THE AUTUMN BOOTS

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. It' s because there is something very melancholic about autumn and I am very melancholic person. I just love when the weather is not warm anymore, yet not too cold. You smell the colder tones in the little wind and all the leaves are turning red and orange and yellow and the sky is greyish with few sun rays. And in the air there is this little reminder of upcoming winter, sneaking in slowly, but still you are full of the beautiful summer memories. WHat a wonderfull time of the year.

What I love about autumn is also the fashion. I like I can wear my favorite black again (I just love black), I love wearing jackets and hoodies and jumpers (yes, I am bit struggling during the summer) and I love long thick scarves. And autumn brings it all back. And of course, I can wear my favorite boots again. Please do not expect anything wild here full of colors and shapes. Like I said, I love it simple, black and cosy.In the end of August I managed to buy three pairs of boots that I think will walk me through autumn. With the pairs I already have at home, I think the column for autumn shoes can be ticked. 

The Jodhpur boots from H&M. They call them Jodhpur, I don't know why. I liked them in the magazine and I ordered them from the internet. Basically, they are perfect for walking (haha) as they have the smallest heel, they are not too high, the ankle height is perfect. Half leather look (only a look), half suede look (again, only a look) makes them very interesting and "golden" buckle makes them even look quite posh. They can go with casual outfit as well as bit more dressed up outfit, so I find them quite variable.

The Biker Boots. Okay, everyone should have biker boots in their wardrobe, is a must-have, really. My old ones died last spring which made me very happy cause I knew I am about to pick up new pair. This time I wanted to keep it very simple, sleek and more girlish. Well, let' s say that my old ones were bit too much of rock with lots of studs and little buckles and details...nad... I am getting older, so! :) I got these from ASOS. Very warm, cosy, excellent quality, can' t wait to wear them. I know they are very simple, but the golden zipper in the back is exactly the only detail I was able to accept. Actually,I love the zipper.

The Heels. I love heels, and I fell in love with these as soon as I put them on. Gosh, they are so comfy. So much. And look so chic and sleek and uprgade every outfit to another level. I just feel so good wearing these. I can see myself wearing these a lot this winter. Leather trousers, knit and these, oh! Also H&M. You can find them also in dark burgundy color, which is even more beautiful, but I just love black. 

SUNDAY SHOPPING

Our weekends are all pretty much the same (by "we" I mean me and my boyfriend). On Saturday we usually go for a little trip somewhere in London and on Sunday we are happy to have a little breakfast in a nice café, then little shopping and then free time. I had to go to Specasavers today to choose a new pair of glasses, yay! And because there is a little mall nearby, I took a chance and quickly picked up few thing I really needed. So, here's my shopping.

First, The Body Shop. I know I am addicted and I know it is not good at all. But, for my defend - I had this 40% off voucher, I was running out of my all-time favorite face wash and needed a proper mask for my tired skin. The Silky Cleansing Oil with Camomile had a massive hype during last few months and I picked up my first one and immediately fell in love with it. This is my second bottle, so it lasted let' s say 3-4 months, which is pretty much okay. This stuff is amaying (like everyone said before), smells so nice and makes skin feel so soft. I tried the Aloe Protective Restoring Mask just couple minutes ago and I was very pleased. I did not want anything super cleansing, but something more caring and nourishing instead. This mask did amazing job. I will give you a full review later, but so far I can say "wow".

Second, the Superdrug. Althought I have neverending shopping list, I wanted to make it quick and pick up the stuff I run out of this week. It was Maybelline Baby Skin Primer and Maybelline the Falsies Mascara, talking about these two, I think they are two best products by Maybelline and I make sure I have these in my make up bag every time. Cheap and priceless!

My third stop was TK Maxx. I was in pursuit of proper professional haircare shampoo and conditioner. After trying all the drugstores can offer regarding damaged hair, I used them all and all of them were rubbish I have decided to reach for a proffesional brand and try out something bit more pricey but praised. Could not decide between this "Resurrection" set by TIGI and Kerastase products. I did not find many Kerastase reviews and for the same price, my economical myself won the bottle and I picked up Urban Antidotes Resurrection Set. The price is same (around  25 quit), but Bed Head each has 750ml. I say it' s a huge bottle. Haha. Review later! And also, I wanted to buy the wet brush. This one from TK Maxx was for 4 quit and after first quick trial I was so so so pleased.

Fourth and last stop I took was my beloved Tiger! Just a quick visit as I needed this medium white box for my every day make up. I have already 2 of these at home, one for haircare products and one for body products. But all my make up split all over little bags, boxes I just had to take an action and I have decided that for the next couple of months living in our tiny London appartment I just have to survive with all the stuff in this pretty box. Yep, London' s appartments are not made for poor beauty freaks, haha. Thank god we will move soon. 

This is final result. My every day make up, the necassassery things, ale thrown in without any proper dividing (my OCD me is crying right now).

I am big fan of other people' s make up storages and boxes and bags etc. so any idead and advices are more than welcomed! :)

LITTLE MAKE UP HAUL

As every beauty blogger, I am bit make up junkie. That´s probably the reason why I spend almost every lunch break in Boots or Superdrug looking for news in make up aisles instead of having proper lunch. For me it´s a proper break though.

I was longing to try the new L´oreal Mono Eye Shadows especially when they have such beautiful colors and they all are so pigmented. I picked up Nude 201 and Lumiere 502. They look fantastic, but last only couple of hours. I also got L´Oreal So Couture Super Liner. I should be a waterproof one, but I am not so sure. The application is very easy, the brush is thin and short, quite firm. Only lasted on my eye lids for few hours and it easily gets smudged. Double dissapointment for me.

I also picked up my all time favorite foundation - Bourjois Healthy Mix. I love this one. It smells so healthy and fruity, stays, medium coverage, easy to apply and the finish is just so natural. Although, I went one shade darker and that was a mistake as my tan is slowly fading and I would need my former one - the lightest one. Bourjois Healthy Mix Powder is my favorite drugstore powder as well. I also picked up one shade darker one and I should not have done that. Argh. Nevermind. It´s a good stuff and I might still use it. I like this powder because it is so light, has velvety like finish and the smell is fruity as well. Allegedly Channel dupe. 

And because I had 2 quit on my Boots card to spend, I quickly grabbed Miss Sporty nail polish. I actually quite like Miss Sporty nail polish - they last 4 days minimum, they get dry quickly, they are cheap. The only downside are the colors. They are not that nice. 

LITTLE HELPERS

Do you see the five ordinary looking bottles on my cute face cloth? Those are my beauty heroes. You might have actually heard about all of them. I would like to mention them just one more time, because they have important place in my first aid kit! 

1. Boots Build Up Removal Shampoo

I noticed few bloggers were raving about this little shampoo. I was bit sceptical first, as it is quite cheap - something around 3 quit, it´s Boots brand and the bottle looks let´s say boring. Mistake. This is my third bottle already and I will keep repurchasing until I die. I feel in love with this shampoo, it does a proper cleanse, hair feels so clean and fresh after. This does wonders, really. I try to use once a week or when feeling like my hair is bit tired from all the hair stuff I use. Go and buy it. 

2. Baby Shampoo

I use the one from Jonhnson´s and I keep one bottle in the bathroom all the time. First, I use this shampoo for brush cleaning. I am not sure if it´s okay. Really. But it gives them perfect wash, smells nice and leaves the brushes in a perfect condition, really. Second, I use it after I dyed my hair. I know, seems strange, but I colour my hair dark brown which almost everytime appears black. So to get rid of the black hue that stays in the hair for the first couple of washes I use this. Followed by conditioner. One quit ladies and gentlemen, one quit. Priceless. 

3. Bio Oil

Here comes the pricey one. If you find spare 6 quit in your pocket (or maybe rather on your credit card), "invest" in bio oil. I really think this does help. Smells nice. I apply on any little scars I have on my skin (like little cuts after shaving my legs) and also on my face. Again, not sure of this is okay. But after a spot attack (that comes at least once a month) I am left with scarface (not the movie one). I have big red supernovas all over my cheeks as a result of dead spots. Applying this makes them all disappear within a day, two. I also apply when I feel my face needs a little oomph after party/stress/bad diet etc. Basically, masage into face before going to bed and follow with moisturizer. Sweet.

4. Lip Butter

My lips, my poor lips, so dry and so damaged from all the bad habbits. I love this lip butter from The Body Shop, the "taste" is shea butter and makes my lips so soft. Using it before sleep and waking up with baby lips, haha. Any kind is definitely enough, but I just think lips should get some extra moisture and lip butter is the best source! Yummy.

5. Tea Tree Oil

Another oil. Oils rules, haha. This is such a helper in the battle against spots. It is like a first aid when the spot appears (sometimes you can not see it but you can feel it). When my skin is really bad, I apply on the spot areas before going to bed. Smell so good, sometimes bit itchy but it is because it works! Now I have one from The Body Shop, beefore I tried the one from Superdrug and they all are good. 

L'OREAL GEMS

Minihaul. Three items from L'oreal everyone was raving about. As I was browsing the adorable aisles in Boots I realised I would need a new primer. And yet, there was a deal 3 for 2 for all L'Oreal, so I just bought them all. The Primer, the Foundation and the Mascara. The Good, The Better and The Best. Let me explain. 

Number one: The Primer. Menntioned several times by youtubers, many reviews by bloggers all over the internet and few mentions from friends/family/random/magazines. So I thought let's give it a try. Why not. I needed a primer, there are not many of them, let's have a look. And guys, it' s a good one. Makes really great canvas for further application, the face is glowing (healthy glowing, not radioactive glowing), pores are smaller and the foundation just sticks. Into? On? Not heavy, not sticky, not smelly. Really good. The only thing I have: not that it would prolong the duration of foundation. Might update later after few more weeks of observation. Points for the consistency and base it leaves. A good one.

Number two: The Foundation. L'Oreal True Match, the one that supposed to match your true color. The alleged dupe of Giorgio Armani Luminious Silk foundation. Probably one of the best drugstore foundations.A gem.  And I can confirm that. This is one of the best foundations I have ever tried. It is so easy to buff it into skin, so easy to apply, holds quite long and it is not cakey at all. Medium coverage, buildable. Really impressed. And I was quite worried when I saw it first as there are little golden "particles" - not even glitters. Like tiny golden sparkles. So I was a bit scared that I might look like I just quit my career in figure skating. Not at all, the golden bits just aren't there. The only thing I have here is the color. I just could not decide. Boots and Superdrug just did not have any proper samples and I was absolutely hopeless. As I have dark chocolate hair and my skintone is yellowish I picked up the W - warm tones. My skin is very fair though, now I still have some natural summer tan, but this one will be gone in couple of weeks and after comparing to my usual shades from different range, I opted for W1, the lightest one. Not sure if that was a good move as it seems bit too light. Maybe in couple of weeks it might be the perfect shade. The irony is that this foundation supposed to match your true skin color and yet many people struggle to pick up the right shade. The only flaw here. 

Number three. The Mascara. Carli Bybel used to use Telescopic mascara in her every video. Vivaina from Vivana does make up mentioned this one more than just a couple times. Still, when I saw the brush I was terrified. This one just can' t be any good. Maybe avarege, yes. How wrong I was. This mascara is amazing. I am so addicted to this one right now. It makes the lashes superlong, definied, perfect. Holds there well. It isn't clumpy at all, well buildable, after two or three layes makes it look like proper false lashes. I am so happy I found one in Boots and bought it, because I am in love with this mascara. One of the best.

FIGHTING THE ITCH

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So... not so beauty and glamarous topic today, my loves! Let's talk about the healthy stuff for a while. 

My legs and armpits were incredibly itchy. My legs were even so itchy that it woke me up from the sleep several times and I had to scratch the skin on my legs until bleeding. Naturally, I got really scared about what is going here, so I started my little investigation, haha. First, I thought there was something wrong with the water, maybe. Because, I have never had any skin related problems before and these issues started after my moving to London. So naturally, I thought it might be the water here. Or maybe the washing powder. Not that I would invest in incredibly gentle non bio washing powder. Then I realised this is only local itch - on my legs and armpits. And usually after a shave. Damn. 

This summer was terrible for me, because after every shaving, my legs and my arpits went completely red, itchy, with tons of little red spots. So basically, I could not wear any shorts, skirts and sleeveless tees as people would see either my red spotty limbs or a hairy carpet (in case I would try to save my skin from some killing itching). So I spent my summer being very sad, wearing long sleeves and reading about how to fight itchy skin. I have tried many products to help relieve my skin, to fight the redness and to minimaze the itch. I did not want to swap my razor shaving method for wax or creams as my hair grows usually very fast and very dark and waiting longer then 3-4 days for a shaving is humiliating, depressing and neverending ordeal. 

I read so many articles and forums and discussions from all the women all over the world complaining about this problem and yet I have not found any treatment for the itch, spots and redness. I (and it seems no one actually) do not know what is causing the itch. What I know is that I have been shaving my legs since I have been 13 years old (it seems bit too early, I know, but you shold know that I used to run home from school with tears, because other kids called me "Monkey" and "Gorilla" as my hair was long and very dark) and I have never experienced anything like this. My skin was always so okay that I could even shave my legs every day without any cream for shaving, without moisturizer ater and even with a rubbish razor. I see, times are changing :(. I tried to find out what has changed and what is different that my skin is so sudden so sensitive, but not sure.

Like I said, I have not found any treatment or cure for this itchy feeling and red spotty skin, but I found a few little helpers that make my suffering bit easier. First, I "invested" in a better razor. I tried few and I am pretty happy with these Wilkinson ones. What I would suggest is, always try to find a razor with the moisturising stripe and with moveable head and with at least three or four little razors, so you do not have to shave one area of your skin more than once. What also helps is to shave in the direction of growth of the hair. I know it does not give you such a perfect results as shaving against the growth, but it definetely does not irritate the skin that much. Always use shaving cream or foam to prep the skin. If you can, pick up one for a sensitive skin, maybe with some additional oils or aloe vera. The last step is very important also - moisturize. You do not want to leave your legs with dry, cracking skin. That will make the irritation even worse. If your skin is itchy more after using the moisturizer, then it' s neccessary to buy a moisturizer suitable for itchy and sensitive and irritated skin - that' s why I love my one. I finally found the perfect moisturizing cream for my legs.It was recommended from many itch suffering girls/women, it's from Aveeno - Skin Relieve mostiurizing lotion with Shea Butter. I would swear on this one. It was made for very sensitive skin, smells like oats, very this, easy to disturb over skin and dry in seconds. I love this cream.

Another trick - I also bought the"Itch relief" cream in Boots. In case the itching starts, I always use the cream on the places I need before it goes absolutely unbearable and painful. What probably also helped me was to start taking Zyrtek and similar allergy relief tablets. Not sure if it' s related, but it did help me. I also heard that sometimes it's caused by eating way too much of fruits. Might be true. 

For my armpits I started to use Sanex products and it helped so much. I especially like the Dermo Repair ones as they are designed for very sensitive and delicate skin underneath the arms. Good stuff, good stuff, indeed. I used to have a massive itch after some perfumed products. Happy with Sanex, indead. When shaving, I am using the shaving cream as well. Just in case, you know. But since I have started using Sanex products, my armpits went from "absolutely painful" to "almost normal", that means sometimes (very rare I can feel my armpits are bit sensitive/red - but only tiny tiny bit). 

This topic is very important to me as I was suffering the whole summer and collecting information and I felt lost. Like the only girl who has to deal with (so suddenly) sensitive skin. Hope this helps someone who is in similat situation. 

HAIR HEROES

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you: My Hair Heroes. They always save my hair on a very bad hair day. And I just need them in my life. I love them. I admire them. And I just can´t imagine life without them. Hahaha. 

If you were also wondering what is the best hairspray to get from a drugstore, seek no more. Elnett hairsprays are the very best ones, especially one particular hairspray. I mean, we all want the same thing. Something that can keep our hair tidy all day long, without any little flyaways, but without the feeling of heavy sticky hair as well. Something that can dissapear after brushing your hair. Yep. It´s a list. I tried many. And I mean many hairsprays. But none left me satisfied (haha), usually the hold was nothing special and as soon as I left my house, the precious hours of doing my blowdry were all lost (yes, it takes me quite a whille to do my blowdry). Or, the feeling. The glue like feeling in my hair. And the texture. Like a stone. Yes, some of the hairsprays just turned my hair into a stone. Or helmet. Not good. You don´t want that. You want a perfext hairspray that can keep your hair in order and yet still feel natural. 

L'Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray Lumière Supreme Hold 

What a name! And what a size! Looks almos like a trophy between the other hairstyle products on my shelf. Seriously, this is my favorite hairspray. Sometimes I try a different one just for the sake of trying a new thing, but always running back to this one. In case you are just about to start a hair products base and need one piece of everything, give this hairspray a go.

Another savior, a piece you need in your base as well: dry shampoo. It´s a thing you just must have in your house/ handbag/ pocket/ anywhere. Just for the case. You know the plans - today I am defnitely gonna wash my hair. And then you end up falling asleep on the couch in the living room at 9pm and in the morning wondering what was the last thing you wanted to do before going to bed. Or another scenerio, planning to do your hair in the morning before going to work/ school? And suddenly wondering how come it´s already 8.15am and yet you are still in your PJs with half of the cup of coffee. And your hair looks like you can fry some fish´n´chips up there. Well, for these occasions (rare occasions) you should just have one dry shampoo at home. 

Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume - Big & Bouncy 

I opted for Batiste one XXL Volume. When doing this quick saving my roots thing, why not to add some extra texture, some extra volume and just make it look a bit more done, hm? I say yes. You can have one with nice smell, one for brunettes (thinking about this one!) but I think this is two birds one stone - saving a bad hair day and greasy looking roots and adding some fluffy texture and volume. Again, thinking about building a hair ensamble? In need for a dry shampoo? Give it a go.

Has anyone tried the Aussie dry shampoo? Curious what they are like!!!

HAIR GROWTH BOOST MIRACLE

One day, I will tell you my hair story. It is very long, annoying story about how I bleached my hair, completely damaged every bit of it, could not find any suitable hair dye that would last longer than two washes, and most of all, two traumatising hairdresser visits. I bet everyone went through this horrific experience when a lovely looking hairdresser, chatting and smiling cut the hair a bit more than one inch. Maybe more like two inches. Or three. Or five. Or ten. One day, I will tell you my hair story and I will probably make me cry again (my boyfriend doesn´t understand why I cry everytime there is something wrong with my hair). But not today. Today I want to mention two products I started to use after the hairdresser (not my hairdresser, just a random one) chopped my hair a little bit way too much and left me in tears. I was always proud of my long lucious locks and I wanted them back asap.

After hours spent on the internet, googling every possible treatment and method how to help your hair grow a bit faster (including scalp massage, not washing your hair for like a week and keeping it in fishtail all day long, vitamins, tablets, drops,...), I found many girls recommended Lee Strafford mask witth a very remarkable name: "For Hair that never Grows past a certain Length". Well, did not put many hopes in that one, but desperate to try anything I gave it a go, thinking something like "How can possibly a hair mask help to boost my hair growth?!".

Guys, it can. It actually does an amazing job. Not that I had 15 inches of my hair back over night, but the difference after couple of weeks was there. My hair grew faster. Really. Now I am using this mask every week, at least once (because I had a terrible hairdresser experience last month again). This time I also picked up the little spray with the same effect.

Lee Stafford products smell amazing. They smell absolutely incredible and I love it. The mask is not too thick, but not too liquidy either. Haven´t noticed any difference in the quality of my hair, mostly because I usually use it mainly on my roots (that´s where the hair grows from, right?) and leave it sit for let´s say 15-20 minutes, sometimes even longer. The spray is supposed to be used on the roots area as well, on the wet hair. No, none of these products make my hair greasy or oily. They both leave my hair smelling incredbly, ahhhh!

Honestly, I love this stuff. I pick up at least one mask everytime after "hairdresser accident". But really, I will tell you more soon. About my hair. My poor poor hair. 

Any good tips for hair growth? Anything at all? I will be gratefull for anything, haha.

WARMING MINERAL MASK

I was on the lookout for a good facial mask. I do not say perfect, I say a good one. That is because I wanted something not too pricey, but yet still quite effective. And let´s be honest, there ain´t many of masks like these. Either they are usually quite expensive (oh, like the Origins ones on my wishlist) or you don´t see a difference after using. Or worse, your skin feels even worse after the treatmant. And no one wants that, right? 

So I have dacided to pick up my one in The Body Shop. First thing you should now - I really do love TBS. So much. Half of my skincare is TBS. And no, I am not sponsored by TBS, haha. I just love the products, they all smell so good and my skin feel so good after using any product. No bad experience - so far. But back to the masks. I browsed the website in pursuit of my good facial mask. My skin is bit dry, sometimes you can find a spot (or two), sometimes it´s bit oily, there are few scars, not too many wrinkles.... Just was not sure what I am actually looking for. 

And then I found it, the proper spa treatment. The Warming Mineral Mask. Yes, guys, it´s really warming and by warming I mean it´s hot during the application (but not way too hot). You can feel the heat on your fingers and on your skin also. It is very pleasant, good and it feels like it is really working. The consistency is thick, white and bit sticky. The smell is very nice, not very intensive though, more neutral. I usually leave on for around  15 - 20 minutes. The mask does not dry out on your face, so there is no exact moment when you should wash it out. It is a cleansing mask and it is for all skin types, and I really think after trying that is OK for everyone. I usually use twice a week or more when I am feeling like my skin needs an extra cleansing or extra treat (20 minutes spa session, haha).

My opinion? I am very happy with the results. I feel like my skin is more clean everytime, more radiant, more fresh and more happy. I would definetely recommend in case you are looking for a good cleansing mask. I will keep using this one as the price is very friendly - 10 pounds (but check the website - there is some cool deal everytime!), one 100 ml "bottle" lasts quite long and I can really see the results - clean and fresh skin.

THE SERUMS

I think about a serum as a secret fighter. They are usually applied underneath the moisturizer for the special "something". And by something I means hydration, protection, healing, brightening etc. The truth is serums are huge now. Everybody is talking about them and it seems like everyone is using one. Or two. Or even more. To be honest, I am not that sure about if we really do need them so "desperately", but I rather picked up two (just so I don' t regret later, when I am old with super-wrinkled face and neck).I will share my opinions about the two serums I picked. 

I use Hydraluron from Indeed Labs in the morning and The Body Shop Serum Vitamin E in the evening. I always apply them one step before my moisturizer. I picked up Hydraluron, because all over the internet every beauty blogger proudly owns one and praise that product as a Holy grail of the Beauty World. I have been using my Hydraluron for one month now and just started to see the results recently. To decsribe the product a bit: It´s see throug-gel like-sticky cream. Almost like a glue. You need just tiny bit to cover your face. After the application, it seems a bit sticky on your skin. And then, you defo need to apply the moisturizer (Hydraluron never replaces moisturizer). The purpose of this serum is to keep your face skin hydrated for longer ("moisture boost" they say). Not sure how it really works, but basically there is this (natural) hyaluronic acid that holds all the water in your skin. I think. I think last two weeks I have noticed that my skin is really nourished, hydrated and feels so good when I touch it (not so often, I promise). But guys first two weeks I had so many spots and acne all over my face. To be honest, not sure if it's from Hydraluron or not, but my skin had been excellent last few months without any spots, so. And Hydraluron was the only change in my skincare routine, so. But after surviving these two weeks of absolut desperation and spotty face, it started to improve the condition (and I hope it will be better and better!).

But it's a good stuff and bit pricey as well - you can pick one in Boots for 24,90 (Currently 16,66 pounds!).

The other miracle is from The Body Shop, costs something about 11,99 pounds and it is overnight serum. I use this one in the evening after my toner and before my moisturizer. I chose this one as it claims to vanish all the scars (and I have many of them from my teenage not so clever spot squeezing, bad me!). I have been using this serum for couple of weeks as well, and I actually like it very much. I think it really helps my skin, makes it feel more soft, pamepered and nourished. Not sure so far about the scars, but I think this issue needs more time. But so far, I have really good feeling about this. It' s very liquidy, clear and smells nice/purely and it' s full of vitamin E (another quite hyped beauty term). After first application, I was bit concerned about this very liquidy consistency, but I got used to it. Overall, I think we will be very good friends with Vitamin E serum. 

Anyone else experienced breakage after first days of Hydraluron? (or is my skin absolutely mad?)

What serums do YOU use? (come one, very curious here:)

Caitriona