Crisp Mornings And Spooky Nights

With a little over a week to go before Halloween, it's certainly feeling quite festive around here. Pumpkins scattered in front of stores, dew-dripped cobwebs draped over almost every surface, early morning mists and clowns...let's not talk about the clowns *shudders*.

The crisp autumn mornings call for steaming mugs of cinnamon tea, laced with honey and with a splash of fresh almond milk for a comforting brew. I've been bundled up in cloud like robes, enjoying early Lush baths (the autumn leaf bath bomb is divine!) and marvelled at the rainbows and light dances in my home as the tree's whip wildly in the biting breeze and multicoloured leaves drift past the window panes.

The evening's are spent wrapped up in blankets, reading by candlelight and indulging in Halloween treats. I've revelled at the return of vampy make up and splurged on glittering rose gold eyeshadows, stocked up on Lush treats and filled my home with festive decor!

My shelves are decorated with pumpkins, candles and my beloved Quiddich Harry. The West Elm brass Love object and rifle paper co print aren't really too fitting for Halloween but I thought they looked cute nonetheless!

With plans to carve pumpkins so that they can flicker eerily on our balcony, re-watch stranger things and bake butterscream cupcakes this week, I'm really looking forward to Halloween!

Autumn Dressing Table

As you can probably see, I've been getting into the Halloween spirit quite early this year! I normally throw up a few decorations on the week of Halloween but with an upcoming move on the horizon I'm enjoying the decorations before they have to be tidied up and packed away.

I bought the cute gold Trick or Treat banner for a steal from paperchase in the summer sales (they're available now here), I cut mine to size before hanging it above my dressing area - I love the way it looks!

I've also planted a few diptyque candles atop my dressing table, they look beautiful flickering in the low autumn morning light and help to brighten up the space. Pomander is a favourite, with orange, cinnamon and clove it's ideal for frosty autumn mornings!

For beauty, I'm still so drawn to blush and gold's but I've also added burgundy tones, berries and hints of copper for autumn. 

The Nars blush in Dolce Vita is a beautiful pigmented berry red blusher that packs a punch, you only need a small amount for rosy, flush cheeks!
I'm all about dewy skin this autumn and the Topshop Glow in Polish is a heavenly pick - it's a gorgeous iridescent highlighter, the pearl pink/peach tones lift the complexion and give a divine, luminous glow. 

My eyes are made festive with a smudge of purple along the lower lash line, ideal for the lead up to Halloween. Or, for an every day pick the silvery, sparkly rose gold tones of the Illamasqua eyeshadow in Jubilance brightens up tired eyes and looks unreal paired with a berry lip!

Lastly, I've pulled out my favourite nail polish picks for this time of the year, Essie Sole Mate, a glossy vampy berry is an autumn staple and Essie Summit of Style is a gorgeous bronze glittery pick, ideal for an accent nail! 

What do you think of my autumn set up?

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Early Autumn

The summer held on tightly this September, only letting the bitter autumn breeze whip through the streets in the early mornings whilst the sun rose. Finally cooler days are on the horizon and I for one, am ready to welcome autumn next week with open arms - knitted socks, crackling fires and crunchy leaves can't arrive soon enough for me! 

This Saturday, with a hot chocolate in hand and cosy, slippered feet, I tackled my cluttered home, tidying away the summer brights, sorted through my beauty stash, de-cluttered and passed along a few once-loved things to a better home. Once everything was sparking, clean and like new, I pulled out a few autumn comforts - candles, blankets and squashy cushions, to make my home warm and cosy. 

My pumpkin garland makes an appearance every autumn, it's currently hanging above a shelf filled with candles, fairylights and crystals - one of my favourite parts of my home! Stanley (my Ikea Hawthornia plant), my Roberts radio and a copper lamp also sits atop. Over the summer, Stanley surprisingly had three little baby plants which have to be removed and repotted in autumn, so that's at the top of my top do list for the early autumn days next week!

I've pulled out fresh blankets in burgundy and grey hues to pair with my blush pink and monochrome cushions, ideal for snuggling up on gloomy autumn evenings with a hot chocolate in hand. I've been burning the divine Pumpkin Souffle candle, a roasted pumpkin, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla and maple scented candle whilst reading - heaven!

Lastly, after organising my dressing table and pulling out a few burgundy, copper and shimmery hues, I sorted through my Lush stash, making up a to-use pile so that I can stock up on their Halloween and Christmas collections as soon as they hit the stores! I've also pulled out a few Lush staples, in prep for autumn, the Salted Coconut Hand Scrub leaves skin silky smooth and Lush's Dream Cream, a heavenly, soothing lotion is ideal for dry patches.

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Shelf Snippets

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll probably know that I like to switch up, re-style and change my Ikea shelves constantly. I spend a lot of time in my living room and so things can get a little boring if left the same, so I'm always moving things around!

Normally I opt for a light, airy yet slightly cluttered feel, with crystals, candles and my Roberts Radio always sits atop. The flowers are a gorgeous bunch from Bloom & Wild and the metallic baskets, boxes and trinkets are from H&M home. 

For a cosy feel, I light my candles and pop on my copper wire fairylights and Ikea Star light - ideal as autumn starts to creep in and the evenings slowly grow darker! I've been switching them on at the slightest hint of overcast skies, it really brightens the home and makes me so excited for autumn!

I've added a fluffy key charm, amethyst crystals and a pink Diptyque candle for a pop of colour - sometimes I'll add some greenery too!

Lately I've kept Lush Dream Cream close to hand, it's easy to grab and with oat milk, chamomile blue oil and rose water it's ideal for applying to cuticles, hands - any dry patches to keep my skin in top condition. 

Finally, my Harry Potter book set sits in pride of place on my bookshelf, I'll have to find a spot for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child now too!

I hope you liked a little peek at my shelves, I'll probably be switching up things again come autumn, I'm planning on adding a print and possibly more candles!

A Dreamy New Candle From Diptyque

The luxe packaging of Diptyque Rosaviola completely drew me in to this dreamy candle. With a divine scent, pretty pink packaging and fabric label designed by Olympia Le-Tan, this is a real treat to own.

Rosaviola combines the divine mix of roses and violets, it smells fragrant, floral and reminds me of early spring - heavenly! There's a hint of a powdery parmaviolets aroma too, which makes this the perfect addition to my dressing table.

For me, this is the ideal candle for Spring, with England normally staying quite drizzly and with April showers on the way, candles are always burning in my home throughout the milder months. Cosy home comforts are a must for me and so having this flickering in the background with blankets and a mug of peppermint tea in hand is ideal!

Rosaviola fills my whole living room even whilst unlit, the exquisite quality and impressive burn time make this a real luxe treat to own. The pot is definitely a keeper once burnt down, something to treasure and store make up brushes, cotton pads or bobbi pins in once used up!

What do you think of this limited edition packaging?

Dressing Table Snippets

In keeping with my plan to stay clutter free and organised this year, I've started off by spring cleaning my dressing table. I've had a huge clear out of my make up, giving some away and also selling a few things on depop. This year I'm hoping to keep everything fresh, clean and organised with my most loved products close to hand.

After my make up overhaul I took a trip to Muji to invest in some more acrylic drawers, they're so convenient and make reaching for my make up a dream! I originally wanted to pick up a single drawer but they don't seem to be available anymore, instead I picked up another two drawer, this time with a flip top for easy access to my everyday make up.

My Malm dresser drawer holds my seasonal Essie picks and a few favourite eyeshadows including the dreamy iridescent rose gold Nars Outer Limits and it's more affordable dupe Topshop Shuffle the Cards. I've also popped a couple of eye pencils in there to remind me to use them more often, the H&M Eyeliner in Grand Cru has such a creamy and pigmented formula, I really need to pick up another shade!

Fresh flowers and spring candles are a welcome addition to my dressing table this month, Diptyque Baies fills my home with a divine scent of blackcurrant and rose and the pink roses help to create a bright, fresh feel.
I also can't be without my Denman brushes, always having one close to hand. The Denman grooming brush is a current favourite, it helps to give me silky soft, shiny tresses and transforms tight curls into effortless soft waves with just a few strokes.

Lastly, I've toying with the idea of replacing my mirror, I love this copper hexagon mirror, something to make the centrepiece of the dressing table. Although I do adore the princess-eque feel of my mirror, it can get a little lost to the side.

What do you think of my dressing table set up?

NEW YEAR HOME SNIPPETS

With the Christmas decor tucked safely away for another year my home always feels a little bare in January and so I've been busy adding new decor and cosy little touches to our home.

Fresh flowers are a must for me in the New Year, they really help to brighten things up. I recently picked up this gorgeous vase for a steal from Wilkinsons - it was just £3!

Another Muji drawer is high on my wishlist this month, I've switched out a few of my lip products and blushers for winter and the slow transition into spring but I need a little more space for my everyday make up. These clear acrylic drawers make reaching for my make up a dream, I love the clean, minimalistic feel they give too.

These gorgeous Pink Alabaster and Brass Coasters have helped to add a luxe feel to my table top. As well as the dreamy design, they're sturdy, weighted and will hopefully last me a lifetime. I also invested in this adorable cat mug, perfect for a hazelnut hot chocolate on these cold winter days!

There's an abundance of candles scattered around my home for a cosy, homely feel. Ideal for a gloomy winters day they brighten up the home and fill the whole room with fragrance. Diptyque Pomander is constantly burning in my home, it's divine and perfect for this time of the year. With orange, cinnamon and cloves it fills the home with a warming and comforting fragrance.
Among my favourite candles sits a couple of copper lights, this adorable star light is from ikea and my favourite desk lamp from homebase.

Lastly, this beautiful Harry Potter book boxset is the latest addition to my bookcase, my old set was looking a little worse for wear and so I was beyond thrilled when I opened this gorgeous set from my Mum at Christmas. My little Qudditich Harry stands pride of place in front of the set, I've heard that wave 2 with Luna and Yule Ball Hermione is about to hit soon - I can't wait!

Have you picked up anything new for the home recently?

FESTIVE HOME UPDATES

I'm not ashamed to admit that each year, as soon as December 1st hits I turn my home into a winter wonderland. With tinsel draped over the doors, candles flickering, fairy lights twinkling, SmoothXmas playing in the background and the Christmas tree heavy under the weight of as many baubles, lights and bead garlands as I can manage, it truly feels like Christmas for me.

I've even decorated my dressing table for the occasion with silvers and golds and have pulled out festive red lipsticks and glittery eyeshadows to wear over December. My new Charlotte Tilbury Make up bag has taken pride of place on my dressing table, it's so festive and holds my everyday make up perfectly!

My bathroom is currently full of Lush treats, making it smell incredible. My favourites from the festive selection so far have been these dreamy Lush wands. The Magic Wand creates a heavenly bath full of pink bubbles, with swirling glitter and the sweet scent of candyfloss, it's the perfect winter treat. I'm saving my The Magic of Christmas Wand for Christmas week, with orange, cinnamon and clove it smells divine and just like Christmas to me! 

With my home feeling so festive and with plans to watch Elf, The Holiday and Arthur Christmas with cinnamon hot chocolate in my favourite Harry Potter mug, it's definitely my favourite time of the year!

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A NEW AUTUMN CANDLE

With the wind rattling at the windows, silver frosted mornings and a definite chill in the air it's now the perfect time to pull out warming, spiced candles.

One of my favourite ways to spend gloomy autumn evenings is to be surrounded by fairy lights and flickering candles as they really brighten up the home and help to give it a cosy feel.

Diptyque Pomander is a divine mixture of citrus and spice that fills the whole room with fragrance whilst conjuring up images of Christmas and the festive season. The combination of orange, cinnamon and cloves work beautifully together and makes Pomander perfect to burn on dark autumn evenings to bring light and warmth to the home.

Like with most Diptyque candles, there's a certain sophistication and luxe feel to Pomander, it's hand finished, has a cotton, lead free wick and is made from a mixture of high quality vegetable/paraffin mix. Diptyque mini candles have an impressive 30 hours burn time and fill the room with fragrance even whilst unlit.

I was a little unsure about the scent until I actually burned the candle as the fragrance slightly differs whilst unlit. However, once lit Diptyque Pomander smells incredible, it's now one of my absolute favourite candles.

What's your favourite autumn candle?