My Top 5 Autumn/Winter Nail Colours

Autumn! Nail varnish! My two favourite things! So why not combine the two and see what my top 5 autumnal nail colours are?

First up is a metallic blue from Mavala. Metallics are very on trend this autumn, and 'Flashy Violet' has the most amazing purple blue tone to it. It is one of my favourite colours ever, not just for autumn, and I find it really elongates the nail as well, so great for shorter nails.

Berry tones around Autumn are an absolute must, and this year in particular I have been loving them a little bit more than usual. 'Raspberry' from Barry M is a deeper red compared to more orange toned summer reds, however I still think I haven't found the perfect autumnal red just yet. This will do for now though.

Of course coming up to colder Christmas months you have to start adding a little sparkle. Autumn is my favourite season because of all the orange you see, whether is be leaves on the ground or bright Halloween pumpkins. This Jessica polish, aptly named 'Pumpkin Delight' is an amazing duo toned pinky orange colour that is just so darn pretty.

A slightly more controversial colour I have in my collection is 'Mustard', again, from Barry M. This colour doesn't actually suit my skin tone very well, but I really love the warmth this colour has, and it looks amazing with a long snuggly jumper.

Finally, it is another Barry M Gelly shine polish, this time in 'Watermelon'. I really like dark colours this time of year and this deep green is a great alternative to something as harsh as black. It goes with pretty much everything, and the Hi shine finish means it always looks really slick and chic.

 Do you have any go to nail colours for this time of year?

My Top 5 Autumn/Winter Lipsticks

Lipstick is probably my favourite makeup staple out there. It really finishes off your makeup, and I feel my shade of lipstick can reflect how I'm feeling or the kind of person I want to be that day.

Winter in particular is a great time to experiment with a darker shade, a berry tone, or a more racy red you wouldn't wear any other time of year.

Here are my top 5 lipsticks for the Autumn/Winter seasons.

From left to right

'Diva' by Mac

In all honesty, I have really neglected this colour over the years, but it is a gorgeous deep berry tone that I have been reaching for recently, I am a sucker for a matte lip, so this one ticks all the boxes for me. Just make sure your lips are nourished or it can go a bit chapped and chalky!

Lancome L'Absolu Rogue Shade 361

This Lancome colour is a much lighter berry colour and also a bit more sheer, so better for the day or a more subtle berry lip. It is really moisturing though and really comfortable to wear. Although it is fairly sheer, I find the fade is still a really pretty colour, so you don't have to race to reapply.

Rimmel London Kate Moss collection shade 01

I am no stranger to red lips, but find I usually go for quite bold reds with blue undertones to compliment by fair skin. I love this Rimmel red because it has a burnt orange tone to it, so it differs to my other reds. Perfect to match those orange autumnal leaves.

Urban Decay Vice collection Back Talk Comfort Matte

This is the  newest lipstick to my collection. I have recently been loving nude lips, but for the winter time, I find this one is perfect as it is quite a deep nude. It has a darker tone to it which makes it more of a smouler nude than a natural nude.

Mac Viva Glam Ariana Grande 

Lastly, is my Mac Viva Glam Ariana Grande lipstick which is a really dark, deep purple, which verges on black. I haven't been brave enough to wear this enough yet, so will definitely take the leap over the next few weeks.

I actually did a whole post on this lipstick, so if you want to read a more in depth review of this lipstick, then click here 

I hope you enjoyed this post! Are there any Lipsticks that you find yourself wearing more in the colder months? Please let me know!

Barry M Eyeshadow Palette

For some reason, I have recently been watching lots of makeup tutorials just before bed as I find them really soothing and relaxing. Maybe it's watching someone apply a full face of makeup when I'm lying in bed all clean, that I find so comforting, but it means I have been waking up the next morning feeling a little more inspired about what kind of new makeup looks I want too try. One in particular that stood out to me, was Emma Pickles 'Black Lip' tutorial. The black lip isn't something I will be sporting anytime soon, but I really liked the eye makeup she does, as I think it's very pretty for this time of year. A bit smokey but also quite warm.

 I'm not a very 'make-upy' person, so as amazing and beautiful some high end makeup palettes are, I can't justify spending a fortune of them as I know I won't do it the justice it deserves.

 I went into Boots the other day and spied this Barry M eyeshadow palette which is a dead ringer for the Urban Decay 'Naked 3' eye shadow collection, that had people going crazy a while ago. I think the similarity is no mistake, as the packaging and colours are incredibly similar.

I jumped to get this palette, as the red-y pomegranate colour in it, is something similar to the 'Russet' colour that Emma uses in her video, which is the colour that really drew me to that look. The colour 'Russet' is from the Sigma Warm Neutrals Palette which is $39.00, so the sort of palette I was talking about earlier that I would waste!

The Barry M Natural Glow 2 palette is actually really versatile, as it has a range of lighter and warmer tones. Number 3 is the red/pink tone I lusted after, but towards the higher numbers, there are some really nice metallics. Finally that dark number 6, is a really warm brown that can be used for a bolder look. 

Number 1 is an almost skin toned colour, which is quite handy for clean up but also for highlighting around the eye. Number 2 is a really warm mushroom grey which is nice for a more subtle everyday look.

The larger palette on the right is an eyelid primer, to make sure the colours stay put, but I personally don't think it works that well, and goes on a bit smudgey. I think a normal face primer would do a better job.

Overall, I really love the colours in this palette, however the pigment in them is not fantastic. If you are a confident eye shadow wearer who likes to build up a lot of different colours for a dramatic look, like Emma Pickles for example, then this is not the palette for you, as I imagine you will quickly become frustrated with the lack of immediate intensity, and spending a little more money on a palette may be a better option. However for me, this more opaque palette gives me the confidence to be experimental with makeup, without having to commit to the scary prospect of panda eyes. The colours are quite buildable, so you can find something your comfortable with wearing and then build it up more to make it a bit more intense. For £6.49 though, this is a really great investment to spice up your daily eye look.

Topshop Makeup

I saw fashion and style blogger llymlrs do a video a few weeks ago on her Autumnal makeup regime. One of the things that stood out to me was the Topshop lipstick she wore, which was called 'Beguiled'. It was a deep berry colour that I love this time of year, and one I have struggled to find the perfect one. I have a similar colour by Rimmel which I do like, but the consistency and staying power is awful. It feels watery and like I've applied with a wet wipe which is a bit weird.

When I got to Topshop, I couldn't see the colour anywhere, but my friend cleverly spotted it in a little pack with this cream blush. I don't usually like cream blushes, but I was so desperate for the lipstick I purchased the pack for £12.00.

The lipstick is everything I dreamed of and more! I love the colour it gives, and the lasting power is quite decent too. You do need to reapply it occasionally, but it gives a nice finish and doesn't smudge at all.

So onto the blush which I wasn't fussed about to start. I am actually really glad that these two came as a pair because I love them, especially together! I think I have mastered how to apply the cream blush now it, and use my fingers to apply to the apples of my cheeks, then spread out and upwards. I also finish of with my Beauty Blender that came in this Birchbox. Due to my pale complexion, I need to use peachier colours like this, and it gives a really bright, dewy finish which feels comfortable on the skin.

I love how the peachy cheeks contrast with the darker lip. It gives a fresh and bright look, and I think they are an absolutely winning combination. It is my favourite look for Autumn at the moment 

Scrunchie from Topshop also

Lily's Autumn video is here

Pumpkin Delight Swatch

I know I usually do a bit of nail art to justify having a full post on just one manicure, but this colour is so so cool I wanted to show you, plus the Halloween-y name is perfect for the up and coming holiday. The aptly named polish is 'Pumpkin Delight' by Jessica, and is a two toned glitter polish that glints between gold and orange/pink. If you follow my instagram, then you will see I posted a very similar polish from Ciate. As Ciate isn't stocked anywhere where I live, I gave this one a go instead. Jessica polishes are £10.50 but I got my one for around £6 with my staff discount which was a steal :)

This is a perfect colour for Autumn, and would look really nice for a night out or with just a plain wooley jumper! Are there any other polishes you have seen that you need for the Autumn?

Ikat Nails

Sorry I have been a little absent recently, I had a terrible bug the week before last, that wiped me out completely and its taken the last week to sort myself out. But enough about the rubbish illness the Autumn brings, and on to the amazing new things we get!

 Autumn has to be my favourite season.  It's a nice crisp season but still a bit sunny and fresh... on a good day. I love all the orange and dark brown colours you see in nature and also in the beauty and fashion world. Dark lips and metallic eyes are some of my favourites, but of course I also love the new nail colours! My newest one is this Barry M colour called 'Mustard' from the Gelly collection. I have been looking for a colour like this and it was the last one on the shelf so I knew I had to snap it up.

Now I am under no pretense that this colour looks good on me. As a fair skinned blonde I simply CANNOT get away with wearing any shade of yellow, even a warmer one like this. It washes out my skin completely, however it is such a useful colour for the nail art collection, and my Ikat nail design you are about to see really warmed up the colour and added a more orangey tone to it which works better for me.

I used 'Mustard' as my base and then blobbed on some really rough diamond shapes using 'Bright Red' also from Barry M. There was another Gelly from the new Gelly collection called 'Paprika' which I would have liked to use for this part, as I think it would have warmed up the mustard even more, but maybe next time.

Once I'd done the red diamonds, I did some smaller white diamonds in the middle. Finally, I dotted a black diamond in the middle of the white, and then drew long black lines in a downward motion on the outside of the red diamond.

Ikat is a rich weave so you don't have to be particularly neat at this stage because you want that stripey woven affect. This is actually quite easy to achieve if you have a steady hand. A lot of tutorials suggested using a small brush to get the woven affect but I just used my black nail art pen and feel I still got the same desired look.

I'm glad I used more Autumnal colours, as I think it looks quite native american which is what Ikat reminds me off.

Be on the look out for more Autumnal manicures coming soon! 

Mavala Metropolitan Collection

The new Metropolitan collection is the latest addition to the Mavala range. This launched in shops this year, but it was exclusively launched in salons over Christmas. The collection resembles some of the Autumn/ Winter shades from other ranges we have seen this year. Metallics and duotones have clearly been the trend this Christmas, as seen in collections from Jessica and Leighton Denny.

The collection is clever in the sense that each colour has a duotone, meaning in different lights, there is a different colour. This means you can wear two colours on your nails at once. I used to never be a fan of metallics, but the recent metallic craze that has taken over this season, has made me think twice about my opinion.

Pink Gold

I featured 'Pink Gold' in my latest piece of nail art which you can see here. In the bottle, I don't think Pink Gold looks very special. When on the nails though, the two toned shades really come out. I think out of the whole collection, this colour has the most dramatic duotone. In my nail art, I used a pink paint next to it, which I think brings out the pink shade more.

Silver Chrome

'Silver Chrome' reminds me of the silver foil Barry M brought out. Its a really metallic silver and has a really strong colour after just one coat. It looks like melted liquid metal, and will be a fantastic base for some nail art I have coming up.

Metallic Blue

This blue reminds me slightly of my favourite Mavala colour Flashy Violet. Its a much lighter and bluer version though, and will be great in the summer. In normal daylight this is slightly darker and changes between light and dark tones.

Gold Bronze

'Gold Bronze' is another colour that looks much more exciting when on the nail. This really bronze tone will look great with a tan in the summer. This is another duotone that changes from light to dark and changes more dramatically with light.

Copper Violet

This is probably the most iridescent shade, and needs a few more layers for the best effect possible. The purple shade is a cooler tone, but the copper hues warm it up when it reflects in certain lights.

Emerald Gold

This is probably my favourite colour in the collection. Emerald green was THE colour of 2013 and this combined with a metallic duotone is the recipe for success. The Emerald and the Gold really shine out. This is the colour I have kept on the longest from the collection, and it has had a lot of comments from people who have seen it. One comment was that it was very 'mermaidy' which is a comment I like a lot.

These colours have really inspired some ideas for nail art I am planning to do soon so keep watching to see what I come up with.

Halloween Nails 1

It is that time of year! Its nearly Halloween and the autumn is very much upon us now in the UK. Originally, I wanted to do a nail art design that I had never seen anywhere before. Pretty much all of my nail art has been inspired from somthing else I have seen elsewhere, so I thought I would try something completely original. As Autumn is my favourite season due to the colours of all the fallen leaves and bare trees, I thought I would try and transfer that into my nail art, and put some fallen leaves onto my nails. I searched on the internet and I couldn't find the design done by anyone anywhere, so as far as I know, it hasn't been done by anyone yet. Perfect. 

After work last week, I walked home picking up all the most interesting leaves I could find. When I got home I dried them out on the radiator. Last night I decided that it was time to try my design out. My plan of action was to paint my colour base coat, apply a tacky clear coat, and set about placing the leaf onto my nail. Whilst in place, I would file down the edge to remove the excess leaf, and then give it another clear coat of polish to stick it down and voila. This is the technique used when you do feather nail art so I thought it couldn't be too hard. Wrong. 

The leaf would slip and slide about the nail plate because of its uneven surface, smudging the paint underneath. It was also very thick at the stem, so was quite hard to file down. I also found the only part of the leaf I could use, was the tip in order to make sure no part of the leaf went over any skin. Sticking it down also required a good few layers of top coat making it hard to dry. Overall, it was a pretty terrible experience, and I can see why I couldn't find it on the internet. It also looked pretty rubbish to be honest. The image I had made up in my head is certainly not what I saw on my nail. My plan B was to paint on the leaf and then use my Mo You stamper to get the skeleton pattern of the leaf. Again, that didn't work, so I just decided to stick to good old nail varnish and tools and just do it myself! The effect I got with the polish is how I envisioned the leaves to look. Ha!

After all my efforts, I couldn't bare to remove the one leaf I succesfully (kind of) managed to attach to my nail. It looks pretty pathetic really, but I thought it would be a let down if I didn't show what it looked like! I also added a Halloween pumpkin, as the orange theme seemed perfect.

The orange base is 'Speed Dial' by Ciate.

The dark brown is 'Espresso' from the sublime collection by Mavala I reviewed a few days ago.

The green is the 'Ditch the heels' that came in my emerald collection kit by Ciate (see review here)

And the gold is 'Foil' by Barry M.

I simply dotted each colour over the nail and then outlined the leaf shapes and drew in the creases.

For the pumpkin, I blobbed some green on the tip of my nail and used a black nail art pen to do the detailing, and facial features. I then did the creases to add a more 3D effect using a gold nail art pen, as it was more subtle.

My first attempt at trying to be original was a big fail, but at least I have finally started my Halloween art work ideas now.

Mavala Sublime Collection

Ivory Beige

This is a beautiful brown nude colour which makes the nails look flawless. I don't usually got for nudes but this makes hands look so sophisticated. 

Poetic Rose

This is a dusty red colour that hovers on pink. It is a very cute colour and reminds me of winter berries. I have been told that it looks lovely on toes!

Amethyst

At the Mavala stand at work, this has absolutely flown off the shelves! I personally think it looks better with one coat as the vampy purple colour shines through more, and two coats dampens the purple. It is a really lovely colour though. Perfect for this season.

Espresso

As I said earlier, I don't really do brown shades but this is absolutely to die for. It has such a deep brown tone and looks really effective and beautiful just on its own. I added glitter on top and it really popped!

Twilight Blue

This is one of those colours that doesn't look all that in the bottle, but when its on it really shines. When I wore this I got so many compliments on the colour, and it really is like nothing else out there. Its a lovely matte deep blue.

Warm Grey

This is another colour that looked quite bland in the bottle, but again, once it was on, people really started to notice it. Its lighter than my favourite Mavala shade 'Elle' but has warm hues to warm up the skin a bit like the 'Ivory Beige' does. This colour reminds me of some big chunky knitwear.

I thought I'd do some autumnal nail art to go with this collection as the browns really inspired me to do somthing special. Below, I used the 'Ivory Beige' and 'Espresso' on the accent nails. For the gold glitter, I used the Mavala 'Gold Diamond' which is a lovely fine glitter, that has a soft effect. The Brown french tips were done with 'Espresso' also. For someone who stears aways from browns, I was quite happy with these and felt I had captured the golden autumnal season.