Scented Candles To Burn This Autumn

It's fast coming up to my favourite time of year - crisp autumnal days, icy morning mists, drizzly evenings and pumpkins everywhere. The darker nights are looming in and it's almost mandatory to have a scented candle burning of an evening! Not only do they bring light, warmth and cosiness to the home, Hygge has taught us that candlelight can help to lift the mood and give us that warm, fuzzy feeling that we crave after the bitter cold outdoors.

With my candle collection rapidly growing, it seems that I just can't get enough of these scented treats! I've rounded up my collection to share, I tend to opt for luxe picks - something that will last well and that I can reuse the jars for cotton pads, make up brushes or trinkets!

The White Company Winter Candle: There's a reason for this dreamy candle's cult status, with warming notes of orange, cinnamon and clove it smells divine - like Christmas in a jar! I actually wandered into the White Company set on picking up the new Autumn candle, but the Winter scent is just so me. I'll try and save this for a festive treat - imagine frosty December mornings, baking snowflake sugar cookies with this alight, filling the home with a comforting, christmassy fragrance - dreamy!

Anthropologie Pumpkin Soufflé Soy Candle: How pretty is this white and gold jar?! The scent of this Pumpkin spiced soufflé candle really comes to life when lit, it's okay in the jar, but once burning, fills my whole flat with fragrance in matter of minutes and smells unreal! It's fairly sweet and has hints of roasted pumpkin (reminiscent of Halloween), nutmeg, ginger, vanilla and maple syrup. It's quite possibly my favourite candle ever!  

Diptyque Pomander - Another ideal candle for bringing light and warmth to the home this autumn, Pomander is a sophisticated pick fragranced with citrus and spice. Diptyque mini candles are a dream, with 30 hours burn time, high quality vegetable/paraffin wax and the luxe packaging, they're worth the high price point.

Diptyque Baies: This scented beauty is a heavenly mix of delicate rose and fresh blackcurrant leaves. It combines fruit and floral but with a warmth and depth that's well suited for the transition into autumn.  

Diptyque Rosaviola: Unfortunately a limited edition pick, but a scent normally brought back for spring each year, this has the gorgeous scent of roses and violets. I normally place one in my bathroom and one on my dressing table, the powdery parmaviolet notes and slight lipstick fragrance make it perfect for pampering!

What are your favourite candles? Any recommendations that I should add to my stash next?

July's Throwback Faves

It feels like 90's vibes are everywhere at the moment, from choker necklaces, crop tops to TV revivals, it all seems to be coming back! I'm certainly not complaining - although it feels a little strange to remember what it was like actually being a child in the 90's! I've totally fallen back in love with that 90's/2000's vibe, muted pink brown lips, TV picks and accessories galore!

I've been bubbling with excitement pretty much all month over the new Harry Potter releases, with the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child script drawing ever nearer (out today!!) and with the incredible Fantastic Beasts trailer cropping up, I'm seriously fangirling right now. (I got my cute Quidditch Harry here!)

July's heatwave left me with little energy, I must have spent a week living on fresh salads and vegan ice cream, slumped infront of my laptop with Gilmore Girls on repeat. It's up there as one of my top favourite this month - such a feel good, enjoyable series that makes me laugh out loud a lot! It instantly hooked me in at the first episode, it's such a charming, witty, sweet series.

My last lifestyle favourite is Robot Wars, such a throwback! Popped on in the background on a Sunday evening, it's the ideal fun watch - I really hope that they bring back Hypo-disc!

A couple of style favourites include cute velvet scrunchies - ideal for throwing hair up on lazy at-home days. I also love this velvet choker necklace, a little halloween-esque but can look so chic paired with winged liner and a 90's lip shade! 

For beauty, I'm all about 90's lips - the dreamy muted pink brown picks that look unreal, so flattering on. My top picks this month are the NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Soft Spoken, a wearable rosy brown, the Tanya Burr Cosmetics Soft Luxe Lipgloss is Martha Moo - a must-have, budge proof liquid lipstick and MAC Whirl Lip Liner, a creamy rose brown cult shade.

On my eyes, I've been reaching for the Tanya Burr Birthday Suit Eyeshadow Pallete practically every day. A dreamy quad filled with neutral picks - matte browns, a shimmery champagne and glittery brown it's ideal for everyday and I love the slight 90's feel about it. 

Lastly on my nails, aside from the occasional bright I've been drawn towards muted pink mauve's and flattering red browns, Essie's Ladylike is perfect for a pretty polished mani and Essie Bordeaux, a divine burgundy hue is quite possibly my favourite ever nail polish shade!

What were your favourite things in July?

June's Blush Favourites

June's rainy start left me reaching for endless mugs of peppermint tea in my favourite Anthropologie mug, it's been the perfect accompaniment to the stormy days! I've also enjoyed scrolling through the Cath Kidston and Primark AW16 hashtags throughout June, Primark A/W looks incredible, embellishments galore, cute bralettes and chic jackets - the dream! I've caught a few glimpses of Rifle Paper Co's 2017 preview on instagram too, everything looks so dreamy!

I finally got my hands on a bunch of peonies this month, once bloomed they lasted a good week and brightened up my whole home. I must have taken around 200 photo's of them, with blush pinks, whites, hints of yellow and soft peach shades they looked almost bridal, the perfect bouquet.

For beauty, I've been keeping things quite simple, torn between wanting to crack out the brights for summer or choosing autumnal hues to match the weather I settled on a few natural blush pink picks instead. My favourite lipstick of the moment is MAC Brave, a pigmented mauve pink 'my lips but better' hue, ideal for a wearable, polished pout. I love wearing it paired with MAC Soar for a gorgeous Kylie Jenner inspired lip too!

For my base, I've been mixing a little of the NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator in Sunbeam in with my foundation for a dewy glow. The shimmering pearl hue with a hint of pink helps to brighten and perk up my skin for all over radiance. I've also been popping the H&M Pale Nude Soft Eyeliner Pencil along my waterline to brighten up my eyes. It's creamy, long lasting and perfect to conceal tired/hayfevery peepers.

On my nails I've been flitting between a few pink Essie shades. My top picks this month have been Essie Sugar Daddy - a delicate sheer pink and Essie Ballet slippers, a glossy pale pink that looks so pretty on the toes!

As a result of the colder days, I've been moving away from cream eyeshadow bases and back to eyeshadow palettes. I've switched out my flat shader brush for the Zoeva 228/luxe crease fluffy blending brush which picks up just the right amount of product and blends eyeshadows effortlessly over the lids. Another fave this month is the 231/luxe petit crease - ideal for smudging out under the lash line. Finally the 221/luxe soft crease is another great pick, it blends out any harsh lines with ease.

Lastly, I've fallen completely in love with Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, I have Fleur to thank again for this luxe pick! To me it smells fresh, floral and slightly powdery with notes of orange, jasmine and rose - heavenly. Also the bottle is unreal, quite possibly the prettiest product I own!

What were your favourite products in June?
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April's Pastel Favourites

April is my favourite spring month - full of blossoming tree's, pastel hues, new summery treats in store and the start of A/W previews online. Not to mention the cosy, showery days where a sip of hot chocolate, Lush baths and snug blankets can be a temporary thing again - I just love it!

As I tried to make April a sugar free month (bar a mini egg downfall mid-month) I created a healthy hot chocolate treat, mixing raw cocoa powder with hot almond milk and a dash of cinnamon. Surprisingly rich, chocolatey and only slightly bitter (which I actually love), this really helped to curb my sugar cravings and helped me to get my Sunday hot chocolate fix.

This gorgeous mint Riess enamel saucepan has made heating up my almond milk a dream, it's such a cute addition to my kitchen, I actually picked mine up in TKMaxx for around £7, as a hot chocolate lover it's such a treat to have!

This adorable pastel rainbow mug has also been the perfect match for my hot chocolates, it's huge - the ideal size for an ultimate indulgence. Plus it reminds me of rainbows and unicorns - heavenly!

My favourite accessory pick this month is this blush pink pom pom bag charm. It helps to add a little spring colour to my bag, it's so cute and fluffy too!

The mixture of April's cold, rainy days, hay feverish warm/sunny days and even the occasional snow shower (what?!) has left my skin quite parched and dry. The Lush Lemony Flutter buttery balm has been my saviour this month, treating dry patches and flaky skin with nourishing shea butter, mango butter, coconut oil and avocado oil. I honestly don't know how I survived without this multi-purpose balm, a little goes such a long way, it leaves me with silky soft skin and it smells divine!

For nails, I've been switching between Essie Cabana Boy, a soft pearl with a hint of lilac and Essie Mint Candy Apple, a fresh mint green. These dreamy shades are ideal for spring, I honestly can't get enough of Cabana Boy, it's such a pretty, delicate shade and so flattering on the nails!

Another beauty pick this month is the Topshop Lipstick in Innocent. This pastel pink lipstick looks incredible paired with a smudgy, smokey eye or winged liner. The formula of Topshop lipsticks are pretty impressive - pigmented, creamy on application and fairly long lasting too.

Lastly, I've been smitten with my bdellium tools brushes, these vegan, eco friendly brushes are some of my top picks. The 785 brush is heavenly, so soft and blends eyeshadows effortlessly. Another favourite is the 781 brush, it's tapered and so nestles into the crease and blends perfectly.

What were your favourite products in April?

A Few Luxe Favourites

I actually have Fleur to thank for this posts inspiration, when I saw Fleur's instagram call to post a photo of a few favourite luxe products (for a chance to be featured in her new book) I hopped out of my seat and started gathering my picks to take a snap. I absolutely love Fleur's first book and couldn't be more excited to purchase her second one too!

I've noticed that there's a running rose gold theme among my top luxe picks, it's such a dreamy shade. I absolutely love all of these products, they're a real treat to own and use. These are a few of my favourite products ever, my fail safe, mood boosting picks that feel oh so special to use.

For accessories, I'm smitten with my Daniel Wellington Classic Sheffield Watch*. The timeless, classic style of the eggshell white dial, rose gold detailing and plain black strap means that this exquisite watch works with any outfit.

Another accessory love is my Monica Vinader Rose Gold Riva Ring. This gorgeous, dainty rose gold ring has scattered pave diamonds along a hoop detail, it's so flattering and such a pretty piece.
These delicate rose gold bobby pins from COS are one of my top accessory picks too!

The Layla Rose Gold headphones are another luxe favourite. They're a welcome treat to pop on when Alex is busy watching the F1, I can catch up on youtube, listen to a bit of Bieber whilst I'm working out or rainymood.com when I'm working!

For home decor, this beautiful gold West Elm Love Sign is a welcome addition to my home, it looks SO pretty on my shelves. Diptyque candles are another favourite pick, everything from the gorgeous packaging to the delightful scents feels so indulgent and luxurious 

Moving onto beauty, the Nars Outer limits eyeshadow is heavenly, a sparkly, iridescent rose gold eyeshadow with flecks of pink and gold glitter running over a peach toned base. Washed over or patted onto the lids, this really brightens up the eyes, it's mesmerising but unfortunately a limited edition, luckily Topshop Shuffle the Cards is an exact dupe!

Another dreamy pick are the Zoeva Rose Gold brushes, everything from the blush pink and rose gold hue to the soft bristles is divine. They blend make up seamlessly, pick up just the right amount of product and look delightful on my dressing table.

For nails, Essie Summit of Style is perfect for beautiful gilded tips. The chunky coppery bronze glitter is ideal for a luxe mani and works so well paired with berries, as an accent nail or built up for a glittery effect. Saved for special occasions, as a treat or for the festive period, Essie glitters are such a luxe treat to own!

My last beauty pick is the Charlotte Tilbury Kissing Lipstick in Coachella Coral, a fresh, perky coral pink that's ideal for spring. It has a creamy formula, divine hue and the packaging is unreal!

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What are your favourite luxe products?

March Monochrome Favourites

Starting with a lifestyle favourite, this Spiralizer has been in constant use in my kitchen this month. It's really helped to up the amount of vegetables I eat, I just love making courgetti, butternut squash noodles and sweet potato curly chips, which are incredible especially when dunked in guacamole!

Another favourite during March was Parks and Recreation, we worked our way through all seven seasons in record time - Leslie Knope is literally my hero! I ordered Yes Please as soon as it finished, it's witty, down to earth and an enjoyable read - I'm loving it so far! I'm also eyeing up this Treat Yo Self Print, I'm missing the series already - is it too soon to watch it from the beginning again?!

I've been adding a few new home touches for spring this month, this little ring holder from Muji is ideal for storing my rings, it's minimalistic and so cute. I also pulled Dipyque Baies out to burn, with March's stormy days having candles flickering and the divine, comforting scent of blackcurrant and rose helped to make my home feel cosy and warm.

Lush's Salted Coconut Hand Scrub has been a staple this month. You only need to massage a small amount of this heavenly scrub onto hands to cleanse, hydrate and gently exfoliate. The pampering combination of sea salt, argan oil, lemon and coconut oil leaves hands silky soft, it's a must have if you suffer from parched mitts!

For nails, I've fallen completely in love with Essie's Cabana Boy, everything from the gold stars on the lid to the pearly white hue with a hint of lilac is so dreamy. Paired with delicate gold rings and floaty dresses, it's ideal for spring!

Lastly, the H&M Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Golden Peach has been my top pick for radiant, flushed cheeks. Just a swipe of this shimmery blush perks up the skin, bringing warmth, radiance and light to the complexion.

What were your favourite products in March?

February Gold Favourites

I'm so smitten with my Robert's Radio, it's been such a worthwhile investment piece, I've used it so much so far! Aside from it looking pretty on my shelves, it's a real treat to own, just one click and the radio accompanies me whilst I clean, cook or exercise!

Another favourite this month is Harry Potter, after yet another film marathon, news about the Cursed Child script/book and with wave 2 of the pop vinyls on the way I'm still so in love with the series.

I've had a thing for ring holders this month, I love this cat ring dish from Etsy, I've recently picked up this Muji ring holder I've got my eye on this adorable West Elm cat ring dish too!

For beauty, the icy February days left me still reaching for glitters and wintry tones. The By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock is a gorgeous shimmery lavender taupe with sliver glitter running through it, perfect paired with winged liner and a glossy pink lip. I've also still been adding a swipe of glittery polish to my mani courtesy of Essie's Rock at the Top, a gorgeous gold glitter.

The Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette has been one of my top picks for a dewy complexion, with four shimmery shades it's ideal for radiant skin. 

Another pick this month to combat dry, lacklustre skin is the multi-purpose Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Miracle Oil*. With a combination of heavenly oils, omegas 6 & 9 and vitamin e, it's been a real treat for my parched winter skin.

Lastly, this dreamy Denman D4 Red Carpet Brush with actual 24k gold plating is my luxe favourite this month. Denman brushes are my top picks for silky soft tresses, the anti static rubber pad and nylon pins combine to make this the ideal everyday brush. It's currently half price and something to treasure for years!

What were your favourite products in February?

JANUARY'S PINK FAVOURITES

Starting with a few lifestyle favourites, I've been scattering fresh flowers around my home this month to brighten things up a little and boost my mood on dark winter mornings. This dreamy cat mug is another new favourite, the ideal size for a hot chocolate it's been the perfect choice for icy days. I've also picked up knitting again, as I seem to do each new year, let's hope I can keep it up for a little longer this time!

Having finally discovered the allure of Lush's bubble bars last year, I had to include one in this month's favourites. So far, The Lush Rose Jam bubbleroon is my top pick, it creates a bath full of dreamy, soft pink bubbles and the scent is divine! I'm hoping to try The Comforter next, it sounds heavenly!

Another great discovery for me this month are Cheerz, who have made editing and printing out my photos and instagram snaps a dream. It's such a treat to have actual printed copies of my favourite photos, it's let me tick off my resolution to print out my photos already! Use the code SOP4WC for £4 off at Cheerz if you wanted to print some too!

For beauty, MAC's Well Dressed has perked up my complexion this month, it's cool toned pastel hue works perfectly with highlighted skin for a dewy complexion. Another pick that instantly freshens up my make up on these gloomy January days is the Nars Lip pencil in Yu, a creamy textured pigmented shocking pink that stays put for hours.

Lastly, I've been testing out Essie shades from this set for my wedding day mani and currently Essie's Sugar Daddy is sitting in the top spot. This delicate sheer pink nude looks so pretty on the nails, it looks like it would work perfectly for a french mani too!

What were your favourite products in January?