Monthly Favourites: October

October is coming to an end and I can't work out whether it's just flown by or if it's been one of the longer months of the year. This month has been manic and with that I've found I've not got as many favourites as I usually would have which I'm sharing with you today. 

 My first two favourites this month have to be TV favourites. Chicago Fire is back and I couldn't be happier. I may have to sneakily watch it online the day after it's aired but I don't care. At one point Chicago Fire was my least favourite of the One Chicago Franchise but after a binge watch last year to catch up for Season 7, it's become my favourite. The characters are my favourites and I may have sobbed when they opened Season 8 with a major character being killed off. If you've not caught up on any of Season 8 or that magnificent crossover between all three shows, then I highly recommend you check it out. You won't be disappointed. 

Not only is Chicago Fire back but so is S.W.A.T. This is not high brow TV, it's not going to be to everyone's taste but I absolutely adore it. Packed full of action, witty one liners and fun side plots that make it one of the most jam packed shows on TV. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a favourite because Chris is an absolutle BAMF queen which also goes for Lina Esco who plays her as well. Last year there were multiple storylines that weren't wrapped up before Season 2 finished so I'm really looking forward to seeing how they play out or conclude during Season 3. 

A song I haven't been able to stop listening to is the first single from Luke Evan's much anticipated album At Last. Love Is A Battlefield is a cover of Pat Bennetar's Eighties hit. It's a slower sound to the original but it's absolutely amazing and I can not stop marveling over Evan's voice. I already knew he could sing when he played Gaston in Beauty And The Beast but this is a different sound and I really can't wait to hear what the rest of the album when it's released in November. 

In September I finally finished the training for my promotion and passed the sign off with flying colours so I treated myself to a pair of Dr Martens.  They are the Sinclair Boot in the Aunt Sally leather. Now even though it was love at first sight for me, it took a long while for them to treat my feet with love. Blister upon blister, plasters galore, my poor feet went through absolute agony before I could even wear these comfortably. But now I can happily say that I am wearing these everytime I'm not in my work uniform. They are so comfy, they go with so many outfits and they make me feel ten times cooler than I'll ever actually be. Sure they were expensive but damn I'm going to get so much wear out of them, you'll all be sick of me talking about them. 

The last non beauty favourite I have this month is one I've been using for months but I've never actually gotten round to putting it into a favourites post. If you haven't worked it out already, I'm a massive fan of Nightmare Before Christmas and I'm slowly building a mug collection that is driving my mum crazy. And my absolute favourite mug for the last few months has been this gigantic Nightmare Before Christmas mug I brought from a little alternative store in Basingstoke called Cool. And I'm in love. It's the perfect size for all the tea and I've loved having massive cups of Biscuit Brew in it, morning, noon and evening, especially when it's been a Bake Off night. It was only £12, has quickly become my most prized possession; even over my phone and iPad, and has not disappointed me and never will. 

And now it's time for my last favourite and my only beauty favourite of the month. Last year I tried and loved a sample of Liz Earle's SuperSkin Moisturiser With Natural Neroli. And now the colder weather is here to stay I just had to buy a full size pot of it. Packed with the all the skin loving ingredients Liz Earle is known and loved for, this works not only to moisturise my skin but also alleviates any redness that my skin may have and leaves my skin hydrated, smooth and prepped for any make up I'd apply over top. But what I love the most about it is that it's lightweight on the skin and doesn't leave it feeling weighed down or greasy whilst still working to nourish my skin. 

Monthly Favourites: October

 

Where on earth has October gone? This month has just flown by. A lot of it's probably to do with the amount of overtime I've been doing at work this month but time just seems to have passed without me realising. And because October's been such a whirlwind I've not got a large selection of favourites for you all this month. A lot of products I've used are ones that I've used, loved and featured before but there are a couple of non beauty favourites I wanted to share with you.

The first favourite of the month is one that I didn't hesistate to buy even though my bank balance was crying out for me to stop spending. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley released a new limited edition fragrance to celebrate five years of her collaboration with Marks and Spencer's. Rose Gold is a mixture of her three previous scents, including notes of musk, rose centifolia and bergamot and vanilla. I haven't stopped wearing this since I brought it. It's my go to, favourite scent of the moment. It's like I'm wearing all of her fragrances at once and I love how it smells on my skin. It lasts for absolutely ages which is something I adore about her fragrances.I think I may need to alternate this with her other fragrances so I don't end up with an empty bottle sooner than I'd like.

The other Rosie For Autograph product I've been loving is her lipstick in Silk Cami. It's not a shade I expected to get a lot of wear out of now that fall/winter is well and truly upon us but when I had my week off work I found I wore this more than any other colour in my collection. It's a neutral shade that has a peach twist to it that doesn't take away from the brown tones, just adds a little something extra to them. It's a sheen finish but doesn't look too glossy and doesn't slip or slide on the lips. And if I've been wanting to tone it down a little bit, I've just dabbed a bit of Silk Rose over top to give it a more pink tone. Definitely one that's more suited for spring/summer but it's been perfect for those surprisngly mild days we've been having lately.

My skin has been absolutely horrendous month. I've had breakout after breakout and as it seems like I've gotten one under control then another pops up. So I haven't been playing with my skincare a lot this month as I don't want to aggravate my skin even more. Something I have rediscovered this month is the Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser. It's very remniscent of the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, it's very thick cream consistency and natural ingredient formula works to soothe as well a brighten without irritating or stripping skin. And that's something I've really needed this month. I've been having a lot of skin issues and I've found that some of my usual favourite cleansers are just a bit too much for my skin. This though has been comforting, soothing yet cleansing all at once and has helped keep my skin looking as good as it can at the moment.

Another product I've been using to help with the battle I'm having with my skin is the B Essence Lotion. It feels like water on the skin and really helps to soothe and nourish my skin at the same time. It's lightweight in feel so it doesn't block pores and cause even more problems for my skin. I've been layering this under my skincare both morning and evening so my skin gets that extra nourishment for a longer period of time.

Now all that's left to talk to you about is my non beauty favourites. And I can't do an October Favourites post with talking about the one thing I've been looking forward to all month. Halloween. Now I know it's not here until tomorrow but I've been looking forward to it all month. I've baked Halloween recipes, decorated the house, watched Nightmare Before Christmas and Hocus Pocus a million times and I'm preparing for tomorrow with a scary mask to make any trick or treaters jump.

This next non beauty favourite of mine only came out on Friday and seems a little like cheating putting it in this post but I haven't been able to stop listening to it and I think that's enough to earn it a place in my monthly favourites. Kelly Clarkson's new album Meaning of Life was released on Friday and I can not get enough of it. I've had it on repeat since Friday; I'm actually listening to it as I write this, and I can tell it's going to be played a lot even after this post goes live. Move You, Whole Lotta Woman, Heat, Slow Dance and Meaning of Life are just a few of my favourites from the fourteen track album. Clarkson's vocals are beyond perfection and reminds me of her earlier hits such as Because Of You and Breakaway. There has only been a few albums that have caught me from the first beat and this is one of them. I can guarantee everyone will be sick of me talking about this is a few weeks time. If you haven't heard it, go give it a listen on Spotify, you won't be disappointed.

Another singer that I haven't been able to get enough of this month is Andie Case. Once a week every week she uploads a cover of a recent or old school song. This month she has done amazing covers of If I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keys, Good at Goodbyes by Sam Smith, New Rules by Dua Lipa and Ready For You By Taylor Swift. Case brings something unique to every cover and I find myself loving her covers more than the originals. Subscribe to her on Youtube or find her on Spotify, if there's one thing I suggest it's giving her a listen, she has an amazing amount of talent.

And my last favourite of the month is the night out me and my mum had a couple of weeks ago. Back in June we booked tickets to see a show called Thank You For The Music. It's a ABBA and Bee Gees tribute show and it's fantastic. I've seen the show a few times now and everytime I'm still in awe as I watch. I grew up listening to the music of both ABBA and the Bee Gees so I may have sang along all night long, probably deafening the poor gentleman in the seat next to me. It was a nice carefree evening spent with my mum, where we had a good laugh, a sing along and excuse to put on our glad rags. I think if it comes around again next year I'll definitely be buying tickets.

October Favourites

Welcome to another Monthly Favourites. Where has the month gone? It's feels like I was writing September Favourites yesterday. This month my skin has been having a lot of hormonal changes and I've been focused a lot on sorting that out so there are definitely more skincare favourites than any others.

When it comes to cleansing this month there have been two products I've really enjoyed. The first is the new Loreal Micellar Water. It's more of a purified water than a cleansing water and thoroughly removes all signs of make up, dirt and grime. And the best bit is that it hasn't caused any adverse reactions and actually makes my skin feel better after every use. I like to use this on days when I'm not wearing any make up before going in with the rest of my skincare routine. It leaves my skin feeling clean and soft without feeling dry or tight. A full review can be found here.

The other cleansing product I've been loving this month is the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Cleanser. It's a water gel based cleanser that foams when it touches the skin but doesn't irritate or break skin out. It contains Hyaluronic Acid so it gives a moisture boost whilst cleansing skin. Two pumps is enough to get a good lather and it washes away easily with a warm flannel or muslin cloth. A full review will be coming soon so keep your eyes peeled for that.

For moisturiser this month I've been really loving this Garnier Moisture Bomb Moisturiser. It contains Hyaluronic Acid and Pomergranate Extract which gives skin the best kind of moisture boost. It's a runny cream like formula that sinks effortlessly into the skin and gives skin an instant boost. After every use my skin feels smooth, hydrated and plump. The night gel didn't work that well for me but the day cream is killing it at the moment.

For base products this month there has only been one I've been loving. It's the Dior Star Foundation. Now I only have a sample size of this but it's gone a very long way. It's a light to medium finish base that covers everything from blemishes to redness and still looks skinlike. It blends out flawless with a brush or a damp beauty blender and doesn't break up on the skin like some foundations can do. It comes with a hefty price tag which is the only thing putting me off of it but I think the results and how it looks on my skin is worth it.

And my last favourite for the month is a rediscovery for me. Benefit's Roller Lash was a firm favourite of mine when it was first released but then I moved on to other mascaras. It has a thin curved brush that gives lashes an astounding amount of volume and definition without looking clumpy or overdone. It holds a curl all day long and isn't hard to remove. I'll definitely be picking up a bigger version of this when I run out.