October was a bit of a 'blah' month for me. It started off with a bout of the holiday blues after my trip to Munich and ended with a couple of super stressful weeks in work and so I've been feeling a little lacklustre and in need of a pick me up.
It is for this reason that a lot of my 'favourites' this month revolve around being able to relax, get cosy and take a few minutes out to unwind.
The main thing that has been helping me do this has been my tea and book routine before bed, and my go to flavor recently has been the Twinings Comforting Liquorice. I've been trying to steer away from the chais, the ginger breads and the hazelnuts until it gets nearer to Christmas, but now that November has arrived I might have to cave.
I've also been enjoying cooking a lot more this month and have been loving this book from Izy Hossack that I picked up after seeing the lovely Luce from Bonjour Luce mention it in one of her posts. Top with Cinnamon includes some amazing recipes - Cinnamon, pecan and oatmeal cookies and Pear frangipane and caramel tartlets to name a few, and after making a vow to eat out less this month, this has proven to be quite an effective distraction.
Whilst doing all this tea drinking and attempting to become a goddess in the kitchen, I have been donning my favorite purchase of the month - these super cosy Totes Toasties, space dye woolen socks. So soft, so warm. There is nothing more to say other than everyone needs a pair.
And finally, on the make up front - I've actually managed to curb my penchant for high end treats and have found some bits and bobs in Boots that I was sucked in by during their 3 for 2 event. I picked up Barry M's 'Vintage Violet' nail polish after seeing Lily Pebbles feature it on her blog and have had very little else on my nails ever since. Then I finally also got around to trying the new Maybelline Colour Drama lip pencils that everyone and their dog has been going on about comparing them to the Nars Velvet Matte ones. I picked up the shade 'Keep it Classy' - a lovely dusky rose/pink and without giving too much away, I think I actually prefer these and will more than likely stick up my own little comparison post in the next week or so.
And to finish things off - the Rimmel Pan HD eyeshadow palette in 'Brixton Brown'. After seeing a number of other bloggers rave about this I thought I would give it a go, not least because of it's handy size making it the perfect companion for when you're on the go or staying away somewhere. The quality of the shadows is lovely and smooth - fantastic for the £7 that you pay, and the color pay off is great. I find that these warmer brownish-reddy shades really suit me and help to enhance my dark eyes, plus they're absolutely gorgeous for this time of year. A must have if it's a nice selection of shadows on a budget that you're after.
What have you been enjoying most this month?