A few things to look forward to in Autumn…

I hate to be thinking about the end of Summer but it nice to know that as we say farewell to the warmer months there are some things to look forward to- in the form of new season make-up launches.

Every new season brings new shades, textures, experimental products and new formulas- to varying success. Autumn is probably my favorite for new products as most brands are gearing up towards Christmas so tend to release their big-hitters around this time of year so there are usually some really desirable new bits and bobs to lust over.

With this in mind, I thought I would do a bit of a round up of some of the things that I have been quite excited about in recent/upcoming make-up launches:

Clinique Limited Edition Most-Wanted Colour Compact (above right- £38)

This is something that has already launched (at the beginning of August) but is well worth a look. Containing a selection of suit-all shades of eye-shadow and blush this little compact is a gem for handbags. The colours are fairly generic but good for on-the-go touch ups. The ‘most wanted nudes’ version, that I have been testing contains a pale champagne, a mid brown and a paler taupe eye-shadows and a pretty, warm pink, blush, plus two applicators.

Colours aside, my favorite aspects of the compact is actually in the design- it contains a large mirror and is neatly-sized, with a zip-up fastening- so there is no risk of it popping open in your hand bag and causing a make-up disaster. I think the design is fantastic and it would be great if Clinique could adapt this into a customisable compact so the shades can be chosen on an individual basis.

Vie at Home Guilty Pleasures Range

Vie at Home has consistently impressed me with both the quality of the products and the stylish packaging they are housed in. The new season brings the ‘Guilty Pleasures’ range- which did intrigue me for the name alone- and contains a whole host of exciting make-up and body treats (available from the 23rd August).

My personal favorite from the range is the ‘All that glitters’ eyeshadow collection ( left- £11.50) which contains three shades- a metallic copper, shimmering white and a metallic charcoal. All housed in a pretty gold plastic compact with mirror and applicator.

Again, with this product one of my favorite features of it is the design- the compact contains a decent sized mirror (so no squinting to apply) and the eye shadows are set in recessed compartments- meaning the shades don’t mix and create a mess when used- a fabulous innovation in my opinion, especially with pale and dark shades along side each other.

Vie at Home is also launching a couple of other new product that I will be reviewing: the Airbrush Perfection Foundation and the Guilty Pleasures ‘The Glamoriser’, I will post about these in the next couple of weeks.

When I saw the details of the No7 Autumn launches I have to admit, I was overly-excited. I love make-up and vibrant colours and the whole idea of different ‘looks’, but at heart I tend to gravitate towards the more natural, easy to wear shades (how boring of me…I know)

I find that Boots No7 is one of those brands that is really reliable for affordable, decent quality, make-up that isn’t intimidating- and the Autumn collection is no exception- with the brand choosing to focus on good-quality basics rather than trends. Amongst the make-up ranges they have also released a selection of make-up brushes for professional style application.

The product I was most excited about is ‘The Essentials Palette’ (£14.50) available in two shades (stone and canvas). I immediately liked the look of the stone palette: a mixture of greys and muted, dusky purple-ish shadows all in a compact with mirror, applicator and eye-liner. (the canvas palette is all browns and creams, in case you were wondering). The compact is all you need to create a day or night look- the shades really remind me of the new Benefit Smokey Eyes Compact, although I haven’t compared these side by side.

Boots No7 has also launched the Extravagant Lashes Mascara this month, again- I will review this separately but would be interested to hear what others thought of this? Have you tested it- let me know what your views are in the comments below.