Craft & DIY: 5 Cheap & Easy Halloween Pumpkin Ideas

I had the week off from work this week and couldn't wait to start getting into the Halloween spirit. Each year, I enjoy this time of year even more and it was fun to experiment with some new ways to decorate our house. Halloween can still be cute if you want it to be! 

If you try any of these pumpkins, please let me know and tag me in social media :) All links at the side of my blog! xxx

Why I'm Totally Not Sorry Summer Is Ending

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1. Berry Lips - I'm not one to confine myself to certain colours for each season but there is just something so right about sporting berry vampy lips when it gets colder. I already have quite a few favourites in my stash but I'm sure I'll be adding to the collection with more this year.

2. Hot drinks - tea, chocolate tea, cinamon tea, green tea, hot chocolate, peppermint tea etc.. in other words a hug in a mug!

3. Snuggling up under a blanket while watching a film or a whole series on TV - need I say more.

4. Reading with just the sound of the rain in the background.

5. It's nearly Christmas - it truly is the most wonderful time of year and I LOVE it! From the songs, to the food, to the decorations and just Christmas cheer in general I think the build up is the best bit out about Christmas time. Only 4 months to go! (Don't hate me any grinches out there!)

6. Bubble baths and body butters - During the warmer months I still do both of these but its few and far between. Now it is starting to get colder its somewhat of a ritual to relax in a toasty bath prefrably full of lots of limited edition Lush goodies and then follow up parched skin with a nourishing body butter. Thick body butters and heat = massive fail so I'm looking forward to digging up some goodies in this department.

7. Changing landscapes - crisp air, crunchy orange, yellow and red leaves and frost on the grass are just a few of my favourite changes to nature.

8. Log fires - crackling, roaring, warming goodness, there is no sound more comforting than that of a log fire. Plus you can toast marshmallows and make smores which is even better in my opinion.

9. Comfort food - following on from the smores, Autumn and Winter bring hearty stews, healthy warming soups, stodgy carbs and pies. Maybe not the best food for you but you can switch things up to make certain meals healthier and it doesn't matter too much when you're covered up in jumpers anyway, right?

10. Snuggly jumpers - re number 9. Plus it feels so nice to be warm and comfortable when your face is freezing.

11. Sparkles and glitter - fairy lights, glitter nail polish, sequin dresses... the possibilities are endless. Everyone knows that Autumn/Winter lives for everything glitter.

12. Autumn/Winter candle scents - salted caramel from Yankee Candles is one of my faves and perfect for this time of year plus I still have a few left over from the sale last year.

I know this is all a bit pre-emptive as apparently we are meant to be getting warmer weather again for the next few weeks but this is what I will be looking forward to!

What are your favourite things about Autumn/Winter? Will you miss the summer time? xxx

Review: Revlon | Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain | 'Crush'

Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 'Crush' // £7.99 //

My love for lip products is boundless, with three boxes full of the stuff and growing its surprising that I have done hardly any posts on them. So I'm going to try and rectify this and do a few more posts dedicated to the lipstick lovers out there. I thought I would kick off with a beaut colour suitable for Autumn/Winter, which is the shade 'Crush' by Revlon from their Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain range. 

I actually bought this around a year ago now so that's why the packaging is looking a bit battered now! The JBKBS were the first 'dupe' high street range to rival Clinique's Chubby Sticks - I have a few of those too and will be popping up some comparisons soon :) A pinky burgundy with hints of glitter (which is a little darker than the swatches show), 'Crush' applies to a glossy finish which lasts well and is slightly tingly, and once worn away leaves a matte stain. Personally I like to build up a few layers of the colour to deepen it and make it more opaque. If you have chapped lips this colour will emphasis that so it would be wise to use a lip scrub prior. The stain lasts pretty well - during every day activity around 4 hours including drinking, however after a meal only a slight colour is left, giving a lip liner effect, which I don't think is too bad going. The best way to apply these to get a lasting stain is to apply a layer, blot and then apply again.

I'm not too fond of the smell which is kind of minty, but luckily this doesn't really translate to the lips. The application is lovely and smooth, although now the tip has become quite rounded it is a little bit more tricky to get precision. The formula is quite moisturising until the gloss has worn away and doesn't bleed at all, which is a big plus point. It is super handy to pop into your hand bag as if you need more product you simply twist the silver part at the bottom so no sharpener is required.

I'm a big fan of Revlon anyway, and these lip crayons are lovely. There are so many out on the market now but these ones are definitely one of my faves. I would love to try out Honey as my next shade. Have you tried these Balm Stains? What colour is your favourite? xxx

NOTD: Essie | Carry On |

At the moment, I am obsessed with all shades of berry, burgundy and deep purples. I know they are a bit of a cliche for this time of year, but for some reason this time around I've been loving these kind of colours. I usually go for bright shades on my nails but 'Carry On' has quickly made it's way into my favourites. This bottle is from the original range, not the drugstore diffusion lines so has a different brush and slightly different design. This shade looked great with just one application, but I chose to do another out of habit and to make sure it was completely opaque. As you can see it's a lovely deep, reddy purple which I think will go with a lot of outfits this season. I also think this is a great colour to layer up different types of glitter to make it more special for the party season and get a lot of different looks out of it.

The wear time on it was pretty impressive too - I had up to 4 days of no tip wear or anything! As the colour is dark I would recommend a good base coat to stop it from staining your nails. I used Essie's protein base coat with a cheap maybelline top coat over the top (note to self: buy Seche Vitte!) It's also a bit tricky to apply dark shades perfectly but I tried my best!

You may have noticed that I havn't put a price or where you can buy this polish like I normally do with products I review, but that is because it wasn't part of the diffusion range which is cheaper (I think) in Boots or Superdrug and I'm not sure if you can get this colour in department stores such as John Lewis which do stock the original Essie. I think it very much depends where you get yours from as to the price (Essie is available online too), but I got mine in a set of 3 at TK Maxx for around £12 which is a barry bargain! 

What do you think of this nail colour? What are your favourite Autumn/Winter nail shades? xxx

Lifestyle: The Little Things #1

This is the first post I've done of this type but considering I've been quite absent from my blog and it is a lifestyle blog as well as for beauty, I thought I would write a little life update. I've been super busy with loads on my plate so I'm really looking forward to Christmas (although it will be full of dissertation work) to relax a little in a warm, cosy house and spend some quality time with family and friends. So what have I been up to?

001. Firstly, I've had so much uni work piled on top of me and have quite a few essay deadlines to meet. It makes it difficult to keep in touch with friends away from Uni and have a social life, but I've been trying to make an extra effort - half hour phone call with a friend can really help you to feel less stressed.

002. I've also been busy applying for a PGCE for primary education which has been hanging over my head for a while. I've wanted to be a teacher for so long so although I know teaching is becoming very competitive to get into I'm hoping it will work out as it is something I'm really passionate about.

003. Christmas! I've desperately been trying to think of gifts to get everyone and make sure I have enough of my budget to make sure everyone gets something lovely which they deserve. I've got some general ideas so I just need to stop putting off buying things and just do it as it will be a weight off my shoulders! I'm thinking of doing some crafty, home made gifts too which I will be sure to post about nearer the time.

004. Matt's move to London. You might remember he started a brand new job a few months back, which is his first ever full time job. He did so well to get it and has been working really hard, but has had nowhere proper to live and sort his things out. He has finally sorted out a flat so we spent the whole weekend down in Exeter collecting his things and spending time with his family then back up to London to move in and go on a big trip to TK Maxx and Ikea (which is incredible!) It was a super busy weekend but was definitely work it :)

005. Finally, I got my hair done! Matt's Mum is a hairdresser and she re-did my highlights for me and chopped off a good couple of inches. My hair was quite long but it really needed a cut as I hadn't in a while. I really like the out come although it is weird getting used to the length!

Although I feel like there has been lots of stresses in my life at the moment, I thought I'd make a list of the things that I'm really grateful for at the moment as its easy to forget the small things:

* Handwritten letters from my Grandma and Granddad through the post.

* Hot drinks on cold, rainy days.

* Hot water bottles!

* Scented Christmas candles.

* Surprise flowers delivered to my door.

* A great group of friends I've known for years.

* The opportunity to go to Uni and make new memories with fantastic people (and also meet Matt!)

* Wrapping up warm in scarfs and ear muffs.

* Sing alongs in the car with Matt.

* Every page view, comment and follower I get on my blog.

* An advent calender from Matt's mum.

I really enjoyed writing this post and it has helped me put things into perspective! What have you been up to recently? What are you grateful for today? xxx

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