October Fashion & Beauty Favourites

Spring blossoms, a return to warmer weather and terrible hay fever have all made a reappearance during October but im not complaining as a change of season has also brought with it some new favourites to both my wardrobe and makeup bag. Here is what I've been loving in October:

The Perfect Striped Dress :: Do you ever find that sometimes that most basic clothing pieces are the hardest to get right. I can't remember the number of times I've bought a striped dress which just doesn't quite hit the mark. Being five foot two it's pretty easy for things to be too long or not fit the way a garment was intended, but this stripey number from Dorothy Perkins is so perfect. It is figure hugging but I've been loving wearing it with a denim jacket and my white converse shoes for an easy but put-together casual look.

Button Up Denim A-Line Skirts :: I love it when trends are actually wearable and super flattering for practically every body type. A Line skirts are my go-to for the best shape for my body type (read: thighs) and it's one of the only elements of the 70s trend that I think is going to stick around for a while. This button up number is from Dotti and I'm seriously considering getting it in black as well.

REN Clarifying Toner :: Remember my mini-MECCA beauty hall and how I said I'd do a review of said products sometime.... This product has ignited my love for toners. Having only really used supermarket jobs which don't actually do much, switching to a 'proper' toner has had a significant effect on my skin. Oily and spot prone girls might be interested in giving this a try as it's one of the only products that has quite noticeably helped clear up my scars and helps prevent pimples from being as bad as they could be.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer :: Another MECCA product I bought last month and have been loving. I bought the tiny sized 8.95ml bottle because this stuff is eye wateringly expensive and I wasn't sure it was worth the hype. Fortunately its bloody brilliant especially for preventing oil from ruining your makeup, something I constantly struggle with. The other upside? A tiny tiny amount goes a loooong way. Since the bottle I bought has a mini pump to go with its mini size, I squeeze out a tiny tiny blob, so tiny it's hardly worth calling a blob and it covers my entire face. Amazing, brilliant and may just bite the bullet and buy a big size when my tiny bottle eventually runs out.

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick No.30 :: I've been on the hunt for a purple lipstick for a while now but wasn't sure if I was brave enough to go full purple. This baby is a berry shaded purple which is a tad brighter than what I would usually wear in autumn. It's probably not the most spring appropriate shade but it's just so pretty I think it works all year around. Rimmel matte lipsticks have become my go to since they're just so cheap and the formula rivals that of many high end brands.

Book Adaptations I Enjoyed Better On The Screen

Inspired by a question I answered when filming my Unpopular Opinions video* - Which movie did you prefer to the book? - I thought I would pick a few of my top movie over book scenarios, a controversial topic I know!

Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh :: It pains me to say this as Trainspotting is one of my favourite movies ever but the book is dark, man, real dark and even as someone who loves black comedies I found reading about Scottish smackheads a bit more than I could handle. Also deciphering the Scottish accent it's written in made it that much more difficult to get into.

A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin :: Sorry, sorry, sorry. Blasphemous I know, but as a massive fan of the television series I really found that I understood GoT's many plotlines that much easier when I was able to put a face to the names. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed Martin's writing and obvs he gets all the credit in making this series what it is but I needed some serious flow chart action to stop me from being confused all the damn time.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne :: A great book that I probably would have enjoyed more if it went without the hyped "it's middle-grade fiction but suitable for adults too." (Although in that case I probably wouldn't have read it). The book is a fantastic middle grade book but I felt it wasn't deep enough and didn't work as an adult fiction book because it's not meant to! Lets call this a case of having too high expectations. I enjoyed the film more.

No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy :: As a massive Cormac McCarthy fan it actually pains me to add this one to the list but I made the rookie mistake of seeing the movie and then reading the book. McCarthy's book works so well as a screenplay they basically tore off the front and back covers and used it verbatim. It makes for a brilliant film but pretty much ruins the reading experience. Always, always read a McCarthy book first!

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo :: One of my all time favourite musicals both on the stage and in film (although sometimes I forget how weird it is watching a film when people are singing everything all the time) I absolutely hands down adore the thematic version of Les Miserables. Honestly I found the reading experiencing a tad miserable myself as I'm not the best person at persevering with classical fiction and this one is a long wade through convoluted waters.

Tell me, what books did you think were made better as movies?

*Coming to a blog post near you very soon!

Reasons to Read: Literary Fiction

Ahhh literary fiction. I won't lie, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the genre. On the one hand I think it's great to push yourself to read great literature, philosophical ideas and broaden our minds and vocabulary through literature. On the other hand sometimes I have to be in the mood to push myself to read books that have difficult prose! Today's post, however is a celebration of all the reasons to read this genre:

Oh the words! :: Literary fiction is usually the genre that inspires me the most to broaden my vocab but more than that just enjoy the beauty of fantastic writing. A lot of literary books I enjoy more for they way they are written rather than necessarily their plots or characters.

They make ya think :: Sure it's lovely to read my favourite genres, I'll always have time for crime fiction, historical novels and chick-lit that entertains and delights but thinking deeply about social, political or human nature is important. One of the joys of reading is discovering more about not only ourselves but broadening our perspectives.

They can be challenging :: I know the pain of struggling through a book that's perhaps too far out of our comfort zones but sometimes the only way to get better and improve at tackling difficult books is to practice. This doesn't mean you have to dive right in with Ulysees (personally I don't think I'll even be tackling James Joyce) but some of my favourite reads have been ones I've persevered with.

A new perspective :; Some of my favourite books in literary fiction are written by from the perspective of characters who don't have mainstream lives or opinions. I think this genre is a fantastic one for broadening minds and perspectives on subjects perhaps we've never considered before. Take Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides for example which tells the story of a hermaphrodite boy who spends his childhood raised as a female before discovering his true sexuality.

Is literary fiction a genre you enjoy reading too?

My Favourites: Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones, The Book Theif by Markus Zusak, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.