped on some make up to go out and I wound up putting on Revlon Just Bitten Lipstick and I just loved how the bright colour worked with my lighter hair. The lighter I've gone the more I've had to change up my lipstick with bold lips becoming increasily popular! 

The rest of my make up was pretty simple, Nars Kalahari duo (the lightest swept all over), a mix of Lioeli BB Cream and Mac Strobe Cream (trying to use up the strobe cream) and my beloved Lancome Oche Doree. I applied Oche Doree slightly differently today, focusing on the edges of my face and not bringing it so far onto the apples and I think I quite like it!

It seems weird to be going for such bright colours when we're in autumn but the weather here has been so beautiful that it still feels like summer - and I'm all for clinging to summer for as long as possible!

Tartan Love

Despite clinging desperately to summer, I'm having to accept autumn is well and truly on the way and although I'm definitely not looking forward to the chillier weather, the amount of tartan in stores is making me drool! In the last week I've already bought a 2 pieces of tartan and I can see several more tartan beauties making their way into my wardrobe before winter is through!

Topshop Skirt / iPhone Case / New Look Dress / New Look Shirt / ASOS Shoes

I actually have that checked shirt already, and today I bought a near enough identical skirt from New look too! My Tartan collection is steadily growing, now I just need to hunt down the perfect tartan scarf

In keeping with the idea of embracing autumn, I tried a Pumpkin Spice Latte for the first time today, and I have to say - I just don't get all the hype! I mean it was nice, it didn't seem to be anything all that special though! Are you looking forward to the changing seasons?

Do Tell

Since this is my last few weeks of winter for a while (yay) I've fully embraced the darker palette winter offers - including this beauty of lipstick from Benefit

What I've been loving is that if I liberally apply it (as above) I get a great darker colour that's still very wearable but adds a little extra something! It's been great for days I can't be bothered to do anything fancy with my eyes, simple eye+beautiful lipstick is always a winter in my book.

But I can just pat some on the centre and blend it out to get a much more 'natural' look for days I'm just not feeling up to braving it. 

And I couldn't resist this oh-so-cringey photo showing off the lipstick and my current favourite nail polish - OPI Navy. It's so gorgeous on, it's very nearly black but it's got just enough blue for it not to look too gothic when I'm pale skinned. Also, I thought this photo showed my eye make up quire well too. So just ignore the cringey-ness of the photo and focus on the good bits!

Craving

My daily make up is usually ridiculously quick and simple but hopefully leaves me looking like I put a lot more than the minimum amount of effort required to look presentable in. I think I owe most of that to the lipstick though.

You might have noticed but I often don't wear lipstick, or anything on my lips actually. I'm just not a lipstick girl… not that you'd know that by looking at how many lip product I own, lipsticks are just so tempting with their beautiful colours, but once I buy them they sadly never get used. But in Dubai I fell in love with mac's Russian Red, wearing it almost every day I was there, so, convinced I was now a lipstick sort of girl,  I couldn't resist the mac counter in Sydney and somehow walked out with Craving.

Honestly, it's made me look at the rest of my lipsticks completely differently, I have so many lovely colours I just never wear. I think I just feel too 'dressed up' if I have lipstick on - makes no sense I know. But since getting craving i've been wearing it almost none stop.. possibly 5 days in a row which is completely unheard of for me!

On the rest of my face I just have Laura mercier tinted moisturiser, the Balm Bahama mama, Benefit they're Real, Collection lasting perfection concealer, L'Oreal brow artist, ChiChi Nudes palette

I love this lipstick liberally swiped on, but my favourite way to wear it is dabbed in the middle of my lips and smudged/smeared out so it's a lighter weight. Craving is my first amplified finish and it's amazing - creamy, pigmented, reasonably long lasting and it just wears beautifully throughout the day! I hate high-maintenance lipsticks, I just can't be bothered having to constantly reapply but it leaves a subtle stain once it's worn off which means I can put off reapplying! 

At the moment I'm sticking to a little bronzer for some slight contouring and skipping the whole blush and highlighter, but I don't see that lasting too much longer. As soon as I start having to wear a coat on a daily basis I can't resist piling on the highlighter to try and keep my skin looking really 'alive'.

I made use of my ChiChi Nude palette sweeping on a light shimmery shade and then layering on the mascara. I got the palette in Brisbane on a bit of an impulse as the colours were buttery soft and pigmented when swatched. On reflection it's not a particularly great palette as all the colours have a distinct silver, cool undertone but I can't complain as it was a bit of a bargain. And the streamlined packaging means it's great to throw in your bag for a weekend away.

Since getting craving I've been much more experimental with my lip colours, and I already know another amplified mac lipstick will be mine in no time at all!

A/W Wish Lists

I thought I’d do something a little different today. I’m surprisingly excited about the approaching autumn (I say approaching despite the fact it feels like mid winter here right now..) and a lot of the A/W collections are now out so I decided to do a little montage of all the things I really want this autumn.
Cream Crochet Dress – River Island £25
Navy Blazer – River Island £50
Feather clutch (completely love this!) – River Island £32
Kahki Parka Coat – Topshop £95
Semi-Sheer black shirt – Topshop - £36
Stripy fit and flare dress – H&M £12.99
Three stone ring – Bo ho - £8
Frog earrings – F21 - $3.80
Chanel Bronze universal– Boots £31
Mac costa chic- Mac £13.50
Cleanse and Polish hot cloth cleanser - Liz Earle £13.75
Cleanse and Polish hot cloth cleanser - Liz Earle £13.50
Urban decay primer in Sin- Debenhams £14.50
Essie 'glamous purse' - Essie $8.00
MUA Heaven and Earth palette – Superdrug £4
Samy fat hair thickening hair spray -Superdrug £6.59
A6 Leatherjournal- Topshop £8
Cut roeses make up bag - Cath Kidston £10
Toy watch - £164.99
The final book in the inheritance cycle- Amazon £9.49 (yes, I've pre orderd!)
Canon eos 1100D – Jessops - £379.95
Kankee candle in mango and peach salsa - £16 (I have this in tart form and i love it!)

Let me know if you like these sorts of posts, I’m thinking of doing them twice a year, for A/W and then for S/S :)
Hope you’ve enjoyed!! x