H E A R T A U T U M N: October 2016

A/W Wardrobe Essentials

There are wardrobe essentials for all year round (such as your classic white tee and favourite pair of skinny jeans) but then there are those that are season specific. With autumn being my favourite season (have I mentioned this? Only all the time, sorry) I thought it was only right to do a post on my essentials for this time of year when it comes to getting dressed.

Oversized jumpers
When it's cold outside and it's dark when you're leaving the house in the morning, there's nothing more satisfying than being wrapped up cosy warm in the comfiest clothes. Honestly. And there's no better way for this than thick baggy jumpers. Whether they're chunky cream cable knits or black chenille sweaters, you just can't go wrong can you?

Faux fur
The amount of faux fur coats I have, that are taking up far too much room in my wardrobe, is honestly quite ridiculous. But anything faux fur is a must have when it's cold weather, no? Faux fur scarves, coats, gilets, they're just so much cosier than any other material. Throw in faux fur trim on dresses or faux fur bags and you're winning aren't you.

Hats
I love a hat. Whether it's a fedora or a bobble hat, if I put one on in a morning when I'm getting ready there's a 90% chance it'll stay on my head all day. I'm a fan all year round tbh, but autumn just seems like the time for them to truly shine, y'know? I know I sound ridiculous. Not only are they good for transforming an outfit when it's cold and you cab with anything fancy, but they keep your head (and whole body, bcos science) super warm!

Over-the-knee boots
I love an ankle boot, don't get me wrong, they're perfect for everyday, but whats not to love about a good pair of thigh highs with an oversized jumper dress? Absolutely nothing. I have 3 different pairs now and plan on wearing them to death over the next few months. They go perfectly with a-line skirts too, and even with jeans tucked in if it's super cold!

Wearing: Jumper, Next (old) - Gilet, ASOS - Hat, ASOS - Boots, Truffle via ASOS (old)

Loves. Emma.

twitter. instagram. pinterest. tumblr.

Autumnal Shades: Lips

Following on from my last post about my favourite nail polish shades for this season, I had to share my favourite lip colours because I just live for dark lips. I'm all about nude, red or dark lips depending on the season and my mood. Not a fan of any kind of pinks. And I'm not a big make-up girl in general really. Well, some would disagree judging on my ever-growing collection, but try as I might I'm just not very good at doing make-up? The only way to make my make-up looks striking is through lip colour - it's the easiest and most statement. Plus, what is Autumn without a berry lip?

Side note: I'm trying to go cruelty free with all my makeup, skincare, etc., so a lot of my old favourites have been left out. Let me know any cruelty free brands you recommend!

Charlotte Tilbury, Glastonberry
You're probably sick of every blogger ever talking about this lipstick but it's so good! It's a nice creamy consistency even though it's a matte finish and it's a nice build able coverage too if you don't want the full effect. Perfect berry shade.

NYX Lip Lingerie, Teddy
Not exactly a berry lipstick, but still a firm favourite and perfect for autumn. The lingerie range in general is a favourite of mine, the consistency and lasting power insanely good for the price! This shade is a dark brown with red undertones and the perfect shade to bridge the gap to a subtle berry tone if you prefer nudes.

Too Faced, Drop Dead Red
I got a couple of the melted liquid lipsticks in the summer, but this is the first I've got in the new packaging with a wand instead of the usual applicator. I love the formula, the lasting power is great and look how dark it is! That pigmentation, though. Obsessed.

Any cruelty-free berry lip recommendations?

Loves. Emma.

twitter. instagram. tumblr. pinterest.

In autumn , barry m

Autumnal Shades: Nails

So it's been forever since I did a nail update, or any kind of beauty post, and I thought it was about time to change that. Autumn is not only my favourite season for fashion (and practically, everything), but for beauty too - any excuse for a dark lip and nail combo is good for me. I thought I'd split this into two post: my favourite nail polish shades for the season followed my lip shades - be prepared for lots of berry tones.

Barry M and Nails Inc are without a doubt two of my favourite nail polish brands, contended only really by WAH (but I don't have any dark autumnal shades from them yet). I know every blogger raves about Essie, but I've never found them to be any good for me. Maybe I've picked bad ones, but they always seem to chip and flake off from the first day? So I've got a selection of my top 5 here, a mix of both brands, both gel and normal finish. I was initially gonna pick my favourite berry toned polishes, but then I realised they were all so similar and why not mix it up a little.

Nails Inc Gel Effect, Grosvenor Crescent
This comes up almost black on camera, and it is the darkest of these shades. It's basically black with purple undertones and perfect for a vampy look.

Nails Inc NailKale, Gloucester Walk
I want to say this is a bright purple? It's not exactly luminous though, is it? Quite a strong, blue-toned purple.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine, Caroamom
The two biggest colours for Autumn are maroon and khaki, aren't they? This khaki shade is not a dirty khaki like they often can be, maybe a little more turquoise toned. And the gel effect from Barry M is the best.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine, Mustard
Another favourite seasonal shade is mustard - it's kind of a love it or hate it and I definitely love it. It's another gel finish and such a different, statement choice.

Barry M, Berry Cosmo
I think this is my favourite berry shade, and I have quite a selection! It's bright enough without being bright, and has quite pink undertones to the purple.

What are your nail polishes of choice for Autumn?

Loves. Emma.

twitter. instagram. tumblr. pinterest.

In fashion , ootd

Chic & Sophisticated with sammydress

If you didn't catch my last post, it was the first of two in collaboration with sammydress. Although this outfit is much less 'me' than the last, I think I much prefer it? It's a complete contrast to the last outfit and that's what I liked so much about this collaboration. Also, you'll probably note the change in hair colour. I mean, it's Autumn! I had to go darker! I get bored with hair colours so it is only semi-permanent.

Frills and flared sleeves and the likes are everywhere this season and I'm a massive fan. I have so many different blouses/tops/jumpers with flared sleeves it is *quite* ridiculous. This blouse* is a bit different to any I own though, with the frills down the front and the cut-out/tie-up neckline. PSA the neckline can make it quite revealing depending on how you tie it and how the frills fall! It's great quality though and fits perfectly, but I did have to order this in an XL again which is beyond crazy.

I actually saw a pinafore very similar to this one when I was shopping a few weeks back and I was drawn to it, but didn't think it would suit me so I left it. Then I saw this one* and just thought, what the hell, basically! It's so nice and fitted, like often when I buy high waisted anything it's baggy on the waist in order to fit my hips, but this actually fits like a dream tbh. And it's so tailored and smart, but denim and casual at the same time, honestly can you tell how happy I am with this? It was one of those annoying pieces you order online and when it arrives the button holes aren't cut, so I had to cut them in, and the straps were excessively long, but there's not much that I can complain about with this really. Other than it being an XL again, but that seems to be the theme unfortunately.

Wearing: Blouse*, sammydress - Pinafore*, sammydress - Bag, Valentino - Boots, Forever 21 (old)

So what we've learnt here is if you like something but don't think it will suit you, try it on anyway because you just might be surprised in the best way!

Loves. Emma.

twitter. instagram. pinterest.

In fashion , ootd

Stripes & Frills with sammydress

Remember in my last OOTD post when I said I'm always a fan of backless/cut-out back tops? Well here's another one before it gets super cold! This time it's a striped number as well so it's a clear winner, because who doesn't like stripes? A classic staple for every wardrobe. Pair it with frayed hem kick flares and whats not to love? I know this autumn transitional period isn't the best time for backless t-shirts and I should be talking about layering up, but it was a sunny day ok.

Both the t-shirt* and jeans* in this outfit are from sammydress, and I know what you're thinking, I've heard mixed things too, but I don't like to prejudge. How can you judge on something like this without having had a personal experience? So I picked these pieces thinking they made a cute little outfit and I am most pleasantly surprised! The t-shirt* fits perfectly (I did have to order an XL though), it's great quality, and really there's nothing that I could fault about this? Especially when it costs less than £10, what a little gem! I am king of expecting it come out of the wash all misshapen but we shall have to wait and see! I love the knot detailing and how the sleeves are a bit longer.

We've all seen bloggers everywhere in frayed hem kick flares, both blue and black, whether they're from ASOS/Topshop/H&M/anywhere and I've been loving them but just never got around to buying myself a pair. I don't know why really, probably because I have NO space in my room for anymore clothes? But then I saw this pair* and just had to have them, it was like fate. They're that super stretchy comfy denim which I love (for skinny jeans especially!) but, again, I ordered an XL (I know) and I literally had to pour myself into them. I'm a UK size 8 FYI. Yeah. So aside from the utterly ridiculous sizing, they're not half bad. The hems could be more frayed and roughed up, but that's personal preference and nothing a little customisation can't fix! Again, these were under £10 and so long as you don't go for an all-you-can-eat buffet, they're not the worst! They give that really satisfying feeling of freedom when you peel them off.

So the delivery time if you order from sammydress is expected to be 2-4 weeks, which given that it ships from China seems pretty fair to me. But mine actually arrived only a little more than a week after the order was processed so that was most pleasing! I can't fault the customer service either tbh, maybe I was one of the lucky ones, but maybe they're improving things!

Wearing: T-shirt*, sammydress - Jeans*, sammydress - Sunglasses, Primark - Trainers, ASOS - Socks, Primark

Let me know if you've ever bought from sites like this and how you found the sizing!

Loves. Emma.

twitter. instagram. tumblr. pinterest.

In autumn , fashion

Lusting: Knitwear

So it's my favourite time of year (as you could probably guess from my blog name) which means it's time for my favourite fashion season full of chunky knits and boots. What better way to get into this than with a look at the best knitwear pieces out there on the highstreet right now. There's a selection of styles and they're all linked.