NOVEMBER'S BERRY FAVOURITES

November's frosty cold days were spent dunking homemade gingerbread men in cinnamon hot chocolates, watching with awe as the shops filled with christmassy, festive things and indulging in far too many Lush baths. One of my style favourites this month is this Jersey Lace Triangle Bralette, which is so comfy for lounge/duvet days. For the home, I've been scattering flowers around to brighten things up until I can finally hang my decorations up on Dec 1st!

Beauty:

On my lips I've been reaching for autumnal hues like MAC Rebel, a long lasting rich vampy berry and MAC Plumful, a creamy mauve pink and great everyday shade. Paired with a coppery eye and a shimmery champagne highlighter they help to create the perfect autumnal look.

For my complexion, I've been dusting a little of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blusher in Mood Exposure over my cheeks for a radiant, flawless finish. The dusky mauve/pink powder sculpts the cheeks whilst the swirls of mood exposure brings light and radiance to the skin.

Lush's The Comforter Shower Cream has been a permanent fixture in my shower, the bright yet comforting blackcurrant and vanilla scent fills the whole bathroom with an uplifting and warming fragrance. This moisturising shower cream envelops you in a soft, comforting lather and is the perfect fix to perk you up if you're feeling a little under the weather.

I've been using my Real Techniques Shading Brush this month to blend my concealer for an effortless, flawless finish. The soft, synthetic bristles make blending a dream and it even blends my high coverage Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer with ease.

Lastly, on my nails I've been switching between Essie Sole Mate, a deep glossy berry, Essie Bahama Mama, a rich plum and Essie It's Genius, a shimmering violet until I can go to full on glitter nail polish mode in December!

What were your favourite products in November?

PREPARING FOR WINTER

With this year set to be one of the coldest and with temperatures plummeting and even scatterings of snow appearing last week, I thought I list down a few ways that I'm preparing to keep warm and healthy this winter. Eating well, investing in warm knits and keeping active are all important factors in my winter prep this year! Here are my plans:

1. Treat yourself to a lot of Lush baths, then climb into a warm pair of pj's to cosy up in afterwards!

2. Find the perfect winter jumper - I've fallen in love with this cosy grey knit from Asos!

3. Invest in a new hot water bottle. Hot water bottles in winter are game changers, slipped under the sheets  or tucked into your Pj's (the best!) they keep you nice and toasty for ages. I have an adorable little faux fur one with a bow, similar to this one and it's just perfect for icy winter days.

4. Spritz a mist of this Vitamin D spray (available here too) in your mouth for a daily dose of vitamin D to keep your immune system in check and winter blues at bay, plus it's peppermint flavoured, which tastes pretty festive!

5. Keep warm with these adorable Unicorn Slippers. With a soft, fluffy lining and the cutest unicorn detailing on the front, these are perfect to keep feet snug and warm.

6. Speaking of Topshop, this fluffy, cloud like Dressing Gown Teddy Robe is a must for me. It's the warmest, cosiest thing to wear, whenever i'm feeling a little under the weather, I bundle myself up in this and it always makes me feel better!

7. Make soup. Homemade soups are an ingenious way to introduce lot's of vegetables into your routine. I like to make a huge batch and then freeze individual portions for weekly lunches. Some of my favourites include Immune boosting butternut squash, red chilli and ginger soup, Comforting leek and potato soup and Antioxidant rich minestrone soup.

8. Stock up on Tea's. Warming cinnamon tea, festive peppermint tea and calming chamomile tea are all staples for me in the winter months to keep me warm. Boil a little extra water to use to fill up your hot water bottle too!

9. Pick up a Lumie light. This is next on my list to buy. The dark, icy winter mornings leave me feeling so tired and lethargic, the Lumie light is supposed to help you to wake up feeling refreshed and energised whilst also helping to banish winter blues. It doesn't give you that awful jolt that standard alarms give you too, it seems like the perfect early morning accompaniment.

10. Keep snug in warm blankets. I recently picked up a soft, cosy one from H&M home but Primark and Zara Home have some great offerings too!

GIFT GUIDE: FOR HIM

Whether you're buying for a tech savvy, gaming enthusiast or a DIY fan, there are so many great gift options in stores at the moment. I've pulled together a list of potential gift ideas for you to browse through, along with a few tried and tested picks!

This little stick on macro phone lens would make a great addition to any stocking, they also do a fisheye version too, perfect for keen photographers! Of course you can't really go wrong with a Terry's dark chocolate orange too, tucked in a stocking, it makes for the perfect little festive treat.

This little drone is another great affordable gift and is one of my brother's current favourites, something to waste hours zooming around the house with on Christmas day.
This tool bag is high on Alex's wishlist for Christmas this year (it's organisation heaven for me too, no more scattered tools laying around!) although I'm tempted to splash out and sneak an Xbox One or a PS4 for him under the tree!

Here's a few more of my picks and ideas below, I love that Nessie ladle!

A LUSH CHRISTMAS HAUL

Things have gotten a little Lush crazy around here recently, with Christmas fast approaching and hot baths welcoming on these cold autumn nights, I've been practically living in Lush, snapping up their festive goodies to use over the next few months.

Lush Father Christmas Bath Bomb: As Snow Fairy is one of my all time favourite products from Lush, It seemed only fitting for me to pick up some more treats from the Snow Fairy scented range. This sweet, candyfloss fragranced Bath Bomb creates swirls of festive red and green in the bath and the sweet scent lingers on your skin for hours after.

Lush Yog Nog Bath Bomb: This cinder toffee/caramel scent is divine. Full of moisturising shea butter, skin softening soya milk, sweet ylang ylang and spicy clove bud oil this incredible Bath Bomb is perfect for winter. I absolutely love this luxurious Bath Bomb and am tempted to pick up another to stock up on, It creates clouds of gold in your bath and is warming, nourishing and comforting. I've heard that you can also chop this into four to make it last longer too!

Lush Magic Wand: Swirling this reusable bubble bar through your bath water transforms it into a dreamy pink lagoon with soft white bubbles. I've had this product before and it lasted me absolutely ages, simply pop it on the side to completely dry and then it's easy to re-use again and again!

Lush The Magic Of Christmas Bubble Bar: This is one of my favourite's from the range. With cinnamon, clove, orange and almond Lush have successfully captured the scent of Christmas in a Bubble Bar. I can't wait to melt into a festive bath full of almond bubbles with gold and tangerine lustre, it seems like the perfect Christmas treat!

Lush Five Gold Rings Bubble Bar: Thanks to this bubble bar I've had The Twelve Days of Christmas in my head for far too long now, I'm not sure how much more Alex (or my neighbours) can take of me belting 'Five Goooold Rings!' each time I spot this laying in my Lush stash, I'm sure they'll be glad when I've finally used it up! This is great value for money, it consists of five gold lustre rings and so will last me at least five festive baths. They have a warming, sweet scent of vanilla and moringa, produce a flurry of soft bubbles and turn the bath a radiant gold.

Lush Fairy Dust: The ultimate 'princess product' this Snow Fairy scented dusting powder leaves skin beautifully scented with a shimmery sheen. I've read that you can sprinkle a little on your bedding too for heavenly scented sheets!

Have you bought anything from Lush's Christmas collection?

A WINTRY ASOS WISHLIST

With far too many saved items just waiting to be added to my Asos basket, I thought I would do a little round up of my latest picks for winter. As the days have been getting colder I've been coveting scarves, coats and Christmas Jumpers to keep me warm! Here are my picks:

What's on your Asos Wishlist?

FESTIVE EYESHADOWS

It's around that time of the year when I start to pull out all of my glittery, shimmery shades ready for the upcoming festive season and Christmas parties ahead. I've been wearing these gorgeous, iridescent shades either swept across the lids or patted on lightly for a hint of sparkle to enhance and brighten the eyes.

The Nars Outer Limits eyeshadow and it's more affordable dupe Topshop Shuffle The Cards are dreamy, iridescent rose gold shades that consist of flecks of pink and gold glitter. The peach base means that you can simply wash these over your lids to give you an effortless shimmery eye with a gorgeous rose gold sheen. For a more wearable and little less glittery option, I like to pat a small amount on with my ring finger over MAC All That Glitters.

L'Oreal Color Riche L'Ombre Pure eyeshadow in Sable Lamé is an incredible, gilded eyeshadow that gives a touch of festiveness to any make up look. The formula of these gel infused shadows is unreal, they're soft, buttery, pigmented and last for ages on the eyes. Sable Lame is a soft, light gold with flecks of glitter running through it. It blends like a dream and when washed over the lids and paired with a classic red lipstick gives the ultimate festive look, perfect for parties.

I'm pretty smitten with Illamasqua's Pure Pigments, these mesmerising pots of pigmented hues give an intense colour payoff. Over the festive period I like to opt for Static, an ethereal, opalescent pearl with violet and pink micro glitter and Furore, a metallic peach champagne. 

After finally taking the plunge and investing in By Terry Misty Rock, I saw why this creamy eyeshadow stick has it's cult status. It glides over the eyes with ease, blends like a dream, the colour payoff is incredible and once set, is completely budge proof. The shade is divine, a taupe with lavender tones and fine silver glitter running through it, perfect for a sophisticated take on festive eyes.

Lastly I always pull out my Naked 3 palette around this time of the year and with the Urban Decay x  Gwen Stefani high on my Christmas wishlist this year I've rekindled my love with Urban Decay shadows, in particular this dreamy rose gold palette. With matte shades, shimmery rose golds and coppery bronzes, this is the perfect palette for the party season.

What's your favourite festive eyeshadow?

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NEW IN: FESTIVE ESSIE POLISHES

Each year, I eagerly await Essie's festive collection. With dreamy hues and mesmerising glitters Essie polishes are usually snapped up as soon as they hit the stores.

As soon as I spotted Essie's 2015 Luxe collection I rushed to boots with the intention of picking up just one shade but ended walking out with 3 (3 for 2 at boots, how could I not?!) I'm even tempted to go back for the last shade too!

The initial shade I that picked up and the one I originally went in for is Tassel Shaker, a beautiful copper and bronze glitter. Worn as an accent nail and paired with a deep berry like Essie Sole Mate it makes the perfect autumn mani. I only needed one coat to give me a good distribution of glitter and it translated on the nails to a beautiful burnished shade.

Essie's Fashion Flares drew my eye in store and lead me onto opting for 3 polishes instead of just the one. A stunning deep magenta glitter with a slight raspberry hint to it and black glitter particles running through it, this looks like it will be well suited for the Christmas period. I'm not sure what to pair this with yet but I can imagine it will look super festive beautiful built up as an accent nail or over a white shade like Essie Blanc.

Lastly, I picked up Frillin' Me Softly, an icy silver with frosty blue specks of glitter which looks perfect for winter. Swept over dusky pinks or dark hues or worn as an accent nail I can imagine this luxe silvery/platinum hue will see me right through Christmas to New Years. There's something about this glistening polish that I feel completely embodies winter, it reminds me of snowflakes, Frozen and frosty mornings, it's such an appealing shade!

Which is your favourite shade?

TAKING A LITTLE TIME FOR YOURSELF

With the rush of Christmas drawing ever closer, daylight hours getting shorter and weekends filled with the stresses of running errands and Christmas shopping, I believe that it's an important time to take a little time for yourself. Here are 5 things that I enjoy doing when I'm in need of a little 'me' time.

1. Colouring.
There are so many great colouring books around at the moment, my favourite ones are The Harry Potter Colouring Book and The Enchaned Forest which is full of toadstools, dens fit for fairies and wildflowers galore. Colouring can really help you to switch off and indulge in some time alone.

2. Give yourself a Manicure.
Turn on some music (I'm currently favouring Christmas songs!), prop open a magazine and choose your favourite shades. Take your time to follow a manicure routine with a base coat, colour, top coat and nourishing cuticle oils to pamper your nails. Add a glittery accent nail with an Essie glitter like Tassel Shaker for a festive touch!

3. Bath.
Melt into a long bath full of soft bubbles to recharge and unwind. There's something so soothing and calming about soaking for half an hour or so. For a bath time treat I normally opt for something from Lush or Laura Mercier's Creme Brûlée range for their dreamy bubble bath offerings.

4. Read.
For a few moments to yourself, read a captivating book enveloped in blankets and with a festive hot chocolate in hand (bliss). On cold autumnal nights I recommend reading The Night Circus, The Selection Series or the new Harry Potter illustrated edition book (it's incredible!).

5. Go on an Autumn walk.
Whether it's wondering to your nearest store to check out their Christmas offerings, taking a slow stroll around your local park or walking to the coffee shop, fresh air can really help to clear your mind. With golden leaves paving the way and fairy lights strung up in the trees its the perfect time to get out for a little while and maybe take a few instagram snaps too!

What's your favourite thing to do for some 'me' time?

A RATHER ROSY LUSH HAUL

I'm currently having a bit of a rose moment. Although I'm not normally the biggest fan of rose, upon glancing on and sniffing all of the dreamy Rose Jam products in Lush, I fell completely in love with this sweet yet slightly sharp, mouthwateringly divine scent. Here's what I picked up:

Lush Rose Jam Bubbleroon:

I've recently discovered the allure of Lush's bubble bars and bubbleroons, smashed into small chunks they last you a fair few baths, provide an incredible amount of bubbles and tint the water with soft hues.

The Rose Jam bubbleroon provides you with a bath full of silky pink bubbles. With conditioning coco butter and restorative rose it leaves skin soft and tones the bath a pink shade with hints of glitter. The gorgeous fragrance fills the bathroom with sweet, sharp and rose petal notes that linger on your skin, plus the rose/macaroon design is too cute!

Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel:
With a heavenly concoction of rose, sweet vanilla and nourishing argan oil, this makes the perfect shower time treat. I'm a little sad that this is a Christmas limited edition product as it's fast becoming a firm favourite of mine. I'm tempted to stock up on a few bottles of this to last me the year, with sharp, sweet, vanilla and floral notes, I can imagine this will work well all year round.

Salted Coconut Hand Scrub:

Lastly, stepping away from the rosy scents, I think I've found the key to super soft hands this autumn with this dreamy salted coconut hand scrub. Each year, around autumn/winter I suffer from dry, parched hands. This year I've found a pampering combination of products to help counteract the dryness and leave me with soft, hydrated mitts.

I start by massaging a small amount of Lush's Salted Coconut Hand Scrub onto dry hands to cleanse and gently exfoliate. With sea salt, coconut oil, lemon and argan oil, it leaves hands super soft. I then smooth a little of Lush's Charity Pot, a generously rich hand/body cream with a dreamy scent over my hands leaving them feeling heavenly, soft and supple.

Have you picked up anything new from Lush recently?

AUTUMN LIPSTICKS

With autumn now in full swing and winter well on it's way, it's the time of year that leaves me reaching for rich berry tones to pair with cosy grey knits, mauve shades for an everyday autumnal lip and festive reds for the lead up to Christmas!

The latest shade that I've added to my stash is MAC Plumful which has fast become one of my all time favourite lipsticks and my most worn shade this autumn. The classy, mauve pink/MLBB colour looks so effortless and feels light and silky on the lips thanks to it's lustre finish.

As the temperature slowly drops, I like to opt for something nourishing and hydrating for everyday wear. Korres Lip Butter in Quince is a daily staple for me, it's buttery texture melts onto the lips giving a pretty sheen of colour and it's packed full of nourishing shea butter and anti inflammatory and healing Quince extract to keep lips soft and supple.

If I want something a little festive then I reach for L'Oreal Color Riche Exclusives Lipstick in Blake. This pure red lipstick screams sophistication and paired with champagne eyeshadow and winged liner gives a beautiful classic, polished look. The formula of this is great, matte, long lasting and contains jojoba oil to keep lips soft.

For a bold, berry lip, MAC Rebel is the one. It's rich berry tones make this the perfect autumn lipstick shade. As with all MAC shades, the scent is heavenly and the lasting power of Rebel is pretty impressive, only fading to a stain after around 3-4 hours wear time. 

Lastly, for a vampy, glossy option, Sleek Gloss Me in Forbidden City is a gorgeous, pigmented berry gloss with hints of copper iridescent shimmer. It's affordable, fairly long lasting for a gloss and not at all sticky on the lips.

What's your favourite autumn lipstick shade?

NOVEMBER TO DO LIST

With Bonfire night, Christmas shopping & my Birthday in November, I feel like it's going to be quite a busy month! Here's my November to do list:

1. Start Christmas shopping!

2. Find the perfect knee high winter boots - I'm in love with this pair!

3. Bake Gingerbread men, they're unbelievably moorish & delicious dipped in hot chocolate! I use this recipe & add an extra 1tsp of cinnamon.

4. Invest in a new candle, this Pumpkin Souffle one smells divine.

5. Buy a glitter nail polish (or two!) from Essie's new festive range.

6. Start Yoga with Adriene's 30 days of Yoga again.

7. Try to recreate a sparkler writing photo, they look amazing!

8. Pick up a dreamy advent calendar, Lindt & Charlotte Tilbury, I'm looking at you.

9. Listen to Michael Buble's Christmas Album, a lot.

10. Continue to eat seasonally, It's all about the kale, chestnuts, parsnips and cranberries in November!

What's on your November to do list?

WINTRY HOME TOUCHES

Autumn/Winter is when I buy most of my home decor, I love the style and colour palettes, frosts, metallics, burgundy's and wintry tones.

With the Halloween decor placed aside for another year I've started the slow transition into winter, pulling out fairy lights, silvery tones and buying blankets to make the home feel cosy and welcoming until I can decorate for Christmas in December. 

After a late night browse of the H&M home sale section, I placed an order for this beautiful copper and glass box and burgundy blanket. The blanket feels well made - substantial, warm and soft, so perfect to snuggle up under on icy winter days. I snapped up the copper and glass box straight away, I fell in love with it after spotting it in store a while ago, I'm tempted by the larger version too!

A hot shower accompanied by Lush The Comforter Shower Cream is the ultimate treat on cold autumn days. This heavenly scented shower cream has had a permanent place in my bathroom, the divine mix of blackcurrant, bergamot and vanilla combine to give an uplifting and warming aroma. It envelops you in a soft, comforting, fragrant lather which is the perfect fix to perk you up if you're feeling slightly under the weather. 

After seeing The White Company display an array of snowflakes against a frosted window pane for their winter campaign here, I had to pick one up. This sparkling Beaded Snowflake decoration gives the home a wintry touch without being too festive for November. 

Lastly, I've pulled out my favourite Gold Monogram Mug from Anthropologie. This dreamy white and gold mug is perfect for the colder months, topped with praline hot chocolate or peppermint tea it's the perfect afternoon accompaniment. Each year they make an appearance and after spotting them in store again recently, I'm tempted to pick up another initial!

Have you made any wintry touches to your home yet?

OCTOBER'S MONOCHROME FAVOURITES

October's chilly days passed in a blur of pumpkins and colourful leaves. The biting, cold days felt a little more like winter and the dark evenings were spent wrapped up in blankets with Diptyque candles burning and drinking endless mugs of hot cocoa.

I pulled my knitting needles back out this month in my 100th attempt to finish knitting a scarf for winter.  Cat's tutorial is so easy to follow, hopefully I'll have a snood made soon!
I've also been watching a Friends episode each day in October, 22 minutes of laughter really helped to boost my spirit and keep gloomy day blues at bay.

Beauty

With the biting, cold autumnal days my skin has felt a little lacklustre. Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel has been a staple for me to combat dull, uneven skin. With pumpkin enzymes that deeply cleanse, vitamins c & e to restore and vitamin a to soften, this dreamy, pink turkish delight scented cleanser combines wonderful ingredients to leave you with incredibly soft, radiant skin.

On my lips I've been wearing Topshop's Rio Rio lipstick to brighten up the gloomy autumn days. Its a beautiful almost orange toned red that feels soft and creamy on the lips. Apparently it's a favourite of Liv Tyler & Alexa Chung's too!

For blusher, H&M Velvet Cream blush in Hot Pink has been a permanent fixture in my make up bag this month, on the skin this shade translates to a brightening berry pink to give you glowy, flushed cheeks.

Lastly, on my nails I've been reaching for Soigné nail polish. The name itself translates to 'take care of' and so these 85% natural polishes have been perfect for my damaged nails. Soigné polishes have a 5 free formula, they're eco friendly, vegan and cruelty free. The packaging is luxurious and the shades available are beautiful, I've been wearing Permission a burnt orange that was perfect over Halloween and Pomegranate, a classic red non stop this month.

What were your favourite products in October?