Top 5: Autumn (Fall) Products

I just want to start this by saying that I took these photos on my phone so if they're not great, that's why. Sorry!

I’m not one for wearing make-up and trying lots of new skincare products – I’m easily pleased and far too lazy to spend time perfecting the art of make-up application. That being said, I’m only human… I like to look acceptable, some times. Without further ado, here (in no particular order) are my favourite products for autumn!

Nails Inc – Piccadilly Circus

I own a few polishes from Nails Inc but this is the one I found myself reaching for as soon as the weather started to get a little colder. It’s like a deep, but somehow bright, berry shade. I love it! It’s perfect for adding a pop of colour to an outfit without being too much. For me, if I were sum up autumn in a colour, it would be burgundy and this is, to me anyway, a bright burgundy colour.

Ignore my god-awful hands and focus on the colour. It’s my favourite colour to take me from summer to autumn, plus it leads perfectly into winter. You can’t go wrong.

Nails Inc polishes last well on me – this lasts about a week before it chips, usually. The formula means they’re super easy to apply and the coverage is great so if you want this to look a little brighter, you could apply one coat and get away with it.

I got this free in a magazine (it’s where I get all my Nails Inc polishes) but you can pick it up here for £11.

 MUA Crazy in Love

When these were released, I saw pictures online and knew straightaway that I’d have to get my hands on at least one of them. Think of them as the alternative to a Clinique Chubby Stick (available here for £17) or Revlon’s Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (available here for £7.99), except they’re only £3!

I can’t compare the Power Pouts as I haven’t tried any of the alternatives but, honestly, I’m less inclined to try the more expensive options now, simply because I’m so in love with MUA’s version.

The texture is smooth and it leaves a slight glossy look on the lips but that fades after a while but the colour sticks around for hours. The Power Pouts have a minty scent to them which isn’t too strong or sickly. It’s a slightly brighter colour than the Nails Inc varnish but it’s along the same lines – it’s a bright berry but deep enough for autumn. I like to apply a balm before using this because my lips are never in the best condition and dry out easily but if your lips are in a good way, you could probably skip that.

Power Pouts come in 6 shades and are available here for £3.

Waitrose Bath Foam

I bought this on a whim and it turned out to be one of the best purchases I’ve made in recent times. I was wondering around the new Waitrose that opened up near mine and they had this offer whereby if you spent £5 in store, you’d get your parking for free (or something like that, anyway). I had to get a few basic grocery items but not enough to qualify so it made perfect sense to me to go to the beauty aisles and it was there I spotted this little beauty.

I’d been on the lookout for something that I could use for a nice relaxing bath – something that would foam and smell nice and relaxing. TA DA! I found it.

I wish technology had come far enough so that you could smell this through your screen because I’m terrible at describing scents. Something tells me ‘nice’ and ‘mmm’ won’t cut it! Here goes… It’s a fresh scent, suitable for male or females. It’s fresh and clean but with a certain depth to it. It’s wonderful.

When I bought it, Waitrose were running a deal – 2 for £2 – and I was worried that it might have finished by now but you’re in luck, it’s still going on. Pick yours up here for £1.43 or 2 for £2.

Calvin Klein Cream Eyeshadow

As stated already, I’m not one for putting a lot of make-up on, if any at all. When I saw this in PoundLand, I thought I’d give it a whirl. After all, how much effort could it be to swipe a cream colour over my lids?

The answer..? None. It’s great because it allows me to add a bit of something to my face without me taking ages doing it. I simply swipe a bit of this over the lid with my finger and then blend the edges with a brush. Simple!

This is in the shade ‘Sheer Nectar’ and is a deep brown colour with very subtle green and red glitter particles that aren’t all that noticeable when on the lid. I don’t use a primer with this and it doesn’t crease which is always nice! If I’m feeling super fancy, I sometimes sweep a bit of eyeshadow over the top to set it.

Fragrance Direct sell it here for £2.99 and offer a number of different colours.

Superdrug's Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser

I’ve wanted to try the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish (available here for £14.75) for the longest time after seemingly every beauty blogger raved about it but there’s no way I’d want to spend that much money on something I don’t know I’ll enjoy. Call me tight but that’s how it is.

Then I saw this little beauty in Superdrug for a fraction of the price. In fact, it was on offer when I bought it which was even better. It then went back up to full price (£5.99) but is, once again, on offer here for just £2.98.

I’ve fallen in love with this product. It’s simple to use and leaves my skin feeling so soft and smooth. I’m not too keen on the scent but it doesn’t stick around on the face so it’s bearable. It’s said to “revive skin’s radiance and even out skin tone” which I half agree with as I’m not sure it evens out my skin tone. It also provides a gentle exfoliation which leaves the skin “feeling renewed, soft, and ultra clean” all of which is spot on.

My face gets quite dry when the weather gets colder and this does a marvellous job at putting a bit of life and softness back into it.

What are your favourite autumn products?

Book Review: Giovanna Fletcher - Billy and Me

Blurb:

Sophie May has a secret.

One that she’s successfully kept for years. It’s meant that she’s had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop.

But then she meets the gorgeous Billy – an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy’s glamorous – but ruthless – world.

Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation?

My thoughts:

There is so much I want to say about this book but, if I did that, I’d ruin the secret so here’s what I can tell you… It’s an emotional rollercoaster and it’s a bloody superb debut novel from Giovanna Fletcher.

Unlike most other chick-lit stories, you know pretty soon that Sophie May and Billy are an item… The question is; will they stay that way? Y’know when you watch a movie and you’re so utterly engrossed in the storyline that you’d rather risk your bladder exploding than running to the toilet and missing something..? ‘Billy and Me’ is like that but in book form – I can easily see this becoming a movie. It got to the point that I was reading it and shouting at the book. Thankfully, I wasn’t in public or that could have been slightly awkward. I did, however, nearly cry on the DLR so be prepared!

Sophie May is a young lady who’s sacrificed certain things in her life and it all comes back to her past. Then along comes love, in the form of Billy. A love so strong and powerful that she starts to leave her comforts behind and face up to the things from her past (not necessarily through choice) that she’s kept hidden for far too long.

I always have my head in a book so, in my head, I’m bound to relate to some of them but none of them have touched me in the same way Sophie May does. There’s been no other story I’ve related to more than hers. Minus the actor boyfriend, of course. It’s more than just because of her past, it’s the way she’s been affected by it. That’s what makes the story so great – no matter what your story, you will, in some way, be able to relate to Sophie.

When I finished the book, I was in floods of tears. I was red, puffy, and snotty, but I was happy. I’d been touched by a book, I felt like I’d gone through everything with Sophie and that’s a testament to Giovanna’s writing ability. I’m a sucker for a book so they do make me shed the occasional tear here and there but this one had me sobbing.

For anyone who thinks that this is about Gi and Tom, I’d tell them to read the book and strip it to its core: it’s about a couple who have to adjust to a big change in their life that threatens to break down the foundation of their relationship. I don’t know about you but that sounds like most relationships to me, not just theirs.

When Giovanna did her book tour, she drew everyone a cupcake based on a word they used to describe the book so I’m going to do the same in the back of my book so that, should I ever lend anyone the book, they can see what I thought of it and maybe add their own cupcake to it too.

(It was supposed to represent all the layers and emotions of the book!)

This book is incredible. I didn't want to put it down and I think this could easily be a series so, with that being said, bring on the next book!

Available from Amazon here: BUY ME! for just £3.85! Bargain!

What would your #billyandme cupcake look like? Tweet me it, @thislittlemell!