There's a chill in air, the mornings are getting darker and I've invested in a new coat. It can only mean one thing - autumn is officially here. I'm definitely an autumn fan. I'm not particularly fond of the sun and warm weather, and I think England in particular looks beautiful as the leaves start to turn yellow. I also love layering up and experimenting with different colours.
When it comes to make up, I don't tend to stray too far from my usual nude eye and bare lips. As a store, Boots are constantly challenging us to #GiveItAGo and were kind enough to send me over a fee products to experiment with. Fresh off the catwalk are cheekbones, brows, flawless skin, berry lips, green nails and smoking eyes.
1. Banish dull skin with these illuminating face products...
I've actually been trialling this foundation for a while. As a foundation-fiend, I give them a full on robust test before I draw to a conclusion. For me, I like this one. It provides decent coverage with a natural finish and is very long lasting for a high street foundation. One thing I'm not keen on though is he fact that it highlights my pores after a couple of hours.
I was SO excited when I saw this in my Boots box. I've been wanting to try out one of these chubby sticks for a long time. The beautiful highlighter is a gorgeous golden bronzed colour and creates subtle shimmering cheekbones. I have combination skin so I try and mattify my skin down as much as possible. But adding a hint of this really awakens my complexion. I'm addicted.
I do love a good blush! I haven't tried many products from Revlon for some reason, but this blush palette has upped my opinion on the brand. With five complementing shades of pink, these palette brightens the complexion and awakens the skin. The formula is perfect and the blush blends like a dream. No complaints.
2. Create the perfect autumnal smoky eye with this peeper duo...
I usually stick to browns and golds on my lids, but the moment I saw this trio, I knew it'd probably become my day-to-day palette. Coming with two mattes - grey and navy - and one champagne shimmer, the palette comes with everything you need to create a coloured-smoky eye. The shades aren't the best when it comes to pigmentation, but they are easy to blend and build up. I use the grey all over my lid, blend the navy into my crease and highlight with the champagne shimmer.
When it comes to eyeliners, I like sticking to my two favourites. But for the sake of this challenge, I branched out and embraced the gel eyeliner. The liner itself is smooth and glides onto the lids perfectly. The brush ensures you can create a multitude of perfect looks and the waterproof formula means the liner lasts all day long. In total, it's a great eyeliner. But I generally find pen-formulas easier and quicker to work with so I'll be sticking with my usual.
3. Get this season's statement brows...
With a spoolie one end and a comb the other, this nifty gadget is marvellous. It folds up into a little compact 'thing' which makes it perfect for on-the-go grooming. At £8, it isn't the cheapest but when those wonderful No7 vouchers are released, it's a good idea to snap one up.
I can't say I'm loyal to brow products as I'm still trying to find "the one" but I haven't found a fault in this one. The palette comes with a brow powder and a wax, is beautifully packaged, reasonably priced and even comes with mini tools. The kit itself is available in four different shades meaning you're almost guaranteed to find a brow-match for you.
4. Embrace a red lip with new season formulas...
Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Frambourjois* - £8.99
Oh my, I absolutely love these lipsticks. I must say, when it comes to lipsticks I find myself skipping wearing them. The formulas never seem to suit my lips. But these babies are a god send. They're creamy, long lasting, pigmented, lightweight and exceptionally easy to wear. I now have three different shades and it's only a matter of time before I buy the entire collection. Frambourjois itself is a vibrant red-pink shade, but the formula makes the lipstick nice and wearable. In fact, I've been wearing it a lot recently - which is incredible considering I'm a nude-lip lover...
5. Experiment with colour on the nails...
I love me a good nail polish and despite have a room full of colours, I'd never tried an Essie polish. I can hand on heart say the formula is wonderful. This shade in particular - which is a gorgeous shimmering teal shade - is opaque in just one coat and looks glossy and shiny once dried. Lasting power is great too.
How do you change your make up for the new season?
_________________________________________________________________________________
