September Playlist
It's the end of September and I've been loving a lot of music this month it was rather difficult for me to pick only 10 to mention! Can we just take a moment to appreciate Radio 1 and their live lounge month because there have been some incredible covers which I have become obsessed with! Disclosure and Sam Smith covering Drake? Yes! Wolf Alice covering One Direction? Amazing! But here are my 10 picks from the month:
1. Everything Everything - Spring/Summer/Winter/Dread
The first time I heard this song I knew I was gonna become obsessed and for that reason it almost made it into last months playlist, but I decided to wait till I'd heard it a few more times. I loved their last album so much, it's no surprise I'm loving this!
2. Spector - Bad Boyfriend
One of my favourite bands. The new album Moth Boys has their classic sound from Enjoy It While It Lasts but with a new twist. I could've chosen so many from the album, the obvious 'all the sad young men' and 'stay high' included but I really love the sound of bad boyfriend and the lyrics are golden.
3. Swim Deep - Namaste
Another of my favourite bands! Can you sense a theme here? I feel like I've waited so long since Where The Heaven Are We came out and I am more than ready for the new album. Namaste has such a good vibe to it and an amazing video too!
4. Halsey - Roman Holiday
I've mentioned Halsey in a previous playlist but now that Badlands is out I had to mention another track. I've played this album more than any other this month and roman holiday is a real stand out tune for me, but really, they're all great.
5. Prince - Little Red Corvette
A bit of a random pick, perhaps. When I was HMV they were having a closing down sale (sob!) and so I picked up a few older albums, Prince ones included! I love this song, it's such a classic with a feel good tune.
6. Foals - Mountain At My Gates
I saw so many people talking about the new Foals album that I just had to get in on it and it sure didn't disappoint! Mountain at my gates is the obvious choice, but I really love the upbeat tone and the overall sound it carries.
7. Drake - Hotline Bling
I've never been a big Drake fan really. Always loved his singles but never listened to album tracks let alone bought an album! But I heard this the day it came out and honestly have had it in my head every day since. Such a good tune even if the lyrics and the message it sends are questionable.
8. Rhodes & Birdy - Let It All Go
Well this is quite the contrast from the last song isn't it? I'm so happy that these two teamed up together because the sound of their voices blends so beautifully! It makes for quite the incredible, calming song to get lost in.
9. Coats - Oceans
I discovered Coasts what feels like forever ago back before they were being played on radio, so I'm super happy at the airtime they get now! Oceans is a favourite of mine and hearing them do it in the live lounge was one of my favourite moments this month!
10. Ellie Goulding - On My Mind
It's been a while since we had new Ellie Goudling music so I was happy to hear something new last week! I wasn't expecting her music to go in this direction, it's such a different sound for her, so upbeat and bass-y but I'm really digging it!
What songs have you been loving this month? Any of the same?
Loves. Emma.
Light Layering
One of the biggest trends for Autumn/Winter is layering. It's such a simple trend that anyone can get on board with no matter what's in their wardrobe, and seeing as it's not quite the cold, autumnal weather for wrapping up in thick layers, I thought I'd show some of the lighter layers I love. Perfect for the transitional weather that seems to be sticking around.
These are some basic pieces from my wardrobe which are ideal for layering up. I've had this mac for quite some time now and it's perfect for all kinds of weather! What I love most about it is that it has a hood, unlike a lot of other styles I've seen. It's only lightweight, and with the double breasted buttons, belt and pockets it has everything I need!
Shorts with thick black tights are one of my favourite go-to's for cooler weather, I love the look and find them much comfier than jeans or trousers. These are my favourite pair of shorts which I've featured before with the staple black belt I always team them up with!
My favourite piece of this outfit (and one of my favourite pieces in my entire wardrobe!) is the kimono. I picked this up in summer last year and I've worn it soo many times. I love the pattern, with the orange and blue detailing on black, but most of all I love the cut out design in the back. Perfect for summer, or for layering up when colder!
I rounded the outfit up with a basic white crop tee and some stone coloured chelsea boots. These boots are so good! They're super comfy and I love the slouched effect round the ankle with the buckles.
Coat - New Look
Kimono - Urban Outfitters
Tee - ASOS
Shorts - Vintage
Belt - H&M
Boots - Urban Outfitters
What are your favourite pieces for layering?
Loves. Emma.
Fudge Urban Hair Styling
I've got another 'brand focus' style posts today about one of my favourite drugstore brands for hair styling products. I've been using Fudge Urban products since I first discovered their sea salt spray around 2 years ago now, and this still remains to be one of my favourite texturising sprays out there! I've obviously not tried all of the products which they offer, but I have tried a fair few and loved them all, so I thought I'd share them with you.
My favourite of all the FU products and my favourite hairspray of all time has to be this 'iced raspberry & vanilla' one. It smells incredible (all of the products from this range do really!) and it's the perfect amount of hold that I love for everyday use. It's marked as a 'strong' hold, given a 4 out of 6 rating of strength, and is said to have both 'soft touch' and 'anti-frizz' properties. I use this daily no matter what hairstyle I'm going for (unless I need a stronger hold) and I honestly couldn't recommend this enough!
Another favourite of mine from FU is the sea salt spray which, as I mentioned, is the first product of theirs which I ever tried. I've not got any at the moment as I'm trying out some different texturising sprays, but I'll definitely repurchase it at some point. It's such a good budget sea salt spray and works great at adding volume and life to my natural hair.
Dry shampoo's are something I've had a love/hate relationship with a long time. They often leave my hair feeling gross and cakey, with a white dusting that just won't go, but after trying different brands I've now found one perfect for me! This is 'crisp pear & sweet vanilla' scented which is a dream, and as it claims, it really does 'cleanse & refresh' the hair perfectly.
When my hair was a lot longer it used to be really frizzy/fly-away and generally quite hard to manage. It's a lot better now that it's shorter but this 'iced tropical cocktail miracle ends' worked so well at taming it. As it says, it 'smooth conditions & seals' but just be careful not to use too much, and don't use it near the roots or it'll look greasy!
If I style my hair in a nice updo or braids, I like a stronger hold hairspray and this 'iced coconut cocktail' scented spray is ideal for that! It's a super concentrated hold (rated 5/6) and holds my hair up for ages without it feeling crispy and hard like a lot do!
The powder styler is perhaps my least favourite product I've tried from Fudge Urban. It's somewhat similar to dry shampoo, but more like hairspray in a powder form. Sprinkling it into the roots adds volume to your hair, but I've found it quite drying and I don't really like the texture which it leaves.
These hair chalks are so good, particularly for summer/festival hair! I've got the colours 'electric blue' and 'festival pink' but they also do purple and white colours! I've used these numerous times to add a little something extra to my hair, and they're super easy to rub in and to wash out! They now do a new range of spray-in hair art which would be good to try too.
Have you tried any Fudge Urban products? Any favourites?
Loves. Emma.
Maybelline: Creamy Mattes
I love drugstore makeup, there's some really good quality products for such affordable prices, which just means I can have more selection in my stash and wheres the downside of that? Honestly, I think Maybelline are killing it lately. I wrote a post a while back on their new 'The Nudes' eyeshadow palette which is amazing, and I've also mentioned the 'Colour Sensation Elixir Lip' glosses before. These, along with some really great mascaras and brow products, are some of my most reached for products!
Now, they've released a new line of lipsticks, the 'Creamy Mattes', and I honestly think I've fallen in love. They capture everything that I want in a lipstick, a creamy moisturising texture with a matte finish in bold colours. So obviously I couldn't only pick up one (especially not when Maybelline products were all on 3 for 2 at Boots!).
There are 6 colours in the range: Nude Embrace; Rose Rush; Magnetic Magenta; Craving Coral; Siren in Scarlet and Divine Wine. Unfortunately, when I went there were no Divine Wines left, which is a really nice deep berry colour that would be perfect for Autumn/Winter time. Rose Rush, which is a pale pink, and Magnetic Magenta, a bright pink, are the other two which I didn't pick up as I'm not a big fan of pink lipstick on myself.
Nude Embrace is, without a doubt, my new go-to nude lip. It's a light beige shade, which coupled with a darker brown liner gives a slight ombre effect, a look I've really been loving and have had many compliments on! Craving Coral is, in my opinion, a good dupe for Mac's Morange. I'm a massive fan of a red lip, and my favourites are more orange-toned reds which this captures perfectly. The colour is bright and bold, a really good statement look. Siren in Scarlet captures the classic red lip colour. Thee foul proof go-to lippy to keep in your makeup bag for that day to night transition.
Have you tried any shades from the range?
Loves. Emma.
The Bright Knit
Digging out the cosy jumpers and wrapping up in oversized knitwear is one of the best things about Autumn. That's a fact, right? I picked this one up from Zara in the summer sales, (it was such a steal reduced from £40 to £10!) and I've been itching to wear it since. As soon as the weather starting cooling I had it on. It's an eye-catching, bright lime green colour, quite a bold choice for me, but I've been really loving this colour lately. I bought a throw for my bed last week the exact same shade!
It's rather oversized on me, I've had to roll the sleeves up multiple times but that's how I like my jumpers. The bigger the better I say! It's a chunky knit design, super cosy, and I'm just in love with everything about it.
Because of the brightness of the jumper, I paired it with black everything else.
Jumper - Zara
Jeans - Topshop
Boots - Office
Bag - Next
What are your favourite style of jumpers?
Loves. Emma
Nail Update: Winter Star
I've been really lacking on the nail art front lately, but the other day I decided to have a little pamper session and here's the result! I have the full set of the Alexa Chung/Nails Inc collaboration and I think this colour is definitely my favourite! It's called 'Winter Lilac' and is such a nice, glossy lilac/grey shade. Being Nails Inc, it applies like a dream and is a nice thick texture which doesn't require multiple coats (although I always apply 2, just because).
To jazz up the simple colour, I decided to add some decal in the form of the 'Stars' which is also from the Alexa collection. These are a combination of silver and gold stars, and although they can be pesky to get on the brush and align on the nail, they stick on well and dry fast. I think they make the nails look really cute!
What do you think to this shade?
Loves. Emma.
A/W15 Beauty Trends
So, last week I did a post on some of my favourite AW15 fashion trends, and now following on from that I thought I'd share my pick of some of the beauty trends for Autumn and Winter that I'm loving! There were a lot of different looks out there on the catwalks, the vast majority giving a neutral glowing skin look, and it definitely seems to be the season for eyes more so than lips!
I've collated my top 4 make-up looks alongside 2 hairstyles, so here they are:
1. Floating Liner
I think this is such a unique look and it gives an edge to classic rock 'n' roll makeup looks. It's not an everyday look, and I don't even know if I could pull it off at all, but I want to! It's a new twist on bambi eyes and whether used on the upper or lower (or both!) eyelids, it gives a dark, almost moody effect without being overly gothic and grungey.
Felder Felder, Rochas
2. Warm Highlight
Illuminated, glowy skin was such a popular choice with soo many catwalk shows for this season! The 'no makeup' makeup look was in full swing, and some of the biggest names showcased the barefaced beauty trend perfectly. At Valentino, Pat McGrath focused on illuminating the skin and Moschino nailed the sunbaked-bronze makeup with a glowing highlight. The go-to show for barefaced beauty is always Balmain, who showcased the look perfectly pairing a slightly stained pink lip and brushed brows.
Valentino, Moschino
3. Oversized Liner
This is easily the boldest look from those I've chosen and is certainly one to draw attention. I don't think it's one that I'll carry out to the extremes of those on the catwalk, but I certainly love the idea and can see myself oversizing my usual liner somewhat! This was a key trend for Paco Rabanne this season, much like many other, and Dior maximized the liner with deep autumnal shades.
Paco Rabanne, Christian Dior
4. Red Lips, Bare Face
I'm always a fan of a red lip, it's my go-to for any ocassion and paired with simple eye and skin make-up it can look stunningly striking. This seemed to be the look a few shows went for! At Phillip Lim, makeup artist Francelle Daly said "Utilitarian punk is the direction this season" opting for a tough oxblood shade of red, while Carolina Herrera went more subtle with a raspberry red. While the shades vary (I personally prefer an orange-toned red), the trend of a red lip still stands as a popular choice.
Phillip Lim, Roksanda
5. Windswept Waves
The simple 'beachy waves' look has been big for a while now and it's only getting bigger for Autumn. At the Dior show, the natural hair was left with sea salt spray the only product they used in the hair, going for a natural feel. This is the usual everyday look for me, with the not straight/not curly/kinda messy do, and for the Topshop Unique show it completed their whole "healthy, windswept skin and wind-burnt lips" look perfectly.
Roberto Cavalli, Topshop Unique
6. Braided Up
I remember looking at photos straight after the catwalk shows and just being obsessed with the hair at the Mara Hoffman show. It was definitely the best hair of any show. I've always been a fan of hair braids, whether it's simple plaits, french/dutch braids, milkmaid braids, or whatever, I love the look of them, and the intricate combinations on the catwalk were to die for. The Palmer/Harding show nailed the mussed-up halo braids with the perfectly imperfect look.
Mara Hoffman, Palmer/Harding
What looks are you loving for Autumn/Winter this year?
Loves. Emma.
Monochrome Matters
I'm pretty sure like, 99% of my wardrobe is actually monochrome but that doesn't have to mean its boring. Well, not all of it. And this cardigan is one of my favourite pieces! I picked it up from H&M and I'm really loving it! After talking about bold prints in Mondays post, I thought it a perfect time to do an outfit post with this piece!
This outfit sums up a few things which I love for transitioning into Autumn. Statement hats, ankle boots and prints. Oh and black tights of course!
This cardigan is perfect for this time of year when it's starting to get cooler. It's a fine knit so it's not too warm and I love the long-line, button free style of it. Makes a perfect choice for layering up and creating a statement. Add in the obligatory ankle boots for this time of year and it makes for a great outfit. I always go for a chunkier style platform boot and these grey ones are ideal. Unfortunately, I don't think they're available any more, but there's plenty of a similar style out there!
Cardigan - H&M
T-shirt - Primark
Shorts - River Island (similar)
Boots - Pink Soda at Bank
Hat - Primark
Loves. Emma.
