Autumnal beauty!

Wednesday September 16th 2015

Summer already seems like a hazy memory, spending lots of time outdoors, outdoor sports, picnics, camping and enjoying the sunshine …

I like many others love the change from summer to autumn; it’s a real feeling of change and new beginnings. I actually can’t wait to loose the summer glow and feel positive about all the good things that autumn has to offer.

Most people enjoy the wardrobe change perhaps wearing more layers and accessories. I enjoy the impact it has on our styling in general and look forward to changing my make up bag!

In the summer hair and make up is generally kept simple. Many ladies choose stylish up do’s to keep cool at warmer times and of course it makes sense to wear less make up as when it is hot it just becomes sticky and slides off therefore most women would prefer to wear a tinted moisturiser and perhaps a bronzer with little on the eyes and lips. 

If you are one of the few who hasn’t accepted the demise of the Summer and has a bad case of the Summer blues let me remind you of a couple of points that make Autumn worth looking forward to and how to make the transition more fun!


Exploring a new make up pallet  

Most women have between 5/10 products in their make up bag that they have used for years and will probably continue to use forever! I think we get to a certain age and decide that these products are the products that suit us, and no need for change. I think there is always room for change as our appearance changes on a regular basis if only slightly. I think we should always explore new products, colours and techniques to suit our current style. The biggest change and impact the autumn will have on the make up bag is a change in skin colour so make sure your wearing the correct shade of foundation. You may also find that the consistency need not be as matt to account for the cooler climate. Revisit deeper shades of shadow and lipstick. Eyeliner is now much easier to wear, try smudging a kohl pencil around the lash line to give your eyes more definition and when wearing your favourite lip shade consider in cooperating a lip pencil around the lip line, slightly shaded in towards the centre of the lip. This will give the lips a bolder appearance and a deeper shade.


Change your hairstyle!

We don’t feel the need to pull our hair off our face and out of the way now so some women are going for the chop! Not all need to do something so drastic but maybe now’s a good time to dig into your bedroom draw and pull out that curling iron or styling tool that you bought and never used and spend some time working out how to use it. I look forward to more down styles this autumn. Long bobs are a great way to really change your image whilst keep a bit of the length in your hair and they look great, either sleek, waved or curled.


Facial Care

The summer can have a very stressful impact on our skin. Most women find that they have blemishes and oilier skin at this time of year as the impact of heavy SPF, sweat and pollution will have taken it’s toll. Time to consider our skincare regime as our skin will have now changed and it’s requirements will differ as we leave the summer behind.  I personally think that the cleanser we use plays a key role in the management of our skin and will have a big impact on the skins appearance. If you use a cleanser that is too astringent for your type you will strip important oils from the skin making the glands work harder to replace the oil, causing more problems and greasy skin. Unless you have a severely oily skin I would never ever use a cleanser with 0% oil in it or with soap for that matter.  Consider adding a gentle exfoliator into your routine now to remove any dry skin cells and to encourage cell regeneration.

My favourite products at the moment are facial oils. Lots of companies are doing them and they are great used at night when the skin is resting. I favour rosehip seed oil, as it is great for anti ageing and fine lines.


Perfect Skin

Sun and Vitamin D is amazing for the skin however too much of it can cause damage to our skin. Consider skin brushing or investing in an exfoliator for the body (I have exfoliating gloves which are great!) and brush off the dead skin and fading tan and use a good body moisturiser on a regular basis.

Smooth Feet

I spent most of the summer in bare feet or sandals and I have to say that is something that I will really miss. However wearing sandals really hardens the skin on your feet. The good news is you will need to pumice the feet less in the autumn as wearing socks and keeping your feet nice and covered will keep them soft and smooth. Use a pumice or foot file to file off all the hard skin and then give your feet a moisture treat. Why not apply a heavy moisturiser to the feet and then wrap your feet in Clingfilm. This intensifies the moisture absorption and softens even hard skin.

It’s a fact that we spend more time indoors in the cooler months and have more time for ourselves. Getting cosy on the sofa never seemed more appealing and more time indoors means more ‘me time’ which isn’t a bad thing!


Amanda x (Lipstick and Curls)