Autumn Favourites 2022

The end of Autumn always cuts like a double edge sword for me. The wonderful season of amber leaves and gorgeous trench coats is over, but it also tells me that Winter has arrived and that means functional coats, wet-weather shoes and afternoons where the sun disappears by 5pm. Not to mention the high-level negotiation tactics needed to get myself out of bed when it’s a frosty 4°C outside. I do enjoy Winter honestly, but there’s just something special about Autumn that I crave from the moment it’s gone until it returns again, so with that, let’s chat about my favourites from the last three months.

SKINCARE:

Olay Retinol24 Moisturiser – I’ve done a full review of this here but in summary; a gentle beginners’ Retinol option (if you ease into using it) that makes a noticeable overnight difference in the plumpness of my skin and the fine lines on my forehead. I personally think that Winter is the best time to get started on Retinol and I highly recommend this one.

Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Body Oil – I have dry skin on my body, specifically my legs, year-round – but when the weather cools off I really need to up my hydration game and I’ve been using this oil to do just that. I apply it post-shower most days and slap on a good layering of cream moisturiser over the top for good measure. My skin has been less dry in appearance and I think I’ve had fewer dermatitis flare-ups too.

Rodial Dragon’s Blood Velvet Cream – I have a few facial moisturisers that I adore for the cooler months, but I’ve just run out of this one so it’s obviously all I keep wanting to reach for. Its thick and buttery consistency is a dream to apply when my skin is feeling parched and in need of some TLC. I have a full review here, but it contains Vegetal Squalane for comforting skin, Hyaluronic Acid for hydration and Hydromanil which is Rodial’s patented slow-release moisture delivery ingredient. It also has a deceptively fresh and summery scent considering how ace it is cold-affected, windblown, Winter aggravated skin. Will definitely be purchasing.

Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Body Gel-Cream – For general hydration a good body cream teamed with an oil are ace, but if you suffer from any kind of Dermatitis and itchy and sensitised skin is a consistent issue for you I implore you to give this a go. Packed with Glycerin and Niacinamide this cream absorbs quickly, hydrates deeply, helps rebuild an impaired skin barrier and helps to stop the itchy feeling quick smart. Won’t be without this stuff.

MAKEUP:

Fenty Eaze Drops – it’s been a while since I fell in love with a new foundation, but this one has become a firm favourite really quickly. It’s light coverage, but builds nicely on areas where my redness needs a smidge more coverage. It has a wonderful skin-like finish and it comes in a huge range of shades – and not just a big range of Caucasian shades with some dark shades thrown in to tick the inclusivity box, from what I’ve read/seen online, the colour matching at that end of the spectrum is just as genius as it is up at my ghostly-pale end – 25 diverse colours in a variety of undertones – this is a great option if you’re after a light coverage, easy to apply foundation.

Marc Jacobs Black Daisy Perfume – you could be forgiven for thinking that the entire Marc Jacobs Daisy range is a Spring/Summer line because it’s so well known for its floral and sweet offering, but Black Daisy features Violet leaves which have such a subtle warmth to them that this is a favourite of mine in the cool Autumn months too. I believe this was a Limited Edition but I live in hope that they bring it back soon.

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Bronzer – a few months ago I decided my makeup bag needed a post-covid refresh and decided to splurge on a few new bits from Charlotte Tilbury. I think the absolute standout (apart from the pressed powder which I’ve had before and already loved) was the Powder Bronzer. I’ve seen that CT have a new cream bronzer on the way, but I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with a powder bronzer in terms of user-friendliness, especially if you’re as pale as me. It’s a wonderful mid-toned (not too warm, not too cool) shade, and comes in a huge 16gm compact (double the size of the original Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder) and with an enormous mirror. I use this with a large, loosely packed fluffy brush and it blends beautifully. I wear the colour Fair.

Spectrum x KJH Brushes – I feel as though I’ve spoken about these brushes non-stop, but they really are incredible – wonderfully soft, the tapered handles are the perfect weight to hold comfortably, they come in innovative sizes, and the vegan, white bristles wash up a treat – even with continued red lipstick use. Love, love, love.

Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Original Lip Cheat – She’s battered and bruised (and quite short now too), but you can tell she’s well-loved. I adore a lip pencil, but I can only think of one shade that I love enough to have multiples of; one for the handbag, one for the bathroom and another stored away as a backup. This now comes in multiple versions to match a larger range of skin tones, but the Original is absolute heaven for me. It’s a soft and creamy consistency that glides over the lip line with ease, no dry pulling or dragging here. It’s a warm, but pale, brown-toned pink, that is the ultimate ‘my-lips-but-better’ shade – I often wear this applied lightly over a lip balm for a ‘no, I’m not wearing makeup, I just have perfect lips’ look. Will never not have this in my purse.

BOOKS AND TELEVISION:

The Staircase – if you haven’t started this yet, I strongly encourage you to watch the documentary that it’s based on first. Because the fact that this actually happened is beyond belief, but what will further blow your mind is the sensational performances by the entire cast in the drama version. No spoilers, but it’s a domestic mystery of the murder/accident variety that will leave you gobsmacked at every turn.

Atomic Habits by James Clear – I’ve been trying to read one non-fiction/self-improvement/productivity-boosting book each month this year in the vague attempt that I’ll be ‘better’ for it by the end of the year, and after the last few left a bit to be desired I was thinking that perhaps it was going to be a wasted endeavour. Enter Atomic Habits. There is a very good reason why this book is an Instagram favourite and an international bestseller. Be prepared, if you pick this up you’re going to need a highlighter and/or sticky tabs because there are so many gems you’re going to want to note them all down.  

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard – some may say it’s too soon for a book set during the pandemic, but I’m so glad this book came highly recommended to me because I really enjoyed it. It centers around two people who meet harmlessly at a supermarket in the weeks before the pandemic hit Ireland in 2020. As they begin to get to know each other they soon realise that lockdown is imminent, and they decide to make the huge leap of faith to isolate together. As many of my favourite mystery books do, the narration of this book jumps between the two main characters and skips around the timeline too, between the day one of them dies (no spoilers) and the 56 days before when they met in the queue to buy groceries. The occasional chapter from the ‘real-time’ police investigation anchors the book nicely in the present, and the jumps in time are easy to follow and always kept me wanting to read just one more chapter. I listened to this as an audiobook via the BorrowBox app.

Brené Brown – Atlas of The Heart – I’ve listened to quite a bit of Brené content over the last year, but this is the first longer-format presentation/audience participation special I’ve seen and I loved it. Over five ‘epsiodes’ she talks about the importance of language in conversation with her audience as they discuss 87 different emotions and feelings. I could listen to Brené read the phone book (she just has that kind of voice for me) but this had me completely hooked because she was explaining feelings from a historical, anthropological, emotional, linguistic and informative way with the use of short clips from popular films.

PODCAST:

The Teacher’s Trial Podcast – I really enjoy a true-crime podcast but this is another Aussie case that is currently playing out in the court system with a family, right at this moment, waiting for answers. Just like The Lady Vanishes, it feels beyond insensitive to claim this harrowing family tragedy as a ‘favourite’ – but I’ve been glued to it. The story has captivated me for four years now and I’m saddened and enraged by this story of yet another Australian woman who has disappeared without a trace followed by a miserably dismal police investigation that was quick to deem her a runaway.

EXTRA BITS:

The Anna Edit Milk Chocolate Cookie Recipe – with just a tiny tweak or two this delicious recipe becomes a glorious gluten-free, afternoon snack that I have been devouring on repeat. Crispy on the outside, chewy and soft in the middle – the chocolate chips stay molten and runny for ages and they taste so good! You need to give these a go.

Snickerdoodles – because one type of cookies just isn’t enough – and because Autumn often results in a biscuit bonanza in my house – this is the other recipe I’ve been making on repeat. Soft, cakey and spongy, these light cookies are so incredibly moreish if you can stop at one you deserve a medal, or another cookie.

Glasshouse Sacred Heart Candle – I love a festive candle at Christmas, but it’s at this temperate of the year that warm, spicy candles really belong so I’m burning a holiday launch that thankfully seems to still be available in stores. This chalky, white vessel with glossy purple lining holds the most fragrant mulberry wax that transforms my entire house into a cathedral at Christmas in no time. I shared it a couple of months ago in this blog post here along with the other candle I’ve been loving lately too, but this one has me tempted to buy backups because I know it won’t be around forever.