Friday Favourites

A couple of products I've been loving lately.

A classic Autumn look on a budget

Autumn makeup, how I love you. Autumn is my favourite season, September my favourite month, and with their arrival comes a desire, no, a need, to add new shades to my makeup collection. 

But my goodness it costs a lot! I've been drooling over the Chanel and Nars Fall Collections and sadly realising that I can't afford to stock up on my favourites and still afford food, hot water and an internet connection.

So that's where this post started - how can I get the same lovely autumnal shades without breaking the bank? After a good hunt around online and in the makeup stands of Boots and Superdrug, I found budget products to recreate the same lovely looks at a fraction of the price.

My most loved products of summer 2015

I am so glad it's autumn. I love the colours, the weather, being finally able to wear scarves and jumpers and tights and boots again. I love the new makeup collections with their dark plums and browns. 
But before I fully embrace autumn I want to acknowledge the products that have seen me through summer.

Autumn Edit: Topshop

I head to Topshop at the end of summer because I love their autumn knitwear. They always have wonderful jumpers in beautiful tan, ochre and rust shades. I love that Topshop caters to a wide range of styles - I can always find something I like. (Equally I'll usually find something I wouldn't be caught dead in!) Despite being a fashion-forward brand, I find their clothes have a very long life span. I have skirts, tops, jumpers and cardigans that I've had for several years and still wear all the time. I'm wearing a rust-coloured boxy v-neck top from their Boutique range at the moment, and my burgundy cardigan, which is at least five years old, rests on the arm of the sofa, ready to be shrugged on if it turns cold. 

The jumpers of course caught my eye immediately (who doesn't love a good snuggly jumper?) as well as the beautiful midi dresses and smart brown ankle boots. 

A tip on buying: I find Topshop knitwear is often deliberately oversized - I typically buy 2 sizes smaller to avoid looking drowned.

Crochet midi dress, £70

Woodland Floral Print Shirt, £39

Dandelion Print Midi Dress, £55

Contrast Space Dye Roll Neck Jumper, £42

Longline Fine Ribbed Jumper, £36

Lulu Stitch Cardigan, £42

Ribbed Side Split Jumper, £36

Side Split Top, £30

Dark Floral Print Plunge Cami, £24

V-Neck Belted Midi Dress, £42

Super-Soft Scarf, Grey Marl, £16

Angelo Jodhpur Ankle Boots, Tan, £62

Bardot Heeled Ankle Boots, Burgundy, £45

Happy shopping!

Thanks for reading! x

Autumn Edit: M&S

Oh M&S I do love you. 

I'm wearing one of your dresses as I write this, a black trapeze-style long sleeved dress that hides last night's spaghetti dinner bloat and only cost £19.50 (find it here). Your pants have graced my bum for as long as I remember. Your tights cosset my legs, black 40 deniers protecting me from autumnal chills and nude ones imparting an evenly toned golden tan onto my pasty pale skin in summer. You offer such a range of styles - my mum and I, whose tastes differ, can both shop happily in you. My boyfriend wears your reasonably priced v-neck jumpers constantly. 

This year's autumn offerings are particularly good, full of burgundy and tan and grey with hints of 70's styling. 

Pure Cashmere Round Neck Perforated Jumper, £119

Floral Statement Blouse, £35

Floral Midi Shift Dress, £45

Cosy Tube Bodycon Dress, £25

Roll Sleeve Sheer Longline Shirt, £29.50

V-Neck Pleated Waist Bodycon Dress, £45

Wool Blend Double Breasted Overcoat with Cashmere, £120

Double Face Unstructured Coat with Wool, £69

Oversized Checked Blanket Scarf, £18

Mock Croc Boxy Shoulder Bag, £39.50

Crepe Sole Chelsea Ankle Boots, £45

Faux Suede Zipped Ankle Boots, £39.50

I hope this has inspired you!

Thanks for reading! x

My favourites from Autumn's new makeup collections

Chanel, Nars, YSL, Bobbi Brown, Charlotte Tilbury... just a bit of a drool-fest, really.

A new favourite mascara

Remember my odyssey to find a primer? I picked up two other gems on Boots' 3 for 2 offer that I've been wanting to share.

First up:

Rimmel Wonder'full waterproof mascara with argan oil (£7.99) 

Friday Favourites

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer review

Taking advantage of the offers in Boots...

An Autumn Look

Happy September, everyone! It's my favourite month of the year. Here's a little makeup look I tried last week. It's soft and coppery and pinky and all round lovely and flattering and seasonal. 

My foundation is Nars Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in Finland. It's become my go-to summer base - it feels, smells and looks wonderful, it blends so easily, and as a bonus it contains SPF 30. I've used Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla under my eyes and a little on my nose and chin to minimise redness.

I've used Bourjois Colorband crayon in Brun Dadaiste with Rimmel Exaggerate Liner in Rich Brown for a soft smoky eye, topped off with Rimmel Wonder'full black waterproof mascara. I love the colour of the Bourjois crayon but I find it could benefit from a primer underneath. The eyeliner is excellent and performs well above its budget price - everyone should have one! I particularly like the Rich Brown because it's exactly what it says - rich, dense colour that doesn't fade. The mascara is simply my usual mascara at the moment and it's really good for those of us who have sensitive eyes but find non-waterproof mascara smudges too much.

Cheeks are Guipre from Sleek's excellent Blush By 3 palette in Lace. It's a fantastic palette for summer and, although this is a budget palette, the blushes blend beautifully and don't irritate my sensitive skin. Guipre is a warm pink with gold shimmer to rival the best Nars blushes. The shimmer gives a lovely warm glow to the skin. I've used l'Oreal Glam Bronze bronzer in Sun Bronze on the high points of the face and under my cheekbones for a little more warmth, although this step is optional because the highlight from the blush adds contour to the face. 

Lips are my favourite shade - Nars Sheer Lipstick in Mayflower. It's a gorgeous shimmery peachy pink that lives permanently in my bag because it's my 'my lips but better' shade. 

Brows are Rimmel Professional Brow Pencil in Black Brown. This is the only brow product I've used for a while because it's incredibly long lasting and it's a nice soft ashy dark brown.

Hmm what else? I topped everything off with a swoosh of Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Powder in Pale Yellow. This powder has lasted an incredibly long time and as you can see from it's been well loved!

Thanks for reading!