SEPTEMBER'S ROSE GOLD FAVOURITES

Moving swiftly onto the colder months and my favourite seasons of the year, September passed by in a blur. A rush of autumnal and even festive things have been flooding into the stores already, everything seems to be moving forward so much faster this year! 

The Great British Bake off has inspired a lot of baking in my home this past month, I love using these copper cookie cutters, they're so cute and look pretty hanging in my kitchen. My current favourite biscuit recipe is this gingerbread one, I add 1tsp of cinnamon to mine too, they're so delicious and unbelievably moreish!

Accessories

H&M has been my go-to store for affordable rose gold jewellery this month. I adore this pink and gold cuff, it works perfectly with a cosy grey jumper and rose gold midi rings.

I've been wearing my Daniel Wellington Classic Sheffield* watch every day in September. I love the rose gold detailing on the dial and the minimalistic, classic design works so well with every outfit. Use the code sophiesmakeupblog for 15% off on the Daniel Wellington site up until the 15th October if you wanted to treat yourself to one!

Beauty

A light dusting of MAC Melon Pigment across the lids gives a touch of copper to the eyes that works so well with a vampy berry red like Topshop Beguiled, I've been wearing this combination for an everyday autumn look throughout September.

I've also been reaching for Topshop Chameleon Glow in Shuffle the Cards which is a great dupe for Nars Christopher Kane Outer Limits eyeshadow (see swatches and a comparison here). I've been alternating between the two, patting a small amount of these beautiful and sparkly, iridescent rose gold eyeshadows onto my lids.

For Highlighter, I've been dabbing MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush, a beautiful rose gold pearl on the top of my cheeks, brow bone and on my cupids bow to bring luminosity and radiance to my complexion.

On my nails, Essie Summit of Style has been giving me gilded tips this month, the chunky coppery/ bronze glitter works so well as ombre tips or built up as a glittery accent nail paired with Essie Sole Mate for an autumnal mani.

Lastly, I'm still so in love with my Zoeva Rose Gold Make up Brushes. I have the Rose Gold Complete Eye Set Vol2 set which comes with 12 beautiful, soft brushes. I've been loving to use the 228/Luxe Crease and the 231/Luxe Petit Crease brush to blend my eyeshadows, I have my eye on the original Rose Golden Luxury set to get next!

What were your favourite products in September?

EARLY AUTUMN HOME SNIPPETS

I love switching up my home decor with the seasons and so I've been adding little autumnal touches around the home to make it feel cosy and ready for the colder months.

I've been burning candles non-stop and Diptyque Baies has been filling my home with the wonderful scent of blackcurrant and rose. I've also pulled out Diptyque Pomander, with it's divine scent of orange, cinnamon and cloves, it's perfect for autumn and for the lead up to Christmas!

I made the little pumpkin garland last year (using this tutorial for the pumpkins) and have hung it over my bookcase for a festive touch. The dreamy copper lamp, ampersand print and Roberts Radio are sitting atop along with a little succulent, candles and this cute cat ring dish.

There's an abundance of fluffy throws and blankets in my home as I love scattering them around for a cosy, homely feel. They're perfect for gloomy autumn evenings spent with a good book and a cinnamon tea. I'm smitten with this mug from Anthropologie, they normally bring out the gold version at Christmas, fingers crossed they bring out a copper/rose gold version this year!

Lastly, I pulled out all of my favourite berry, red and plum beauty products (including MAC Plumful, Essie Bahama Mama and Topshop Beguiled) and organised my dressing table - find a full post on my autumn dressing table up dates here.

Have you added autumnal touches to your home?

AN AUTUMN WISHLIST

Now that it's officially autumn, I though that I would compile a little wish list full of autumnal things. There are so many wonderful products in store at the moment, these are a few of my favourites:

Charlotte Tilbury The Vintage Vamp Luxury Palette: With crimsons and rose gold, this looks like the perfect autumn eyeshadow palette. It slightly reminds me of Estee Lauder Raisins, a palette that was huge in the blogging world but sadly got discontinued before I could get hold of one.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned: Another ViviannaDoesMakeup inspired lip product that I've added to my wishlist, damned looks like the perfect berry/wine shade for autumn.

Diptyque Vanille: It's safe to say that I'm now definitely hooked on Diptyque candles, Vanille sounds incredible - a sophisticated vanilla scent with woody and spicy notes.

New Look Keyring: This fluffy, faux fur pom pom keyring is so cute and affordable, I love the dusty/powdered pink shade!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light: I've wanted an ambient lighting powder for the longest time and after a lot of research, I've finally settled on the shade Diffused Light, a radiant, soft pale yellow. It looks like a great fix to perk up dull skin during the colder months and would possibly be a contender for my Wedding day powder!

Essie Nail Polish in Wicked: A vampy, deep dark red polish, this looks perfect for the lead up to Halloween.

Topshop Skirt: I love the scalloped detailing on this topshop skirt, I can imagine that it would work so well paired with black tights and knee high or suede ankle boots.

What's on your wishlist for Autumn?

METALLIC NAILS FOR AUTUMN

Although I'm normally drawn to berry shades for autumn, this beautiful metallic nail polish has been adorning my nails non stop lately. It's a great choice if you want something that's still autumnal but a little different from berries, deep reds and dark hues.

Leighton Denny Nail polish in Queen Hera* from the A/W I Am Goddess collection is a stunning metallic antiqued gold. With hints of green and gold this beautiful duo chrome shade changes as it reflects the light and looks so flattering on the nails.

There's something quite divine and ethereal about this shade, which is reflected in it's name 'Queen Hera', the Queen of Olympus and the Goddess of Marriage. It's also quite mermaid-esque and so would be perfect over Halloween and also for the transition from Summer to Autumn.

I've had this on my nails for 5 days now and there's minimal chips and wear. It's a great formula, fast drying and opaque in just two coats. It's a modern shade that's inspired by this seasons latest trends and such a pretty shade for autumn.

n.b the Salted Caramel Muffin from Costa was incredible!

AUTUMN BEAUTY

With my bright and coral hues tucked safely away for another year, I've pulled out some of my favourite autumn shades to wear for the upcoming months. My dressing table is looking a little more autumnal and I'm excited to embrace burgundy, plum and berry shades.

With darker nights and mornings slowly creeping in I've been left feeling quite tired and my skin has been looking a little lacklustre. Origins High Potency Night a Mins is great for autumn as it's a thick, creamy moisturiser that helps to combat dull, tired skin. It contains vitamins E, C and H, helps to fade acne scarring and gives a boost of radiance to your skin.
Nuxe Reve De Miel is my lip saviour for the colder months, it contains honey, sweet almond oil, shea butter and calendula to keep lips soft and supple.

For blusher, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure is so perfect for autumn. It's a beautiful rose/plum shade with swirls of ambient lighting powder running through that leaves you with a flawless, radiant finish. Nars Orgasm (worn here) gives a warm, golden pink flush of colour to your cheeks that helps to keep your make up looking fresh and glowing on gloomy days.

On my eyes, I've been gravitating towards MAC Quarry, a muted plum and MAC Sable, a bronze with plum pearl. Both look great smudged under the lower lash line for a hint of colour or blended through the crease for definition.

I'm a huge fan of autumn nail polish shades and so it makes me so happy to be wearing berry shades again. Essie Bahama Mama is a divine rich plum and one of my favourite nail polishes, it works so well paired with Essie Summit of Style, a bronze chunky glitter to give you gilded tips.

Autumnal lipstick shades are some of my favourites to wear, Topshop Beguiled (worn here) is a beautiful berry/red with slightly shimmery undertones, it's velvety formula glides easily onto the lips and is such a flattering shade to wear. MAC Rebel is a gorgeous autumn berry lipstick that's perfect for blustery autumn days as it stays put for hours. I opt for MAC Plumful (swatched here) if I want something a little more subtle on the lips, it's a pretty mauve berry that's buildable and feels soft on the lips.

Lastly, I've been running a little Beauty Protector Protect & Oil through the ends of my hair for silky soft tresses. This smells incredible - like candyfloss, doesn't weigh down my hair at all and a little goes a long way, I only need to use a couple of drops for glossy, bouncy hair.

What are your beauty picks for autumn?

10 THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

1. Find your perfect winter coat, I think I'm going to have to order this one whilst there's 25% off!

2. Pull out your fairy lights to make autumn evenings feel cosy and homely.

3. Take an early morning walk in the autumn sunshine, collecting conkers or acorns along the way.

4. Gather all your blankets and spend the afternoon watching Netflix with a peppermint hot chocolate.

5. Treat yourself to a little something new from Space NK as it's currently free delivery, I have my eye on By Terry Misty Rock for autumn!

6. Bake a warming apple and cinnamon crumble - this recipe is one of my favourites!

7. Browse the new Halloween things that are trickling into stores, I love this jumper from Asos.

8. Paint your nails with a plum or berry shade, like Essie Bahama Mama.

9. Indulge in a long, Lush bath. Fizzbanger smells like apples and cinnamon, perfect for autumn.

10. Spend some down time colouring in, I have this beautiful Enchanted Forest colouring book but I'm also thinking about pre-ordering the new Harry Potter Colouring in book!

A DREAMY ROSE GOLD WATCH FROM DANIEL WELLINGTON

I’ve been smitten with Daniel Wellington watches for quite a while now, in particular the Classic Sheffield Watch*. It's understated and simplistic design is something that I absolutely adore and so you can imagine my excitement when it landed on my doorstep last week! 

The combination of the dreamy rose gold detailing, eggshell white dial and black leather strap is so timeless and classic. It's a beautiful design that works well with any outfit, it's become a staple for me for everyday wear as it looks so pretty and flattering on.

I love the clean, minimalistic look of the dial and the whole watch feels well made and sturdy whilst maintaining it's delicacy. I often find it difficult to find watches that fit me as my wrists are so small but everything from the incredibly thin dial to the fitted black strap means that it fits me perfectly, I'm so happy that I've found a watch that finally fits me with no adjustments required.

Daniel Wellington were kind enough to give me a discount code to share if you were thinking of treating yourself to one, use the code sophiesmakeupblog for 15% off your choice of watch on their website!

AUTUMN DRESSING TABLE DETAILS

With autumn fast approaching I've taken a little time to reorganise my dressing table ready for the colder months. I've removed the summery decor (shown here) and pulled out my favourite berry lipsticks, glittery nail polishes and autumn blushers to give it more of an autumnal feel.

My muji drawers are the latest addition to my dressing table and are currently housing a few of my favourite blushers and lipsticks. I'm hoping to get another acrylic drawer to place on top for my everyday items as I love the way they look and it makes reaching for and switching up my make up a dream.

Candles are a must for autumn and although Baies is typically a summer scent, the warmth and depth of blackcurrant and rose is also great for the transition into autumn. I've got my eye on this Sweet Vanilla Cinnamon Candle to place on my dressing table next!

I've also been trying to incorporate copper and rose gold touches, copper feels quite autumnal to me and so the hair pins, Zoeva brushes and the mirror all help to hint towards autumn.

My dressing table drawer currently holds some of my most used eyeshadows, mascaras and nail polishes. As you can see, I have a bit of an obsession with L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara and always have a back up or two on hand!
The Essie polishes that i've pulled out are all autumnal shades, my favourites for autumn are Essie Bahama Mama, Essie Sole Mate and Essie Bordeaux.

I really love adding autumn hints to my home and I'm sure as the months go on i'll be adding more autumnal things and maybe a few festive pieces too!

THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY THIS WEEK #13

Monday: Enjoying this beautiful gold swan from H&M before I handed it over to Alex to be tucked away until my Birthday in November. I have so many ideas to store Lush treats, hairbands or stationery in it, I can imagine it'll look so pretty on my dressing table or bookcase and I'm really excited to open it in November!

Tuesday: Falling completely in love with these beautiful drawer knobs from Anthropologie and testing out every dresser and drawer in my home to see whether I can justify buying a couple!

Wednesday: Happily settling into a new weekly routine of watching GBBO with fairy lights on, a huge mug of hot chocolate and packs of Golden & Peanut Butter Oreos.

Thursday: This Harry Potter Funko Pop, he's just so cute. Must resist getting the full set.

Friday/The Weekend: I'm really looking forward to an autumnal walk into town this weekend with plans to go on the hunt for conkers, the new H&M make up range and candyfloss grapes. Saturday's supposed to be pretty gloomy and so I'm looking forward to a lazy Saturday afternoon full of tea, blankets and SOA on Netflix.

What made you happy this week?

A NEW AUTUMN CLEANSER

I've been using the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel every day for a couple of weeks now and the change in my skin has been unbelievable. It's a new level of skincare for me, delivering incredible results by improving the texture, pigmentation and radiance of my skin.

You only need such a small amount of this illuminating cleanser to cover your whole face and neck as the pink, turkish delight scented gel smooths effortlessly over your skin whilst melting into a silky oil. When you add a little water, the oil emulsifies and turns milky, it's then easily wiped away with a face cloth soaked in warm water.

With pumpkin enzymes to deeply cleanse pores, vitamins c & e to restore and vitamin a to soften, this cleanser combines wonderful ingredients to leave you with incredibly soft, radiant skin. Since using this my skin has felt the softest it ever has, fine lines have improved and it's really helped to even out the pigmentation in my skin.

I use this either in the morning before applying my daily moisturiser if I'm having a no make up day or in the evening after taking off my make up if I am wearing make up. I only feel like I need to use it once a day at the moment as it works so well for me, that way it feels like a real treat to use and hopefully this bottle will last me a long time.

I love Oskia as a brand, their products are 98% natural, free from parabens, sulphates and petrochemicals, their products are not tested on animals and the Oskia Renaissance Cleanser is suitable for vegans.

I've definitely found 'the one' with the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel and it's become my skincare staple for autumn to combat uneven, dull skin. I just need to find a good, nourishing moisturiser to use afterwards now that the weather is getting colder!

Have you tried this Oskia Cleanser? 

TRANSITIONAL LIPSTICKS #2

Now that it's September, I've put my brighter lipsticks to one side in favour of hints of berry, fuchsia and subtle plum shades. I'm so excited for autumn and love wearing these hues, they all look so pretty on the lips and are great for the transition into the colder months.

(swatched in order mentioned below)

Fuchsia is the perfect transitional shade, it lets you hold onto bright pinks whilst the purple tones hint at autumn. Revlon Wild Orchid is a creamy fuchsia with pink and blue micro shimmer running through it that gives it a lustre sheen, it's a great dupe for MAC Show Orchid and really helps to brighten up gloomy autumnal days.

I've been reaching for Maybelline Color Drama Lipstick in Keep It Classy almost daily, it's long lasting, pigmented and creamy on the lips. It's a beautiful red toned plum that when applied straight from the pencil gives you a bold, berry lip. My favourite way to apply this is to dab a little of the colour onto moisturised lips and then blend with your finger to leave a pretty tinted satin stain.

Berry shades have been slowly creeping their way back into my make up bag, for a subtle sheen Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie gives a hint of berry whilst keeping your lips soft and lightly moisturised. Revlon Lip Balm Stain in Crush dabbed on and then rubbed in with your finger leaves a berry stain that's not too bold and autumnal, making a great transitional shade.

Lastly, the latest lipstick to my collection MAC Plumful, gives a beautiful mauve berry pink sheen to the lips. It's the perfect sheer berry lip that lasts for a few hours on me before fading, also as a lustre finish it's silky and feels light and soft on the lips which I love. This looks so great paired with champagne eyeshadow and plenty of mascara, it's a beautiful lipstick and I know it will be my go-to shade in autumn!

SEPTEMBER TO DO LIST

For me, September marks the beginning of a new season full of my favourite things. I'm so excited for crisp autumn mornings, layering, cosy knits, berry nail polish, cinnamon spiced hot chocolates and scented candles!

Here's a little to do list full of things I want to do in September.

1. Go conker collecting. Shiny round conkers are so irresistible and the fact that they put spiders off is a plus!

2. Switch up my dressing table for autumn. Pull out all the berries, coppers and burgundy reds.

3. Buy a Pom Pom keyring for my bag, I have my eye on this one.

4. Be a little happier, autumn brings me so many things to look forward to - halloween, bonfire night, mine and Alex's birthdays and of course the lead up to Christmas!

5. Find the perfect early autumn jumper. This one's pretty close!

6. Eat cinnamon spiced porridge regularly for breakfast. Oats are high in dietry fibre and cinnamon helps to regulate blood sugars, add a dash of antibacterial honey and it makes a healthy and delicious, warming breakfast.

7. Savoir the crisp, autumn misty mornings with a mug of tea in hand and a few moments to myself.

8. Indulge in a warm Lush bath on dark gloomy evenings.

9. Read More. Theres nothing I love more than to cosy up in my blanket fort with a mug of tea in hand and a good book. September 1st #backtohogwarts was the perfect excuse to pick up Harry Potter again!

10. Light autumnal (or Christmas!) scented candles. They brighten the home, give you that cosy, homely feel and smell divine. I have Diptyque Pomander at the ready!

What's on your September to do list?

EVERYDAY EYESHADOWS

Out of the many eyeshadows that I own, there are only a select few that I reach for on an everyday basis. Whilst I dabble with a few glittery/darker shades every now and then, I mainly stick to these shades:

Nars Alhambra: This dreamy, buttery textured duo contains two perfect shades for everyday wear, it blends seamlessly onto the lids and brings so much light to the eyes. The metallic rose looks great blended all over and under the eyes and the golden champagne highlights the inner corner and under the brow bone beautifully. 

MAC Naked Lunch: If I had to choose one favourite eyeshadow, then this would be it. It's the perfect champagne pink that really brightens and opens up the eyes thanks to the peach toned shimmer running through it. I always get so many compliments when wearing this and I couldn't be without it. See me wearing it here and here.

MAC All that Glitters: Another beautiful shade from MAC, All That Glitters is a pigmented golden beige with slightly rose undertones. This is my favourite shade for autumn as it can look slightly coppery on the eyes which works so well paired with berry lips and long lashes. See me wearing it here.

Bobbi Brown Metallic Eyeshadow Champagne Quartz: A wash of this silky peach champagne shade all over the lids gives the most beautiful, shimmery effect to the eyes. It's pigmented, long lasting and although quite pricey, you get a lot of product for your money.

L'Oreal Color Riche Eyeshadow in Cafe Saint Germain: This shimmery purple taupe shade is slightly reminiscent of By Terry Misty Rock. It's a buttery, pigmented and long lasting formula that blends seamlessly onto the eyes and is easily applied with your finger or a flat shader brush. See it swatched here.

What are your favourite everyday shades?