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?

July's Throwback Faves

It feels like 90's vibes are everywhere at the moment, from choker necklaces, crop tops to TV revivals, it all seems to be coming back! I'm certainly not complaining - although it feels a little strange to remember what it was like actually being a child in the 90's! I've totally fallen back in love with that 90's/2000's vibe, muted pink brown lips, TV picks and accessories galore!

I've been bubbling with excitement pretty much all month over the new Harry Potter releases, with the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child script drawing ever nearer (out today!!) and with the incredible Fantastic Beasts trailer cropping up, I'm seriously fangirling right now. (I got my cute Quidditch Harry here!)

July's heatwave left me with little energy, I must have spent a week living on fresh salads and vegan ice cream, slumped infront of my laptop with Gilmore Girls on repeat. It's up there as one of my top favourite this month - such a feel good, enjoyable series that makes me laugh out loud a lot! It instantly hooked me in at the first episode, it's such a charming, witty, sweet series.

My last lifestyle favourite is Robot Wars, such a throwback! Popped on in the background on a Sunday evening, it's the ideal fun watch - I really hope that they bring back Hypo-disc!

A couple of style favourites include cute velvet scrunchies - ideal for throwing hair up on lazy at-home days. I also love this velvet choker necklace, a little halloween-esque but can look so chic paired with winged liner and a 90's lip shade! 

For beauty, I'm all about 90's lips - the dreamy muted pink brown picks that look unreal, so flattering on. My top picks this month are the NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Soft Spoken, a wearable rosy brown, the Tanya Burr Cosmetics Soft Luxe Lipgloss is Martha Moo - a must-have, budge proof liquid lipstick and MAC Whirl Lip Liner, a creamy rose brown cult shade.

On my eyes, I've been reaching for the Tanya Burr Birthday Suit Eyeshadow Pallete practically every day. A dreamy quad filled with neutral picks - matte browns, a shimmery champagne and glittery brown it's ideal for everyday and I love the slight 90's feel about it. 

Lastly on my nails, aside from the occasional bright I've been drawn towards muted pink mauve's and flattering red browns, Essie's Ladylike is perfect for a pretty polished mani and Essie Bordeaux, a divine burgundy hue is quite possibly my favourite ever nail polish shade!

What were your favourite things in July?

June's Blush Favourites

June's rainy start left me reaching for endless mugs of peppermint tea in my favourite Anthropologie mug, it's been the perfect accompaniment to the stormy days! I've also enjoyed scrolling through the Cath Kidston and Primark AW16 hashtags throughout June, Primark A/W looks incredible, embellishments galore, cute bralettes and chic jackets - the dream! I've caught a few glimpses of Rifle Paper Co's 2017 preview on instagram too, everything looks so dreamy!

I finally got my hands on a bunch of peonies this month, once bloomed they lasted a good week and brightened up my whole home. I must have taken around 200 photo's of them, with blush pinks, whites, hints of yellow and soft peach shades they looked almost bridal, the perfect bouquet.

For beauty, I've been keeping things quite simple, torn between wanting to crack out the brights for summer or choosing autumnal hues to match the weather I settled on a few natural blush pink picks instead. My favourite lipstick of the moment is MAC Brave, a pigmented mauve pink 'my lips but better' hue, ideal for a wearable, polished pout. I love wearing it paired with MAC Soar for a gorgeous Kylie Jenner inspired lip too!

For my base, I've been mixing a little of the NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator in Sunbeam in with my foundation for a dewy glow. The shimmering pearl hue with a hint of pink helps to brighten and perk up my skin for all over radiance. I've also been popping the H&M Pale Nude Soft Eyeliner Pencil along my waterline to brighten up my eyes. It's creamy, long lasting and perfect to conceal tired/hayfevery peepers.

On my nails I've been flitting between a few pink Essie shades. My top picks this month have been Essie Sugar Daddy - a delicate sheer pink and Essie Ballet slippers, a glossy pale pink that looks so pretty on the toes!

As a result of the colder days, I've been moving away from cream eyeshadow bases and back to eyeshadow palettes. I've switched out my flat shader brush for the Zoeva 228/luxe crease fluffy blending brush which picks up just the right amount of product and blends eyeshadows effortlessly over the lids. Another fave this month is the 231/luxe petit crease - ideal for smudging out under the lash line. Finally the 221/luxe soft crease is another great pick, it blends out any harsh lines with ease.

Lastly, I've fallen completely in love with Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, I have Fleur to thank again for this luxe pick! To me it smells fresh, floral and slightly powdery with notes of orange, jasmine and rose - heavenly. Also the bottle is unreal, quite possibly the prettiest product I own!

What were your favourite products in June?
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April's Pastel Favourites

April is my favourite spring month - full of blossoming tree's, pastel hues, new summery treats in store and the start of A/W previews online. Not to mention the cosy, showery days where a sip of hot chocolate, Lush baths and snug blankets can be a temporary thing again - I just love it!

As I tried to make April a sugar free month (bar a mini egg downfall mid-month) I created a healthy hot chocolate treat, mixing raw cocoa powder with hot almond milk and a dash of cinnamon. Surprisingly rich, chocolatey and only slightly bitter (which I actually love), this really helped to curb my sugar cravings and helped me to get my Sunday hot chocolate fix.

This gorgeous mint Riess enamel saucepan has made heating up my almond milk a dream, it's such a cute addition to my kitchen, I actually picked mine up in TKMaxx for around £7, as a hot chocolate lover it's such a treat to have!

This adorable pastel rainbow mug has also been the perfect match for my hot chocolates, it's huge - the ideal size for an ultimate indulgence. Plus it reminds me of rainbows and unicorns - heavenly!

My favourite accessory pick this month is this blush pink pom pom bag charm. It helps to add a little spring colour to my bag, it's so cute and fluffy too!

The mixture of April's cold, rainy days, hay feverish warm/sunny days and even the occasional snow shower (what?!) has left my skin quite parched and dry. The Lush Lemony Flutter buttery balm has been my saviour this month, treating dry patches and flaky skin with nourishing shea butter, mango butter, coconut oil and avocado oil. I honestly don't know how I survived without this multi-purpose balm, a little goes such a long way, it leaves me with silky soft skin and it smells divine!

For nails, I've been switching between Essie Cabana Boy, a soft pearl with a hint of lilac and Essie Mint Candy Apple, a fresh mint green. These dreamy shades are ideal for spring, I honestly can't get enough of Cabana Boy, it's such a pretty, delicate shade and so flattering on the nails!

Another beauty pick this month is the Topshop Lipstick in Innocent. This pastel pink lipstick looks incredible paired with a smudgy, smokey eye or winged liner. The formula of Topshop lipsticks are pretty impressive - pigmented, creamy on application and fairly long lasting too.

Lastly, I've been smitten with my bdellium tools brushes, these vegan, eco friendly brushes are some of my top picks. The 785 brush is heavenly, so soft and blends eyeshadows effortlessly. Another favourite is the 781 brush, it's tapered and so nestles into the crease and blends perfectly.

What were your favourite products in April?

A Few Luxe Favourites

I actually have Fleur to thank for this posts inspiration, when I saw Fleur's instagram call to post a photo of a few favourite luxe products (for a chance to be featured in her new book) I hopped out of my seat and started gathering my picks to take a snap. I absolutely love Fleur's first book and couldn't be more excited to purchase her second one too!

I've noticed that there's a running rose gold theme among my top luxe picks, it's such a dreamy shade. I absolutely love all of these products, they're a real treat to own and use. These are a few of my favourite products ever, my fail safe, mood boosting picks that feel oh so special to use.

For accessories, I'm smitten with my Daniel Wellington Classic Sheffield Watch*. The timeless, classic style of the eggshell white dial, rose gold detailing and plain black strap means that this exquisite watch works with any outfit.

Another accessory love is my Monica Vinader Rose Gold Riva Ring. This gorgeous, dainty rose gold ring has scattered pave diamonds along a hoop detail, it's so flattering and such a pretty piece.
These delicate rose gold bobby pins from COS are one of my top accessory picks too!

The Layla Rose Gold headphones are another luxe favourite. They're a welcome treat to pop on when Alex is busy watching the F1, I can catch up on youtube, listen to a bit of Bieber whilst I'm working out or rainymood.com when I'm working!

For home decor, this beautiful gold West Elm Love Sign is a welcome addition to my home, it looks SO pretty on my shelves. Diptyque candles are another favourite pick, everything from the gorgeous packaging to the delightful scents feels so indulgent and luxurious 

Moving onto beauty, the Nars Outer limits eyeshadow is heavenly, a sparkly, iridescent rose gold eyeshadow with flecks of pink and gold glitter running over a peach toned base. Washed over or patted onto the lids, this really brightens up the eyes, it's mesmerising but unfortunately a limited edition, luckily Topshop Shuffle the Cards is an exact dupe!

Another dreamy pick are the Zoeva Rose Gold brushes, everything from the blush pink and rose gold hue to the soft bristles is divine. They blend make up seamlessly, pick up just the right amount of product and look delightful on my dressing table.

For nails, Essie Summit of Style is perfect for beautiful gilded tips. The chunky coppery bronze glitter is ideal for a luxe mani and works so well paired with berries, as an accent nail or built up for a glittery effect. Saved for special occasions, as a treat or for the festive period, Essie glitters are such a luxe treat to own!

My last beauty pick is the Charlotte Tilbury Kissing Lipstick in Coachella Coral, a fresh, perky coral pink that's ideal for spring. It has a creamy formula, divine hue and the packaging is unreal!

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What are your favourite luxe products?

March Monochrome Favourites

Starting with a lifestyle favourite, this Spiralizer has been in constant use in my kitchen this month. It's really helped to up the amount of vegetables I eat, I just love making courgetti, butternut squash noodles and sweet potato curly chips, which are incredible especially when dunked in guacamole!

Another favourite during March was Parks and Recreation, we worked our way through all seven seasons in record time - Leslie Knope is literally my hero! I ordered Yes Please as soon as it finished, it's witty, down to earth and an enjoyable read - I'm loving it so far! I'm also eyeing up this Treat Yo Self Print, I'm missing the series already - is it too soon to watch it from the beginning again?!

I've been adding a few new home touches for spring this month, this little ring holder from Muji is ideal for storing my rings, it's minimalistic and so cute. I also pulled Dipyque Baies out to burn, with March's stormy days having candles flickering and the divine, comforting scent of blackcurrant and rose helped to make my home feel cosy and warm.

Lush's Salted Coconut Hand Scrub has been a staple this month. You only need to massage a small amount of this heavenly scrub onto hands to cleanse, hydrate and gently exfoliate. The pampering combination of sea salt, argan oil, lemon and coconut oil leaves hands silky soft, it's a must have if you suffer from parched mitts!

For nails, I've fallen completely in love with Essie's Cabana Boy, everything from the gold stars on the lid to the pearly white hue with a hint of lilac is so dreamy. Paired with delicate gold rings and floaty dresses, it's ideal for spring!

Lastly, the H&M Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Golden Peach has been my top pick for radiant, flushed cheeks. Just a swipe of this shimmery blush perks up the skin, bringing warmth, radiance and light to the complexion.

What were your favourite products in March?

February Gold Favourites

I'm so smitten with my Robert's Radio, it's been such a worthwhile investment piece, I've used it so much so far! Aside from it looking pretty on my shelves, it's a real treat to own, just one click and the radio accompanies me whilst I clean, cook or exercise!

Another favourite this month is Harry Potter, after yet another film marathon, news about the Cursed Child script/book and with wave 2 of the pop vinyls on the way I'm still so in love with the series.

I've had a thing for ring holders this month, I love this cat ring dish from Etsy, I've recently picked up this Muji ring holder I've got my eye on this adorable West Elm cat ring dish too!

For beauty, the icy February days left me still reaching for glitters and wintry tones. The By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock is a gorgeous shimmery lavender taupe with sliver glitter running through it, perfect paired with winged liner and a glossy pink lip. I've also still been adding a swipe of glittery polish to my mani courtesy of Essie's Rock at the Top, a gorgeous gold glitter.

The Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette has been one of my top picks for a dewy complexion, with four shimmery shades it's ideal for radiant skin. 

Another pick this month to combat dry, lacklustre skin is the multi-purpose Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Miracle Oil*. With a combination of heavenly oils, omegas 6 & 9 and vitamin e, it's been a real treat for my parched winter skin.

Lastly, this dreamy Denman D4 Red Carpet Brush with actual 24k gold plating is my luxe favourite this month. Denman brushes are my top picks for silky soft tresses, the anti static rubber pad and nylon pins combine to make this the ideal everyday brush. It's currently half price and something to treasure for years!

What were your favourite products in February?

JANUARY'S PINK FAVOURITES

Starting with a few lifestyle favourites, I've been scattering fresh flowers around my home this month to brighten things up a little and boost my mood on dark winter mornings. This dreamy cat mug is another new favourite, the ideal size for a hot chocolate it's been the perfect choice for icy days. I've also picked up knitting again, as I seem to do each new year, let's hope I can keep it up for a little longer this time!

Having finally discovered the allure of Lush's bubble bars last year, I had to include one in this month's favourites. So far, The Lush Rose Jam bubbleroon is my top pick, it creates a bath full of dreamy, soft pink bubbles and the scent is divine! I'm hoping to try The Comforter next, it sounds heavenly!

Another great discovery for me this month are Cheerz, who have made editing and printing out my photos and instagram snaps a dream. It's such a treat to have actual printed copies of my favourite photos, it's let me tick off my resolution to print out my photos already! Use the code SOP4WC for £4 off at Cheerz if you wanted to print some too!

For beauty, MAC's Well Dressed has perked up my complexion this month, it's cool toned pastel hue works perfectly with highlighted skin for a dewy complexion. Another pick that instantly freshens up my make up on these gloomy January days is the Nars Lip pencil in Yu, a creamy textured pigmented shocking pink that stays put for hours.

Lastly, I've been testing out Essie shades from this set for my wedding day mani and currently Essie's Sugar Daddy is sitting in the top spot. This delicate sheer pink nude looks so pretty on the nails, it looks like it would work perfectly for a french mani too!

What were your favourite products in January?

DECEMBER'S RED FAVOURITES

December flashed me by in a whirl of tinsel and Christmas chocolates, It feels like this whole year has just flown by! The mild December days were disappointingly quite un-festive and I found myself buying cooler satin pyjamas to pair with my warm winter duvet. Christmas brought a well needed break with good food, family visits and festivities.
Our engagement anniversary (is that even a thing?) popped up with Alex surprising me with this beautiful new ring box and another pair of dreamy Asos Satin pj's!

Beauty:

Essie's Leading Lady seems a fitting favourite for this festive month, It's a gorgeous sparkly deep red with flecks of raspberry glitter running through it. I've been pairing it with soft grey knits, leggings, cosy jumpers, hot chocolates - everything! It's practically the only nail polish Ive been wearing this month!

For my hair, I've been using the Denman Grooming Brush to smooth out curls, it gives you effortless soft curls leaving you with silky tresses.

On my lips, I've been reaching for L'Oreal Exclusives Lipstick in Blake, it's such a festive, flattering red. With jojoba oil it keeps my lips soft which is ideal in winter. Nars Velvet Lip Pencil in Cruella is another favourite this month, it's creamy on application, long lasting and so festive.
With all the matte lipsticks, central heating and (slightly) colder weather my lips have been a little dry lately, EOS lip balms have been my top lip balm pick this month, they're so handy to pop in your bag and as they're packed with shea butter, vitamin e and jojoba oil they keep my lips supple and soft.

This faux fur pom pom keyring is a fairly new addition to my bag and adds a little colour to my otherwise mainly black outfit choices! It's so cute and fluffy, I have my eye on these Dune ones next, those ears!

Space NK sent me the Prismologie The Red Hour Foaming Body Scrub as a little Ndulge birthday gift in November, I'm not sure that I would have tried this otherwise but I'm so glad I have. It's a divine body scrub that polishes the skin non abrasive particles to gently exfoliate, with micro ruby crystals, coconut extract and volcanic spring powder it's such a luxe treat!

Lastly I switched back to Bioderma this month after finishing up my Garnier micellar water, Bioderma feels less stripping, it leaves my skin feeling soft, clear and removes make up with ease.

What were your favourite products in December?

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?

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?

THE BEST OF HIGH STREET MAKE UP

High street make up brands have seriously upped their game recently, the packaging, formulas and prices are competitive and the ranges are pretty impressive. Here are a few of my favourite picks from the following brands:

Topshop Beauty

Supposedly made by the same company as MAC, Topshop's Make up range is beautiful and has been a favourite of mine for a long time. The lipsticks are creamy and long lasting, the blushers are pigmented and the packaging is gorgeous and feels well made and sturdy.
My favourite products of the range are the highlighters, especially Topshop's Glow Highlighters as they are beautifully iridescent and give an almost ethereal glow to the skin. I also love Topshop's Chameleon Glow eyeshadow in Shuffle the Cards, it's a buttery smooth shimmery rose gold and a great dupe for Nars Outer Limits. The blushers, lipsticks and nail polish shade range and formula are also divine.

H&M Beauty

I spent a long time in H&M last weekend swatching and testing out their new make up line. The collection looks impressive, it's affordable and the shade range is incredible. The packaging completely drew me in with it's dreamy hexagon shapes, monochromes and golds. However, although alluring, some of the packaging feels quite fragile and a little plastic.
The pencil eyeliners, cream eyeshadows and blushers are my favourites of the range, they're pigmented, long lasting and blend seamlessly onto the skin. The eyeshadows ranged vastly depending on the shade, 'Chin Chin' was beautifully pigmented and buttery smooth but most of the glittery shades felt quite chalky and had a lot of glitter fallout.
I picked up the eyeliner in Grand Cru, a light golden champagne which is unbelievably soft, creamy and long lasting and a Pure Velvet Cream Blush in Hot Pink, a blendable, pigmented deep berry pink.

Accessorize Beauty

The make up selection in my local store was quite small but I managed to swatch a few eyeshadows and lip products from the line. The eyeshadow formula was impressive, buttery, shimmery and pigmented and the lip products were pigmented and creamy.
Out of everything I was most drawn to the new nail polish design, it has to be the prettiest nail polish bottle that I've ever seen! The rose gold and geometric glass dome makes a such dreamy combination, it looks beautiful sitting on my dressing table. I bought the shade Petrol, a matte blue grey, the formula is quite thick but this may be due to it being a matte shade (which I didn't realise until application!) It took two coats for an opaque finish and lasted well on the nails. I'm really not a fan of matte shades and so unfortunately I'm not sure I'll get a lot of use from it, I love the look of the nude and light shimmery shades, I'll have to test those out next!

Which is your favourite high street make up range?

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?

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? 

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?

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.