The Dusty Rose Jumper

Jacket - JBC

Jumper - Primark (recent)

Leggings - C&A

Shoes - Primark

Watch - Samsung Gear Fit from Saturn

A recent trip to Saarbrucken means that not only do I now own even more Primark panda pyjamas (it's getting a bit mental now), but I have also found my new favourite jumper for this year. I spotted this at the front of the shop and pushed my way past a few snails to grab it. This dusty rose/pink beige colour is my absolute favourite for winter. The amount of tops in my wardrobe that are this colour is crazy. I especially love pairing it with brown, which is why I chose to wear my brown pleather jacket from JBC. I got in during the summer sales back in August and hadn't had the chance to wear it a lot since then. But now it has gone from far too warm for this month to absolutely freezing, I don't think I will be able to wear it as often as I had hoped. Although, I am not complaining about the cold because I actually prefer it to boiling hot weather. 

After a week of rain, I chose to wear thick leggings that I bought from C&A earlier this year. Big mistake because it ended up being one of those randomly hot days and after a few hours I was melting. I had planned on wearing boots too, so thank goodness I changed my mind. 

I recently bought a Samsung Gear Fit watch, which tracks steps and sleep and can also measure your heart rate. I really like seeing how many steps I do in a day, although I may have tendencies to be a little bit competitive with my boyfriend (he wins every time). It's not the prettiest watch, and my DKNY rose gold watch would have looked a lot better with this outfit but I didn't want to miss out my steps!

Halloween Look

Hi everyone,

It's almost Halloween, which is really exciting! I used to always love getting dressed up but the last few years I haven't done anything special for Halloween, so this year I decided I would change that. I practiced my make up last week and thought I should blog about it, since obviously involved using a lot of make up. It was a lot of fun to do, if not a little time consuming (30-45 minutes!). As you may or may not know, my skin is quite sensitive and I don't like using cream or liquid face products, so for this look I mostly used powders. It's a lot messier than if you were to use cream or liquid products, but I actually like that effect. Halloween looks are never meant to look perfect and clean. It's also all about trial and error and looking back, I would change a few things. But for now I will talk you through which products I used and how I applied them. I chose a colour theme (black, purple, dark red) and tried to stick to it, but ended up adding some shimmery silver which made it less flat. 

Products: 

NARS Pro Prime Eyeshadow Base

MAC eyeshadow in Dark Brown

MAC eyeshadow in Cranberry

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette Nooner, Darkside & Blackheart

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette Verve, Busted & Blackout

Hema Liquid Liner

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero

Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara

Chanel Inimitable Mascara

MAC Captive lipstick

I started by doing the eyes. I did the same thing on both sides, despite the fact that one eye would later be covered in dark eyeshadow. I used a primer and then applied Dark Brown and Nooner in the crease and Cranberry all over the lid and blended them out. I later added Verve on the lid, but only on the visible side. Then I used my liquid liner to create a feline flick in both the inner and outer corner of the eye and then continued that line on the top and bottom lash line. I smudged some Dark Brown and Nooner on the bottom lash line, as I didn't like how intense the liquid liner looked on it's own. I would recommend applying mascara when you've almost finished the whole look. I applied several coats so that my lashes would stand out a bit more. 

I used a pencil liner to draw a faint circle around one of my eyes, starting just over the eyebrow and then filled it in with a mix of Cranberry, Darkside, Busted and Blackheart. Then using my liquid liner, I drew little petals over the circle. I filled them in using Verve. On the other side, I did a few more petals over my eyebrow and added a few dots using the liner and Verve. I then drew some squiggles and spirals around my eye, again adding dots. 

I used Cranberry and Dark Brown to contour my cheekbones and my temples and then got a bit carried away and managed to put it all over my forehead. I blended them up to my cheeks and used Blackout to intensify the contoured areas. Then I started to draw the rose with liquid liner and I'm not going to lie, it took me several tries to get it right. I started with a circle in the middle and built it out from there by drawing angular petals all around it. I filled it in with Cranberry and added some more Verve on several of the petals. (I would suggest using filling in the area where you plan on drawing the rose first as it was quite hard to fill it in afterwards.) Then I drew more spirals coming out of the rose and added some thorns. 

I used the pencil liner to draw a tear drop on my nose and filled it in. Then I applied Blackout and Blackheart over the top to set it. Sticking with the dark red/purple theme, I used Captive on my lips and then used some Blackout on the center. For the teeth, I used the liquid liner to draw some lines over my lips and extended them out past my lips. Then I drew lines over the contoured part of the cheek and connected them to the "teeth". I added more spirals and dots and decided to end there. 

To make this look creepy, I decided to add a white contact lense. I really liked the contrast of having a white eye amidst all the dark eyeshadow.

Have a great Halloween! 

The Autumn Tag

Hi everyone! I felt like doing an autumn themed tag today, so I googled a few and picked my favourite. I ended up adding a few extra questions because the more, the merrier right? Hope you enjoy it and feel free to do it too! I tag Dani!

Favourite things about Autumn?

The cooler weather, the colours, Halloween and being cosy. Also the fact that it means winter and christmas are near!

Favourite Autumn drink?

Hot chocolate! Nesquik or Swiss Miss, to be precise. I also love gingerbread lattes but that's more of a winter drink. 

Favourite Autumn meal?

Anything that has butternut squash in it!

Favourite Autumn treat?

Halloween themed biscuits

Favourite Autumn candle?

I love this random candle that I found in TK Maxx last year. It's called Fall Festival by Empire Home.

Favourite Autumn scent?

The Dark Amber range by Zara Home smells amazing! Another favourite scent is Teck & Tonka by a brand called Esteban Paris. I also adore the smell of bonfires.

Go to moisturiser:

I don't really have a favourite moisturiser which is really bad. So if you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Go to lip product:

MAC lipstick in Captive or Rimmel Apocolips in Eclipse. (Blogpost here)

Go to eyeshadows:

any bronze or matte brown eyeshadow

Go to perfume:

Lancôme La Vie est Belle

Go to nail varnish:

Essie Bahama Mama

Go to outfit:

cosy jumpers, leggings and boots

Go to accessory:

my beanie 

Go to hair style:

loose waves or all pulled back into a high ponytail

Favourite band/singer?

I don't really have a favourite for autumn specifically but my current favourites are Bastille, Jetta and Daughter. I've also rediscovered my love for The Spill Canvas and Stars.

Favourite Halloween film?

I know it's technically a christmas film, but I love Nightmare before Christmas. I used to love (and still do) all of the Halloweentown movies and Hocus Pocus. This year I'll probably end up watching whichever horror film my boyfriend picks out though.

Favourite horror film?

Probably The Conjuring

Favourite scary TV show?

Release the Hounds and American Horror Story, but I also love when TV shows do Halloween specials.

Favourite activity?

Going for walks with my boyfriend and my dog, Molly, pumpkin carving/decorating and decorating my room with autumnal colours.

last years pumpkin creation

Favourite place to be?

Tucked up in bed with a hot chocolate, a few magazines and a cheesy Halloween film.

Gingerbread Latte

This hardly qualifies as a recipe, but I wanted to share how I make my own gingerbread lattes. We don't have Costas or Starbucks here in Luxembourg (sob) so I had to figure something out to get my gingerbread latte fix. I know it's not quite "in season" yet, but that's the beauty of doing it yourself. 

We actually bought a gingerbread syrup a few months ago and I was so excited to use it but I found it was rather disappointing. It smelt amazing but didn't taste at all like a gingerbread latte after adding one teaspoon of syrup and the more I added, the sweeter it got obviously. So I came up with a simple, alternative method to get that lovely gingerbread taste but without making the drink unbearably sweet. Anyone can make it as the ingredients I use are usually the kind that everyone has somewhere in their cupboards anyway. There's no faffing about trying to make a syrup, you just put everything straight into the mug. You can use whichever coffee and milk that you like, it's all personal preference. Also depending on the size of your mug, you might want to add more or less of the spices (my mug is more on the larger size).

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Coffee of your choice

Half a mug of milk 

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger 

A pinch of ground nutmeg

1-2 tsp sugar (it's up to you though!)

Chocolate powder or cinnamon to sprinkle over the top

Whipped cream (optional)

Serves 1

Make your coffee according to the instructions. Choose your mug (vital step!) and pour in the sugar, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon.  Add the coffee and fill the mug halfway, then mix it all together really well with a spoon. Now for the important part! Heat up the milk in a microwave for a minute and then make it frothy. I prefer using one of those fancy mini electric whisks (mine is from IKEA and was super cheap) or you could use a milk frother if you have one but a standard whisk or a teaspoon will work too, your milk just won't be as frothy. Pour in the heated milk and mix it all together, then carefully spoon the frothy part of the milk into the mug. Top with a little bit of chocolate powder or cinnamon to make it look really fancy and special. If you know how to make shapes with it then do, because that just makes it look even more amazing and professional. I can't because my precision skills are basically nonexistent. If you want to go all out and treat yourself even more then add some whipped cream. And now you have a yummy coffee and you didn't even have to leave your house to go and get it! Drink and enjoy! (At this point, I should probably just rename my blog the lazy girl's guide to life.) (I just checked, it already exists. Curses.)

Top 10 Lip Products For Autumn/Winter

Hi everyone,

I thought I would put together my go to lip products for autumn and winter, like I did for spring and summer (link here). I love darker lip colours, but I don't limit myself to them and sometimes prefer a light/bright lip colour. It all depends on how I'm feeling that particular day and also which outfit I want to wear and what I do with my hair. I find darker lips look better with my hair up, whereas lighter ones don't really change whether my hair is up or down. 

Excuse the noticeable difference in lighting, it's been difficult recently what with the dark and dreary weather (which I actually like, apart from when it comes to taking photos!).

Hope you enjoy this blogpost! 

1. Rimmel Apocalips in 304 Eclipse

I have a love/hate relationship with this one, because I love the deep red, vampy colour but find it really difficult to apply. That could just be me because I'm not very steady, but it goes everywhere. I like to apply a few layers to make sure it's even. I love the feel of it and it doesn't dry out too much.

2. Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in 06 Roomiest Rose

My sister and her fiancé got me this for Christmas one year and I always use it when autumn comes round. I love chubby stick style lip products as they are so easy to apply and you can just throw it in your bag and reapply when needed. I don't even use a mirror when I apply it! It's the perfect colour if you want a subtle but dark lip and are too scared to try something even darker. 

3. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable in Crush/Béguin

This photo doesn't do this lipstick justice, as it's more purple in real life. I really love using this one when I'm in the mood for easy dark lips. It's slighter harder to apply than the Clinique one, but not as messy as the Apocalips one. Great for if you are on a budget.

 4. Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Plum Jam

This product is quite light and glossy, as the name suggests. I love the name of it and I feel like it's a perfect description for the colour. I applied it a few times when I took the photo, because that's how I usually wear it but one coat leaves a nice tint of colour.

 5. MAC Cremesheen Glass in Geo Pink

I got this lipgloss in a MAC Christmas set a few years ago, so I think it's limited edition. I don't usually go for orange colours but I really love this one. It's not a typical autumn/winter colour but I love it for days when I just want a bit of shine and a light colour. Plus I associate it with Christmas for obvious reasons.

 6. NARS Lipstick in Heat Wave

I featured this lipstick in my Top 10 for Spring/Summer, but I really love it for colder months too. It's basically an all year round favourite of mine. It can brighten up any look and you can't go wrong with red lipstick.

7. MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Hot Gossip

Another lipstick to try if you aren't ready to commit to dark lips but want something autumn/winter appropriate. It's such a lovely light purple colour and I feel like it just makes any makeup look. 

 8. MAC Satin Lipstick in Captive

I would recommend this lipstick to anyone who wants a dark vampy lipstick but doesn't feel that purple suits them. It's a sort of muted purple/brown and I prefer it to real purple lipsticks. I adore the colour and on the days when I only apply mascara but want something to make it look like I've made more of an effort, this is my go to product.

 9. MAC Amplified in Girl About Town

Who says autumn and winter are all about dark lipsticks? I love using this colour, it's another lipstick for all the seasons in my opinion. I love how it looks with lots of liner.

10. MAC Matte Lipstick in Pink Plaid

In my MAC Lipstick Collection blogpost, I mentioned that this was my least favourite of the bunch. But I actually really love it for autumn and winter. I'm not sure why exactly, as it's very light, but it works. Another lipstick I love pairing with lots of liner.

L-R: MAC Cremesheen Glass, Soap & Glory Gloss Stick, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable, Clinique Chubby Stick, Rimmel Apocalips

L-R: MAC Pink Plaid, MAC Girl About Town, MAC Captive, MAC Hot Gossip, NARS Heat Wave

Intense Liner & a Hint of Plum

This look is quite similar to my last FOTD, except with a lot more eyeliner and even a flick! I don't tend to stress too much about how even the flicks turn out because I have accepted the fact that they will never be perfect. And no one is really going to be checking them either! 

Since this look was going to be focusing mainly on the eye liner, I decided to keep the eyeshadow rather soft and light, which is why I used a mix of Naked Lunch and Charcoal Brown. 

Whenever I do my makeup, there is always an inevitable point where it looks crap and I feel like wiping my face clean and maybe throw something. This point came just after I had done the eyeliner. The They're Real liner decided to choose today to be the day that it would be tricky to handle and had a lot of clumps that caught on my lashes, which is so frustrating. In the end I chose not to give up and after I applied my Maybelline mascara, it started to look like it was coming together. Because the liner was so thick, I ended up putting on a second coat of mascara, this time using the Chanel one. I didn't dare go too crazy though because I really hate clumpy lashes. This was almost too much to bare so I refrained from looking at my lashes for too long. The struggle is real, guys.

I chose MAC's Hot Gossip for my lips as it has a bit of a muted plum tone to it (ok, it is essentially pink on my lips but I tried to be autumn appropriate and that's all that counts). It actually went well with my top, so all was good in the world.

And yes, I am well aware that there was a piece of fluff on my lashes and it is horribly annoying but ho hum, what can I do?

(Retake all the photos but ain't nobody got time for that.)

Face:

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Cool Medium 2:

on blemishes

Manhattan Soft Compact Powder in 0 Transparent:

to set the concealer

Eyes & Eyebrows:

MAC eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown:

 to fill in my brows

NARS Pro Prime Eyeshadow Base:

all over my eye lid and crease

MAC eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown:

 blended through the crease and a tiny bit on the lid over Naked Lunch

MAC eyeshadow in Dark Brown:

blended in the outer part of the lid and on the lower lash line

MAC eyeshadow in Naked Lunch:

all over the lid, blended

MAC eyeshadow in Sable:

 on the lower lash line

MAC eyeshadow in Naked Lunch:

in the inner corner of the eye, as a highlight

Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner:

on the top lash line, starting from the inner corner 

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero:

to line the top waterline

Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara

Chanel Inimitable Mascara

Lips: 

MAC Hot Gossip lipstick