Friday Favourites

Three favourite autumn makeup products.

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!

Cheap as Chips - bargain beauty buys under £5

I've spent many an hour lusting over high-end beauty products. The number of MAC lipsticks I own is well into double figures. While I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing (MAC lipsticks are gorgeous, after all), there are loads of really great low-cost products out there. While they may not be as heart-poundingly, moan-inducingly beautiful, they get the job done without needing to survive on baked beans for a fortnight. 

My favourite product launches of 2014

Clockwise from top: 'Pretty Honest' by Sali Hughes; Essie Style Cartel; Maybelline Color Drama Lipstick in Light it Up; Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Dark; Vichy Thermal Aqualia Serum.

Ren Flash Rinse Facial not pictured because I'm still using up my sample pot.