A/W Wishlist.

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I feel as though Autumn weather is almost fully upon us, so of course that gets me looking to the high street for new clothes. Autumn is my absolute favourite season; I love layers, feeling cosy, autumn leaves, and of course having an excuse for drinking ridiculous amounts of hazelnut lattes. My Autumn wardrobe isn't exactly bursting at the seams, and I'd really like a few pieces to add to it. I've missed this gorgeous 'Jolie' jumper from Whistles, although I'm not too sure if (being a bigger busted lady) sweatshirts would really suit me anyway. But it is lovely and I think I'll be scouring Ebay to see if any appear.

I've missed this gorgeous leopard print skirt too, although this is definitely me. Paired with a little black jumper, tights and flats, this would slot into my winter wardrobe effortlessly. One thing I'm not too sure is 'me', although it definitely jumped out at me, is the cardigan. I'm quite small, so I'm not sure if something like this would drown me, but it just looks so so cosy! My love for cross-body bags that I can just throw on is still going strong, so I love this ASOS number, and I like that it would add a bit of texture to an outfit.

Unless you missed my latest post, you'll know that I'm seriously impressed with the new NARS Audacious lipsticks, and I'm dying for my namesakes 'Catherine' shade. It looks like a lovely peachy nude that I think would really suit my skintone. And I definitely feel like my life is missing Autumn candles, which lets face it, life just isn't complete without. Yankee Candle always do the best seasonal scents, and particularly 'Honey Glow' has seriously caught my attention.

What are you lusting after for A/W?

Working From Home Desk Essentials.

Working from home is actually harder than it seems; you alone are responsible for getting every little aspect of your job done, and procrastination is so easy to get sucked into. Figuring out a good working schedule,setting in place a routine and having an inspiring work space are essential things for me to make sure I get the most out of my working days. Here's some of my desk essentials:

- a sugar free hazelnut almond milk latte to start my day.
- pretty notepads to keep on top of my to-do list.
- lip balms.
- glasses.
- my nexus 7 ( we all need a little break to play 'tapped out' every once in a while )
- hand cream
- a candle.
- a refreshing toning spritz.

What are your desk essentials?

An Update.

Well, my goodness me.. Hasn't it been a long time?! September hasn't been too kind to me, with my laptop breaking almost two weeks ago now, hence the big break in blogging. I'm currently attempting to have it fixed but I'm getting a computer tomorrow so everything can get back to normal. I've not been able to work much either; I've borrowed a rickety old laptop which is incredibly slow, so I've really just been trying to work rather than blog, which is already taking me about 4 times longer than it usually does. It's crazy how much I've missed blogging over the last couple of weeks, I've definitely felt like a little something is missing without it. I can't wait to get back to it on Monday!

NARS Audacious Rita Lipstick.

Myself and NARS are having a little bit of a love affair at the moment, so I jumped at the chance to try out one of their new Audacious lipsticks. There's 30 different shades, all in the classic black NARS packaging, and claim to provide full lip coverage with just one swipe and give comfortable, long lasting wear all day.

I chose the shade 'Rita'* which is an absolutely beautiful deep red, perfect for the cooler months. There's a fantastic shade range, and I think I'll have to get my very own 'Catherine' lipstick next. The pigmentation is true to it's word, just one swipe across each lip and I'm done; I do like to use a lip liner underneath but only really because it's such a deep colour, it'd be a fuss to tidy up if I made any little mishaps. The colour lasts all day too, it fades slightly after drinking or eating but does so really evenly rather than just from the middle like you'd expect from drugstore lipsticks.

The formula is really lovely, so comfortable to wear and I've actually forgotten I've been wearing anything when wearing. As you'd expect, they're not the cheapest of lipsticks in the world (£24), but for a failsafe option which is long-lasting, comfortable and so easy to wear, this is where you need to be looking.

Have you tried any NARS lipsticks?

Favourite Combinations.

Stripes & Red Lipstick

( top : charity shop, ysl kiss and blush, topshop rio rio )

The Perfect Base

( NARS Creamy Concealer, MAC Studio Fix Fluid, Real Techniques Buffing Brush )

All About The Eyes

( Soap & Glory Archery Brow Pencil, Thick & Fast Mascara, Supercat Eyeliner )

Current Toning Routine

( Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3, Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist )

I Finally Have a Place For My Business Cards

( ASOS Travelcard Holder )

What are your favourite combinations?

Best Of The Budget Skincare Brands.

Skincare is usually something I like to spend a little bit extra on, but saying that, there are also some gems to be found on the highstreet. Not everything, but some of the brands out there produce fantastic products that work really well on my oily skin, and probably make up around half of my skincare routine. There is some really good stuff out there, and I think as long as you can find things to work for you and keep them in a strict routine, there's no need to spend big bucks on a cleanser. 

Lush - Lush' skincare range probably gets overlooked in favour of their bath ballistics and bubble bars, but they have some really wonderful, natural skincare items, and do a really fantastic range for all different skintypes. I absolutely love their fresh face masks (Cupcake and Catastrophe Cosmetic are my favourites) but I know some people can't get through a full pot before they go out of date, myself included, so I always have a pot of Mask of Magnaminty too. I have to mention their Tea Tree Toner and Grease Lightning, both of which I always have on hand for when any big blemishes appear. 

Botanics - I personally think Botanics are a bit hit and miss, but there's a few products I've always found work well for me. I don't think you can go wrong with a toner, and as well as the Rosewater Toning Spritz I really like their All Bright Cleansing Toner. Before I upgraded to Antipodes Divine Oil I used to absolutely love the Botanics 100% Organic Facial Oil, which really works almost as well at clearing up any blemishes, scarring and making my skin look bright. They're also so cheap, £2.50 for a clarifying toner? Yes please. I've heard their clay mask is also pretty good, so I want to try that next.

The Body Shop - Again, when we think of TBS we probably head straight to their body butters and shower gels, but they do some great skincare ranges. Of course, we have to start with their Camomile range which the blogging community has gone a bit crazy for this year. I have the cleansing oil and the cleansing butter, and I really love them both. I also use some things from their Vitamin E range which I find really lovely and soothing.

Superfacialist by Una Brennan - One of my all time favourite mask, the Tea Flower Clay Mask comes from these guys; any sign of the slighest blemish I can whack this on and it's really reduced and soothed. I also one of their other masks, as well as their cleansing oils. I have used cleansers from them in the past too which have always been lovely. I also hear nothing but good things about the Rose Miracle Facial Oil. My favourite mask has actually been reformulated recently but now has salicylic acid in to really help with blemishes, so I'm looking forward to when I have to repurchase. 

What are your favourite high street skincare brands?

Highlight & Contour.

There was a time when highlighters and contours were absolutely no part of my make-up routine. I just thought they were too fussy, timewasting and what difference would they really make anyway? But having quite a round face and being referred to as "chubby cheeks" by family members for most of my life, highlights and contours make all the difference for me. And especially having oily skin that I have to use a powder on, it's nice injecting a bit of a glow back into my skin, as well as trying to thin things down with a contour too.

My absolute favourite highlight is the No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter Stick, I've used this so often since buying it a few months ago. It's a cream highlight that's so easy to pop on wherever the light would hit, and you can blend with your fingers or a brush in a matter of seconds. I pop this underneath my powder and it leaves a gorgeous glow all day. If I forget to use this before my powder which happens more than I'd care to admit, I have the Sleek Contour Kit on hand which I use the highlight from in exactly the same place. Being powder I don't find this happens quite as long, but it's great coming in a handy little compact with a contour shade too. I have this in 'light' which is perfect for my pale skin tone, the contour isn't at all orange or muddy looking, and it blends pretty well considering the price too.

Urban Decay's Naked Flushed Palette is similar, although I do find this getting neglected once my extremely light summer tan has faded. The highlight is a really pretty champagne shade but is probably a tad too dark to look natural on me, but the bronzer is spot on, I just prefer to use a contour once September is here. Bourjois Java Rice Powder is one of my favourites for adding an all over glow to the skin whilst keeping all your make-up in tact; I'd much rather have dewy looking skin than matte, so this is great for adding a bit of light back in. If you're not really a heavy contour fan, light, natural looking blushers are fantastic for sculpting your face whilst adding a bit of colour. On my pale skin I can use a pretty pink blush with a slight brown undertone (No7 Honey pictured) to add a bit of definition around my cheeks, but it looks really natural if you're a bit wary of deepers contour shades.

What are your favourite highlight and contour products?

The Vegan Kind 11.

I was really excited for this months The Vegan Kind box, but on first impressions I wasn't too impressed. Upon delving a bit deeper it's not anywhere near as bad as I thought, but I still think there's just slightly too many 'fruit' snacks for my liking; if I want something fruity, I'd rather just eat fruit so I like seeing something more chocolatey, crisps or for cooking in the boxes. But anyway, it wasn't a complete bust as everything inside I will use and have/will eat!

Taste Spice Magic BBQ Dust (£2.95)
I wanted some more things to cook with, so here's my wish granted! This months box came with a fajita recipe including all the sauces so this would be perfect to use for that. I probably won't think outside the box and will be making bean and pepper fajitas with this later on in the week!

Nothing But. Pineapple & Grape Snack (£1.20)
We got a bag of these last month but the vegetable versions, which were mangetout and red pepper. Sadly they went straight in the bin as I thought they were awful, but these were much nicer and really lovely flavours. They're not something I'd usually pick as I would just eat pineapple and grapes, but they were nice to try out.

Ombar Organic Coco Mylk Bar (£1.99)
This was my favourite item in the box I've tried, oh my goodness it is delicious. The coconut flavour is lovely and it's such creamy, yummy chocolate, not the usual bitter dark chocolate you'd expect to be stuck with as a vegan. I wish there was a larger bar of this in here, although I doubt my waistline would!

Skin Likes Natural Deodrant (£4.95)
I haven't tried anything like this before so I'm looking forward to giving it a whirl. It has lots of essential oils in so seems like it'll be really nourishing and hydrating, although it'll be interesting to see if it works as well as the standard highstreet deodrant options. I always like using more natural skincare so I'm hoping this'll be really good.

Bear Paws (£0.60)
These cute little snacks are made out of nothing but fruit so are great for people who are perhaps looking to be a little healthier, but personally I just found them a little boring! I've tried things like these from Holland & Barrett before, but they're just not the sort of thing I'd usually go for.

Creative Nature Blissful Berry Snack Bar (£1)
One of these have been in a box before and I wasn't a big fan before, it was very sweet and a bit too sweet for me to eat. Unfortunately this one is just the same; it's not something I'd say I dislike and I could eat it, but again like a few of the others, I wouldn't necessary pick this up in a shop.

Hoots Snacks Pickled Onion (£0.60)
I was actually feeling quite negative about these too when I first spotted them; not about the concept but the flavour, usually pickled onion doesn't float my boat at all. But these weren't too overpowering and were actually really delicious and filling. I think they're a steal for 60p too, you get quite a lot in the bag and being like little multigrain bread snacks you feel like you're getting a lot compared to a bag of crisps. These were one of my favourites from the box, I'll definitely be looking out for this brand out and about.

So overall, as you can probably guess, not my favourite from TVK! But they've still introduced me to a few new brands and lovely products, if it had been a box of the hoots snacks, a bigger bar of chocolate, the deodrant and a bigger cooking thing it would have been super. I'm still holding out for another big bag of the beautiful fudge from a few boxes ago, a girl can dream..

A New Home : Dining Room Wishlist.

There's nothing I love more than making a good ol' wishlist, so I thought I'd make my 'new home' into a little mini series. It's actually quite helpful as it maps out everything I still need to buy, and I can see what's important and what can hold off a little. A new dining table is my first priority, which means I'll be selling the little 1960s yellow formica table and chairs that have served me well for a couple of years now. I'm 99% sure I'll be picking up the IKEA number you can see in the images, unless I happen to find a secondhand one. It's just more sturdy and spacious, meaning it'll actually get used more!

To break up all the white I really want to find some 1950s darker wood and black dining chairs; these ones, also from IKEA, are pretty darn similar to what I'd like, but I know I can find some cheaper going around the furniture and secondhand stores. I'm also popping some shelves up like seen in the pictures above as the space for my dining table is on a corner, so I think these would look really great with my framed lolita poster and a 1950s print hung on either side.

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It's still quite a lot of black and white, but I'm hoping to add some pops of colour through some flowers, as well as a lot of greenery again. I think there'll be room for a little plant stand I've got that I have an ivy plant on which I love as it drapes down. I'm really into geometric designs as well, and of course I'd love some HAY trays but my bank balance just couldn't cope with them, so I love this little wooden one I found on Ebay. You could even get a little crafty with some spray paint.

To try and save some money I've been told about a great new startup called Scoperks which is a comparison site that also works by giving cashback to you for purchasing selected items. It's a great way to search for items you'd like and see if you can get a the best value possible whilst also getting something back! It's not fully launched yet but you can sign up to hear about all the latest news. They're working with some great brands too; Marks & Spencer, Urban Outfitters, Very, and lots more, so we can all reduce that little guilt we get after a big homeware splurge!

What do you think of my wishlist?

The September Beauty Bag.

With the weather cooling down slightly and the days getting shorter, I've had a bit of a switch around of some of my make-up this month. I stuck to the same collection of products for the 2-3 months of summer and used nothing else, so it's been nice to have a good dig around in my drawers to discover a few old favourites, Some products have firmly been stuck in my routine though, I just can't stop using them!

First up, I've rediscovered my old favourite base that I haven't used for a few months as it's a little too heavy for the warmer months. MAC Studio Fix Fluid gets a bit of mixed press usually but for me, there's nothing that suits my skintone better as well as covering all signs of redness and flaws in my skin. It's my go-to in Autumn and Winter, so I know this'll firmly be in my beauty bag for a while now. When I do have particularly large or red blemishes I do like to pop a bit of the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer on top which leaves my skin looking so flawless, it's gone straight to the top of my favourite concealers since buying a month ago. I never thought it'd get along with it, but I've been using the BeautyBlender in the place of my usual foundation brushes and I really like the look it gives, so natural and pretty. I haven't really used it that much since I got it in a Birchbox a few months ago, so I'm trying to really test it out this month.

The Bobbi Brown Sand Palette is one of my favourite buys of the year, and again I haven't used anything else since getting it last month. It's such a versatile palette, I can create quite a few looks with this and all the shades really suit me. The lasting power is fantastic too, it's just such a joy to use. Another thing I've discovered from Birchbox is the Chella Ivory Lace Highlight Pencil which I've been using the last few days, it makes a nice change from using an eyeshadow. I pop this in the corners of my eyes, brow bone, nose and cupids bow, and it adds a really nice brightness to the skin whilst looking really natural.

NARS has been taking over my beauty routine recently, and having a couple new bits on their way to me I know this won't change any time soon! The beautiful Unlawful blush* is absolutely perfect for A/W; it's a pretty rosey brown shade that is so natural and lovely, and it almost sculpts the face a little bit too so I can cut back on the bronzer. It's got a nice shimmer running through too so adds a bit of glow, perfect for the more dull autumn days. I love their satin lip pencils too, and Luxembourg is a gorgeous red toned pink that adds a nice bright pop to the lips without being too much. It's not the most long lasting being quite glossy, but I just love the shade.

What's in your September beauty bag?

September Bucket List.

Autumn is coming and I'm actually getting pretty excited about the colder months coming. August was a bit of a slow month for me so I'm hoping to be a bit more active this month in work, blogging and a few home things too. Here's the goals I'd like to achieve this month..

Bake Off - I've got into the Great British Bake Off, and it's got me wanting to bake more for myself. I've never been a baker, cake pops and cornflake cakes are the only things in my baking repertoire so improvement is definitely necessary. I need to get into more vegan baking which hopefully I'll be featuring on here if they're good enough!

Girl On Film - I go through stages on Youtube of making quite a few videos, and then nothing for weeks.. I'm currently on about 3 weeks since I've last uploaded, which isn't great. I do actually really enjoy making Youtube videos, they are just so time consuming! Once you've gotten ready, set up, filmed and then have to edit, upload and write a post for it, a good few hours can pass, and I could probably have done about 3 blog posts in that time. I still keep seeing my subscribers go up though which is really encouraging, so I'll definitely be filming more as soon as my workload loosens a bit.

Soups and Salads - August was a really unhealthy month for me, and now I have a scale so I can see that a few pounds have got on, which I'd like to lose. My clothes are feeling a little bit tighter which isn't comfortable, and I really just need to get back into the habit of making more homemade food instead of just sticking things in the oven or visiting the chippy.

Get Saving - I mentioned the other day that I'm moving house again, so I did a little add up of how much everything I'd like for the new place is going to cost. Lets just say it wasn't pretty, so I'm having a clearout, listing every bit of stock I can find in my ebay store, and I might have a blog sale soon too as I really need to raise some funds!

What are your goals for September?

Blogging On A Budget.

As I keep on mentioning (sorry guys!) but I'm moving into a wonderful new home soon, and need to get saving. Rather than give up on blogging in the meantime, I've had to come up with some more thrifty ideas for posts and try to keep content fresh and exciting whilst I'm at it. Being predominantly a beauty blog you can feel under pressure to buy all the latest releases and always buy new things to review, but not only are nothing but reviews on a blog slightly dull, it's also not fantastic for the bank balance too. So here's my ideas on how to blog on a budget..

Use what you have - This is of course, one of the more obvious ones. When it comes to beauty I actually really prefer the more 'round-up' style of post. What's your current skincare routine, what haircare products are making your hair happy, do you have a love for blue nail polishes? Blog it! Shop the stash and see what you've got; more than likely we've all got overflowing drawers of beauty products, all waiting to be photographed and talked about.

Get creative - To try and not only make my blog a bit more interesting but save on funds, I'll be introducing a lot more aspects to my blog this month. If you're a keen baker, or even if you went on a cute trip this weekend, blog some pictures or a recipe. There's no rules when it comes to blogging, and you can pretty much post about anything you'd like.

Smartphones are your friend - A crazy amount of us now own a smartphone, and as time goes on the camera, and video is getting so much better. I've seen really popular posts using photographs taken from a smartphone, and videos using their filming feature too. At the end of the day it's mostly the content that matters, and as long as it's a reasonable, pretty image alongside it, no-one will even notice it's not the latest Canon camera you're using. And don't think you need Photoshop to make your pictures pretty, either.. I use Picmonkey to edit all my pictures for free.

Get something back - It's a bit of a taboo subject, but of course it's lovely when you can occasionally make a little bit of money from doing something you love. Whether it's advertising with brands or bloggers, using affiliate links (I use RewardStyle) or doing the odd sponsored post, you can add a little bit back to your budget in various different ways.

Get learnin' - I invested a tiny bit of money a few months ago into a new blog layout, but until then I did it all myself. You can either use the templates Blogger provide and edit them up a bit, or find a free template online, which again, if you know how, you can alter a bit to fit your style. A simple google search will find most of what you need.

If you must spend, do it wisely - If you fancy treating yourself to a few new products, why not check out a blogsale? There's hundreds of them (just check the #bbloggers tag!), all other bloggers who have overspent on products they didn't really need, so you can get some barely used products for a considerable percentage less than the RRP. Other than that, how about raid the charity shops? You can find a new top for your latest outfit post, or could find some cute trays or homewares you can use in your pictures.

How do you manage to blog on a budget?

Jurlique Blooming Roses.

It was only a couple of days ago that I received the Jurlique Blooming Rose* collection as a little gift through the post, and I couldn't help immediately get testing out both the products. I haven't always been a huge fan of rose scents, but Jurlique definitely changed that for me with their Rose Moisture Plus range I've had for a while, and I've had my eye on the Rose Body Oil and Rosewater Balancing Mist for quite some time now, so I was thrilled to see them arrive on my doorstep.

I absolutely love rosewater toners so I knew this one would be no different. It comes in a handy pump bottle that you can spritz over the face or onto a cotton pad; I prefer to apply directly onto my face as you seem to use less, but it also feels so lovely in the mornings too. You can also use this throughout the day to add a bit of moisture to your skin, I wish I'd had this throughout summer! Having oily skin I find this balances out my skin so well after cleansing, and leaves it feeling really fresh and clean. I always like using rosewater as my first toner, and this has gone to the top of the list of favourites!

I've been professing my love for body oils quite a bit recently; I have quite dry, scaley skin on my legs, and there's something about an oil that works so well and feels really luxurious. This is absolutely no different! It has quite a strong scent but I love how much it lingers after applying. If you find it a bit too overpowering, I've used it in the bath too which leaves less of a scent but still hydrates the skin really nicely. It comes in a little bottle with a dropper, I'd prefer a pump but being quite a small bottle I can understand the dropper method. Again, this has gone straight to the top of my favourites for body oils!

Have you tried anything from the Jurlique rose range?

A New Home : Living Room Wishlist

So, I'm moving.. Again! I wasn't especially planning on it, but we're moving into a fancy new three bedroom home, it even has a conservatory ( which is fancy for me, in Bolton at least. ) Having lived in various homes I already have most of the furniture I love, but I'd like to add a few new pieces into the mix. I've got a lot of 1950s mid century pieces that I'd like to mix in with a bit of a scandinavian style - I'm thinking lots of white, lots of teak, and a few geometric patterns with monochrome. And of course, plants on every surface.

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The main thing I'm really dreaming of for the new house is new sofas. The ones we've got at the moment aren't bad, but the springs are half broken so you really sink in, and the cats have absolutely plucked it to death, made worse by how open weave the material is. I've loved Made.com for so long, I always go on and just swoon over how beautiful everything is. There's a few sofas I really love from them, but my absolute favourite is the Ritchie. I think there's enough space for a 3 and 2 seater in the new place, but I'd probably just get two seaters, although I might have to go for a cheaper model in the end. I'm going to have a big clearout anyway and hopefully raise some funds for them, but we'll see!

The Weekend.

This weekend was a lovely little trip to Wales with my Mum; it was short and sweet, and really was so we could go and buy stock for my shop ( which we found a ridiculous amount of! ) but we managed to see lots of beautiful places along the way. We started off at Prestatyn and worked our way down the coast, stopping at Beaumaris in Anglesey. The weather wasn't really on our side but we didn't mind much, from the looks of my photographs I appeared to be inside eating food most of the time anyway!

What did you get up to this weekend?