Autumn beauty

Just back from a trip, really tired, but also quite inspired as fall creeps into the air - or rather, blows violently into the room. Hot, humid summer was hanging in the air when I left, it was warm and humid while I was where I was when I went on my trip, and this morning as I stepped outside I was just about blown off my feet by a cold, cruel, gusting wind. Wow was that ever a rude awakening.

But I'm not upset by the thought of summer ending. There might still be a few summer-type days yet, but even without those, I am looking forward to the new season. I like summer as much as anyone, and I await it with tremendous excitement come April, but fall has always been a favourite time for me. I love the crispness and the slightly cooler tone to the sunlight. 

I feel like talking a bit about fall fashion/beauty. On my trip, I bought some fall things - a fall picture for our apartment, a fall lip colour, a wool scarf, and a hat for the really chilly days going into winter. I also want to talk about a few things I've been liking a lot.

Soft things are one of the best parts of Fall. This year I will be sporting this enormous, fluffy, luxurious 100% wool scarf (if you can call it a scarf - it's really more of a blanket). Fall can be a time for warm colours - oranges, reds, deep rich yellows, olive greens - but this Fall I was drawn to some cooler shades. This turquoise scarf is on the cooler side of the Fall colour scheme, but I sort of like it. It has just enough deep blue and aquatic green running through it to make it workable with some warmer colours if you wanted to.

Speaking of soft things, I am loving the Tarte buffing brush more and more. It's got a huge, dense extra plush bunch of bristles, it's cruelty-free, and feels wonderful on the face. Smoothing out my powder finish has never been more enjoyable. Nothing beats a super plush brush. The softer the better I say, and this is undeniably one of the softest of its kind.

Next, the Chanel Rouge Double Intensité lip lacquer in shade 39 Coral Crush. A golden coral shade that delivers supernatural resilience. I like the texture and shade, it's rich and golden without being too warm and coral-y. Perfect cool Fall colour. 

I bought a winter hat that I actually feel sort of horrible about but will treasure and use for ages to come. I'm not big on the fur trade. Like a lot of people, I have some leather products, so I'm not sure what my problem is with this. I just feel uncomfortable about it. But after the last few winters (some of the worst I've seen yet), my stance on this kind of thing wavered a bit, admittedly.

Leather and beaver fur. That's what this is. Very water-resistant. It's very soft, very warm, really pretty, but I don't know that I'll ever not feel a weight in my soul when I'll wear it. Steep price. One thing's for sure, I will appreciate the warmth for many years and will wear it until it falls apart.

Tom Ford's Black Orchid seemed appropriate for the vibe I'm going for this season - fresh, fruity, musky, chocolaty, it embodies that duality I'm going for. Fresh but warm.

The picture I bought on our trip - Aqua fortist copper etching by Jean Cencig. 

This rose and mint balm - this smells like autumn to me. Fall is a very good time for lip balm. I personally believe that balm is a good essential every day in every season, but the cold weather makes it all the more necessary - if you care about your lips being in really good condition. If you like to wear lipstick, for instance, lip balm worn nightly is the best thing you can do, because lipstick will show the cracks and dry rough spots on your lips. Well-conditioned lips make lip colours look their best. I wear a thick petroleum-based balm every night and I never get cracks or roughness, just smooth lips every day. It's that easy.

I've been wanting to mention my Brown Betty for some time now, but haven't had an opportunity.  This is something I special-ordered last year, after drooling over it for ages. British-made, this  classic comes in many sizes, from the tiny two-cup to the mighty ten. This is a six-cup. Note the distinctive shape of the lid, and the classic dark brown lacquer. It is a piece that imbues simple elegance. I think it makes a nice autumn/winter accent to an afternoon of company.

Finally, here are the bath products I brought back from the Lush store. I just used one today, and it was very nice after a long trip. The place I went to was one of the oldest cities in the country, and it's very vertical, so my legs were shot after a few full days on foot over there. Relaxing in the tub was definitely good. I feel much better. Plus, the nice thing about bath bombs is that you just drop it in there and that's all you need. Having had a good bath bomb soak, I felt pretty toasty and refreshed, not to mention extra soft. Featured above are two Sakura bath bombs and one Karma bubble bar. I used a Sakura today, and it was delightful. Sort of just smelled of fresh warm laundry - slightly soapy, slightly aromatic. The orange one smells a lot like incense. I can't wait to use it. I'm going to pace myself though. I normally only take one or two soaks a year because they use so much water. Can't really shower with a bath balm... But when I do a bath, I make it a worthwhile bath.

So that's my fall haul, hope it was fun! Have a great day, and thanks for reading.

A.