Autumn/Winter essentials


Of course as it's nearing the Christmas season - the best time of year in my opinion - it's time to get out the sparkle. I think it's fun to jazz up your makeup at this time of year with some eyeshadow that you wouldn't necessarily be brave enough to wear any other time of year. I like the warm/pinky tones of these eyeshadows and I often wear them mixed together for extra sparkle and shimmer. These are great all over the eye on their own as an everyday look with an extra something; or can be transformed into a smokey look with some dark matte browns and warm colours through the crease and some eyeliner. 


It's no secret that everyone loves a berry lip during the colder months. Recently I have been enjoying matte lips, which is rare as I am definitely a gloss girl! My favourites at the moment are this lip liner to make my lips look a bit fuller while making the colour last a lot longer - mentioned here and here. I have also been a bit late to the party in discovering the Revlon Matte Balms. These are lovely and creamy, easy to apply and wear really nicely on the lips. I picked up a more muted berry colour as I wanted something slightly more subtle. Although this combination can make my lips quite dry as long as you layer up with a lip balm you should be fine - making lip balm another essential!


With the cold weather also comes dry hair. Also, where I have previously used bleach and dye on my hair I need to take extra care of it to keep it in good condition. In the shower my favourite conditioner to use is the Herbal Essence Moisture Balance from the classics collection. Unless I need a more intense condition in which case I use the Tony and Guy Nourish Reconstruction Mask - full post here. After the shower while my hair is wet I spray the Aussie leave in conditioner all over  to lock in the moisture. This product also makes it so much easier to brush through my hair. I then put a couple of pumps of the Garnier oil onto the ends and lengths of my hair to keep them lovely and soft. The combination of these products help to keep my hair from looking damaged and dry. 
I would also like to add dry hair shampoo to my essentials...with wooly hat weather who can tell whether you have 3 or 4 day hair or not?! Am I right?


During the colder months I find using regular fake tan can be slightly too intense - and a lot more obvious that you're wearing it! Where I usually use the Rimmel Sunshimmer Instant Tan mousse, or the Rimmel Sunshimmer Instant Tan - mentioned here - which are both great self tanners;  they can be too dark to look natural in the winter. A great, more natural looking, alternative is the St Tropez in shower tan. This was released during the summer and received very mixed reviews. Many had said that it was a bit of a faff to apply as you have to stop the shower and stand in the cold for 3 minutes. However for me this was not a problem as this time flies if you're listening to music - having a good shower jam. I would recommend this for those of you who are more on the paler side, as I'm not sure it would make much of a difference on tanned skin. I did notice a difference after I had used this a couple of times. It gives a nice natural glow to the skin which is perfect during the dull weather!

What are your Autumn/Winter essentials?
~ Lucy xx

Current Favourites | #12

Jo Malone Cologne Intense ~ Dark Amber & Ginger Lily* | It’s no secret that I’m a big Jo Malone fan - who isn’t, right? - and recently Dark Amber & Ginger Lily has recently been my favourite fragrance to wear. With a top note of black cardamon, heart note of black orchid and a base of incense this fragrance is all kinds of sexy, dark and mysterious without being overly masculine. To me it paints the fantasy of sitting in a cocktail bar, in a swanky dress waiting for a handsome man to whisk me away into the sunset, a girl can dream. The cologne intense’ are slightly more expensive than the regular 100ml colognes at £105 and don’t come in a handbag size but they do last on the skin longer and use rarer ingredients so are worth the investment if you like deeper, sexy scents. Velvet Rose & Oud is another favourite from the collection as well.

Seventeen Mono Eyeshadow ~ Funfair* | This shadow is all kinds of beautiful. It’s a pink duo-chrome which in some lights will look either pink or iridescent however on the eye it doesn’t look overly pink or unwearable. This is also one of the softest shadows I’ve used from the highstreet and is incredibly budget friendly.

L’Oreal True Match Foundation | The L’Oreal True Match recently went through an update in both formula and packaging. I remember picking this up a couple of years ago and not liking it but I’m enjoying the new formula - full review here.

Fleur de Force x Eylure ~ Fleur Loves | I’m a big eyelash girl however I don’t like any which are hard to put on or incredibly noticeable when wearing them, I just want to look like I’ve naturally got perfect lashes. These lashes from Fleur de Forces range are not only incredibly easy to apply thanks to the clear lash band and the fact that they’re only 3/4 lashes but they’re incurably natural but still give umph. They have a new technology which tapers the tips so they easily blend in with your natural lashes and if you’re a winged liner girl, like me, the shape of these lashes will emphasise that slinky eye look.

Large Hair Grips | I recently picked these up from Boots instead of the normal sized ones and I’m wondering why I never got them before. If you have long or thick hair which doesn’t stay gripped very securely or you have to use about twenty pins at a time then you need these in your life. Pronto.

What are you current favourites?

~ Jade xx

Photography information

Canon 600D with 18-55mm lens, Canon 24mm lens or Sigma 70-300mm lens. Canon EOS M with 18-55mm lens or Canon 24mm lens. Any edited photos are edited using Photoshop CS6. Picture source is given for any photo used that is not directly ours.