The Autumn Tag

I wasn't tagged in this but I fancied giving it ago. If you want to do it then I tag YOU!

  1) Favourite thing about Autumn

The clothes! I love wearing burgundy and lots of skater skirts with woolly tights. I also love having new boots and picking out a new style each year, but I must say a firm favourite with me is a classic pair of lace up military boots.

2) Favourite drink
This is a toughie. I love a good Starbucks but I like to drink herbal and fruit tea a lot. I'm going to have to say Teapigs Lemon and Ginger tea-it is divine! One great thing about Teapigs is that they sell sample boxes for £1.19, which contain two tea bags, so you can sample the flavour before you commit to a whole box!

3) Favourite scent/candle
I don't tend to use candles but I really like reed diffusers as they are long lasting and give off delicious subtle scents. I am a big fan of the Stoneglow White Bouquet diffuser. It has lasted me from Spring into Autumn and smells beautifully floral and fresh.

4) Best lipstick
Well, I was going to say my favourite Max Factor lipstick, in the shade Lilac Wine (655), but it seems to be no longer in existence so I'd better use mine sparingly! It's the perfect purple shade that is nor too dark or too light and has a beautiful shimmer. However, Max Factor do a range of other, similar, colours, and the formula is of a very good quality.

5) Go-to moisturiser  
Hands down Garnier moisture match. This product comes in a range of different kinds, to match skin type e.g oily/dry. I received a sample online so I could try out a small amount of each moisturiser before concluding which suited me best. I eventually chose the product in the yellow packet which is for 'normal skin' but gives glow to the face. I love this. It cleared away loads of breakouts and made my skin so soft. Just don't get it in your eyes because it hurts like crazy! I think where I have been wearing it so much, the effects have somehow 'worn off' as my skin has become used to it, so I have switched to a different variation of the same line of products which is for normal to dry skin.

6) Go-to colours for the eyes
I stick to shimmery, neutral shades all year round. I love wearing white or pink on the lid and adding definition with darker shades. I often throw in a little shimmery, burnt orange for a more autumnal look.

7) Favourite band/singer to listen to
I don't really mind, I have an eclectic taste. I've always wanted to be a fangirl, totally in love with a band, but it just hasn't happened. I might do a playlist type thing for autumn at some stage and list some of my favourite music

8) Favourite outfit to wear
Well, I practically live in skater skirts and dresses, so I like to pair them with scarves and add bulk by wearing my thick green parka and worn, leather, ankle boots.

9) Autumn treat
Hmm..well I absolutely love toffee apples during Autumn. When I was younger I used to peck all of the toffee off and leave the apple haha! I also think I will be treating myself to some of the Whittard mulled wine flavour instant tea as it just tastes like Autumn/Winter; it is a little pricey but definitely worth it! Another thing I love at the moment is the Cadbury chocolate pretzels or the Milka chocolate coated popcorn. I eat 2/4 of these all year round but I really like these at the moment!

10) Favourite place to be
I love being outside when all the leaves start to fall, but I love being wrapped up warm, with a cup of tea and baking something or watching a movie.

Autumn outfit formula

I was recently using a formula for this, that and the other and wondered...what if there was a formula for other things in life rather than for mathematic and scientific reasons? 

Then, I came up with the autumn outfit formula. This combination of clothing is pretty much fool proof if you follow the rules! 

Shirt + Cardigan/Jumper + Skater skirt = Autumn outfit

The only thing I would say is if you have a busy or printed item in the formula, make sure the other two items are plain; otherwise the outfit will look over the top. You can experiment with printed skirts, shirts and cardis to find the look that suits you best. To prove how easy this is, I put together several outfits:

Outfit no. 1

This outfit consists of a Primark shirt, a Primark skirt and umm a Primark cardigan. It proves you can still put together new outfits for Autumn on a budget! I love this skirt as it has a waffle texture to it, plus it was under a tenner when I bought it! Make sure you wear a cami or top under the shirt as it is sheer, I balanced out the translucency from the top with a heavy, beige cardigan which goes with pretty much everything! As you can see, the skirt is what draws the eye to the outfit, so I kept the rest of the components muted and neutral.

Outfit no. 2 

Again I wore my Primark shirt, I'm telling you now, I wear this in all of the looks to save my virtual breath. My burgundy skater skirt and caramel leopard cardigan are both from new look and are staple pieces in my wardrobe. I love how the light caramel compliments the warm maroon in this outfit; the colours encapsulate the tone of Autumn so well.

Outfit no. 3

I love this outfit; it looks preppy yet has a modern twist with the leopard cardigan. The outfit features a lot of brown tones that work well together. The skirt and belt are from Primark and my bag is from the Cambridge Satchel Company.

Outfit no. 4

This outfit features my black skater skirt from Topshop and my Primark cardigan. The shades in this outfit are quite simple, so I love the pop of red from the cardi. This outfit proves that you can mix cheaper and more expensive high street brands to achieve your desired look. I don't normally go to Topshop for bits and bobs but, if I save up, I get great staple pieces from there like my black skater skirt that will go with pretty much anything.

Outfit no. 5

This outfit is versatile as you can wear the jumper around your waist, or if it's a little colder outside, you can wear it with the collar sticking out. I am also wearing my Topshop skirt that featured in the previous outfit. I love this teal jumper, which I bought from Bank last year, but it reminds of Wallace's from Wallace and Grommit!

Anyway, that's all from me for now, I hope you enjoyed reading this post! 

More cheese Grommit? ;-) 

(Photo on left from thedrum.com)

Autumn/Winter nails

First things first, we need to clear something up. I am AWFUL, I repeat AWFUL at painting nails (excuse the capitals; I am virtually shouting for emphasis). But I felt like blogging about some new products I have recently bought, so here goes!

For this manicure I have two 'statement' nails and the rest are painted gold. One nail is a fur textured nail and the other has a crackle polish. This look features a lot of warm colours and is perfect for an event or simply to be worn during the day.

First, paint all of your nails (except the one you want to be furry) in a gold coloured polish. I used a mini polish from 17 however the choice is yours as to which polish you choose! 

For the furry nail I used MUA's fur effect nails in the shade 'Fluff & Cuddles' which is a gorgeous burgundy colour. Paint your nail in a shade that matches the fur you will be using, I used a random red colour I found in my room as it was the closest I have to burgundy! Apply two coats and whilst the second is wet, pop on the nail fur. Now, I have been reading so many blogs about this product, before I went to buy it, and a lot of them suggest to remove the plastic sieve and to use tweezers to apply the fluff. Following their advice, I covered my nail in a mountain of fur. Don't worry if it looks lumpy at this stage-trust me! Then after allowing a few moments for the polish to dry a little, brush off the excess back into the pot. I use a benefit blush brush that came with my Coralista powder and it definitely does the trick! Applying the nail fur takes a bit of practice, however at £3 each they are a bargain buy for adorable autumn nails! I found the blogs 'Mademoiselle LaLa' and 'Little Gemm' useful, when learning to use the nail fur!

 

Pick another nail that you want to be a "statement nail", I chose my index finger. Once your gold polish has dried, apply a shatter polish on top. I used OPI's 'Superbass Shatter' polish, which leads me to believe it's from the Nicki Minaj range. I actually picked up this polish from the 99p store, yes you heard that right the 99p store! I have always seen OPI as quite a high end brand, so I jumped at the chance of owning a nail polish from their brand as they are renowned for making fab products. Apply a thin coat of the polish and watch the magic happen. Don't worry if the polish looks too thin, just wait for it to shatter, if you reapply you'll ruin the effect! Although the colour isn't nearly as gorgeous on the nail, as it is in the bottle, you can't really go wrong for 99p can you? Lastly, I applied a glitter polish from Primark for an extra sparkle!