While it definitely doesn't feel quite as Autumnal as I'd like here at the moment, it doesn't stop me from wanting to change up the beauty products I reach for. Autumn is the time for berry lips, shimmery copper-toned eyes, metallic nails and a touch of glow. Today I wanted to share some of my favourite, affordable beauty products for Autumn or Fall as the American folk call it. There's some real gems in here and the best part is they won't make your wallet weep...

Essence Lash Mania Mascara-This is one of my friend's favourite mascaras and she's been known to buy it in bulk so I had to see what all the fuss was about when she was buying it. Update: Since I wrote this I've found out this mascara has been discontinued which is sad but I might as well leave this review here anyway in case it's still around somewhere. Oh my goodness guys it is good. It's one of the few mascaras I have tried that curls your lashes properly, without an additional lash tool. It gives you a ton of volume and makes your lashes look thick and lush. 

Topshop Beauty Glow Highlighter-Admittedly I tend to not reach for this a lot because I do prefer my powder highlighters. For a cream highlight though this champagne number is so pretty. It's not filled with chunky shimmer particles and is perfect for paler skintones. Topshop makeup, despite being a bit pricier than some of the other products in this post is still pretty affordable and fairly decent value for money. 

Milani Gel Powder Eyeshadow in Bella Sand-Milani is one of my favourite drugstore brands. You can shop them online here in NZ via Makeup.co.nz but they don't seem to have these online at the moment. These are such lovely shadows though. Uber pigmented with a silky finish. I love the colour range as well. Bella Sand is my favourite neutral shadow for days when I just can't be bothered putting any effort into my makeup, it happens more often than you'd think(!). 

Wet N Wild Lip Color in Cherry Picking-This was inspired by Tara and Ellen because I know they love these lipsticks. My friend in the US (shout out to you Hannah) sent me this colour last year and I love it. It's a gorgeous berry colour that leans a bit more on the pink side of things so it's less intimidating if you're not a fan of the vampier lip look. I need to wear this in a video/in real life sometime soon actually. It's been a while.

Wet N Wild Eyeshadow Palette in Comfort Zone-Another little gem sent over by Hannah. She's a legend that one. This palette is stunning. The eyeshadows all have such strong pigmentation and I love how they're all laid out with their uses clearly labelled. Palettes like these are perfect for people who aren't quite confident with their eyeshadow knowledge. Let's face it, not having to think about makeup in the mornings is also a mega bonus. 

Maybelline Colorsensational Lip Matte lipstick in Daringly Nude*-I only received this colour from Maybelline at the end of last week but it's fast becoming one of my favourite lipsticks. The colour is basically identical to the hue of my lips and reminds me so much of my beloved Patisserie lipstick x MAC. I'm really loving these nude lipsticks from Maybelline so be prepared to see me waxing lyrical on them a bit more soon.

Essie Polish in Jiggle Hi Jiggle Low-This was purchased at Postie Plus of all places for the bargain price of $8. That's less than half the price of what they usually sell for here in NZ! They don't have the greatest colour selection but they're still worth checking out. This shade is described as a molten gold but to me it leans more silver. It's super pretty and that's all there is to say about it really.

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush-An oldie but a goodie. This shade isn't sold in NZ but it's easy enough to hunt down online if you're keen. The perfect, coppery bronze eyeshadow with a touch of glitz to it. It's one of my all-time favourites and these shadows are so underrated, they need a bit more love!

-What are your Autumn beauty staples?

*PR Sample

As I'm sure many of you will be aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. It's a cause that is very close to my heart and it affects so many women (and even men) each year. In honour of the cause, I decided to think about what pink essentials I'd put together for a pink pamper night. So many beauty brands usually release products at this time of year with proceeds going towards breast cancer research so it's the perfect time to throw one into your pamper routine. Here's my essentials for a pink night in..

No pamper night is complete without a myriad of treats. Might I suggest you add some Pinky bars or strawberry Tim Tams to your lineup. I didn't have any on hand but they're so delish! I like to start the night off with a bath so I usually use one of my favourite bath bombs or bubble bars from Lush. If you're not a bath person, hop in the shower with a scrub or sweet scented body lotion. I love the Sugar Crush body lotion from Soap & Glory. To read I opted for It by Alexa Chung for insights on all things Alexa. The newest step to my routine involves the Skinfood Breast Cream*. It's been released this month to help women get to know what is 'normal' for their breasts. It's an extra step in the routine but hey, it could save your life. The cream happens to smell great too and $2 from every cream sold goes to the Breast Cancer Foundation. Pyjamas on and it's time for my favourite girly, pink central movie, Legally Blonde. "Whoever says orange is the new pink is seriously disturbed". I'll apply my favourite new Baby Lips in the shade Pink Quartz, reach for pink nail polish and maybe even this gorgeous dusky pink eyeshadow from Stila. After all that I'm probably getting a bit tired. This girl ain't a partier so it's time to call it a night and dream through rose tinted lenses..

-What would be your essentials for a pink pamper night in? Let me know in the comments and you could win your very own Skinfood Breast Cream. Open to New Zealand readers only. This giveaway will close in one week. x

*PR Sample. Note-This post is in no way sponsored. Like I said this cause means a great deal to me and I felt this product deserved to have some awareness raised about it because let's face it breast cancer (no, cancer in general) takes the lives of far too many people. If getting to know what's 'normal' for you and your body has a greater emphasis on our lives then maybe we'll see that statistic decrease. 

It's April Favourites time again. This month it's been all about the mattes, the neutrals and some skincare staples. There's even some nail gems and a series I've had on repeat this month in the mix too. 

Here's what I've been loving throughout April..

Mac Paint Pot in Groundwork*-If you've been reading Nana Wintour for a while you'll know I'm quite fond of Mac's Paint Pots. Groundwork is a mid-toned taupe and on the lids it looks quite warm. If your eyeshadow is prone to creasing then this is a great base to help your eyeshadows stick around. I like to wear this on lazy days with a bit of bronzer in the crease too. It looks like you've made a bit of an effort in the morning #cheatsmakeup. 

Essie Nail Colour in Fiji-An off-white pink that is one of Essie's bestselling shades. It doesn't apply streakily although you will need at least two coats if you want it totally opaque. Essie's polishes seem to last really well on the nails and have a glossy, gel nail-esque finish. 

Nuxe Reve De Miel Honey Lip Balm-Reve De Miel is a beauty blogger favourite and it is easy to see why. It's not just the frosted glass jar that does it. If your lips are prone to looking a bit worse for wear in Winter then you need this in your life. It has quite a thick texture but once it's on your lips it dries matte. You only need the smallest amount and your lips will be thanking you the next morning. It seems pricy but you get a fair amount of product and a little goes a long way.

It was a very exciting day when the Essie Fall Collection* made its way to me. Each of these colours are inspired by various materials in fashion-flannels, knits, lace and twill. There is bound to be a shade that suits you and your outfit's needs. All these new colours come with Essie's new formula and wide brush which take all the fuss out of nail painting, and give you longer lasting colour.

A new quartet of colours have been released for Fall but this trio are taking my fancy. First up we have The Lace Is On-a vibrant, metallic fuschia that is sure to make a statement on the nails. Pair it with an LBD and some statement rings for extra oomph. After School Boy Blazer-was a shade I talked myself out of buying at Christmas as it didn't seem seasonally appropriate, so I was excited to see it made its way to our shores. A deep navy blue that looks almost black in certain lights. I've layered this silver over the top and it looks stunning. This may well be my new favourite Wintry nail colour.  Finally we have Cashmere Bathrobe-How adorable is that name? A grey with subtle flecks of glitter and the more neutral offering of the three. I can see this working well as an accent nail alongside After School Boy Blazer. 

Good things come in threes, and I'll certainly be getting a lot of use out of these colours this Winter, although there's still a vampy red hole in my nail polish collection, Sole Mate may just fill it..

Essie's Fall Collection is available now from select Farmers and pharmacies nationwide for a limited time only. 

*Will you be adding any of these shades to your collection?

*Gifted PR Samples

Summer is drawing to a close, although it certainly doesn't feel like it in Auckland. The days seem to just be starting to warm up now. Summer is my favourite time of the year-the fashion, the fruit, visiting the beaches when they're at their best. I love it all. Here's what I've been loving over the Summer from beauty to fashion accessories and some miscellaneous extras. Be sure to check back later on as you'll be able to win some of these products.

Beauty

Neutrogena Beach Defense Sun Spray*-Pictured is the sunscreen version of this product as I've now used the sun spray up. You spray this directly on to the skin and can leave it to dry on its own or rub it in yourself, either way it dries pretty fast. You aren't left with the sticky, sunscreen feeling either-major bonus! The spray and sunscreen both have a lovely tropical scent. It is an SPF50 product too so I've not been badly burnt at all this Summer. 

Essie Nail Colour in Watermelon and Set in Stones-When it comes to nails in Summer we all want something fuss free, which usually means it'll dry faster and last longer on the nails. Well, Essie's polishes do a pretty good job in both those departments. They have such an array of fun Summer brights but it's these two polishes above that I've been wearing the most. Honourable mention has to go to Mint Candy Apple as well. 

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayons in Peach On The Beach and Orange Punch-Like nails, in Summer lips call for something fuss-free. Bring in the lip crayons which are super easy to apply. These Bourjois offerings are creamy, pigmented and fairly long-wearing. Orange Punch leaves a subtle stain behind once it wears away so you don't need to touch this up as often. 

Tangle Teezer Compact Styler-If you've got longer hair and it's prone to become knotty or tangled in Summer (thanks sea), then you need one of these in your lives. I like to use this after washing my hair too to get all the tangles out pre blow-wave. This compact styler in particular is great as it comes with a cover so the bristles don't get caught on things in your handbag. It's not as bulky as the original tangle teezers too so it will take up less space in your bag. I'd highly recommend picking up one of these if you don't already own one.

Christmas is now over and if you're in the Southern Hemisphere no doubt some of you will be off right now spending gift vouchers or money in the Boxing Day Sales. I'm sure the fairies behind some of our favourite beauty sites are aware of all this too because a few days before Christmas their sales emails started appearing in my inbox. Well, they've certainly collated some fabulous beauty things in their sales. I've gathered a little edit of some of the best bargains. The best part is you don't even need to leave your house to purchase them. Whether you're looking to treat yourself, or get a head start on gifts for next year, you are bound to find something you're tempted by.

Eyeko 'Alexa Chung' Set-This cutely packaged kit contains an eyeliner and mascara that both have Alexa's artwork and approval behind them. I added this set to my cart and hastily left the tempting Beauty Bay realm, 'nuff said. 

Too Faced 'All I Want For Christmas' Set-This is such an adorable set. I love the case it is all packaged up in. You get everything you need, sans base for a makeup look in this set. If you're looking to try out Too Faced then you should pick this up because there's a well thought out selection of products to try in there. 

Diptyque Philosykos Eau De Toilette-A fresh, fig scent that is uplifting and not potent in the slightest. Now that I have the Figuier candle as well this scent reminds me a lot of the fragrance of fresh Christmas trees so it's like owning Christmas in a bottle all year. Who wouldn't want that?

Essie Winter Collection-Festive glittery reds, navy blues and cashmere greys. Love. You cannot fault Essie polishes. They're long-wearing, easy to apply and they have a fantastic colour range. 

It's that time of the month again! During December I've been loving colour, glitter, and everything in between. Sit back, relax, grab a cup of tea or a cold drink and have a read of this month's edit..

Bobbi Brown Nail Polish in Chrome, limited edition*-It's no secret that I love glittery things and this gold nail polish is no exception. This glitter is easy to apply and the fine glitter pieces mean you can layer this over other nail colours, super festive. It dries fast and is super easy to remove, unlike most glitters. I'm quite tempted to go pick up the other gold shade from this collection as well.

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons in Peach on the Beach and Orange Punch-I love the simplicity and ease of application that comes with lip crayons. These Bourjois offerings are pigmented, creamy and pretty darn long lasting. 

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub-My skin's been a little bit scaly lately, particularly around my elbows and ankles. This zesty lime, lemon and smashed brown sugar scrub solves that problem though. Using a scrub like this one in conjunction with a body butter leaves your skin incredibly moisturised. It also helps that this scrub happens to smell delicious!

Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Ore-Pigments are perfect for jazzing up eye makeup, particularly during the festive season. Ore is a stunning bronze with flecks of gold glitter throughout. I like wearing this by itself or layered over other eyeshadows with lots of mascara.

I'm sure it won't come as much of a surprise to anyone that within hours of landing I'd already found myself in both Mecca Maxima and Priceline. Now this may seem like a lot of beauty-related products but I knew about this holiday for a while and had been saving accordingly. I was mainly trying to find products that you can't pick up in New Zealand and managed to do just that! For all my Australian readers I've put links as well so you can see where to buy everything.

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayons in Peach On The Beach and Orange Punch. Ever since I've been using the bronzing primer from Bourjois I'd been wanting to try more of their products. These lip crayons in particular were popular in the Northern Hemisphere summertime and it is easy to see why. I picked up two colours I usually steer clear of but because they are a bit sheerer they look a lot more subtle and wearable.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara, purchased in Duty Free I was initially not going to purchase this because the duty free store in the city gave me a price for this mascara which was quite expensive. When I got to the airport counter though it was much less than what the salesperson had originally told me. It lengthens your lower lashes and adds a curl to them, which is something other mascaras seem to not do. This is the perfect companion if you want Twiggy-esque lashes. 

Essie Luxeffects in Set in Stones Essie has recently returned to the shelves in New Zealand but the luxeffects range hasn't been released here. This silver glitter features different sized glitter pieces so this looks stunning alongside festive red shades or as a feature nail. For a glitter polish it isn't overly gritty as well, which is perfect if you're like me and loathe the sandpaper texture on your nails that some glitters cause. 

Hydraluron This was a Caroline Hirons and beauty blogger-influenced enabled purchase. Hydraluron is a serum containing hyaluronic acid that is designed to inject moisture back into the skin. I haven't used this yet but the beauty-set swear by it so I will let you know how it performs. 

The latest additions to the polish collection-Mint Candy Apple and Watermelon.

One major change you'll notice is the shade selection. It has dramatically improved and you'll find all of Essie's popular colours from Mademoiselle to Watermelon are here. Another major change is the brush size. If you're familiar with the new Rimmel Salon Pro polishes you'll know they feature a wider brush. Well, so do Essie's. I think it may be slightly wider than the Rimmel offering. What this means is that it's a lot easier to paint your nail in one stroke. The polish also dries super fast-if you're impatient like me then this is a good thing. 

Now how do the colours add up? Well, some of you may have noticed I seem to have accumulated a few polishes of the mint green variety. None of them are identical though. Mint Candy Apple is probably the closest shade I own that resembles the signature Tiffany & Co blue. Unlike other pastels this doesn't apply streakily but you will need at least two coats if you want an opaque finish. Watermelon on the other hand is a berry red. The colour reminds me of Strawberry jam actually. This shade has more of a glossy finish to it which gives you the whole salon-manicure effect. 

It is safe to say that Essie's return was definitely worth waiting for. If you're in New Zealand you can pick Essie colours up now from select pharmacies and Farmers stores. 

*I hope your week has been grand! As you read this I will be counting down the hours until my final exam for the year is over, and will no doubt be celebrating. The reality however is that I will probably be tired and will come straight back to bed. Oh-and if you celebrate Halloween I hope you have a good day/night tomorrow! xo

Sometimes it is easy to forget to take time out of our busy lives to relax. The reality is that sometimes there just is no time. Over the weekend though I took some time out to just relax and do things that are enjoyable to me. One way I love to unwind is to have a bath and read books or magazines. Standard really but there is something about baths that is just so..luxurious. The bubbles, gorgeously scented and coloured water, freshly lit candles. I love it!

Today I thought I'd share with you some of my pamper essentials for a bit of 'me' time..

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel, limited edition. Snow Fairy is the quintessential Lush Christmas scent. It smells like lollies and I love using this in the morning for showers and of course the bath for shimmery bubbles. 

Nivea In Shower Body Lotion* If you have dry skin then this is great for you. This is basically a lotion and moisturiser in one which means you don't have to use an additional moisturiser post-shower. It's very good at clearing up any dry patches you may have. While the scent can be a bit overpowering in the shower it does fade quite quickly.

Lush Golden Wonder Bath Ballistic, limited edition. Lush's bath ballistics are my favourite, especially the Christmas ones. It shares its scent with the Celebrate body lotion and contains lime oil and orange flower absolute. Your bath is filled with glittery stars which leave behind turquoise blue water. I'll definitely be picking up more of these before the end of the year.

Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polish in Jazz Funk* I love painting my nails despite not being very good at it. Rimmel takes all the hard work away with these polishes though. Their wide brush and opaque finish make this super easy to apply. 

Benefit They're Real! Mascara The love affair continues. This mascara lengthens, defines and volumises the lashes without clumping or smudging. It is easy to apply, although separating the lashes requires a bit of mastery. Regardless, this is a fantastic mascara and I don't think I'll be without this in my collection for a while yet.

Antipodes Joyful Hand and Body Cream This fruity hand cream is the only one not drying out my hands this Winter. It sinks into the skin so fast, you aren't left with greasy residue and the skin feels silky smooth. If you suffer from slightly dry or sensitive skin then this would be good for you.

Mac Amplified Lipstick in Show Orchid This shade is a bright fuschia with very fine blue glitters running through it which give it a slightly glossy finish. Amplified lipsticks are pretty long lasting but if you want the colour to stay on then apply a lip pencil all over the lips first. This shade seems to flatter a wide range of skintones but if you're unsure about it then go try it on yourself at a Mac counter first.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask Firstly I love the fruity, somewhat tropical smell of this mask. It instantly feels like you're applying a luxury mask to your face. Despite this being a cream mask it isn't a heavy formula and your skin isn't left feeling tight or tingly, perfect for sensitive skin. If your skin's feeling a bit dry or needs a bit of a moisture boost then this is for you. I talk about this more in depth in part #1 of my bedtime beauty posts which you can read here. 

Essie Polish in Absolutely Shore A dusky, duck-egg blue grey offering which is so beautiful as a standalone colour on the nails. While it can be a bit of a nuisance to apply, once on the nails, provided you use top and base coat it will last really well without chipping. Essie's formula just seems to mesh really well with my nails and I'm looking forward to adding more of their colours to my polish collection. 

Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base Regarded as the holy grail product for preventing eyeshadows from creasing. This'd be a dream product for an eyeshadow lover and oily-lidded girl like myself.

Bobbi Brown Blush in Nude Peach Peach blushes are usually something I avoid so when one of the makeup artists at Bobbi Brown applied this on me I was surprised to see that the colour suited my skintone. This colour is perfect to give skin a bit of a natural flush during Winter.

Benefit World Famous Neutrals Palette in Most Glamorous Nudes Benefit is coming to town soon and this collection of palettes is one of their newest product offerings. Complete with four powder and two cream eyeshadows this would make a lovely addition to anyone's makeup collection.

Stella by Stella McCartney Confession: I love perfumes. They're one of the first things I head towards when I'm in a department store. This scent consists of notes of Rose, Peony Flower, Mandarin, Rose Absolute and Amber. It smells like no other fragrance I've owned and I love it. One for the duty free list perhaps?