October favourites: Beauty, fashion, music

Happy first of the month!

It's favourites time yet again! October is definitely of one of my favourite months and I'm sad to see it ending, but it also signifies and brings into realisation that christmas is just around the corner (8 weeks, precisely). I have a wide array of favourite this month in all categories; beauty, fashion, music and, of course, randoms.

Starting with beauty favourites, I've been using Laura Mercier's oil free tinted moisturiser on a near enough everyday basis. I love how lightweight the product feels on the skin and yet still covers the majority of imperfections. I would class it as medium coverage with definitely the power to create fuller coverage. It's super easy to apply and helps to keep oils at bay for the whole day. Laura Mercier definitely know how to create perfect bases and this tinted moisturiser is one of my all time favourites in general.

Near enough all the rest of my beauty faves fit in the eye category. For my most used eyeshadow combo this month I have been loving applying Mac eyeshadow All That Glitters on the lid with Quarry quite heavily packed through the crease using a 217 brush. The 217 is the perfect tool for effortlessly applying colour to the crease and I can't live without it; I'm almost contemplating purchasing another. I have found myself reaching for L'Oreal's False Lash Telescopic more than my favourite American duo.  It lengthens the lashes like you would not believe and looks exceptionally amazing on the bottom lashes.

I've been wearing this Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in the shade Tokyo and I really like it. The colour is a gorgeous rose pink and looks super pretty on. My only criticism is that, as they are so creamy, they don't have the best staying power and I find myself reapplying every hour or so. Annoying, but the colour is great.

- Urban Outfitters ecote motocross drape jacket, £68
- Zara checked shirt with contrasting collar, £25.99
- American Apparel corduroy circle skirt, £44
- Miss Selfridge gold trim faux leather biker jacket, £52
- American Apparel disco pants, £74

Autumn fashion basically involves layers. Now that we are transitioning into winter however I've been wearing tights with pretty much every outfit - yes, even with jeans. I get that cold. I love wearing tights with high waisted skirts, especially the American Apparel circle skirts (my favourites are burgundy and navy blue) - they come in very autumnal appropriate colours and go with almost anything. Collared shirts, in particular, look so cute tucked into skirts and very put together. This one by Zara, a tartan inspired checked shirt with contrasting white collar, is my absolute favourite. It can be simply dressed down by pairing it with dark skinny jeans or dressed up by adding leather shorts, black heels and statement jewellery.

Another go-to piece for autumn/winter has to be disco pants. For the best quality and colour range check out American Apparel (loving the cranberry colour)! Jackets are also a autumn into winter staple - not as warm as a fully lined coat, but still something for the cold weather. I love this Urban Outfitters ecote motocross drape jacket, it just looks amazing. For more warmth, faux leather jackets are a must. Pictured is a gorgeous biker jacket by Miss Selfridge which will go with almost every outfit and looks super stylish.

Music favourites!

I have been loving Miley Cyrus' album Bangerz which came out at the start of the month and especially the songs Maybe Your Right and Adore You. She has certainly received a negative reputation over the past few weeks, namely for her two recent music videos (you know the ones), but nevertheless the songs on her album are really well produced and executed. Definitely check my two favourites out, even if you're not particularly a fan of her. Haim's The Wire has been on repeat for this month. It's way too catchy and will get in your head and stay there for the whole day. I still love it regardless!

One of my closest friends has an obsession with the band Fall Out Boy. I never understood their obsession and wasn't a fan of their rock-esque music. Now after listening to their new album Save Rock and Roll I've completely my opinion. My favourite songs on the album are Young Volancoes and Just One Yesterday. Check out the full album here! Now it cannot be a proper music favourites without a One Direction song. Just yesterday they released Story Of My Life on iTunes and I have already played it over ten times. I'm so excited for their new album out at the end of November - hurry up!

Ok. I'll be honest. My "random" favourites this month hands down beat my fashion, beauty AND music favourites. And the collage above possibly is one of the most bizzare and unusual group of photos ever.

The first picture is of the cast of my new favourite show The Walking Dead. Quick synopsis: a group of Americans try to survive by killing zombies. Now I personally am not a fan of gore, and yes they didn't rate the show an 18 (or R in America) for no reason, but I thoroughly recommend watching an episode or two. I watched series 1, 2 and 3 in around two weeks, and now that season four has just started, I'm hooked again. I love the storyline, the characters are amazing with a good amount of British actors - Rick, the lead character, was in Love Actually, and it's so gripping. Definitely start from the first series though and I promise you'll be hooked in no time. Season four is on every Friday at 10pm on Fox.

Next is a book, The Fault In Our Stars, that I haven't been able to put down since I started reading it. I have yet to finish, but I am nearing the end, but I still think it deserves a mention in my favourites post. John Green, the author, perfectly depicts the life of a young girl suffering from cancer with heart and emotion yet with small doses of static humour and, of course, a beautiful love story intertwined. I've already cried, laughed and smiled like an absolute idiot at the pages, and I highly suggest you give it a read.

If you don't know who the boy in the third picture is then what is your life. I'm kidding, but still, Luke Friend from the current series of The X Factor is, in my opinion, the best contestant who I sincerely hope will win. He's so unique and has such an amazing voice. I'm no Simon Cowell, but it's a "yes" from me :P

Another favourites post complete, another month finished! I'm not particularly looking forward to November, but at least it means that December is getting closer. And we all love December, adios x x x

Current Beauty Favourites

I have discovered some amazing products recently that I have been using religiously. It's too late in the month to call them August favourites so I'll just call them my current beauty favourites. I recommend everything :)

theBalm Mary Lou Manizer
I've been really into highlighters at the moment and this is probably the most talked about and I can see why. It's a beautiful golden-champagne shade that is super shimmery. And very pigmented. A little goes a long way but it's so lovely. I've also been loving this as an inner corner highlight on my eyes and on the cupids bow. Just saying.

My everyday MAC eyeshadow quad
I've created the perfect quad here people. It contains Shroom, another great inner corner highlight, All That Glitters, shimmery peach champagne perfectness, Quarry, a muted purple crease colour and Charcoal Brown, for smudging eyeliner out and for them brows.

Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer
I finished up my Maybelline The Eraser and instead of repurchasing I opted for this and I love it. It's great for under the eyes as it has a reflective, anti-fatigue finish. Definitely not for use on blemishes as it will enhance them, but for dark circles under the eyes, it's a gem.

Covergirl Last Blast Volume mascara in very black
When will the UK start stocking Covergirl?! This mascara provides volume (finally, a product that lives up to its name) and crazy length and thickness and just everything you would want in a mascara. When it runs out I will book a flight to America. No joke.

Milani Baked Blush in luminoso
Another USA only product that I'm in love. This one probably won't run out as fast as the mascara but still. It's such a beautiful shade that will compliment literally anyone. Check my in depth review for swatches and stuff.

Barry M lip gloss in toffee
Ok, there are three amazing things about this lipgloss. 1) It actually smells like toffee, 2) it's under five quid and 3) it's pigmented and lasts ages. It's a nude/pink mix, just think of the lipgloss version of MAC Creme Cup lipstick.

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow Pigment in perpetual purple
I am loving the infallible eyeshadows at the moment, but my favourite has to be this dark purple with silver reflects. If you have brown eyes, it looks amazing on the lower lash line. I really hope this isn't one of their US-only shades as I know some are.

I hope you're having a great weekend!

July Beauty Favourites

Happy first of August! "July went so fast!"..."I can't believe it's August already!" 

It's safe to say the surprising British weather we've been having has shaped my monthly favourites as I've been trying my best to keep my clean clear and shine free! Here are my monthly picks.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution: Hands down the best makeup remover, for both face and eyes, I have found. It's really cheap, you can get it anywhere, is an amazing dupe for Bioderma, removes all traces of makeup and I mean everything and is really fresh and hydrating for the skin. It does run out pretty quickly though - pictured is my third bottle and I only discovered it not even a month ago. Damn.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Snow Pink: I've been using this mostly everyday either on it's on or layered on top of a lipstick (red, pink, coral, nude - they all work) and it's really lovely. It isn't sticky and lasts a decent amount of time! I also love their coral shade, Kiss Me Coral.

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream: This stuff is holy-grail material for me. It has been an absolute summer essential for me this month and hasn't let me down. Read my review for my thoughts as well as swatches etc. Basically, you need to try it.

Tarte Amazionian Clay Blush in Exposed: In the pan, it's pretty boring looking, but is so natural on the skin and just looks great. It's comparable to NARS Douceur blush. Unfortunately this isn't available in the UK so if you're next in the States, UAE etc definitely pick one of them up!

Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot: I didn't know whether to mention this or the Rimmel Stay Matte. To be honest, I've used the Rimmel one for longer yet thought Soap and Glory deserved a mention. If you want seriously looking matte skin, this is the item you need. It's super matte and is amazing at removing an oily appearance. You do need to be carefully when applying not to layer it up as it can go really cakey and noticeable.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Papaya: I wore this non stop on my holiday and despite being in the pool and sea everyday, the colour didn't come off or chip which is super impressive. All of the gelly nail paints are equally as great and are priced well.

Thank you for reading! And have a great month. Xoxo

PS. I've been really bad at posting recently! Before, I used to post on average 12 a month. Some months I'm really on track yet others I just manage one or two! This month I'm gonna be away for 3 weeks meaning I don't really have that much time to take the pictures and write the posts. Even though I could schedule them I really like checking them as I go before publishing and updating if necessary. Plus, when I get back I have to get ready for the start of college which is a massive stress, plus I have to get my results from school as I'll be away when they are officially released. So bare with my in the next two-ish months, thank you! :)

Music Picks of June

When I've found a song I've been playing non-stop I add it to the drafts version of this post then, when it comes round to actually posting, I re-discover past favourites and get re-addicted to them! That's probably why I love doing these posts. I look past at my past ones and think "damn, I hate that song now, why did I ever like it!?" Tastes change very quickly.

Anyway, here are my favourite albums and songs of the month, they're pretty good (I'll definitely think otherwise next month, but hey)...

Top: Nude Lipsticks

NYX Black Label #India, MAC #Myth, MAC #Creme D'Nude, MAC #Hue, Barry M #154, Revlon Super Lustrous #Nude Attitude 001

(A non-skincare posts I know, I know)

Nude lipsticks are my favourite and I have so many, yet I've narrowed it down to my top 6!

May Beauty Favourites

Happy June 1st! I love this day for many reasons: it's a sign that we're already half way through the year and that summer is approaching, school is nearly over (2 weeks left for me) and it's also my parents wedding anniversary! 29 years today which is so crazy! Anyway...

I only ever do monthly beauty favourites when I actually have favourite products to talk about, normally they're just the same as any other month so I rarely do them, but this month I have a lot of top picks!

Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer, Essie #Tart Deco, Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch, L'oreal True Match #W3, NYX #Sweetheart, Benefit They're Real, MAC Lip Liner #Saunter, MAC #Creme D'Nude

Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer
Best primer hands down! I've only just recently bought this and I'm already in love. Before I was using the Smashbox Photo Finish which was good as a primer but bad for my skin. It broke my out every time I used it so I stopped using primers for a while. On a whim I picked up the Laura Mercier one, in oil free, and I noticed the difference immediately. It contains no silicone which I think is what broke my out before and is so lightweight and refreshing as it's a cream product. I just love it and 100% recommend it to anyone needing a new primer or in the market to try a new one.

Essie #Tart Deco
One of my favourite summer nail polishes, it's such a nice coral colour which looks uh-may-zing with a tan! Boots normally do these on a 3 for 2 offer or something so check them out! I also love Mint Candy Apple which is a bright mint green.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer
It's the best concealer/highlighter hybrid I've tried. It doesn't crease under the eyes, it covers up dark circles and also acts as a really nice highlighter on the cheekbone. It's super cheap as well (only around £7) and lasts forever. I'm not even half way through mine and I've been using it everyday since I bought it around two months ago. I have shade 2.

L'Oreal True Match Foundation
My favourite foundation of the moment. It's a medium coverage but can be built up for a more full coverage - it's quite thin in consistency meaning it feels lightweight and doesn't cake up. It applies really nicely over the Laura Mercier foundation primer and it's what I've been using everyday - I'm already on my second bottle. They bottle doesn't last that long however but for £10 I don't mind repurchasing. I'm in the shade W3 normally but when I tan I'm a W6, even W7.

NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss #Sweetheart
I love NYX lip glosses - they come in so many shades and are not sticky. Unfortunately they don't have the best staying powder, some are better than others. This month I've been wearing Sweetheart over the top of Creme D'Nude by MAC and it looks so nice. It's a shimmery pink nude shade.

MAC Lipstick #Creme D'Nude
This has been my most used lipstick of the month. Creme D'Nude is a peachy nude shade that is very smooth and has a gloss-like appearance. It's really creamy, hence why it's a cremesheen. For a nude it's really easy to wear, probably the easiest one I have. It's one of my favourite lipsticks ever and I've been particularly using it a lot this month.

MAC Lip Liner #Saunter
I hate putting limited edition products in favourites posts but I do believe you can get this on the House of Fraser website still. It's the perfect nude lipliner which can be used as a lip pencil as it's so opaque. It does cling to fine lines and dry areas so make sure you exfoliate and add loads of lip balm before. I like using this with Myth lipstick (practically the same colour) and then adding a pink gloss over the top like Sweetheart by NYX or even a Rimmel Apocalips lip laquer.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara
I got this with a magazine as a sample and I'm in love! It's marketed as the best mascara and the UK's most popular with 10 being sold every minute or something like that, so I always thought it was fake. So when it came with my favourite magazine as a sample I thought I'd give it a go and I'm so glad I did. It lengths the lashes perfectly and makes them look false, it doesn't give much volume which is what I'm normally used to but I can deal with that as it's so good. I'm really tempted to buy the full size even though it's nearly £20 and they run out so quickly! Ugh decisions...

Anyway they're my favourites, I hope you have a great forthcoming month!

xx

Music Favourites: October

Happy first of October everyone!

The first post of every month is now going to my music favourites because, well, I want it to be.

Like last month, which you can read here, I'm just going to show you my iTunes playlist with my favourite songs all of which were on constant repeat throughout October. Perfect, isn't it?

As you can see I like many different genres: pop, country, dance just to mention the ones above.

First on the list is Beneath Your Beautiful by Labrinth feat Emeli Sandé which is definitely a surprise favourite of mine. I'm not a fan of either artists, but this collaboration and song is simply perfection - I never knew Labrinth - famed for rapping - could sing so well. 

Rascacielo by Demi Lovato is the Spanish version of her song "Skyscraper". In my opinion, it's better than the original English version and considering I know all of the words in Spanish shows how addicted I am!

Can we just all take a minute to appreciate Taylor Swift's new album, Red? I could put her whole album up there, yet I decided to go with my most-played being, funnily enough, the name of the album. Red by Taylor Swift is such a great song - it's got beautiful, relatable lyrics and her voice is as stunning as always.

I love dance music - Calvin Harris, Pendulum and, of course, Swedish House Mafia. Their previous singles "One" and "Save The World" are classics, and their new one is no exception. Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia has been on repeat ever since I first heard it - it's super catchy and just makes you want to dance, obviously! I just wish it was longer than 3 and a half minutes, thank God for the repeat button!

Lastly, we have a song that will always bring back memories for me. I first heard this song when I was in H&M (random, I know) in 5th Avenue, New York. You know when you haven't heard a song before you jot down some of the lyrics to google later, well I did that when I got home and have been addicted to it ever since. It's Better Than Her by Matisse, an artist I've never heard of but she sings the most addictive songs ever. It's so catchy, I'm listening to it as I write this now!

(source: silentradio)

Before I went to New York, I was on iTunes buying songs for the boring near enough 8 hour flight when I came across a new band. Little Comets (pictured above) are an indie-rock trio from Jarrow and Newcastle and are made up of two brothers and their best mate. I listened to their latest album, Life Is Elsewhere and instantly new I found a new favourite band of mine. Their songs are so easy to listen too which makes it so relaxing! If I had to choose a favourite song from the album it would be "W-O-E", which I have no idea what it stands for, and "Jennifer". The guitar playing in both is amazing and so distinctive, ah I just love them. Definitely check them out if you haven't - you certainly won't regret it, I promise you.

Beauty reviews back tomorrow!

Suzanna x

Music Favourites: September

*Happy October everyone!*

Instead of doing the normal monthly favourites with the best beauty, fashion, hair and skincare products, I would write about something slightly different. Music!

I've written a music-esque post way back in April which went over my favourite artists and I really enjoyed writing it. Therefore, I've decided to write "monthly music favourites" - perhaps not every month, but I'll do my best to keep them regular - where I write my top picks of the month. I'll also include links to the song (via YouTube) so you can listen to the music in all it's glory. Let's start!

This is what my top 10, most-played music list looks like on iTunes:

Ah, perfection.

The first song is Bette Davis Eyes by Brandon Flowers, a song not officially released by iTunes, but a perfect song none-the-less. It was original sung by Kim Carnes yet I definitely prefer this version. For those who didn't know, Brandon Flowers it the lead singer in The Killers, which leads onto my next favourite. Runaways by The Killers is probably my favourite purchase of the month. I first heard it several months ago, but I had to wait until September to actually buy it on iTunes. Worth the long and tedious wait, in my opinion. The rest of the album, however, is not so good.

Next is Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts. Ashamed, I first heard this song on The X Factor and instantly fell in love with it - perfect melody, perfect lyrics, perfect voices, just perfect. 

Frank Ocean is one of my favourite singer. All his songs are amazing. This month the one I've listened to the most (89 times, to be precise) was Forrest Gump. It's a controversial song as he talks about his sexuality in an intimate way, but I think it's commendable how he tackled it.

I have three songs by The Script in my top ten: Hall of Fame, If You Could See Me Now and Six Degrees of Separation, all of which are from their new album, #3. If you haven't heard the album, I would definitely recommend it. It's certainly different from their previous work which I personally like.

Another favourite purchase has been Teenage Icon by The Vaccines. The Vaccines are my favourite band and I absolutely loved their first album. Teenage Icon is the single from their new album which, thankfully, I also adore. I always hate the second studio album artists produce - perhaps because they have strict deadlines when it has to be completed which means it can be rushed. Nevertheless, the second album by The Vaccines is just as perfect as the first.

Your Song by Ewan Mcgregor is a cover of the Elton John classic and I love it. It was first showcased in the film Moulin Rouge and introduced Ewan Mcgregor at not just an incredible actor, but a really talented singer as well.

Lastly, we have Lightening by Alex Goot. You might not have heard of him. That's because he is an un-signed artist who makes videos on YouTube! On his channel he covers famous songs that are in the charts and makes them his own. His voice is incredible, and his own song Lightening is amazing. I also love his song called Pretty Eyes (if I had a number 11, it would be this)!

I hope you liked this and I highly recommend you listen to all of these tracks.

Suzanna xoxo