7 reasons why Autumn is fabulous

The quarterly sector that comes once annually, is right at our finger tips, yes, we all know what season I'm talking about and I couldn't wish for it to come sooner.
Wishing Summer away is not usually on the horizon for most but when the sun seems to frazzle away (ironically) and cool breezes edge their way back into our lives, its time to welcome Autumn with open (& perhaps covered) arms.

It's the period to pull out that knit you've had for years but that still manages to take a self-assured winning place in your line of Autumn wear, (and I'm really not talking about the one that Nan knitted you for Christmas). Still a distant few months to go before you whack that one out. No one likes an eager beaver now do they!?

Autumn has just got be my favourite season. Say goodbye to pastels as we invite richer shades to the forefront of our fashion. London Fashion Week of course is identified as a front runner for the most diverse and cutting edge designers in the fashion industry and therefore it was easy to detect the trends intended by these designers for the season. We now introduce 'Oxblood red' as the colour of Autumn 14, as it emerges as the perfect 'I want to wear black but not black' shade.

The unattractive termed and brownish earthy undertones of this colour in my opinion shout 'NO' so I've opted for accessories in this shade. (Beautifully polished nails and dark daring lips). 

It's also time to buy your new fashion staple, the new best friend, the 'IT Jacket'. A jacket is the piece of clothing that really is the one part of your wardrobe that stays the same yet follows your changes of outfit everywhere, so we better make it a good one. Contrasting collars are realming the current catwalk trends of Autumn/Winter 2014 as we spy Marc Jacobs, Givenchy and many more rock the bold collar. I have to say this year I tend on actually sticking to my plan to buy a decent, warm and appealing jacket as this seems to be a shopping nightmare for me.

Proposal: Buy a cozy jacket for under £100 in a neutral colour to coordinate with the remainder of my wardrobe.
Deadline: October 15th, a few weeks before Halloween.

My top 7 reasons why Autumn is fabulous.

1. Deliciously yummy warm treats- hearty soups and of course an excuse to have a hot chocolate every evening AND with marshmallows and cream, (they sort of go hand in hand).
2. A brand new Autumn wardrobe- wrap up warm (otherwise known as complex layering), with cozy scarves, hats, gloves and gorgeous boots- those boots really were made for walking.
3. Cold crisp mornings and Autumn walks- there really isn't anything more refreshing than to wake up to that crisp air and what a surprisingly invigorating hangover cure!
4. The most festive season of the year- Autumn brings two of the most exciting festive gatherings in the space of one week. Halloween and Bonfire night! Need I say more...
5. Wood fires and candles- there's nothing more inviting that flickering flames in the mist of the cold weather. 
6. Conker competitions- not only intended for kids! Although most can picture the exciting times searching for the best conkers for competitions as a distant memory, your inner child is screaming to venture out again, so give it a go!
7. And lastly...the weirdly satisfying feeling and sound of walking on fallen Autumn leaves- and for those daring devils out there, a perfect opportunity to delve into them. 

I welcome Autumn with open arms and look forward to purchasing my new wardrobe and necessarily, my IT jacket.

Lots of love from apologetic Summer. (There's nothing worse than feeling in between seasons).

Old age catching up

Can you imagine the world without technology?

Where relax time consisted of story books and jigsaw puzzles instead of television and laptops?

I for one believe it to be sad that childhood as we know it now is technology obsessed and where a brand new bicycle and a kitten were at the top of my Christmas list only 10 years ago, iPads, iPods, iPhones and iMacs have completely taken over. Yes Apple is the new trend and not one that will wear off any time soon I don't think.

"And of course a kitten is for life, not just for Christmas"

This seemed to be the perfect topic to write about as during the last few weeks I've had time to dwell on it. 'Once you go smart, you never change the chart'. (Scary thought- how dependent a girl can be on what appears to be just a pretty looking 'slab' with a protective cover).

3 weeks ago:
Losing your phone or even worse, losing your bag, is a nightmare. The next morning composed of the cancellation of cards, ringing the taxi company, asking friends to look around and of course the realisation that perhaps my phone was actually gone, a five pound note anddd my ID.  (but hey I could have really done with changing my ID photograph anyway).

Every cloud has a silver lining

For the few weeks that my insurance claim was in action, I waited patiently (or not) for the arrival of my replacement iPhone. The process was not a light one I can assure you, insurance companies really make you work for what is rightfully yours. In this time I used my Mum's old blackberry. Adjusting to texting on the black brick, sorry blackberry was something I initially screamed at. Was it my fat fingers that couldn't adjust to the minuscule buttons that made my sentences brimming with full stops?

I laugh now as I exemplify: Hey, I lost my.phone last night and. now using. this it's not been.foun.anywhere. 

I'm happy to say I am now content with my recently delivered smart phone, which is truly 'smarter' than all of my friends, (I kid). It is scary however, how technology is becoming so clever. Only yesterday did I watch a video that explained the new Facebook Messenger app, as the new 'Big Brother device'. Of course I immediately deleted it. Nothing seems more intrusive than technology that can inevitably 'eye spy' on your family. Watch below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaKq46Z0eh4 (there are many more Youtube videos on this dispute).

Our grand-parents are now catching up with the current times can we not all agree?. In the words of my own Nana. "It seems that we can't escape from it so we may as well jump on the bandwagon".

My Nana and Papa, (Nannykins & Pups as I like to call them) came to visit a few days ago. My Papa brought along his fairly recent new toy, his Ipad which has replaced his newspapers and daily cross word puzzles as he now likes to go on Facebook, look at his emails, play online puzzles and... (which I found hysterical) take selfies with 'Photobooth'. Alien and Chipmunk I liked best and which made his goggle glasses look even funnier.

My Sister and I on her new MacBook Air  #aliensisters

But to my amusement, my Nana felt she too needed one of these technical devices so on her recent visit, brought along her very own 'Mini iPad' which she adores because she can fit it in her handbag. Contrary to my Papa who has quite a few apps installed. (Thanks to my sister and I), Nana likes to use her iPad as a camera. (Not exactly what it's designed for, but we'll let her off). She brought it to our family dinner at a restaurant and admits she bought it because she likes the way she can slide her fingers to scroll the photos.

They may be catching up but sadly, hilariously, they still haven't quite got it yet. My Papa's managed to add my friend's friend, my sister's travelling friend's Mum on Facebook and 'like' copious comments that are in no way directed at him. But it's okay, at least they're trying.

Technology is constantly progressing and I'm just terrified that Robots will actually take over from humans.

Thought of the day.

SOS Save Our Skin

There are a range of skin types; normal, oily, dry, sensitive and combination skin which is merely a 'combination' of all. (for the greedy ones out there). Which one are you?

A good skin care regime is essential to making your skin feel fresh, look youthful and appear flawless. Here are some of the products I am using at the moment.

A face wash for when I shower, face wipes to remove make-up, refreshing pads for every morning and a good moisturiser for after all three! 

GARNIER FACE WASH- Garnier PureActive, fruit energy, daily energising gel scrub. I love this one as the grapefruit and pomegranate scent is truly revitalizing. (fresh and zingy). I always go for a face wash which contains little beads in which I feel really work to scrub off that unwanted dirt!

FACEWIPES- As you can see at the moment I have 'dirty works' facewipes which they describe as good clean fun, (catchy) but I was swayed into the marketing of this product and ofcourse it's retail price of only £2! But do you see the resemblance to Soap and Glory!? I was definitely fooled, clever, and it worked. 

 

The almost duplication is sneaky, yet ingenious! Being a solid lover of Soap and Glory's body and bath products I felt a slight annoyance due to my loyalty to the 'original', but look, I bought the face-wipes, I fell for the trap, so really, a big well done to them. I wouldn't buy these face wipes again though as they are really dry and tag on the skin when removing make up. 

CLEARASIL REFRESHING PADS- Clearasil daily clear Superfruits Refreshing Pads with raspberry and cranberry extracts are my favourite part of my skin care routine. I use them every morning and sometimes in the evenings after using a facewipe, (when you feel the face wipe didn't quite get the 10 thick layers of grub off your face). You'll know these pads work when you look down to see that they are no longer white but black in colour! Yuck! but impressive.... They exfoliate and cleanse your skin with the rigid texture of the pad and they are extremely moist which is a luxury!

Not my dirt...I promise

Lastly, a brilliant moisturiser. I chop and change. I used to use Johnsons but at the moment I have..

GARNIER FACE MOISTURISER- Garnier essentials hydrating day care cream. It has a velvety smooth texture and slides on wonderfully. (I hate that tight, feel like you've just gone through lots of botox, kind of feel) so I use moisturiser after washing my face no matter what. 

So whatever products you use, make sure you stick to your skin care regime, you'll only have yourself to answer for when you're old and wrinkly. (hey, that's mean)..but it is true. A moisturiser is a God send and you only get given one face, protect it wisely. :)

Love, confessions of a beauty-holic x

What's in YOUR make up bag?

A look inside my make up bag

My make up bag is small. I fit everything I could possibly need into a 20cm by 12cm gold zip up case. (except the eye shadow box set, that's an added, vital requirement).

CLINIQUE FOUNDATION- Clinique's superbalanced foundation, glass bottle, in shade 27, Alabaster. This is actually the lightest shade and I couldn't believe when this was the right tone for my olive, tanned complexion. As an oil-free, 100% fragrance free foundation, this is a perfect choice for my oily prone skin. I also love the fact that it doesn't have a potent smell. Much preferred to previous foundations such as the Mac products, which to me, resemble the scent of wet clay. (and it's applied to your face, there's no running away from the scent of your foundation!).

MAC CONCEALER- Mac's studio finish concealer, in shade NC20. This is my absolute favourite beauty product and I could not live without it. It comes in a petite, plastic tub, making it especially easy to carry. (perfect for holidays, weekend getaways and that occasional over-night stay). The one huge problem I suffer with is those dreaded black bags under my eyes and with the smallest amount, (less is really more) the bruised looking areas are miraculously disguised. Now, where's that tired bunny gone? I was told by a very helpful beauty artist at the Mac counter that for my complexion, which apparently holds yellow undertones, to go for a 'C' shade, unlike the red under-toned concealer which is better for paler skin and is defined with a 'W'. A further benefit of this concealer is its built in sun protection, SPF 35! (to stop those enemy rays from ageing skin faster than life intends it to).


COLLECTION SHEER LOOSE POWDER- Collection's sheer loose powder in shade 2, translucent. Now, this, I am a religious and very loyal customer of. There is literally no swaying me into the expensive, alternative brands. If a cheap loose powder does the job, then why budge!? At a retail price of under a fiver, to me, this powder shouts out 'bargain beauty must have'! If setting your foundation and creating that matte look is what your after, head to Superdrug now. It's perfection in the Summer when you try to hide that sweaty sheen, which you can sometimes just about get away with calling a 'dewy glow', but not always the look you had in mind. I would recommend this product as it does everything a loose powder claims to do and at a very good price!

MAC BLUSHER- Mac sheer tone shimmer blush in sunbasque. With an impeccable range of shades to choose from, this is the one that takes my fancy at the moment. The deeper shade of pink (almost leaning towards the brown, bronzed scale of the spectrum) makes for a desired merge between bronzer and blusher. But I'm open to lots of the shades, mix it up, why not.

BRUSHES: Body shop blusher brush. All you need to do is head into your nearest body shop and have a feel of those brushes to know the quality of them. (Not to look like a weirdo or anything, but test them all on your face, its surprisingly satisfying). Try not to buy the whole shop though, I know its tempting. All I have is my one trusted blusher brush which I use for bronzer, blusher and my loose powder!
My miniature brush. This one, ladies, was a freebie! Yes, that's right. Head to Bare Essentials, they give you testers and they come with a small brush. They are bloody brilliant! I use mine to apply my loose powder under my eyes, on top of my concealer. (the hard to reach places). Although, at this moment in time, my make up bag doesn't contain anything from Bare Essentials, I am definitely a fan. (next time I won't rush out that door so quickly with my freebies so I can maybe, actually find my next make up bag necessity).

LIPSTICKS- Revlon super lustrious lipstick in shade 477, black cherry. (Everyone needs that slightly gothic hue, a sultry pop of colour. Mac lipstick in A33, lustre syrup, a truly subtle tinge, suitable for daytime and work! Rimmel lasting finish lipstick in rouge 214 firecracker (this beauty really is a fire cracker, show stoppingly gorgeous coral red, devil lips to die for), I am just very careful to tone down any other make up. I stick to eyes or lips. I never do both. Collection lasting colour lipstick in shade 8, sweet tart, my latest buy (in actual fact I bought it today and I'm excited to try this bright, barbie doll, pink colour).

MASCARA- Soap and Glory's thick and fast mascara. Not a fan, I'm sad to say. As an award winning mascara and of a brand I am in awe with, I was excited to purchase my first mascara, only to find I had to apply a copious amount of layers to get my desired look. I'll stick to Rimmel or Bourjois next time! Soap & Glory will forever be one of my favourite beauty brands (I love the moisturisers and body washes but perhaps this mascara was just not the one for me).

HIGHLIGHTERS & EYE SHADOWS- I just love my little sets. Benefit's world famous neutrals eye-shadow kit, with the most glamorous nudes ever. Nude eyes with black mascara and black eyeliner is my favoured look. Benefit's posie tint, sun beam and cha cha tint make up set is what Benefit calls the cheeky treats for a pop of colour and a gorgeous glow. (They certainly make you glow, I'll have you know). Benefit watts up soft focus highlighter. A great essential for that wanted glisten but press softly as I found it takes a lot of blending to look oh so natural.

EYEBROW PENCIL & EYELINER- L'Oreal super liner brow pencil in 03 brunette. (A great brow shapes the entire face).
Kiko vibrant eye liner crayon in jet black. I'm open to most eyeliners but I adore the way this slides on rather than some that have that chalky, jaggered effect. (You know, the ones that pull on your delicate eye lids and ouch!...we don't want that happening).

What's in YOUR make up bag?

Yours truly...