AUTUMN CAPSULE PIECES

The key to a good capsule wardrobe is something of an art. You have to be very selective about what you buy. Searching for alternatives are essential, and be prepared to pay a little more for quality so it will see you through the winter. I've picked some of my current favourites that haven't broken the bank, and are interchangeable with last year's winter wardrobe. 

You can't go wrong with a pair of leather (or pleather in my case) for the winter. They are perfect paired with a crisp white shirt for the working week or dressed up with a black velvet body and a pair of heels for a night out. The thing I love about these is that they are at a flattering ankle-biter length, which means they can be paired with a flat loafer, mule or add a heel and they still look incredibly classy. Whether you can afford leather or not, they evoke city-chic and ooze sexiness whilst not being too OTT. 

I have a few bobble hats in my collection now, but since going blonder in the late summer, I spied this sandy coloured knit and fell in love. I adore the fluffy bobble and like the way it compliments a blonder hair tone. It has a more relaxed fit than the Burgundy and Charcoal hats I have from last year, so it's great dressed up or down for that matter. You can't go wrong with a bobble hat!

Trousers - ASOS £32

Blouse - Zara £25.99
Candle - John Lewis £9

Bobble Hat - Zara £9.99

NYX Liquid Suede - Cherry Skies - £6.50

Corduroy Pinafore - Topshop

This Zara blouse encapsulates two AW16 trends, dusty pink and ruffles. The smock across the front and ruffled neck gives a Victoriana feel, which some people may find ageing, but personally I like experimenting with different looks from different eras, and I like to style my hair and makeup accordingly. This blouse is incredibly classy, elegant and high fashion. I like to wear it paired with a head of soft, tousled curls and a natural lip. Dainty touches such as the burgundy ribbon juxtapose the sexier, leather-look trousers above. 

I love this corduroy dress, in fact I love wearing corduroy. I think the feel of it reminds me of something I owned as a child! This pinafore is perfect for an autumnal evening, worn with thick tights, stood by a bonfire sipping mulled wine, with a dark mysterious lip colour...It's figuring hugging silhouette is flattering when worn under a large trench or camel coat. I enjoy wearing it with a black or grey polo neck underneck for extra warmth. Sometimes I even throw on my wellies and Barbour after a long day and go for a dog walk in it!

Nyx lip products are becoming a cult nowadays, and I know I am relatively late to the bandwagon. However, they still deserve a mention. Stumbling across Nyx in Selfridges I knew they must be worth a swatch...I was on the hunt for a dark, berry toned lip product as it's that time of the year to update my lip colour collection. I came across this deep cherry colour, which completely caught my eye, even after swatching the majority of the reds in the collection. It applies beuatifully and has a long lasting finish, there are only a few downsides 1. being that it dries to abotu 80% and leaves some tackiness. 2. it fades to a bluey-pink tone, more hot pink than deep red, so just be wary if you don't reapply. Other than that, this is a fabulous low-end affordable product which is bound to see me through the winter. 

I adore it when I find a few pieces that are match really well, I know I will get lots of wear out of them whilst staying right on trend, so I hope this inspires your own autumnal purchases. 

6 CULT CLASSIC BEAUTY PRODUCTS

The beauty market is full of so many products; new launches, classics, top end to budget...there is just so much to choose from. It is indeed a very saturated place and it can be very confusing when you want to create a natural look but get good value for money. I admit to being a fairly cautious person when it comes to new products as I do have my favourites, and I know how valuable a good blogger review can be. I do understand that paying a little more for your makeup can really be worth it, not just in usability but the finish can be a lot more effective and professional than budget products. 

 So I thought I would write a simple list of six of my 'desert island' cult products, the ones that I cannot live without, that I use day in day out, that take me from work to evening date, which acheive that beautiful model off duty look, which I love the most. 

1. YSL Touche Eclat le Teint foundation (£32)

This is an absolute winner for me, the consistency is perfect for acheiving a dewy look whilst not getting too shiny. It is best used with a primer to ensure that you get an even coverage. I apply it using the real techniques buffing brush (linked to a starter kit) which allows you to really work the product into your skin to get it looking flawless...'my skin but better'. As with most YSL makeup, you can tell by the texture that it is packed with all the best skin products -tightening, moisturising and brightening to compliment the lovely even coverage. It has a light to medium coverage which is buildable, and the available shades are the perfect balance between adding colour to your skin whilst not being yellowy. 

If you are thinking of buying this product, I'd recommend getting a consultation to match with your skin colour. I find with YSL foundations they just sink into the skin, so this can be a matter of seconds. It's an essential step to getting that perfected look, and it really does help to make you look polished. There's nothing worse than a bright orange tide line! 

2. YSL Touche Eclat (£19.95)

A classic, award winning product, I see this as the touche de teint's best friend, they just work perfectly together. Best used after foundation application on the dark circles around the eyes, down the edges of the mouth, above the eyebrows, on the cheek and brow bones. This has light reflecting particles which instantly gives you that look of having had a great night's sleep! You can really notice this in photographs, it feels as though you are using a professional product. It's a clear winner for me, because as soon as I run out, I know I have to buy another. Nothing compares to touche eclat, and I couldn't recommend it more. 

I'd recommend getting one shade lighter than your foundation, as this gives the illusion of youth, health and energy! 

3. Benefit Hoola Bronzer (£23.50)

This bronzer is a cult classic again, it's perfect for contouring and bronzing all year round as it is completely matte. It is a good mix of ashy and warm, which is why it is so versatile. There is only one shade of hoola but it works perfectly even when I am at my most fair. It's incredibly pigmented, it can last me around 8 months!

The one pitfall of hoola is the packaging, despite coming with the perfect mini brush for contouring, the packaging is cardboard which tends to get a bit dog-eared in my makeup bag after a while. It also catches all the excess product and ends up looking a little dirty. However this doesn't detract from how great an all rounder this is. 

4. Sleek Solstice Highlighting palette (£9.95)

I had been previously lusting over the Anastasia Beverly Hills highlighting palettes, but as they are very often sold out I managed to hunt down this dupe from Sleek in superdrug. It is an absolute steal at only £12 but also gives a very professional highlight. I tend to sweep my brush across the bottom two shades, saving the top pink creme product for my brow and cheek bones. This with the YSL touche eclat are the perfect combination. The Solstice palette is so ridiculously pigmented for a high-street product, I couldn't recommend it more for those who want that pro look on a budget. 

5. Benefit Precisely My Brow (£16.65)

Having stuck religiously to a MAC oldie, I recently had a brow consultation at Benefit where I was introduced to Precisely My Brow....and Oh my, was I converted. Benefit has recently invested heavily in revamping their brow range and it has trumped my expectations. It has everything I want in a brow product, a spoolie and a gentle twist pencil which has a powdery, blendable consistency. It makes getting that strong brow so acheivable and easy. I have to admit I was afraid of getting that stenciled on look, but I think this is counterbalanced by the range of colours this pencil is available in, you will most definintely get a very good match. I think there's around 15 colours. The packaging is beautiful in a sort of potion style silver wand, I really enjoy using it and with the lids on either end it's perfect for chucking in your handbag for touch-ups throughout the day. So those of you who want to embrace the brow, definitely pick up one of these. 

6. OPI Dolce de Leche nail polish (£9.50)

I know lots of bloggers use this as it is the perfect nude. There's not a lot to say about it other than that, if you need a go-to shade then this is perfect. I tend to stick to nudes or a bold red, but this is such a sophisticated colour it looks little more grown up. Any OPI product speaks for itself as being the industry leader, so the benefit of paying a little more is knowing that it won't go claggy, sticky or streaky. Definitely worth the money in my opinion. 

So there's my favourite beauty cult classics. I've written a lot more than I anticipated...! I clearly love beauty a lot!

Sophie x

GET THE GLOW

If you've been looking for that natural glow and you've not tried a coffee body scrub yet, you must! This I have to say is a revolutionary product in beauty. The scrub overcomes the fineness of sand or microbead scrubs as coffee is naturally more coarse and consists of larger particles, which can really work away at dead skin cells. 

This body scrub from Frank Body has been a big hit across the beauty world this year. Made in Australia from natural ingredients so it's really gentle on your skin, other than the scrubbing, it doesn't irritate skin and can even improve conditions such as eczema. The original scrub contains lots of gorgeous natural ingredients, including coffee, almond oil, orange, sea salt and bamboo. You can read the full list of ingredients here. Derived from Robusta beans, any coffee connoisseurr will know that it's a very luxurious and rich blend of coffee. The products contain no parabens, sulphates or any of the nasties. A

Frank body scrubs come in Original, Peppermint, Coconut and Cacao bases. You can shop the range here. Each scrub is around £12-£14. The body balm is £20.

Frank body scrub is particularly effective to use before tanning, especially if combined with the Body Balm. When using it really feels as though it's work, as the caffeine is released from the coffee onto your skin, giving it a lift, removing any dullness and making it super soft. I even use it on my face once a week. The Body balm is smells of orange oil and has a silky and buttery consistency. It's not oily at all as it sink into the skin rapidly. It's perfect for moisturising naturally dry areas after exfoliating, before fake tanning, such as knees and elbows. It also works really well as a moisturiser, if you like a dewy and glowy look. 

The scrub particles are quite large but they really work, much better than any other exfoliator, so you can throw those awful gloves away! I have about a quarter of a packet left, and I have been using this for 4 months, so you only need a tiny bit each time. This scrub can get quite messy, so it's probably best to rub it into your skin in the shower and then rinse off afterwards. You can see the coffee dissolves slightly in the water, but the product does not stain. Overall, I think Frank is an excellent brand and the scrub is perfect for when you need that little lift. 

What are your thoughts, have you tried it yet?

Sophie x

QUINTESSENTIAL COLOGNES AND MY LESSON IN PERFUME

If you haven't discovered a Jo Malone London stand in your nearest department store, it is absolutely wonderful, in my opinion a bit of a revolution when it comes to fragrance. The whole experience of the brand is very holistic, with the classic bottles and simple yet elegant packaging, and the luxurious spa-like pampering facilities.

 The plethora of products available are beautiful, with scents ranging from citrus to woody notes. Each cologne have a unique combination of fresh ingredients, some which will completely surprise you, and produce the most light yet luxurious scents for both men and women. The signature scent of the Jo Malone franchise is Lime, Basil and Mandarin. This was a gift for my birthday, featured in the picture at 100ml. The scent speaks for itself, it has a citrus zing accompanied with a richer, powdery undertone. 

I once visited a parfumerie named Fragonard in a village named Grasse. Fragonard, is Situated on top of a mountain, the village smelt of french Lavender. We were taught about how different fragrances sink into the skin and may smell different on each individual person. The creators of the perfumes at Fragonard explained how perfume or colognes must also be worn on the main points of blood flow to the surface of the skin, which includes the underside of the wrists and neck. When I sampled Jo Malone, I likened it to that experience; the knowledge of staff was second to none, with each fragrance having a story. There is even fragrance named Lavender and Amber, using french Lavender. Needless to say, Jo Malone London really do know their eau de toilette to their ouds!

The colognes can be layered to create a different scent, I experienced this through having a complimentary hand and arm massage, I chose English pear and freesia layered with earl grey and cucumber. The perfect pick me up leaving my skin feeling wonderfully soft, moisturised and rejuvenated. They use a combination of their body washes, scrubs and cremes to create the desired scent. So, if you're next in John Lewis or Selfridges make sure to pop by and sample something from their range, they often feature limited edition products too! Prices for colognes are either £43 for 30ml or £85 for 100ml. 

Featured colognes: Left: Wood Sage and Sea Salt (30ml @ £43)
Right: Lime Basil and Mandarin (100ml @ £85)