Early Autumn

The summer held on tightly this September, only letting the bitter autumn breeze whip through the streets in the early mornings whilst the sun rose. Finally cooler days are on the horizon and I for one, am ready to welcome autumn next week with open arms - knitted socks, crackling fires and crunchy leaves can't arrive soon enough for me! 

This Saturday, with a hot chocolate in hand and cosy, slippered feet, I tackled my cluttered home, tidying away the summer brights, sorted through my beauty stash, de-cluttered and passed along a few once-loved things to a better home. Once everything was sparking, clean and like new, I pulled out a few autumn comforts - candles, blankets and squashy cushions, to make my home warm and cosy. 

My pumpkin garland makes an appearance every autumn, it's currently hanging above a shelf filled with candles, fairylights and crystals - one of my favourite parts of my home! Stanley (my Ikea Hawthornia plant), my Roberts radio and a copper lamp also sits atop. Over the summer, Stanley surprisingly had three little baby plants which have to be removed and repotted in autumn, so that's at the top of my top do list for the early autumn days next week!

I've pulled out fresh blankets in burgundy and grey hues to pair with my blush pink and monochrome cushions, ideal for snuggling up on gloomy autumn evenings with a hot chocolate in hand. I've been burning the divine Pumpkin Souffle candle, a roasted pumpkin, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla and maple scented candle whilst reading - heaven!

Lastly, after organising my dressing table and pulling out a few burgundy, copper and shimmery hues, I sorted through my Lush stash, making up a to-use pile so that I can stock up on their Halloween and Christmas collections as soon as they hit the stores! I've also pulled out a few Lush staples, in prep for autumn, the Salted Coconut Hand Scrub leaves skin silky smooth and Lush's Dream Cream, a heavenly, soothing lotion is ideal for dry patches.

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A Weekened To Do List

1. Swoon over H&M's dreamy Autumn home range - blush, burgundy's, golds and emerald greens, it all looks so pretty!

2. Now that the air has cleared (thanks to that spectacular thunderstorm!) take an early morning walk to find a deliciously spiced hot chocolate from your local coffee shop. Foraging for colourful leaves, acorns & conkers along the way!

3. Take a day for yourself, binge watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix for hours, then eye up cute 90's fashion picks like borg jackets on Asos!

4. Revamp your home for autumn, pull out all of the squashy blankets, candles & fairylights.

5. Paint your nails with a berry shade, preferably Essie Bahama Mama (the ultimate autumnal shade) - because its officially autumn next week!

6. Make an epic, Christmas worthy roast dinner - after last week's GBBO, it feels mandatory to have all of the yorkshire puddings this weekend!

7. Take a peek at some of the pretty Halloween things that have been tricking into stores, I love these Charlotte Olympia-esque kitty flats from Asos!

8. Switch up your breakfast, swap summery strawberry chia puddings or cereals for thickly sliced wholemeal bread, topped with Pip & Nut's Maple Peanut Butter (divine!) or pumpkin spiced porridge drizzled with cinnamon honey.

9. Start a new book, light a few candles and cosy up with a new read. I'm currently reading the Throne Of Glass series, a fairly easy read but it already has me captivated - with deadly assassins, whispers of magic and a love triangle or two, it's no wonder why!

10. Treat yourself to a pretty mauve blusher for autumn, I love the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blusher in Mood Exposure, the NYX Ombre Blush in Mauve Me looks beautiful too!

Muted Lips And Tips

We're still pretty much stuck in limbo weather-wise here in the UK, with heatwaves one day and downpours the next, the unsettled transition into autumn is in full swing. For this transitional period, I've been pulling out muted tones that are ideal for these indecisive days. Pretty, understated and super flattering, a muted mani or lip combo is just the ticket!

Lips

Mac Mehr: My September staple, this flattering, mauve pink pick is perfect for gloomy, rainy days. It's creamy, pigmented and matte with a slight berry tone to it making it great for autumn/winter too. I love it paired with shimmery lids, winged liner and a grey knit, it's my go-to lipstick for this time of the year!

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Walkyrie: I'm all about this dreamy terracotta 90's hue - it's saturated, matte, and so chic, the perfect almost autumn shade! A great alternative to a bold red lip, the muted red and brown tones help to give it a wearable, sophisticated twist. As with all Nars Lip Pencils, it's a dream to apply and boasts impressive wear time!

Mac Whirl: If like me, you can't wait until October to start channelling Halloween vibes, this is just the thing. Whirl is a gorgeous muted rosy brown with a divine, long lasting formula - just add a velvet choker necklace and this adorable cat bag and you're good to go!

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Soft Spoken: Another pretty rosy brown, Soft spoken is a heavenly pick for Kylie-esque lips. It's a dream to wear - budge proof, and comfortable on the lips. A great everyday hue!

Nails

Essie Ladylike: Opaque in just one coat, this is incredible for a fuss-free, minimal, polished mani. My fail-safe pick for weddings, lunch dates or meetings, this muted mauve is the perfect neutral shade!

Essie Merino Cool*: Described by Essie as an 'autumn mulberry purple', it's a gorgeous hue for this time of the year. The muted purple and grey tones are so flattering on the nails!

Essie Angora Cardi: Probably my favourite transitional nail polish, this beautiful muted berry is ideal to wear for the anticipation of autumn - and for when you don't quite want to take the leap towards vampy berry nails just yet! It's a soft, dusty mauve - so delicate and pretty on.

Essie Maximillian Strasse Her: One of the most difficult shades to describe, this pretty cement-grey-muted-blue/green nail polish looks different to me each time I look at it! It has a creamy, lasting formula and compliments the change of seasons perfectly.

What are your favourite muted lip or nail picks?

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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?

7 Hobbies For A Gloomy Day

As the darker nights and colder days start to roll in, I tend to spend more time at home. This September, I'm planning on spending my time a little more creatively - cutting down on the hours that I spend scrolling through twitter, or glued to Netflix. Instead, I'm planning on picking up a hobby or two, with a mug of peppermint tea in hand and candles burning in the background - So cosy! Here are 7 hobbies to attempt this autumn:

1. Calligraphy. 

There's something so romantic about calligraphy - being able to hand write a note, pen wedding invites or compose Christmas gift tags is the dream. After a failed attempt last year, I'm planning on picking up the pen again to try and learn this beautiful skill. Investing in the Nib & Ink book seems like a good place to start, it looks like such a wonderful book packed full of inspiration!

2. Pom Pom Garlands.

With the help of a pom pom maker, make multicoloured or winter pastel pom pom's to string up or drape over bed frames, bookcases or doors!

3. Knitting.

One of my favourite hobbies, knitting can be so relaxing and rewarding. It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it and there are endless simple things for beginners to make - cosy snoods (love Cat's tutorial!), adorable little hats for Innocent smoothies (the big knit for age uk) and snug slippers, I'm currently working on a gryffindor scarf!

4. Colouring In.

An ideal way to wind down on a chilly September evening, try whipping up a cinnamon hot chocolate and spending half an hour or so colouring in toadstools, wildflowers, golden snitches or cornish pixies in the Enchanted Forest or Harry Potter adult colouring books!

5. Cross Stitch A Cute Pixel Family Portrait:

A la Lauren Conrad, and with a little help from Martha Stewart here - they're unbelievably cute!

6. Bake. 

The colder months are the ideal time to test out new recipes and to make a comforting treat or two. Apples are in season and so are great to use in bakes throughout autumn. Try this heavenly salted caramel apple crumble, these mini salted caramel apple pies, this apple praline bread looks and sounds divine too!

7. Crochet Appliques.

You may have seen my Pumpkin Garland here, crocheting appliqués is a great way to make a cute garland to decorate your home. Crocheting is a little more tricky to master than knitting, but there's so many adorable things to make - it's worth learning the basics. I tend to find something I want to make and then google or look up the stitches on youtube! Try hearts, pumpkins or autumn leaves. A cactus garland is next to make on my list!

Have you tried any of these?

An Autumn Beauty Haul

There's something about the anticipation of a new season that just makes me want to go on a shopping spree! Although it's not quite autumn yet, I've already invested in a few new beauty buys for my favourite season. I've splurged on skincare saviours, autumn staples and treated myself to a thing or two from Illamasqua's dreamy autumn collection, here's what I picked up:

I just had to treat myself to something from Illamasqua's Autumn Extinct collection - a gorgeous selection of jewel tones, metallic's and sparkles. I swayed between Cascade, an almost ghostly, iridescent white with a hint of frosty blue (ideal for Halloween!) and Jubilance, a dreamy rose gold shimmer that I'll be wearing a lot this autumn. Due to an order mix up I actually ended up with both (top marks to Illamasqua's awesome customer service!), layered together they look unreal - ethereal, so so pretty!

Next, I took to Space NK to stock up on my favourite Oskia Renaissance cleanser (see my little tip to check how much you have left here!). This autumn staple contains pumpkin enzymes and vitamins to combat dull, uneven skin. It works to cleanse, soften and restore and leaves my complexion radiant and smooth. Before checking out, I decided to splurge on a new Nars Lip Pencil (gotta rack up those Ndulge points!) I opted for the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Walkyrie, a dreamy red brown 90's pick, the perfect almost autumn shade. You probably know by now how much I adore the formula of these lovely lip pencils, they're creamy, saturated and long lasting - heavenly!

Lastly, I've been swooning over Carrie's nails for weeks now, I just love the dipped gold look! I picked up the Barry M Molten Metallic Nail Paint in Bronze Bae to create a similar look. On the nails it actually translates to more of a burnished gold and looks like the perfect shade for gilded tips this autumn. It looks SO pretty paired with pinks, burgundy or greys, I may have to pick up the Barry M Molten Metal in Gold Digger, a paler, cool toned gold too!

Have you made any beauty buys for autumn?

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A September To Do List

1. Get excited for Autumn - I can't wait for scarves, crunchy leaves, hot chocolates, pumpkins and autumnal candles!

2. Buy some fluffy earmuffs, blush pink faux fur earmuffs with little rose gold bows? Yes Please!

3. Bake. With GBBO leaving me craving sweet treats, I've been planning cosy bakes - cinnamon apple crumbles, chewy salted caramel cookies and honey spiced cakes.

4. Watch Harry Potter. September 1st #BackToHogwarts is the perfect time to start watching the series again, with a mug of tea in hand and fairylights twinkling in the background - bliss!

5. Spend a few early autumn mornings to reflect, write, learn more about Hygge and practise yoga.

6. Tidy away the summer brights and start to switch up my decor ready for autumn!

7. Invest in a new scented candle, LOVE the sound of The White Company's Autumn candle.

8. Pick up some shiny, round conkers to scatter around the home.

9. Continue with my health kick (aside from the occasional baked treat!), shake things up for early autumn -  think cinnamon spiced porridge, rosemary roasted butternut squash and chilli sweet potato and parsnip soup!

10. Whip up a batch of homemade pumpkin spice again, to add to hot drinks, cupcake batter or porridge - anything really!

What's on your September to do list?