AUGUST'S FUCHSIA FAVOURITES

I can't believe that we're over half way through the year and drawing near to autumn already! August remained pretty rainy and humid with the odd sweltering day in-between. I spent my days mostly inside, binge watching Merlin on Netflix, knitting little hats for The Big Knit and baking cakes inspired by GBBO!

Beauty:

Darker shades of fuchsia have helped to create the perfect, transitional lip shade for me in August. I've been wearing a combination of Revlon Wild Orchid which is a great dupe for MAC Show Orchid, Revlon Lovesick, a pretty, bright fuchsia pink (swatched here) and Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop, a fuchsia that leans lightly towards berry shades. These all work so well paired with a high ponytail, winged liner and a cosy grey jumper.

With the colder, rainy days that we've had this month, my skin has felt quite dry and in need of a little extra hydration. Balance Me Radiance Face Mask has helped to keep my skin nourished, smooth and glowing. It's free of Parabens, sulphates, petroleum and artificial fragrances and contains kaolin clay, walnut shells, sweet almond oil and aloe vera to smooth, brighten and hydrate.

Aside from an occasional glitter accent nail or glitter ombre tips, I usually keep my nails quite subtle and save the glittery nail polishes for the festive period. However, I've been painting Barry M Magenta Glitter on my toes and loving it, there's something about having glittery toes that makes me so happy, it makes me secretly excited for winter and Christmas too!

August's dark, gloomy mornings have made me long for hot bubble baths and so on the days when I just want a quick shower I've been using The Comforter Shower Cream as it helps to give you that warm, comforting fix. The sweet, warming scent of berry and vanilla lingers on your skin and it leaves your skin silky smooth.

The humidity has wreaked havoc with my hair this month leaving it a dry and frizzy mess. Although oils and rich conditioners have helped to counteract this, they can also weigh quite heavy in my hair. I've been spraying the Charles Worthington Volume and Bounce Texturising Spray into the roots and lengths of my hair to give it a well needed boost of volume. It's a great affordable alternative to the Oribe Dry Texturising Spray and smells incredible.

What were your favourite products in August?

WEDDING PLANNING UPDATES - BEAUTY

After finally deciding on a couple of potential dates for the wedding, I've been slowly moving forward with the wedding planning. Starting with a few of the littlest (but still pretty exciting!) things for me to plan, I've been gathering ideas and making plans for all things beauty related. I'm planning on doing my own hair and make up on the day and so I've been researching the best products and looking for inspiration, these are my plans so far:

Make up: 
The idea - Dewy pinks, champagnes, rose lips and highlighted skin.

For my eyes, I'm leaning towards a shimmery champagne shade like Bobbi Brown Metallic Eyeshadow in Champagne Quartz paired with winged liner and fluttery lashes. This isn't too different to my normal/staple go to look which I don't want to stray too far from. I might also smudge a little black eyeshadow over the liner a for a slightly smokey/smudgy but still defined line.

For blusher, MAC Well Dressed looks like the perfect, delicate cool toned pink for flushed cheeks, it works so well with highlighted, dewy skin and so I think it would be a great option for the day.

Lastly, I'm keeping an eye out for the perfect rose lipstick, I really want this to be something special that I can keep forever, I love the look of Charlotte Tilbury Bond Girl.

Fragrance:
It would be the dream to have a Jo Malone Bridal Consultation and to choose two colognes to make up the perfect bespoke wedding scent for me. I've heard tales of how special and wonderful Jo Malone customer services are and having the memories and customised blends would be a real treat.

Nails:
Currently, my choices are a simple french manicure, a shimmery nude like Essie Vanity Fairest or a hint of glitter on the tips. I'm currently favouriting the idea of a simple nude like Essie Mademoiselle paired with a delicate silver ombre effect on the tips. 

Hair:
For my hair, I can imagine cascading curls with small pieces pinned back and gyposophilia gathered at the back of the hair (similar to how Hayley has her hair at her wedding in The Originals!). I love the simplicity of gyposophilia, it's affordable, beautiful and bridal and would work perfectly tucked into the hair.

It's made it quite real (and so exciting!) finally noting these ideas down. Any tips, posts that you have (or love!) or advice would be really appreciated as I feel a little in the dark in all of this! 

NEW IN: BEAUTY, STATIONERY & JEWELLERY

Over the past month, there's been so many great products and deals floating around that I went a little crazy with late night online orders. As a result, things have been turning up on my doorstep non-stop, making it feel like Christmas has come early! 

Armed with a discount code for Space NK, I finally placed an order for the dreamy Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel and an Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush last week. First impressions of the Oskia Cleanser are pretty positive and Mood Exposure looks incredible.

One of my most exciting deliveries came from my Nouvelle Daily order. Kate's shop is so beautiful and packed full of dreamy stationary, prints and pouches. There are so many lovely things to choose from but in the end I settled for this pretty 'To Do' list by Rifle paper Co and this inky '&' print. 

With autumn drawing nearer and endless rainy days ahead, I treated myself to some Lush goodies this month. I'm obsessed with The Comforter Shower Cream, it's a divine, nourishing pink cream with snowflake lustre running through it. The warming scent of blackcurrant and vanilla lingers on your skin and it leaves you feeling uplifted and comforted. I also picked up Frozen and Intergalactic bath bombs, you can read a full review of these here.

Lastly, I'm besotted with my gorgeous new Monica Vinader Rose Gold Riva Ring. Alex got me this at the beginning of the month for our 7 year anniversary and I've been wearing it non stop since. The combination of the rose gold and the scattered pave diamonds makes this dainty ring look so flattering on, It seems to go well with every thing and works for every occasion.

Have you picked up anything new recently?

MY ESSIE TOP PICKS

It's no secret that Essie are my favourite nail polish brand. The quality, formula and pigmentation are incredible, the brush applicator makes application so effortless and the shade selection is dreamy. Here is a collection of my most worn, failsafe shades, I'd love to know yours!

Essie Bordeaux holds a special place for me as it was the nail polish I was wearing when Alex proposed and whenever I pop this on with my ring it takes me back to that time. Despite my emotional attachments to it, it really is a beautiful shade. The deep burgundy/wine red is divine, it's so flattering and glossy on the nails and looks great paired with dark grey, navy blue or striped long jumpers. You can see me wearing it here.

Whilst I try and mainly adorn berry nails around autumn/winter, I tend to reach for them all year round too as it's my absolute favourite shade to wear. Essie Bahama Mama is a beautiful rich plum and quite possibly my all time favourite nail polish shade. Essie Soul Mate, a vampy berry comes in at a close second, the formula is a little better, it's extremely pigmented and long lasting. Also, like Bordeaux it's incredibly glossy which is so complimentary on the nails.

Essie Maximillian Strasse Her is the latest Essie shade in my collection and I've been re-applying it to my nails manicure after manicure as it's such a nice colour. It's one of those shades that looks different on the nails depending on the light, sometimes it's a cement grey and sometimes it has blue or green tones to it. It has a creamy, lasting formula which stays put for around 6 days on me with minimal chips. I wore it recently on my instagram here.

Lastly, my most reached for glitter is Essie Summit of Style. This bronze, chunky glitter works so well as an accent nail or applied as an ombre effect to give you golden tips.

See my full Essie collection here.

5 THINGS I'VE BEEN WATCHING

Theres nothing better than to spend a lazy day under blankets with a good TV series and a huge bowl of popcorn to keep you company. Here's 5 things that I've been enjoying to watch:

Merlin: This series is mesmerising, lighthearted and effortlessly humorous. It tells the tale of Merlin, a young wizard who moves to Camelot and quickly becomes Prince Arthur's servant. With magic banned in Camelot this proves troublesome and often challenging! There's something quite innocent and Harry Potter-esque about the first few series which I absolutely loved. It then develops into a magical series with characters evolving, plots thickening and hints of darkness creeping in, with magic, dragons and the Arthurian legends, this really is a wonderful series. (Available on Netflix).

The Originals Series 2: I absolutely loved the first series of The Originals but it took me a little longer to get into the second one. The storyline soon picks up however and leaves you wanting more (or to binge watch the whole series in one sitting!). It's gripping, captivating and again slightly dark in places. With hybrids, witches, vampires and werewolves it certainly keeps you entertained, I'm actually preferring it to TVD! (Available on Netflix)

Burt's Buzz: This takes a look at Burt, the face behind Burt's Bee's. He's a fascinating man who liked to live off the land and look after his bee's. He had a content, humble outlook on life despite his celebrity status, it's really worth a watch and gives you a little insight into the brand and where it all started. (Available on Netflix)

The Great British Bake Off: Each Wednesday armed full of treats, I settle down to get my baking fix. With show-stopping cakes, biscuits and pastries galore, it's quintessentially British and wonderfully entertaining!

Humans: I really enjoyed the first series of Humans, the acting is brilliant and it's incredibly mind-provoking. Human-like robots or 'Synths' are the latest technology that mankind rely on as servants, helpers and friends. It's slightly creepy yet so captivating, you can still catch up on the series on 4od for a while.

Have you seen any of these?

A LUSH HAUL

I'm so excited that we're heading towards cooler autumnal days and darker evenings so that I can indulge in long soaks in the bath again. Last weekend, I passed by my local Lush and spied a whole selection of new products in the window, I rushed in with the intention of buying just one thing, but as always, came home armed with a handful of Lush goodies!

The first thing I spotted was The Comforter Shower Cream, I haven't ever tried the bubble bar and so I wasn't too sure what to expect. The bright yet comforting sweet cassis scent resembles blackcurrant, it has hints of vanilla and bergamot which combine to give you an uplifting and warming aroma. Simply put, this moisturising shower cream smells divine, the scent lingers on your skin and fills the whole bathroom with a delicious fragrance. It's definitely pushed its way to the top of my favourite lush products, also it's sweet, pink and slightly glittery from the snowflake lustre running through it which gives me that Snow Fairy fix.

I had heard so many great things about Lush Frozen that I couldn't resist picking up this Disney inspired bath bomb. With neroli, grapefruit and rose, it smells slightly floral, uplifting and fresh. It's a beautiful shade of iced blue and when in the bath, releases a shimmery white foam that transforms your bath into an icy wonderland. It leaves the blue bath water sparkly with silvery snowflake lustre and the white foam stays around for a while like little snow flurries.

The last product I picked up was the Lush Intergalactic Bath Bomb. This is simply amazing, I stared in awe as my bath was transformed into something reminiscent of the night's sky with swirling neon galaxy's and lustre vortexes. Then, the incredible mix of colours blended together produce a deep glittering blue, which was just like looking up at the stars. The amount of swirling gold glitter in this is pretty immense, it settles onto your skin underwater transforming your skin into a mermaid-esque sheen. The lustre glitter seemed to wash off my skin with ease and so luckily I wasn't left too glittery afterwards! It filled the bathroom with a pepperminty scent, which although isn't my favourite Lush fragrance left me feeling refreshed and uplifted. I really recommend getting this just once, if only for the unbelievable display, it's something pretty special and would be perfect for bonfire night!

Have you tried any of the new Lush products? 

EVERYDAY MAKE UP

I don't think that I've ever posted an everyday make up routine on my blog! I've been wearing this look non stop over the past few weeks and so I thought I would pop up a little post, It's a fresh, dewy look with shimmery eyeshadow, fluttery lashes and a perky peach lip.

For my base, I tend to stick to the same base products throughout the year, (Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer & Rimmel Stay Matte Powder) I then switch up the rest of my make up depending on my mood and the seasons.

For blusher, Sleek Pixie Pink has been giving a fresh flush of colour to my cheeks. It's a pretty, vibrant pink that works beautifully with MAC Soft and Gentle, a golden champagne highlighter to give me a radiant glow.

On my eyes, I've been reaching for MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow, which is a dreamy golden beige shade with rose and peach undertones, I've used it so much recently that I've just had to repurchase another! I've then been curling my lashes with my trusty Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers before applying lashings of L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara which is my favourite for long, fluttery lashes.

Nars Lip Pencils have been a staple in my make up bag since last Christmas as they're creamy, long lasting and extremely pigmented. Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Torres Del Paine is a brightening, creamy peach and my favourite of the bunch. As a limited edition shade it's quite hard to get hold of a backup, I'm still yet to find a good dupe for it but Nars Lodhi looks slightly similar.

Which products are currently in your everyday make up?

A BEAUTY WISHLIST

At the moment, my wishlist consists mainly of transitional products and shades that will carry me through to autumn, I can't wait for berry tones, glittery nail polish and to switch up my skincare ready for the colder months. These are the products that are currently at the top of my beauty wishlist:

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel: This seems to be the most raved about skincare product in the beauty blogger world right now and I can see why. Packed full of good, natural ingredients it contains cleansing pumpkin enzymes, restoring vitamins E & C and skin softening starflower oil. I tested a little of this pink gel to oil cleanser on the back of my hand in Space NK and it left my skin feeling amazing!

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Never Say Never: This beautiful cool toned mauve pink lip pencil has a hint of berry to it, making it look great for the transition into autumn.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure: I've been on the hunt for a new blusher ready for autumn and this one looks perfect. It brings light and radiance to the skin thanks to the ambient lighting powder running through it and when mixed together the shade looks similar to the likes of Nars Doucer and Tarte Exposed.

Nars Copacabana: This is a stunning, iridescent, light reflecting illuminator that looks perfect to perk up dull skin all year round.

Essie Set In Stones: I love Essie glitters and I can't wait to start wearing them again as we move towards the colder months. Set in Stones is a beautiful silver glitter that would work well as an accent nail or even worn alone as a wash of glitter over the nails.

Kiehls Skin Rescuer: This has so many great reviews and claims to help dehydrated, dull, uneven and stressed skin which sounds perfect!

Are any of these on your beauty wishlist?

THE PERFECT NUDE LIP

For days when you want to go a little heavier on the eyes, or if you prefer a more natural make up look, nude lips are the perfect solution. Nude lip shades can be quite a personal thing as they're dependant on your lip colour and skintone, I love the above products as they're universally flattering and work so well together.

Prep

The first step I take when preparing for a nude lip is to buff and scrub any dry skin away with Lush Mint Julips Lip scrub. It helps to leave lips smooth and creates the perfect base for your lip products.

Hydrate
Next, applying a rich, hydrating lip balm like Nuxe Reve De Miel will keep your lips plump and nourished. It contains honey, shea butter, sweet almond oil and calendula to moisturise and heal dry lips.

Lip Pencil
Using a lip pencil as a base can prolong lipstick wear time and lasts even if your lipstick does fade. This is also where you can even out your lips and shape them slightly. I like to neaten and even out the lip line, define the cupids bow and fill the entire lip with colour for a long lasting base. MAC Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare is the perfect, creamy pink brown that lasts for hours on the lips and is completely smudge proof.

Lipstick
Lastly, for a natural, dewy finish, a satin formula lipstick like MAC Brave, a pigmented mauve pink or Nars Descanso, a creamy peach pink/nude gives you the perfect barely there shade. The combination of lip liner and satin lipstick ensures that your nude lip will be long lasting and flattering on the lips.

Here's MAC Boldly Bare and MAC Brave worn on my lips.

What are your favourite nude lipstick shades?

MY FAVOURITE BRANDS FOR #2

Skincare: Origins has been my choice for skincare for a while now, their products are formulated with natural oils, certified organic ingredients and without parabens, petrolatum and paraffin. It's not only the great ingredients that really set Origins apart, their products deliver great results time after time and they're good at giving out samples so that you can really find the right products that work for you. 
My favourite Origins product has to be the GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturiser, a lightweight, hydrating and radiance boosting moisturiser that leaves skin incredibly soft. I also absolutely love Origins face masks, Out Of Trouble Face Mask contains Zinc oxide, sulfur and salicylic acid and so is perfect for bad skin days, Clear Improvement is an active charcoal based mask that unclogs pores and Drink Up 10 Minute Mask and Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask are rich, nourishing masks that keep skin plump and hydrated.

Highlighter: There's something ethereal about Topshop highlighters, they give an iridescent glow to the skin and are so pigmented and long lasting. Topshop Sunbeam is a golden highlighter that instantly brings light and radiance to the skin, making it perfect for Summer. Topshop Glow Highlighter in Polish is a dreamy champagne shade that blends so seamlessly onto the skin and leaves you with a lumiescent glow, see me wearing it here.

Lipstick: When it comes to lip products, Nars Lip Pencils win on formulation, longevity and pigmentation for me. The creamy formula of the satin lip pencils apply seamlessly thanks to the pencil/crayon style applicator and the matte shades are highly pigmented and long lasting. My favourite shades are Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella, a scarlet red, Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Yu, a shocking pink and Torres Del Paine, a pretty peach coral and my absolute favourite shade, I really need to find a dupe for as this was limited edition to the Digital World Lip Pencil Coffret Set (swatched here).

I also have to give a little mention to Revlon lip products, with lip butters, matte balms, stains and creamy lipsticks, they're my favourite high street lipstick brand. They have some great high end dupes and are pigmented, fairly long lasting and have an incredible shade range. My favourite shades are Revlon Wild Orchid (a great dupe for MAC Show Orchid), Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry pie, a pretty berry pink and Revlon Balm Stain in Showy, a dupe for Chanel La Diva, see comparisons here and me wearing it here.

What are your favourite brands for these products?

See my favourite brands for eyeshadow, nail polish and shower gel here.

5 THINGS I'VE BEEN READING THIS WEEK

1. Blogs: I've been getting skincare and style inspiration from Holly, reading eagerly about Kate's amazing stationery shop and catching up on Lauren's latest posts this week - her beautiful blog has been a favourite of mine for a long time now!

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire: I remember reading this for the first time, the size of the book, the first chapter and whole feel of the book was a little different to the first three. Ive been delving back into the world of wizardry with Quidditch, the Triwizard Tournament and Weaslys' Wizard Wheezes!

3. Bridal magazines: After seeing glimpses of Rosie's beautiful wedding on instagram, I've been inspired to really push forward with the wedding planning. Theres so much to plan; make up, a photographer, bouquet ideas and I don't even know where to start looking for a dress! Elle Wedding Magazine and Brides Magazine are great sources of inspiration, I've been leaving them scattered around my flat to keep wedding planning in the forefront of my mind!

4. Deliciously Ella - Ever since this book arrived I've been stock piling my cupboard full of healthy things - tahini, nutritional yeast, cashews, apple cider vinegar and coconut oil. I gave the Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto a go on Monday and it was divine. I made a few changes to her recipe by substituting the coriander with lemon thyme and risotto rice instead of brown rice, it was so good!

5. Pret a Manger's Great Vegetarian Debate: It's so great to see a company taking a proactive approach towards animal welfare and the environment. I think that Pret are really taking a step in the right direction whilst being open and honest with their customers. It's made me want to shop there more in the future and made me feel positive about brands and life as a whole! Plus, their hot chocolate and chocolate croissants are incredible!

What have you been reading this week?

A SUMMER CANDLE

Diptyque Baies is my first dabble into luxe candles and into Diptyque as a brand. Everything from the lavish packaging to the divine scent conjures up images of French perfumeries and sophistication, it has such a beautiful aesthetic and I can see why they're such a popular brand.

Although pricey, if properly cared for Diptyque mini candles last for up to 30 hours burn time. Each candle is made from a mixture of high quality vegetable/paraffin mix, it has a cotton, lead free wick and is hand finished. They're a real treat to own and fill the room with fragrance even whilst unlit.

Baies is a divine mixture of roses and blackcurrant leaves, It combines floral with fruity making it perfect for summer. I normally prefer autumnal, sweet and spicy scents but Baies has a hint of warmth and depth that's so appealing, the complimentary mix of delicate rose and fresh blackcurrant leaves work so beautifully together.

Burning my first Diptyque candle has felt like the ultimate treat, I've taken care to keep it lit for 2 hours on the first burn and will upkeep it by trimming and straightening the wick.

Diptyque candles are perfect to give as gifts, or to buy as a treat for yourself. The dreamy packaging means that you can re-use them post burn to house flowers, store cotton buds or make up brushes in. It's made the perfect addition to my dressing table and I already have my eye on Vetyver next to try.

What's your favourite Diptyque scent?

STROBING

I think that strobing is quite possibly my favourite make up trend so far. Skin is made luminous with clever highlighting to enhance and define the features, It gives you a fresh, ethereal glow and brings radiance and light to the complexion.

Where to apply

Highlighter is applied anywhere that light would naturally hit your face; swept over the cheekbones and pulled slightly up in a C shape to your temples, on your cupids bow, your brow bone, the centre of your lips and on the bridge and tip of your nose.

How to wear

Strobing works well with a light and dewy base, it's also best to opt for a matte/minimal shimmer blusher or bronzer like MAC Well Dressed Blusher or Rimmel Matte Bronzer to pair with this look, this avoids things getting a little too shimmery. It also ensures that the highlighter really gets to glow and stand out.

Products

For a creamy, opalescent glow, Seventeen Skin Wow Highlighter gives a boost of radiance to the skin. It can be mixed into your foundation to create a dewy base or dabbed onto the high points of your face to highlight them.

Topshop Glow highlighters are beautifully iridescent and leave you with an almost ethereal glow. They're my favourite product to use for strobing as the creamy formula blends so seamlessly onto the skin and catches the light beautifully as you move. See me wearing Topshop Glow in Polish here.

A golden, champagne highlighter like MAC Soft and Gentle gives an effortless, illuminated glow to the skin. This mineralised highlighter glides easily over the skin, especially when applied with a fan brush. See me wearing it here.

What do you think of the Strobing trend?