Happy (belated) Halloween - Sugar Skull

As I mentioned in my previous post, I went to a halloween party at the weekend. I'm not usually halloween-y person. I don't really get excited about it (I'm all about Bonfire Night) and I don't particuarly enjoy the thought of having to answer the door to thousands of children and then give them free chocolate (bah humbug, I know!) but this year I definitley was excited. Although it wasn't so much halloween that excited me, more the fact that someone I knew was throwing an actual party, that people were actually going to make an effort to dress up for! I love a bit of fancy dress and, although it did get boring at uni, I've had a good few years off and I was ready for it. Plus, the party wasn't just any old halloween party, it was Nicks brothers 30th birthday so it was planned well in advance which meant I could really think about what I wanted to go as. When I've dressed up for halloween before, it's always been last minute and my effort has always been pretty crap to be honest. This time though, I was on it! I toyed with many an idea, but finally settled on a candy / sugar skull (or calavera as I've learnt they're actually called).

I watched at a lot (and I mean, a lot) of tutorials on YouTube as well as scouring Pintrest and I think all in all, my effort turned out pretty well! I've never done full on face paint before but it was actually surprisingly easy to do. The main tutorial I used for inspiration was this one, although I did change the pattern more to my taste.

In case anyone is thinking of recreating the look I used the following products:
♥ Smiffys white face paint
♥ Black gel eyeliner
♥ Red lipstick
♥ Crafting gems (stuck on with eyelash glue)
♥ Floral crown from eBay (exact one here)
♥ Miss Selfridge crop top (exact one here)
♥ Mesh midi skirt (exact one here)
♥ Temporary tattoos (exact ones here and here)

I applied the face paint with a cheap make up sponge (I bought a multi pack from poundland) and applied the more intricate design with make up brushes.

(Me and my date for the evening - Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead)

(Another skull!)

(Me and one of my best chums who was a great Elphaba!)

Until next time :)

Say hello to Autumn

I'm pretty sure there will be a million and one posts of this nature now we've reached September - I know I've started to see a few on my bloglovin' feed - but I bloody love Autumn. Seriously. Don't get me wrong, I love Spring and I enjoy Summer (although it is my least favourite season - apart from the fact that it's holiday time!) but Autumn and Winter are where my heart truly lies. Although when I say Winter, everything after January the 2nd until March is pretty crap. If you ask me that's why Valentines Day and Pancake Day were invented. To perk up the crapness of those months.

I just love it when the nights draw in a bit, and the weather turns crisp and just a tad more chilly so and the fire gets put on and the proper slippers come out. And cups of tea begin warming your cockles again (rather than just making you a hot mess because it's the middle of summer and you're already boiling but you still don't want to give up your cuppa). It's not just the fact that there's Halloween, bonfire night and of course, Christmas and New Year in these months, it's just everything about them. I can whole heartedly say that from now, until the beginning of January is my absolute favourite time of the year. Also, on a side note, by now I'm well and truly sick to death of trying to find summer appropriate clothes in my wardrobe. If you ask me, Autumn and Winter are so much easier, and more fun to dress for.

Things I'm looking forward to this Autumn/Winter:

♥ Halloween - Nick's brother turns 30 in late October and is having a Halloween party to celebrate. I am so excited! I love an excuse for fancy dress, and now I'm well out of university, Halloween is my only excuse. I'm torn between forcing Nick into going as some sort of cheesy couple/double act and going as a Living Dead Doll!

♥ Bonfire Night - I LOVE FIREWORKS. And toffee apples.

♥ Netball season starting - yes I am a geek. I haven't played any competitive netball over the summer so by now I'm missing it!

♥ Shopping - no need to explain.

♥ CHRISTMAS - also no need to explain.

♥ Panto - my mum, my sister and I took my niece to the pantomime in York for the first time last year and she loved it so we're hoping to now make a bit of a tradition of it. I can't wait to go back!

♥ Christmas parties - any excuse to put a sparkly frock on. I feel Christmas is the only time you can really get away with a sparkly frock without looking out of place.

♥ The colour palette - I am all about dark reds and greens. And deep purples. And mustard. And black. Which I wear all year but no one can chastise you for it in Autumn/Winter!

What are your favourite things about Autumn and Winter?

So basically this post is just to say, hello Autumn, I have missed you and I'm looking forward to all the fun to come!