Autumn is finally here! It's my favourite time of year and I can't wait to feel properly autumnal - but before I get too far ahead of myself, there are a few things that I've been loving for the Summer-Autumn transition.
These are all of the things in my favourites that can be pictured, and to keep things simple let's start with beauty...
Beauty Favourites
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer:
While I only have a sample size amount, I'm totally in love with it already! I have oily skin, so the fact that it's oil free is a huge bonus for me, and it fills in my pores really well. This has a nice effect in photos as I don't look shiny and it means my foundation doesn't settle in my pores.
MAC Warm Neutrals Palette:
This has been so useful for those times when you're in between seasons - on a more Summery day I tend to use the lighter shades, but as we move into Autumn I reach for the deeper browns, black, or gold tones in the palette. It's really versatile and can be used for day or night, so you can really vary the looks
Tarte Smooth Operator Finishing Powder:
As I mentioned earlier, I suffer from oily skin. Where I live this isn't usually too much of an issue as we don't get the hottest weather, but this September has been unusually sunny and warm, especially the first few weeks. This has been a saviour for mattifying without looking cakey. However as a word of warning, I don't recommend baking with this powder because you do get a bit of flashback. This isn't too much of an issue for me as I don't bake my under-eye area and I'm quite fair skinned anyway, but if you're a big fan of baking you might want to use a different powder.
NARS Orgasm Blush:
After some pretty horrific experiences with blush in my early teens, I've sworn off it for a long time. However, I was given this as a gift and was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it! It was a case of love at first swatch - a light touch can give a slightly shimmery peachy-pink, but it can be built up to give a darker finish. I hit pan pretty quickly on this!
MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick:
It's a sad day when we put away our summer lip shades, but this is actually a really great lipstick all year round. Especially on the days where I've been going fairly brown/nude on my eyes, I've been reaching for this. But you can also balance a dramatic eye look with a matte nude lip like this, and I find this to be really long wearing. Most importantly, it doesn't dry my lips out! Even though it's matte, it feels quite rich and smooth on your lips and doesn't exaggerate the lines in my lips like some liquid lipsticks tend to do.
Now that my beauty favourites are through, let's address the elephant in the room... Those big fuzzy socks in the first picture!
Clothing (sort of) Favourites
Primark Cozy Socks:
I think we all have that moment in Autumn where we run to Primark to nab some new tights (especially their super thick fleece-lined ones) in preparation for the days where we can't wear bare legs without getting frostbite. I spotted little packs of these fluffy socks and couldn't resist... a girl can never have too many, right?
What sets these apart for me is not only the fact that it's quite possibly the softest thing I've ever touched, but also that they finish a little higher than other cosy socks. For someone like me with bad circulation in my feet and calves, this is a godsend. No more cold feet for me!
Music Favourites
Electric Love - BØRNS:
I went to see Nerve with a few friends this month. There's a scene where this song plays, and quite honestly I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I love the 70s vibe of the song, and those high notes are quite something!
Sticky Fingers:
I couldn't choose a favourite song from this band if my life depended on it, but a friend introduced me to this Australian band a little while ago. Annoyingly I hadn't known they were touring the UK and I missed the day they played in my city, but there's more than enough to listen to on Youtube and Spotify. They have such a relaxed vibe, and it's good music to listen to when you need to chill out.
TV Favourites
I'm not usually a TV person, given that almost everything is online now anyway, but there's one TV programme in particular that has me rushing to the screen every Wednesday night - you guessed it, it's...
The Great British Bake Off:
A Wednesday night staple for me, I'm amazed how a show can be relaxing yet incredibly stressful to watch at the same time. We all turn into expert bakers and exclaim in worry when a baker does something wrong - "Oh no, he isn't making the right cuts in his fougasse!"
And of course Mel and Sue are making their classic puns, Mary Berry is a national treasure as always, and it's a celebration when Paul gives someone the coveted Hollywood Handshake.
It's really great, uplifting TV, and Selasi is a living reminder that you don't need to stress yourself out about anything - just be chilled and you'll do great.
It might be cheating a little because it's on Netflix rather than traditional TV, but of course I had to give a big shoutout to my next favourite.
Stranger Things:
The show everyone's been raving about! I actually watched this in August but it continues to be a favourite of mine after watching my family slowly fall in love with it too. A really interesting plot, some slightly scary parts (however as a horror fan I didn't find it intense or off-putting), and some rising stars in the child actors, it's a recipe for success. Now the wait begins for Season 2...
What have some of your favourites been this month? x
These are all of the things in my favourites that can be pictured, and to keep things simple let's start with beauty...
Beauty Favourites
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer:
While I only have a sample size amount, I'm totally in love with it already! I have oily skin, so the fact that it's oil free is a huge bonus for me, and it fills in my pores really well. This has a nice effect in photos as I don't look shiny and it means my foundation doesn't settle in my pores.
MAC Warm Neutrals Palette:
This has been so useful for those times when you're in between seasons - on a more Summery day I tend to use the lighter shades, but as we move into Autumn I reach for the deeper browns, black, or gold tones in the palette. It's really versatile and can be used for day or night, so you can really vary the looks
Tarte Smooth Operator Finishing Powder:
As I mentioned earlier, I suffer from oily skin. Where I live this isn't usually too much of an issue as we don't get the hottest weather, but this September has been unusually sunny and warm, especially the first few weeks. This has been a saviour for mattifying without looking cakey. However as a word of warning, I don't recommend baking with this powder because you do get a bit of flashback. This isn't too much of an issue for me as I don't bake my under-eye area and I'm quite fair skinned anyway, but if you're a big fan of baking you might want to use a different powder.
NARS Orgasm Blush:
After some pretty horrific experiences with blush in my early teens, I've sworn off it for a long time. However, I was given this as a gift and was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it! It was a case of love at first swatch - a light touch can give a slightly shimmery peachy-pink, but it can be built up to give a darker finish. I hit pan pretty quickly on this!
MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick:
It's a sad day when we put away our summer lip shades, but this is actually a really great lipstick all year round. Especially on the days where I've been going fairly brown/nude on my eyes, I've been reaching for this. But you can also balance a dramatic eye look with a matte nude lip like this, and I find this to be really long wearing. Most importantly, it doesn't dry my lips out! Even though it's matte, it feels quite rich and smooth on your lips and doesn't exaggerate the lines in my lips like some liquid lipsticks tend to do.
Now that my beauty favourites are through, let's address the elephant in the room... Those big fuzzy socks in the first picture!
Clothing (sort of) Favourites
Primark Cozy Socks:
I think we all have that moment in Autumn where we run to Primark to nab some new tights (especially their super thick fleece-lined ones) in preparation for the days where we can't wear bare legs without getting frostbite. I spotted little packs of these fluffy socks and couldn't resist... a girl can never have too many, right?
What sets these apart for me is not only the fact that it's quite possibly the softest thing I've ever touched, but also that they finish a little higher than other cosy socks. For someone like me with bad circulation in my feet and calves, this is a godsend. No more cold feet for me!
Music Favourites
Electric Love - BØRNS:
I went to see Nerve with a few friends this month. There's a scene where this song plays, and quite honestly I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I love the 70s vibe of the song, and those high notes are quite something!
Sticky Fingers:
I couldn't choose a favourite song from this band if my life depended on it, but a friend introduced me to this Australian band a little while ago. Annoyingly I hadn't known they were touring the UK and I missed the day they played in my city, but there's more than enough to listen to on Youtube and Spotify. They have such a relaxed vibe, and it's good music to listen to when you need to chill out.
TV Favourites
I'm not usually a TV person, given that almost everything is online now anyway, but there's one TV programme in particular that has me rushing to the screen every Wednesday night - you guessed it, it's...
The Great British Bake Off:
A Wednesday night staple for me, I'm amazed how a show can be relaxing yet incredibly stressful to watch at the same time. We all turn into expert bakers and exclaim in worry when a baker does something wrong - "Oh no, he isn't making the right cuts in his fougasse!"
And of course Mel and Sue are making their classic puns, Mary Berry is a national treasure as always, and it's a celebration when Paul gives someone the coveted Hollywood Handshake.
It's really great, uplifting TV, and Selasi is a living reminder that you don't need to stress yourself out about anything - just be chilled and you'll do great.
It might be cheating a little because it's on Netflix rather than traditional TV, but of course I had to give a big shoutout to my next favourite.
Stranger Things:
The show everyone's been raving about! I actually watched this in August but it continues to be a favourite of mine after watching my family slowly fall in love with it too. A really interesting plot, some slightly scary parts (however as a horror fan I didn't find it intense or off-putting), and some rising stars in the child actors, it's a recipe for success. Now the wait begins for Season 2...
What have some of your favourites been this month? x
