Halloween Look: Vampire Witch...

This post is very exciting because I'm not only working with a website that I've been browsing for years but it is my first halloween post of the year! As you may have figured by now if you follow me on Twitter (@ofbeautyand) or if you have been following my blog since last Halloween then you'll know that I'm a bit obsessed with not just Halloween makeup but Halloween TV, movies, books and general nostalgia.

For my first Halloween look of the year, I have decided to create a more glamorous and less scary look than previous years - my creepy doll and clown looks are a little disturbing and my even my Cheshire Cat Halloween look is a little...scary. So today's look is easy to create and it looks quite glam but obviously because it is a Halloween look, there will be blood. I had no idea what to name this look as I think it is quite a glamorous witchy look but with the blood it's quite vampiric.

I was sent a couple of products from Ere Perez and Pam (Precious About Makeup) to create this look which is super exciting. The look is really easy to create as I first started with my regular foundation, concealer, powder, contour and brow pencil/gel. Here's the full list of the products I used:

- Lancome Cushion Foundation
- Essence Stay All Day Concealer
- Vichy Setting Powder
- Eye of Horus Brow Pencil/Gel
- NYX Blush in Taupe
- Tom Ford Extreme Mascara
- Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
- Kiko Eyeshadows
- Threads False Lashes
- Essence Silver Eyeliner
- *Ere Perez Black Eyeliner
- *Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N43
- *Bloody Marvellous Professional Runny Blood

I used a combination of shadows from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette and the Kiko Eyeshadow Palette that I made to create a basic black, almost metallic looking, smoky eye. Then I used a silver eyeliner as a highlight and a black liner on the upper and lower waterlines followed by mascara. I don't wear false lashes therefore they are a little tricky for me to apply so I cut up the outer corners of my Threads lashes and just applied them to the outer corners which actually gave a really pretty effect!

Now onto the lips and blood, I applied a nude lipliner all over the lips then I applied the Make Up For Ever Lipstick over the top - this shade is just gorgeous, it's a pretty and unique orange shade (I really want to try more products from Make Up For Ever!). Now the blood, I haven't used fake blood before so I didn't know if it would stain or if it would be really messy to use. The runny fake blood I have is actually really easy to use, it doesn't stain the skin and you don't need a lot of blood to get a great effect! I just used the lid of the blood tube to apply it to my face and it drips down really realistically, in my opinion. As the blood was over my mouth I did unintentionally eat some of the blood but thankfully it is safe to swallow although I obviously wouldn't recommend it - it makes the teeth look orange and gory!

What do you think of my first Halloween look of 2016? Have you tried any of these products? Will you be creating any Halloween looks this year? 

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Autumn Pampering Essentials ft. Sukin

Pampering is such an important process, not just for the body but the mind too! Pampering, even if it's just a hair mask or a bath bomb, makes me feel so much more relaxed, refreshed and pampered. I think pampering is even more important when the autumn and winter months come around as my skin is usually much drier and dull; that's where Sukin comes in! I've tried a few products from Sukin and I've been really impressed so when this lovely package arrived, I couldn't wait to start the pampering.

*Sukin Renewing Body Scrub (£12.99, 200ml)

I love body scrubs, I use them once a week as a pamper product and this scrub is perfect as a regular body scrub. It contains green tea, vitamin E, rose hip oil and more so obviously it smells amazing. I usually do prefer very abrasive scrubs but when I'm using a scrub often I don't want it to be too harsh so this body scrub is great - it is exfoliating but it is also nourishing, smoothing and moisturising to an extent. I always use scrubs before shaving as it makes the process so much smoother and easier. Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

*Sukin Super Greens Nutrient Rich Facial Moisturiser (£9.99, 125ml)

My skin is dry all year round but especially during autumn and winter months so a rich moisturiser is very important to keep my skin smooth, soft and moisturised as well as comfortable. Sukin products don't irritate my skin which is fantastic as it can be difficult to find products that don't annoy my temperamental skin. The moisturiser comes in a pump bottle *I wish all moisturiser came this way*, it doesn't really have a scent so it would be great to try if you have dry and sensitive skin and it leaves my skin incredibly smooth, soft and moisturised enough even for cold autumn days! Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

*Sukin Hydrating Facial Masque (£10.15, 100ml)

I have to be honest and admit that when it comes to my hair, I do tend to forget to look after it as well as I look after my skin; hair masks are a super quick and easy pampering option. The mask contains mango seed butter, avocado oil, pineapple extract and many more amazing and natural ingredients; as with all Sukin products there are no nasty ingredients. I use masks on dry hair for 10-30 minutes before a shower as I find they always work better that way. It leaves my hair smooth, tangle free and moisturised which is what my coloured hair definitely needs right now. Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

Have you tried anything from Sukin? What pamper products do you love?

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Autumnal Homeware Mood Board

When the seasons change, I always want to buy a range of gorgeous new clothing, accessories and homeware and this season I'm drawn to copper, greys, peaches and natural tones and textures - well, I love copper/rose gold all of the time, I am a blogger after all! I'm always drawn to more unusual homeware, here's my autumnal homeware mood board and wish list:

Pom Pom Stripe Throw  -  Woodwick Cedar Candle  -  Cattelan Italia Carioca Table  -  Astronaut Vase  -  East of East Smoke & Musk Candle  -  Grey Stool  -  Acorn Trinket Pot 

I love the vase but sadly it's out of stock until November! I also love the candles, I adore candles during the colder months (obviously I'm obsessed with hygge at the moment and candles are very important to the feeling of hygge). I also love the unique dining table from FishPools and as well are looking for a new one, I'll definitely keep this one in mind as it's just gorgeous.

Images from Pinterest

I'm also obsessed with scrolling through Pinterest at rose gold, blush and natural/plant inspired homeware, decor and styles. If you are looking for any kind of inspiration then definitely head to Pinterest, although it will be difficult to stop scrolling! This is a sponsored post but all thoughts/opinions are my own.

What do you think of my mood board and wish list items? What shades are you loving for the autumnal months? 

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Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Oil

It's officially Autumn and the English weather has finally caught up as it's now gloriously chilly and autumnal *yay*. However, with the colder weather, I need to amp up my skincare and include richer products to help with my dry and temperamental skin. As always the lovely people at Dermalogica have the answer!

I have a new and lovely addition to my October skincare routine, the *Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Oil (£62, 30ml) which contains Camellia and Tamanu Oil as well as Orchid Flower, Chia Seed Oil, Rice Bran and Sunflower extracts to replenish protective lipids that can be depleted by ageing and environmental stressors. It's free from parabens, artificial fragrances and colours - it's most suitable for normal to dry skin.

Firstly, I have to say that I'm not a fan of the packaging; I think it looks quite medical as all Dermalogica products seem to look and the dispenser isn't great for dispensing an oil as it can be a little messy - I think a pipette dispenser would have been far better!

The oil itself smells amazing, so floral and earthy, I love it! It applies like a dream and leaves my skin smooth, soft and comfortable although I do only use this oil in my evening skincare routine as when used during the day and under makeup, it can be a bit heavy and too oily. The oil doesn't irritate my temperamental, sensitive skin which is fantastic - I find that all of the Dermalogica products I've tried have been great for my sensitive skin. The product came with a leaflet with various DIY facial massage techniques for wrinkles, detoxing and stress which is really useful and something I haven't thought of before! Overall rating: ★★★★☆, 4/5.

Have you tried anything from Dermalogica? Do you change your skincare during the colder months? 

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Book Review: A Study In Scarlet + The Sign of the Four

I am a massive fan of Sherlock Holmes, I love the films and the BBC TV show but I am a bit ashamed to say that I haven't read any of the Sherlock Holmes books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle but thanks to the incredibly lovely people at Pan Macmillan, I now have this divine copy of *A Study in Scarlet & The Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (£8.99, hardback).

I have to gush about the cover and book design for a bit, the dust jacket is so pretty but simple and understated and the page edges are gold! Additionally the hardback cover is a gorgeous pale duck egg blue and it's embossed. Oh and the end papers are lovely and autumnal. It's definitely one of the most beautiful books in my collection and I need more!

Anyway, moving onto the actual content of the book! As I said, I've watched all of the seasons of the BBC Sherlock series and the films as well so I'm familiar with the general stories and the characters but I didn't know how much of the tv shows and films was directly taken from the books. This edition contains the first two Sherlock Holmes novels (there are only four full novels as far as I know) and they are both very short with the book as a whole being around 317 pages.

A Study in Scarlet is the first Sherlock Holmes book and it's the book were the best crime fighting duo of Sherlock and Watson meet. As I haven't read anything by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle before, I didn't know if it would be easy to read or if it would be very formal as most classics seem to be; however I was very pleasantly surprised. The writing is formal and of it's time but it is quite easy and relatively quick to read but the best part is the feel of the writing, it makes me feel comfortable in the same way that Terry Pratchett's and J.K. Rowling's books make me feel, if that makes sense!

While reading, I can very clearly see the BBC Sherlock on the pages that I know and love - the portrayal of Sherlock by the BBC is pretty spot on but even though I'm familiar with the characters and story, it is still very enjoyable and there definitely are quite massive differences between the TV show/films and the books. I don't want to say at lot at all about the stories as I thought I knew what would happen but it is different and it's worth reading!

The second story, The Sign of the Four, is not part of the tv series or films as far as I know (maybe I'm misremembering) but I loved it, although there is some instalove in this second story which I am not a fan of! Both stories are obviously filled with Sherlock's unique and endearing, if a little quirky, nature and lots of mystery and crime but also other aspects and themes that aren't prominent in the adaptations such as the British colonies, religion, revenge and hidden treasure which I did find to be equally interesting and a teeny bit slow/dry at times. The second story is filled with much more adventure (it almost has Agatha Christie vibes) than the first story which I loved but I think on the whole, A Study in Scarlet is my favourite of the two.

Overall, I adore the book cover and design - it's so beautiful and I definitely need more! I have another copy from this range from Pan Macmillan, English Fairytales, which I can't wait to start around December. This edition is part of the stunning Macmillan Collector's Library range. I loved both of the stories in this edition, they are unique, interesting, very entertaining, familiar (although there are massive differences between the books and the adaptations) and intriguing. I think I do prefer A Study in Scarlet but they are both fantastic and almost fantastical at times. If you are familiar with the films and TV series and think you know the stories so you don't need to read the books - think again, the books are definitely worth reading! Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5!

Have you read any of the Sherlock Holmes books or anything by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? What are you currently reading? 

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Itsy Nails London Gel Effect Polishes

I have wanted to try gel polishes for so long but with the lamp and difficult and time consuming removal process, I haven't bother investing in a gel kit so when I come across polishes which claim to have a gel effect finish, I always want to give them a go! So when I received these gorgeous polishes from Itsy Nails London, I was interested to see how the finish and longevity compares to my regular polishes. 

I have the *Itsy DuraPRO Gel Effect Polishes (£5.99, 11ml) in the shades City Girl, Ooo La La and Drop Red Gorgeous. The polishes don't need a top coat, a UV lamp and there is no time consuming soak off removal process. I love the simple packaging and the wide brush which makes application so quick and easy! 

Al of the shades are ones that I would wear, especially the City Girl shade which is an autumn appropriate cool toned grey shade *basically the kind of shade I wear all of the time* and Drop Red Gorgeous which is a beautiful classic red - perfect for the upcoming festive season. All three shades apply smoothly, opaquely and quickly. The longevity which my usual topcoats from Revlon and OPI is great and definitely better than the non-gel effect polishes that I have been using recently which for the price is amazing! Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

Have you tried any Itsy Nails London polishes? Have you tried gel nails? 

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