Autumn Tag

Photo Credit: Taufik Hidayat

Thankyou to Karis for tagging me to do the 'Autumn Tag', I love Autumn,so this is a great tag for me.
 1. Coffee - What's your favourite seasonal drink from Starbucks or any other coffee shop? I don't drink coffee, but I love the Costa White Hot Chocolate, I'm so boring when it comes to hot drinks, but I'll drink any hot chocolate.

 2. Accessories - What do you opt for, scarf, boots or gloves?

I love my autumn boots, I have 3 or 4 pairs now and I'm definitely buying more! I'm dying to get my hands on a tartan scarf, but I never really wear gloves as they annoy me too much.

3. Music - What's your favourite music to listen to during Autumn?

I listen to whatever I want really, my music taste doesn't change with the seasons! At the moment I love Alt-J, Ben Howard, Of Monsters and Men and Two Door Cinema Club.

4. Perfume - What's your favourite scent for this time of year?

I'm currently wearing Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream, but I really want something new as this is too summery for this time of year, any recommendations?

5. Candles - What scents will you be burning this season?

My favourite autumn candle is definitely Yankee Candle Cranberry Ice, but I've just run out, so I'm also loving their Black Plum Blossom and Fireside Treats. I also really like Kringle Candle Peppermint Twist.

6. What do you love best about Autumn?

I just love how everything looks, red and orange leaves look so pretty! I love having open fires, and curling up with a hot chocolate. Baggy jumpers and onesies are my life in autumn too, I think I have 10 onesies now.

7. Favourite make up look?

My favourite autumn makeup is definitely gold eyes and dark lips. I cannot get enough of it at all, actually any makeup with dark lips is perfect for autumn. My natural looks go out of the window in autumn, and the dark lipsticks are dragged out and worn basically everyday.

8. What are you looking forward to the most in the Autumn?

I don't have anything to particularly look forward to, but getting the horses out in the autumn is always fun and I love riding through the woods, even though this usually means there are more trees down which is bad if your horse doesn't jump very well!

I now tag these gorgeous accounts to do the autumn tag:

ETC Gabrielle 

The OMG Diaries

Roses & Lipsticks

Floral Chaos

Blonde of Carbs

Link your Autumn posts below!

Lush Haulin'

A few weeks ago, I took a trip to Lush for their Halloween and Christmas preview, which obviously means that I had to buy some products. I was restricted with the amount I could spend unfortunately, but then again if I wasn't I would've probably bought the whole shop. 

I picked up:

Snow Fairy Shower Gel*

Snowman Shower Jelly*

Snow Fairy Massage Bar*

Lush Luxury Pud*

Wizard Bubble Bar

Dashing Santa Bath Bomb

Butterbear Bath Bomb

Sakura Bath Bomb 

I obviously had to pick up Snow Fairy Shower Gel*, everyones raves about it and I've never used it before, so it was a must-have for me, I agree with everyone it smells like heaven in a bottle. I love the Snow Fairy Massage Bar* too, it smells exactly the same! 

The Lush Luxury Pud* was another item I was dying to get, I couldn't get my hands on it last year, and this year it's pink, what more could I want? As soon as I saw the Butterbear bath bomb, I knew I had to buy it! It's so cute, and it's got a gorgeous vanilla scent infused with cocoa butter too. I was shown the Dashing Santa bath bomb at the preview and I really liked the colours it produced in the bath, and how the gold boots made gold swirl through the red! Sakura isn't part of the Christmas range, but I really liked the look of it, so I guess it kinda fell into my basket, oops!

Wizard was like love at first sight. I already own the sister versions in the form of Candy Mountain and The Christmas Penguin, so I knew that completing the collection with this little fella from the Halloween collection was essential. Plus he smells pretty good too, like all Lush products obviously.

The Snowman Shower Jelly* is so cute and smells amazing, I just had to pick it up because of the shape and my love for the Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly. I must admit, they're not the easier things in the world to use, but they're pretty cool once you get the hang of them.

Who else has been Lush Haulin' lately? 

*PR Sample for review

Wake Me Up Concealer

Ever since I picked up this concealer a few months ago, I've been wondering what I could ever use before it?! I actually bought this concealer to cover up something naughty on my neck, oops! But they'd run out of the forever raved about Collection concealer, and I needed something quick so I picked this one up, and I was not disappointed. 

This concealer actually covers dark circles, or other dark areas, blemishes and spots without feeling or looking cakey at all. I find this concealer has highlighting properties too, which is great for making my skin look healthy and glowing, but it can also be matted down instantly with a powder, achieving a flawless finish. The wear time of this concealer is great, it lasts all day without creasing at all, if I've had an oily skin day I may need to touch up once, but it all depends on how long I'm out for, but this concealer definitely lasts 8 hours or more.

I really like the packaging of this product too, it's a lot different to the Collection one which I found leaked a lot and the writing rubbed off instantly, whereas this product keeps it's writing and has hard standing packaging meaning no makeup bags leakages and no having to spend about an hour cleaning everything!

The brush applicator is really good too, it seems to pick up the right amount of product and applies to the skin nicely, ready for blending and setting. It's a soft brush so doesn't feel harsh and it doesn't drag along the skin, which is something I hate about any makeup applicators.

The only downside to this product is I'm not 100% on the shade I have, which is Ivory. Ivory is such a horrible shade on me, which is why I think I hate most foundations and concealers, it is too orange for my skin tone. It would be amazing if they did a lighter shade of this concealer, then it would be absolutely perfect for me.

Ami xo

Maybelline Colour Tattoos

After the past few weeks of being in a massive rush to do my makeup and get out of the door on time for college, these Maybelline Colour Tattoos have become absolute lifesavers. They're so creamy but also easy to apply and a quick sweep across the eyelid takes no time at all. I have three Maybelline Colour Tattoos, soon to be more obviously, I have; Barely Branded, Inked in Pink and On and On Bronze.

You're probably thinking why's the packaging different, but I got two of these from a friend in America, Barely Branded and Inked in Pink, which makes me sad because America always gets better shades than the UK, but I'm so glad I've got these two as they're so natural. I love the packaging of these, and the size too, they're quite small so they slip into a makeup bag easily and don't take up any room really.

On and On Bronze is a gorgeous copper brown shade, which is a statement for me this autumn. I cannot get enough of this and have been wearing it pretty much everyday, it's so easy to make this look like you've spent so much time on a makeup look, they blend into the eyelid so easily and this is a perfect colour for this season. 

Inked in Pink, is a lovely shimmery pink shade which I'd never normally wear, pink is just not my colour, but this really works for me. I love to wear this all across the lid, with an inner corner highlight and sometimes use a light brown running through the crease to darken it up a bit.

Barely Branded is a champagne gold shade, which is so natural and wearable. I wore this for about a month straight in the summer, when I had to rush to work. It's so pretty across the lid, but it also really works as a golden highlight across the brow and cheekbones.

T-B
Inked in Pink
Barely Branded
On and On Bronze

As you can see, the pigmentation is amazing, and this really doesn't fade throughout the day. It stays in place for at least 8 hours, as I've never had to reapply. I have oily eyelids and these stay intact without using primer at all, which is something I really struggle with. I apply these with my fingers, using brushes would be such a nightmare, and they apply evenly, no creases and just look gorgeous for such a quick and simple application.

What's your favourite Colour Tattoo shade? I'm dying to get more!

Ami xo

Naked Basics 2

This is the first new release I've actually bought on time, I'm always so late at buying things. When I saw this palette was going to be on Cohorted.co.uk about a week before the actual release date I knew that I just had to buy it. I'd been dying to try an Urban Decay Naked palette for ages and I just knew it was finally time to splash the cash and buy it. As it was on Cohorted, this also means I got it discounted, so I ended up paying £15.40 for this palette, which is such a steal!

It's taken ages to write this blogpost but I really wanted to try it out before I posted anything. I wasn't disappointed with this palette at all. It's truly amazing. The shade range is perfect for me, it's full of cooler toned shades which suit my skin so much. From using the palette for a few weeks, I've found the shadows are so pigmented and apply really nicely, and they're easy to blend and have pretty much no fallout at all.

The packaging of this palette is simple and sleek, which I love. I also like the size of the palette, it's small which makes it easy to slip into my makeup bag and not even notice it's there, which is great as I insist on taking all the makeup I'm wearing with me everywhere incase of emergencies. It's better to be safe than sorry I guess. The clip on the palette is amazing too, you're probably thinking what the hell, but the amount of palettes I've bought that the clip is awful and breaks instantly usually leading to eyeshadow everywhere is unbelievable. I have no worries about this palette breaking anytime soon.

T-B
SKIMP
STARK
FRISK
COVER
PRIMAL
UNDONE

As you can see from the swatches, they're very pigmented and apply evenly. (Undone looks like it doesn't, but that's my awful swatching skills oops). After using the palette, my favourite combinations have been; Skimp on the browbone and in the inner corner, it is literally the most amazing highlight, Stark as a base or all across the lid and Primal or Cover in the crease. I used Frisk as an eyeshadow colour for a few days, but it's slightly too dark for me, but it could work for someone with slightly darker hair. I'm yet to use Undone properly, but I think it'll be another crease colour, for more evening style makeup, or as a definer along the upper and lower lashes. 

This palette is well worth the money, I'd recommend you pick it up if you get the chance!

Do you prefer the Naked Basics or Naked Basics 2?

Ami xo

Autumnal Lipsticks

Now that it's October, it's officially autumn which means I can whack out the dark lipsticks, even though I've been wearing them since September, but oh well that doesn't matter. It's officially okay to wear them now, like there's no written laws but I always get weird looks if I wear one of these in the summer.

I thought I'd show you my top 5 picks for autumn, I've been loving all these a lot lately. First off is Kate Moss by Rimmel 05, this shade is a gorgeous dark rose pink shade, it's a great one for everyday wear or if you're not confident to wear a darker shade. It adds a nice amount of colour to the lips but isn't to in your face, this is my natural autumn shade. Next up is MAC Diva, this is my all time favourite autumn shade, I have been wearing this constantly, it's a deep burgundy colour and it's matte, what more could I want, it's perfect for me. Revlon's Plum is next, which is actually a dupe for MAC Diva, except it's not matte, it's a glossy cremesheen type  finish, so if matte lipsticks aren't you're thing, I'd definitely pick this one up. Fourth on my list is MAC Rebel, this lipstick looks so scary in the bullet, but when applied it is a gorgeous bright purple that is so wearable, the only thing that would make me love this lipstick more is if it was matte, but that's just me. Last on the list is Rimmel Apocalips in the shade Big Bang, I was very late on picking up these products, but I wasn't disappointed, the colour payoff is amazing and I don't find them sticky at all, they apply creamy and set onto the lips very quickly.

T-B

Apocalips Big Bang

MAC Rebel

Revlon Plum

MAC Diva

Kate Moss by Rimmel 05

What's your favourite Autumn shade?

Ami xo

Kiko Luxurious Collection

I was browsing the Kiko website the other day, as I'd never tried any Kiko products and was really intruiged to see what was on offer! I stumbled upon a new limited edition collection, I couldn't have fallen in love quicker. Firstly, the packaging, it's gold and it looks so high end, but the most expensive product is actually £18, so it's not the cheapest but I'll say I've seen a lot more expensive products than that. I think I'm just generally attracted to anything gold anyway, so this collection was like a kid in a candy shop for me.

This is the Kiko Luxurious Collection, and again it really does look luxurious. It consists of a few products; Precious Illuminating Bronzer, Luxurious Face Brush, Magnificent Highlighter, Sumptuous Kajal, Supreme Eyeshadow, and Divine Reflections Volume Mascara.

My favourite products are definitely the supreme eyeshadows. I'm completely obsessed with cream eyeshadows at the moment, and I can totally justify paying £11 for each shade, because they're gorgeous shades and perfect for all year round.

All these products really remind me of YSL products, especially the highlighter! Maybe a dupe for Touche Eclat? 

 I'm not sure if I'll pick up anything else from the collection other than the eyeshadows but that's only because my bank will scream at me, I'm eyeing up the bronzer and the highlighter but I'll keep you posted on what I actually purchase, if my bank account lets me.

Ami xo

Benefit They're Real Mascara

This mascara is a massive marmite product. You either love it or you hate it, and it's so true. I have seen so many bloggers love this product, and so many bloggers hate it, it only works for some people. Luckily I love this product, it works so well for me and makes my lashes so long and not clumpy at all. Benefit is a brand that I never really buy from, lots of their products appeal to me, but I can find drugstore alternatives a lot cheaper so I just can't justify spending that amount of money. After buying this, I've learnt that Benefit products are so worth it and I will be buying so much more, starting with the Lemon Aid Eye Primer.

I originally tried this mascara for the first time when it came as a sample with ELLE magazine, yes I admit it the mascara was the only reason I bought the magazine, but it was so worth it, getting a mascara for £4 instead of like £8 or something outrageous for a sample was a pretty good bargain to me. Ever since I tried it I've been meaning to pick it up again, but I have so many other good alternatives that are a lot cheaper, so I put it off for ages. About a month ago, I finally decided to buy it again, and I'm really glad I did, yes it's a lot of money for a mascara, but I use it everyday and it just lengthens my lashes so much. Mascara is the one product I can't live without, I find it makes me look more awake and bright.

The brush is one of my favourite things about this mascara. I love plastic brushes, I get on with them so well, until I poke myself in the eye and curse about why I ever decided to use a plastic brushed mascara, but it's all worth it in the end. The spikes on the end are so good for getting corner and bottom eyelashes. I also think the packaging on this mascara is really sleek and simple, I hate busy packaging, I'd much rather have a simple, classy looking product.

Benefit They're Real Applied (One Coat)

As you can see, this mascara seperates my eyelashes so well, and makes them so much longer, which is all I really want in a mascara.

Ami xo

Bloggers Secret Santa #1

A few days ago, we were discussing Secret Santa at college, yes it may be October but Christmas is so close in my mind and I have to plan everything early or I don't get any presents and everyone hates me. Anyway, last year I saw a few bloggers did a Secret Santa, and this is something that I really wanted to be a part of, so I've decided to plan my own! 

I'm not 100% with all the details yet, but I had a few ideas, so there will be certain price limits, and you can choose how much you'd like to spend and I'll match you to someone of the same price limit, so it's all fair! The person who gets you as their match will get a few details about you, and your blog link, so they can read your blog and decide what to get you! There are no rules really, except you can't tell the person that you have that you have them, because that ruins the fun, and also you obviously have to send the gift because I will be tracking who's received and who hasn't! 

This will be open internationally, but you can opt out of being picked internationally if you so wish, it all depends on how much you're willing to spend. I just thought this would be a great idea to bring some bloggers closer, and make some new friends in a fun way!

If you'd like to be a part of this project, please email me on theperksofbeingami@gmail.com

Also, comment your email below, incase my emails play up, as they do sometimes, annoying I know.

I hope you're interested in taking part, please spread the word too!

Ami xo

Bring on the Cold

Left to Right:
Suede Biker Jacket
Monochrome Blazer
Denim Jacket 
Suede Shearling Jacket
Monochrome Checked Blazer 
Black and White Bomber 

Over the past few days, the weather has completely changed and Autumn is finally here!! This also made me realise that I don't actually have any jackets, at all, like I own a coat and some jumpers, but I don't really own anything else. This obviously led me to going online and adding everything I want to my basket on Missguided, which added up to £350.. Why am I broke?!

If you didn't know, Missguided are completely on point this season with their clothing, they usually are, but at the moment I could literally buy everything off the website. I decided to show you a few of my favourite jackets/outer layers that I picked out, and hope someone might take the hint and buy me one, I'm joking of course!!

At the moment, I'm loving anything with fur, suede or anything monochrome. I always love anything monochrome, but suede and shearling/fur are things that I really associate with autumn and winter, so all these jackets really stood out to me in their own way. My favourites are definitely the Suede Shearling Jacket and the Suede Biker Jacket, which unfortunately is out of stock in this gorgeous taupe colour, but after seeing the burgundy one on a few people, I've definitely been eyeing that one up too.

This is just the start of my forever growing wish list from Missguided, anyone else have this problem?

Ami xo

Lush Halloween and Christmas Collection 2014

First of all, I'm going to apologise for my serious lack of blogging, but over the past two weeks my life went a bit wrong, I was trialing for my county rugby team and suddenly my knee started to swell really fast and then I went down on it after a tackle and couldn't walk. I went to A&E and they were useless, but after various doctors appointments and scans, we've come to the conclusion I've torn my ACL, with a final scan due on Saturday to make sure. This has turned my life upside down a bit, with the thought of surgery and not being able to play sport for at least 6 months, I'm a bit of a mess, but oh well! Anyway onto the real content of this post...

Last Thursday, I was invited to attend the Lush Portsmouth Halloween and Christmas Preview, I couldn't have been more excited when I heard there would be a massive 37 new products for Christmas?! 37 I repeat! Those little Lush elves have been busy.

The Halloween Collection, plus a few other items, but these were my favourites! The Wizard bubble bar, exactly like their Christmas Penguin and Candy Mountain, which are two of my personal favourites so I obviously fell in love with this little guy! The pumpkin is so so sparkly too, who doesn't love sparkles?!

There was so many products to take photos of, I didn't know what to start with!  There was the return of some old favourites, like Snow Fairy, which I'd never actually smelt before, I know I'm such a let down, but Snow Fairy definitely didn't let me down, it smells like heaven. This was joined by the Magic Wand, Shoot for the Stars and Golden Wonder, to name a few personal favourites!

After we'd had the chance to smell everything, take photos and eat lots of cake, we had the chance to make our own Comforter Bubble Bar. It was so amazing to be able to make one, unfortunately I didn't get a photo of them, but they're huge! My room now smells like a Lush shop, I'm winning in life.

Personally, I think this little bear, named Butterbear, is one of the best products and I predict it to be a bestseller. It's got two of my favourite things in it; vanilla and cocoa butter, so it's nourishing for dry winter skin. It smells amazing and it just looks so cute, and for a cheap price of £1.95, it's definitely a bargain. 

This was the amazing choice of cakes we got, I had a cherry one, but I wish I could've tried them all! They were delicious, they were made by a local bakery but I didn't quite catch the name of it, but I'll be on the hunt for it as I need to go there.

I had such a fun evening, and obviously made a few cheeky purchases to go with my goody bag, which will be up on my blog soon, but anyway, who wouldn't have fun being let loose in a Lush shop? I can't wait to buy more of the Christmas and Halloween range.

P.S The shower gels all smell amazing.

Ami xo