The Autumn Tag

Yes, I did drink that hot chocolate afterwards.

Now that it's October and officially autumn, I thought I would join in the tagging craze with my very own mash-up of last year's I Heart Fall Tag and the Autumn Tag that's been the doing the rounds this month (because someone had to be awkward). Make yourself a cuppa and get ready to hear me talk nude nails, hot chocolate and hocus pocus... 

1. Favourite thing about autumn?

Without a doubt layering up - I'm literally at my happiest when wrapped up in scarf and coat, jumper and skinny jeans, with my feet thrust firmly into my (Primark replica) uggs. My go-to autumn coat style is always duffle - I have a few from Select (in black/grey and navy/cream) that I really love and go back for every year due to the cosy designs and affordable price tag; when you spend all your pennies on skincare and makeup the clothing budget definitely suffers, but these have seen me through several winters frostbite free so so far, so good. Another reason I look forward to autumn is change - which might sound obvious but allow me to elaborate. My birthday is 3rd September, which always marked the start of the autumn term and signified 'new things'. So while I haven't been in education for many a year now, I still love that 'back to school' feeling and tend to change my routines up at this time of year in honour of the shift in season - be it my skincare, travel or exercise arrangements, it feels good to mix things up and keep it fresh.

2. Favourite autumn hot drink?

As a serial lover of hot drinks this is a tough one - alone amongst my siblings, I started drinking tea in primary school (albeit with copious amounts of milk and sugar) and also had a serious childhood penchant for chocolate milk. At 25 I still love a good daily English Breakfast (as well as the odd peppermint brew thrown in when I'm feeling slightly more saintly). Rambling aside, one of my favourites things to do when the weather gets chilly is meet up with friends for a good natter over coffee, and my favourite autumn treat has to be Cafe Nero's speciality Caramelatte, made with steamed vanilla milk, syrup and whipped cream. Served with an oatmeal & raisin cookie this = perfection and is hefty enough to count as an entire meal/energy-giver for when you're out and about running errands/doing some serious shopping. I also love a good praline mocha once the festive drinks hit shops, and absolutely rinse the hot chocolate in the evenings when it gets cold; I'm not fussy about brand but will drink anything as long it's warm and sugary (it goes without saying that this is also the time of year that I start hitting the gym with a vengeance).

3. Favourite autumn lip product?

I love nude lips for autumn and - no surprises here - my favourite for this is Mac's lustre lipstick in Hug Me; just the perfect pinky/beige nude for my skintone that isn't too pale and gives a lovely groomed, polish look to my makeup, no matter how much I've got on. It also smells really nice - like vanilla - and feels so soft and hydrating on the lips. I love lustre finishes at they're so easy to apply on to the go and aren't too in your face for a bold-lip-a-phobe like me. Predictably, I'm also partial to berry/plum shades during autumn, but since I'm not very adventurous with lipstick (preferring to play up my eyes) my favourite for this is Burts Bees tinted lipbalm in Red Dahlia, which sadly rolled under some wardrobe or other last winter never to be seen again. I'm still hoping this will turn up in some lesser-used bag or coat, otherwise a repurchase may well be in order as I just love the softening buttery formula and amazing colour pay-off - a deep, juicy berry that complements my ever-paler autumn complexion a treat. In the meantime, I'm getting my berry fix from Revlon's Berry Smoothie lip butter and also really like the Burts Bees tinted lipbalm in Hibiscus (pictured); a really pretty soft rose-red that looks so nice at this time of year. 

4. Favourite autumn nail polish?

A new fixation this season has been red nails - not something I've ever experienced before but I just can't get enough lately, on a constant rotation between Essie's Meet Me At Sunset, Bourjois' Preppy Hibiscus and the newest addition to my collection (slaps wrist) Barry M's Blood Orange - a deep, classic holly-berry red perfect for both autumn, winter and Halloween nail-art. I love nude nails for autumn too and most recently have been gravitating towards Rimmel's 60 Second polish in Caramel Cupcake, a lovely warm-toned, super opaque and glossy nude that leans somewhat similar to Mac's Hug Me and my recently discovered and much-used Rimmel Santa Rose blush - all are muted, subtle and flattering making for a natural, polished finish that I love (and strive for on a daily basis). I actually wrote a whole post dedicated to autumn nails back in September, channelling my love for mint and taupe talons - having my nails constantly lacquered has become something of an obsession lately, I just feel so much better with a bit of colour/gloss on my finger tips.

Super-busy overwhelming photo... sorry guys.

5. Favourite autumn scent?

It won't come as a surprise that I love warm vanilla-type scents for autumn; truthfully my favourite scent all year round but most fitting during the colder months. I love my Prada Candy and Dior Hypnotic Poison perfumes, and my favourite shower gel of all time has to be NSpa's Vanilla Creme Brulee (sadly no longer in production). As I type I'm happily burning away Yankee's Honey & Spice sampler which definitely sums up my ideal autumn fragrance (I might just have to go all-out on payday and purchase the full-size candle). One perfume I failed to mention in my Fall Fragrance post is my Orla Kiely eau de parfum, a blend of 'light floral notes, with natural extracts of rose, geranium and bergamot, subtly balanced with fresh fig and a hint of chocolate'. Not a fragrance I would normally have chosen for myself, but this was a hand-me-down from my mum so this really reminds me of her and I actually really like the sweet floral scent for days when I want something a bit different - Dean also commented recently that it's the best-smelling perfume he's ever smelt on me, what a charmer.

6. Favourite scarf or accessory?

I'm going to cheat a little here and say my vast collection of jumpers - not strictly accessories however my A/W uniform is always jeans, boots, nice jumper to add a bit of interest, my favourites being my red-orange H&M argyle knit and of course my newly acquired American Apparel mint green fisherman's jumper, as well as this embellished grey/white Urban Outfitters number for when it's time to start thinking about celebrating baby Jesus' birthday (I'm not allowing myself to mention the C word until at least November). I also love snuggling up in a cosy snood when it starts to get cold - I got this red/navy one from the Accessorize sale last year and although it's a bit festive I like wearing it in autumn regardless. I'm a nightmare for buying (and losing) multiple cheap Primark scarves so this year I'm making it my mission to hunt down and invest in a good quality matching scarf-and-glove set to see me through the winter months!

7. Favourite Halloween movie?

Hands down 1993's Hocus Pocus, I absolutely love it and could watch it over and over - it enters into the spirit of Halloween without being scary; perfect for families (and me, because I despise horror films more than anything in the world). I also love the all-American perspective of Halloween with all the decorations and traditions, which I didn't experience at all as a kid (trick-or-treating was a big no-no in the quaint Devonshire village I grew up in). I find it so cute how excited Americans get over celebrating Halloween; it's like a national holiday whereas in the UK it's still a fairly low-key event. Another entertaining, feel-good Halloween movie is Tim Burton's Dark Shadows which we watched last Halloween; the year before that Dean somehow managed to persuade me to watch  Child's Play... never again.

What do you love most about autumn?

Chandra

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