toronto canada // vlog

My Canada vlog is finally live over on my YouTube channel. I absolutely love watching this back, so many amazing memories were made on this trip. I hope you love it as much as I do!

last minute christmas gift guide

Finding the perfect Christmas present for your loved ones can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore, especially when you have no idea what to buy! Being a girl, I find it fairly easy to buy for females, because I just buy things I know I would like. Boys on the other hand, I find near impossible to buy for! 

Gift giving is one of my favourite things, there is just nothing quite like watching someone you love opening something you bought for them and watching their reaction, so I like to try and plan ahead and write a list of what I am going to buy for each person. I usually try and think back to things they have previously mentioned, or have a little stalk on their social media to get an idea of what clothes etc they are into, this way I am sure to get them something I know they will be over to moon with. Now, I know not everyone has the time or is as organised, or even still, some people are just impossible to buy for, so it does get left to the very last minute! So, I have put together a quick little last minute gift guide for him and her, to hopefully give you some inspiration for those last minute gift purchases.

FOR HER

1. Black Boots | 2. Gucci Blooms Phonecase | 3. Real Techniques Mega Set | 4. Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Camera | 5. YSL mascara set | 6. Byredo Body Wash | 7. Carvela Purse ASOS | 8. Diptyque candle

FOR HIM

1. Record Player | 2. Universal Works Jacket | 3. Moscot Glasses | 4. Clinique For Men Set | 5. Diptyque Fragrance | 6. Astor Flex Boots | 7. Toms Slippers  | 8. Calvin Klein Breifs

my autumn lipstick favourites

I can't be the only person who switches out their lipsticks when the weather changes? I mean, I don't wear bright pinks or oranges in the summer, I'm more often than not, wearing a nude lippy and I do carry this through to the winter, however, I go for darker nudes, browns and even throw in some more berry tones, so you could say something similar to the stereotypical autumn colour palette.

So, I thought I would share a few of my favourite lipsticks with you, to give you a little bit of inspiration.

Kat Von D Everlasting Lipstick in 'Lolita' : I picked this one up in Sephora whilst I was in Canada and I am so in love with the colour. It dries into the most beautiful dark berryish-nude colour; which you can see in the first photo of the post. The lipstick itself is super long lasting as it dries matte, which is perfect if your as lazy as I am and can never be bothered to touch up your lipstick throughout the day!

 Urban Decay VICE Lipstick in 'Uptight': The most perfect nude, but on the darker end of the scale, perfect for your everyday autumn make-up look. Again, this is a long lasting matte lipstick, but not a drying one, which is key in the winter, as the cold weather normally chaps your lips to hell and back, so it is important that if you are wearing matte lippys they aren't drying because it will be very obvious; especially if your lips are already dry, and it could look a little bit gross.

MAC lipstick in 'Stone': Another matte lipstick (can you tell I'm a fan of a matte lip yet?) in a very autumnal shade of brown. I really love the purple/grey undertones in this, it takes it from being a gross flat brown lipstick to being quite a chic stand out colour. It took me a while to warm to this as I was unsure on weather the colours suited my pale complexion, but throw on a bit of bronzer and it's a whole other ball game!

MAC Lip Mix in 'Nude': Yep you guessed it, its dries matte. This is literally the most beautiful colour, on and off the lips! It dries into a really nice browny nude shade with pink undertones. A shade that is absolutely perfect for day to day wear and even for a more 'done up' look.
Applying lipsticks with a lip brush is never a go to for me, but this is SO easy to apply, the colour glides on and requires no layering, completely opaque on initial application and it lasts ALL day!

Current Favourite Autmn Outfit

This is an outfit that I have been reaching for A LOT at the moment (and yes, it is washed between uses!!). Not only is it the comfiest outfit for those days when comfort is my top priority, but I just feel so confident in it, which for me is a big deal.

I love how slouchy this outfit is, pairing a big jumper; which are an absolute priority in the winter, with this oversized bomber jacket was an absolute dream! The jacket feels like I am wearing a sleeping bag at all times, which is handy for those gloomy winter mornings when all I can think about is being curled up in a big fluffy duvet...a sleeping bag is close enough right?

I have a thing for my snake skin booties at the moment too, I just cant get enough of them, so throwing them on with this outfit just felt like the right thing to do, considering they match pretty close in colour to my jumper and the rest of the outfit was a bit plain. I always like to add something that is going to be a bit of a focus point for the outfit and I think these boots do just the job!

These photos where taken during my trip to Toronto a few weeks back!! Keep an eye out because I am going to do a little post on my time there and share a few pictures with you on here, and then I am also doing a vlog style video, which will be up on my YouTube channel soon! KEEPYOUR EYES PEELED!

Jacket - H&M | Jumper - Similar | Jeans - Similar | Boots - Similar

the copper shirt

I've got a new favourite autumn shirt and I wanted to show you! Ok, so I did actually buy this a little while back and it is now sold out, however I have linked a similar below.

I am so in love with this top, not only because it feels so damn nice on my skin when it is on (weird I know) but it is shiny too, and I am a little bit of a magpie for shiny things. The colour is so gorgeous, it is a really rusty orange/copper colour that is super flattering on all skin tones, even my super pasty complexion which is such a score because I always find it so hard to find colours that really suit me.
The colour works so nicely next to blue denim, which is why I have paired them for this outfit post, they are both quite bright which for someone like myself that isn't the most colourful, was a little bit daunting, but I think it really works and I am really into it.

I threw on my new ASOS boots with this outfit too, mostly because I am actually OBSESSED with them, but also because I was in a bit of a boyish mood this day and I needed to be wearing at least one black item!

This outfit would also look amazing with some simple black strappy heels for an evening look, or some nice black heeled leather boots for a more done up day time look.

Top - Similar | Jeans - Similar | Boots - ASOS

Ocotober New In

Want to see what I brought in October? Check out my October New In video to find out.

Autumn Winter Beauty Favourites

Seeing as it is now getting much colder and A/W is in full swing, I thought I would share my favourite beauty products for these seasons with you.

I think this one is a given, my nail varnish colour is something I tend to choose according to the season, in summer i'll wear brighter more colourful varnishes, whereas in the winter I tend to go for more deep dark colours, berry tones and browns, which I think is pretty standard for most people. I have really been loving the H&M nail varnished, not only are they super affordable at £3.99, but they go on like a dream and you only need to use two thin costs to get a complete opaque colour, with a few colours you could actually get away with using one coat. I find that they last really well as well, and don't chip straight away like the majority of cheap nail polishes. So if you are looking to add some new colours to your collection I would definitely recommend the H&M nail varnish, they have a huge colour selection too!!

Nail varnish - H&M

(Colours - Fired Earth, Bordeux & Liquid Gold)

Like nail varnish, lipstick is another product that I think a lot of people coordinate with the seasons, though it isn't obvious in this image as the brightness is pretty high, I like to go for more brown toned nudes and berry tones (as I said this isn't obvious as the colour has come out WAY to bright). I have been loving these two matte shades by Smash Box, you get a nice even opaque colour with one swipe, and considering they are a matte finish, they feel very comfortable on the lips. I mush prefer a matte finish to a satin/glossy one, this is just personal preference for me in general, however in winter I find that I drink more hot drinks and eat more, so it is important to have a lipstick that can withstand my greedy winter self.

Lipsticks - Smashbox

(Shades - Latte & Hot Seat)

In the winter a go from a shower person to a bath person and I am definitely not one of those people that can go without putting anything in my bath water, i'm much more of a 'put everything smelly in my bath, give me all the bubbles' kind of person, so bubble baths are very important at this time of the year. This one from Malin + Goetz smells divine!!! I have been lusting over the rum scented perfume for ages but as of yet, it isn't on my perfume shelf, so for now the bubble bath will suffice. I cant even explain how much I love the scent of this bubble bath, but if you get the chance to have a sniff, DO IT. At the moment this is my favourite bath product simply due to the scent, it creates good bubbles, but the smell beats any amount of bubbles this could create.

Rum Bubble Bath - Malin + Goetz

(Not online)

I find that around this time of the year I wear a little more make up than I would in the summer months, mainly due to the effect the colder weather has on my skin, so for me it is so important to use a good cleanser to ensure i'm not leaving old make-up on my face, which could block my pores and break me out. I have been really enjoying Lush's 'Ultrabland' cleanser for a while now, it's thick consistency really feels like it clings on and drags everything off of your skin, leaving your face feeling so clean and really soft after use. I use this every night before bed; after taking my make up off with Bioderma micellar water to make sure any missed bits of make-up are removed, and then again in the morning to remove any excess oils my skin has produced whilst sleeping, leaving a really clean, smooth surface to re-apply my make up. I do find that this product leaves a slight waxy residue on my skin, however this is easily removed with a toner, which is a standard next step in most skin care routines.

Ultrabland Cleanser - LUSH

I have raved about this product on this blog and youtube channel before, it is my holy grail, even more so in the colder months. Like most people, my skin can become very dull around this time of year, and this toner somehow manages to maintain that summer glow. I just use a small amount on a cotton pad every morning and evening to gently remove any old, dead skin cells, which instantly brightens up my skin and gives me a more healthy fresh faced glow. I have also noticed a dramatic reduction in redness and breakouts since using this toner, it really has changed my skin completely.

Pixi Glow Tonic - Pixi

Finally, hydration! Hydration is so important in general, but this cold weather really does suck the moisture out of my skin and leaves me with dry flaky patches around my face, something that I managed to control using the Keihls 'Ultra Facial Cream' (another of my holy grail items), but recently I have added an extra hydration step into my routine in the form of this Illamasqua ' Hydra veil' primer. As it is a primer, I do only use this product when I am going to be applying make-up. It comes in the form of a jelly which when rubbed into the skin, turns into a liquid, which feels amazing! Whenever I use this it feels like I am giving my skin a drink, it really absorbs this straight away and leaves me with plump, smooth base. I have noticed a difference in my skin since using this product and haven't seen a dry flake in sight ever since!

Hydra Veil Primer - Illamasqua