Ten Lip Products to Try for Fall

*Affiliate links used

As much as it pains me to say goodbye to the long, sunny days of summer, I think I'm finally ready to embrace all things fall. Yes, bring on the blanket scarves, the plaid shirts, and everything pumpkin spice. I'm a New Englander, and when the leaves start to turn its hard to not find yourself getting swept up in that autumnal spirit.

One of the first places I turn to welcome each new season is my everyday lip collection. While it's true that there are no rules in makeup, I personally find it fun to change up shades and textures at different times of the year. Which, for right now, means trading in my peaches, corals, and vibrant pinks for rich reds, warm nudes, bold berries, and rusty hues. After spending a good amount of time swatching and playing with a somewhat ridiculous number of lipsticks, I've got ten gorgeous shades to share with you. From your classic mattes to sheer glosses, I think there's a little something here for everyone!

Fall Haul First Impressions

If you guys saw my recent fall beauty haul, then you're already well aware that I've acquired a boat load of new makeup to review. Between a trip to the new NYX store in Union Square, goodies sent from a friend in the UK, and my own inability to restrain myself, I've ended up with a whole lotta loot. Life has been a little crazy lately, which ultimately translated to the majority of my new beauty ending up in a pile waiting to be loved. This weekend finally afforded me the opportunity to get some blogging hours in, and I stared at said pile feeling a little overwhelmed with my options. Where the heck should I even begin? And then I had a brilliant idea. Why not try it all and let you in on the process? I'm all about being real with you guys and sharing my honest thoughts on beauty. So why not capture my completely unscripted, entirely unpredictable first impressions on camera? Not gonna lie, filming this video was a whole lot of fun, and I don't think the look I created in the end was too shabby. So if you're curious to see how these new goodies worked out for me, keep on reading!

Fall Beauty Haul

I'm not going to lie. I'm ever so slightly embarrassed to have a haul to share before the holiday shopping season has even ramped up.

Back in September I acquired a massive amount of new beauty to play with from my trip to Generation Beauty. That haul alone had more than enough newness to keep me occupied for the rest of the year. But as any beauty blogger will tell you, between PR samples, promotions, and an unwavering curiosity about all things new in beauty, it always seems like its only a matter of time before you've ended up with another pile of product to test out.

So, as unnecessary as it all may be, I've got a ton of fun new stuff to show you guys that I'll be testing and reviewing in the next couple of weeks. Curious to find out what? Keep on reading!

Halloween Makeup Tutorial: Whimsical Blue Fairy

Are you ready for Halloween? CAUSE I'M SO READY FOR HALLOWEEN!

It's been a long time since I've really busted out my makeup skills for a Halloween look (holla back to this deer look I created when I first started my blog), and with so many amazing bloggers and MUAs going ham this year, I decided I wanted in on the action! It's probably no surprise that super creepy and/or gory costumes are not really my jam, although I totally respect the amazing artistry that goes into them. I've just always been a girly girl. Maybe I've been spending too much time Snapchatting with the butterfly crown filter, but my almost immediate instinct was that I needed to be a fairy.

I lucked out big time by finding this prom dress for $10 at a local consignment shop, and then scouted out a wig and wings at a Halloween store. When it came to makeup I was totally inspired by my new Kat Von D MetalMatte Eyeshadow Palette, which had the perfect shades for my blue fairy transformation. I had way too much fun filming this tutorial, and I think the end look I came up with is whimsical without being OTT. Hopefully it'll give you a little inspiration for your own Halloween look!

Fall 2016 Stitch Fix Unboxing & Review

Guys, I am SO PUMPED my next fix has arrived! Fall fashion is hands down my favorite of the entire year. Cozy sweaters, plaid button-downs, scarves, boots - the obsession is real. Having learned from my first couple of fixes, I decided to be extra proactive this time around and create a Stitch Fix specific Pinterest board to share my favorite trends with my stylist. I can tell that she totally used some of the outfit pictures I posted for inspiration when she put together this fix for me, which meant that I ended up with some pieces I really loved!

Of course, I had to film an unboxing video to show you guys my first impressions of everything I got. And now that I've had a few days to think it over, I've finally made my decisions about what I'm purchasing and what I'm sending back. Curious to see what made the cut? Keep reading to find out!

Warm, Cozy Fragrances for Fall

One of the things I undoubtedly love most about fall are its smells. Crisp leaves crunching beneath your feet, wood fires burning in the evening, pumpkin pie in the oven, hot cider brewing. Even just thinking about them now immediately transports me to a magically warm, cozy place.

Much like I swap out my sandals and dresses for sweaters and boots come autumn, I also like to switch out my fragrances for scents that capture the feeling of the season. Warm, spicy notes, woodsy undertones, and a little bit of sweetness immediately put me in a fall mindset.

Today I thought I'd share three autumn-appropriate perfumes I've been obsessing over in the last couple of weeks, all of which are in super travel friendly sizes!

The 8 Polishes You Need to Kick Off Autumn

Friends, it's officially that time again. Get ready to bust out your boots, your scarves, and your pumpkin spiced everything. Even though I'm a summer baby through and through, fall beauty and fashion is by far my favorite to indulge in. Give me the plaid button downs, the big blanket scarves, the soft, chunky sweaters. Give me matte lips, gold shadows, and vampy nail polishes. I want all of it, and I want it on my body right now.

In the spirit of all things autumn, I thought it would be fun to dive through my nail polish collection and pull out a few of the shades I'm most excited to return to my everyday rotation. It's time to retire those pinks and corals and get a little more moody in manicure country. From sultry oxbloods, to edgy navys I'm all about going extra dark and extra chic when the leaves start to turn.

Fall Inspired Makeup Tutorial

Despite the fact that everything pumpkin has already exploded everywhere, it is finally, offically, TRULY fall! As much as I may poke fun at Pumpkin Spice Lattes (Dunkin' Pumpkin Swirl fo life!) I do thoroughly enjoy all of the warm, spicy, delicious flavors and scents of this time of year. 

Know what else I love?

Fall makeup.

Berry lips. Golden hues. What's not to love? Fall colors are so rich and beautiful that I totally felt inspired to create a makeup look to share with you guys. I may have gotten a little ahead of myself by going full-on thanksgiving mode with a gold and cranberry toned eye, and a deep wine colored lip, but...you know. Sometimes you gotta go big or go home. Since I think it's way easier to show you guys how everything works rather than just tell you about it, I even filmed a video (oh snap)! So come, grab your pumpkin chai, cozy up under that big o'l blanket, and see how you can recreate this super snazzy fall inspired makeup look.

Cozy As Can Be: The David's Tea Fall 2015 Collection

When I think about the seasons, I'm definitely a summer baby. I love the heat, the long, sunny days, taking trips to the beach, eating ice cream. However, I'll also be the first to admit that there's nothing quite like fall in New England. The changing leaves, the cool, crisp weather, pumpkin flavored everything. And as much as I hate being cold, it also means that I can snuggle up under a big blanket with a delicious cup of tea. Now, I drink tea pretty much year round, but the flavors of fall are quite possibly my favorite. From sweet and spicy, to rich and nutty, everything about them just screams cozy. Which perhaps was the inspiration behind the David's Tea Fall Collection ($25). This set contains 5 of their 8 Limited Edition fall teas and is wrapped up in a package so adorable it's almost impossible not to want to take it home.

Julep Trick or Treat Mystery Box

Happy Halloween, friends! I'm feeling all kinds of festive and happy today. I took the day off from work to give myself some much needed R&R and blogging catch up time (complete with an AMAZING bubble bath with my Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar, of course). One of the things on my to-do list was to share with all of you the Julep Trick or Treat Mystery box I ordered at the beginning of the month. As you may have seen, I signed up for Julep's Maven subscription, and I decided to add this fun surprise on to my first order. It cost $24.99 and promised over $125 worth of products. Even though I had heard mixed reviews about the quality of Julep's last mystery box, I decided I would take a risk and hit the "order" button. With that type of value, and my not having a ton of Julep products at home I figured...why not?

Goulishly Good Bath Time Treats From LUSH

It's hard to believe that Halloween is only a week away! Aside from stockpiling candy and practicing my favorite spooky makeup looks, one of my favorite ways to get in the holiday spirit is by jumping in the tub with a Halloween themed LUSH bath bomb or bubble bar. Every year brings a new collection of seasonal goodies that I can't wait to get my hands on. Let me show you what treats (and hopefully not tricks) I took home with me!

Everyday Autumn Makeup and a Few Thoughts on the Season

I had a bit of a revelation the other day. It's been a good 5 years since I've graduated from college, and all this time I've spent in the real world has made me realize how much of my life previously revolved around the school schedule. The passing of seasons was always about semesters, exams, vacations and the like. But now time flows on from January to October with very little changing in my day to day routine. Without my normal academic calendar to anchor my life to I think the first couple of years post college were a bit of a blur. It's a bit weird to think about, but in that time I think I stopped noticing the seasons. Or well, perhaps notice isn't the right word. Appreciating might be more fitting. In the past two years, though, since I've bought my condo and started blogging, I've finally started to redefine the special nuances of each season that comes and goes.

Now that fall is well underway I find myself appreciating all sorts of little things - wearing my boots at every opportunity, going apple picking, sipping pumpkin coffee in the morning, watching the leaves turn and change from week to week. It's not that any of these things are new to me, but I guess, with everything else in life moving along in a constant, predictable way, I look forward to things like putting out my Halloween decorations.

It should be no surprise then, to hear that I've totally revamped my makeup routine for autumn. The BB and CC creams of summertime are back in storage, along with an assortment of coral lipsticks and blushes to make room for berries, neutrals, and all things matte.

Fall 2014 Drugstore Beauty Haul

Retail therapy. It's most certainly my favorite form.

It seems I've done quite a bit of it in the past month. Arguably I needed it (or at least that's what I'm telling myself). After several doctor's appointments and a round of allergy testing (57 needle pokes…was not pleasant) I treated myself to a few new goodies. On a related side note, I was able to score all of this stuff for ridiculous prices, thanks to some shopping know-how. I've had plans to write a post about all of my money saving secrets for what seems like a good six months now. This is my public promise to all of you that it will happen.

ANYWAY. Fall. Beauty products. Back to that! I've hit up a little bit of everything in my rounds at Target and CVS, from haircare, to skincare, and makeup. Let me show you a closer look.

Fall 2014 Wish List

I don't care what the calendar says, fall has hit New England and it has hit it hard. The temperatures around these parts have gone from 85 to 65 in literally a matter of days. As much as I hate the cold, I'm trying to embrace the coming season by thinking about all the wonderful things autumn has to offer. Scarves, boots, the return of my beloved Pumpkin coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. I could probably make a list a mile long. Instead, here's a more practical list of 10 things I'm lusting after for the fall season.

Fall 2013 Shopping Spree

So...I may have gone a bit crazy with beauty shopping in the past couple of weeks. Between the sales and coupons and gift cards I had, it would have been silly to resist. I'm planning on writing more detailed posts reviewing all of the products I got, so be sure to check back most likely over the weekend when I have a chance to finish that project up. In the meantime, I did a quick (okay, so maybe it's not so quick) overview of my Sephora and Kohls hauls and my first impressions of the products I've tried so far.

Halloween 2013 - Fawn Makeup

I suppose it may be a little late for a Halloween themed post, now that November is steadily underway, but I was so happy with how my costume came out that I felt the need to share. When Halloween falls during the week (which it has for several years now) my friends tend to celebrate the Saturday after the holiday, opposed to the weekend before. 

October 2013 Favorites

Hi everyone!

So I know it's a bit early in the month, but I've got a bunch of October favorites to share. I'm leaving for California tomorrow (squee!!), and I tried to take advantage of the free time I had this weekend to film. I made the executive decision to not take my laptop to the west coast with me, so I won't be writing any posts until after I get back. I will, however, be bringing my camera and my phone, so keep an eye on my twitter and instagram feeds if you want to see what I'm up to in sunny southern Cali.

I am also bringing my Kindle fire, with the intention of reading the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy (it's been on the to-do list forever). We'll see how well that goes.

Anyway...beauty products!