October Favourites ft Essie, L'Occitane, Sally Hansen, Max Factor, Gorjuss, Benefit, Imperial Leather, Soap & Glory, Real Techniques & Laura Ashley

What better way to realise it's November than for someone to turn off the heating, eh? It's blahhdy briste out there but a couple of my October favourites have been absolute saviours in the changing weather. Read all about it: 




1. Sally Hansen Plums the Word: €8.95 here: 

This muted purple/plum polish with grey almost fawn undertones is one of the easiest shades to wear this season and every autumn/winter season since 2011. This is my second bottle and with up to five days chip free wear, I really couldn't recommend a more sturdy, seasonally appropriate stunner of a polish. 

2. Max Factor's Wild Mega VolumeMascara: €9.99 here: When I read Max Factors' 3x volume promise I was a little sceptical but Sweet Baby J, they deliver. Pictured here in just one coat, you can see why this mascara has been on my eyes more than any other last month. Volumising, separating and guaranteed to stay in place until removed, Wild Mega Volume is definitely one for the party season. 

3. L'Occitane Almond Milk Concentrate: €42 here (L'Occitane's NEW IRISH WEBSITE!): 

I picked up this Almond Milk Concentrate at the Irish Tatler Reader's event recently because despite going through the entire store, I gravitated back to the corner to inhale the subtle almond scent deeply and move away again. €42 is a little spendy for a body cream but once I'd used this once, I'd pay it twice over for the soft, supple, subtlety scented skin it leaves behind. 

Unctuous and comforting, I've been using Almond Milk Concentrate with Origins Ginger Burst and the combination is incredible. I urge you to get your nose into one of these pretty jars very, very soon, you won't be disappointed. 

4. Benefit's Rockateur: £23.50 here: €34 here: 

Though an avid fan of Benefit's Box O' Powders, when I read about the weight/price disparity with their newest offering, Rockateur, it gave me pause. As in I refused to shell out and fumed that I wouldn't have the one powder that seemed to appeal to my every blush need - rose gold, coral undertones and highlighting properties. That was until I received a Feel Unique voucher and I knew Rockateur would be mine. 

From first swatch it was love, I've worn this blush every single day since I've first opened the box, swiped once for a toned down look and more for evenings out. I've recommended Rockateur till I'm blue in the face and even assaulted my sister with a blusher brush to convert her (it worked). While I'd be loathe to pay €34 for 5g of anything, I'll be buying back ups of this beauty from Belfast with another 2 for gifts, it's just that good. 

5. Imperial Leather Sweet Vanilla & Cherry Blossom Foamburst: €2.50 here: 

I had a full review of the newest Foambursts here where I bemoaned the fact that I had to pay €4.05 a tin, having missed the introductory priced boat. Good news! They're back to €2.50 and were I to recommend just one it'd be Sweet Vanilla and Cherry Blossom. 

The tin is supposed to last for 40 washes but this version has been such a luxuriously foamy, sweetly scented hit around here that we've already gone through two tins. For €2.50 a pop and quality that says it's worth over 5 times that. I'd say stock up, stock up now!

6. Real Techniques Powder Brush: $9.99 (€7.40) here: €16.99 here: 

The newest addition to my Real Techniques collection, this Powder Brush is the plushest, softest powder brush I own. The synthetic bristles pick up just the right amount of product and sweep across the skin for a flawless finish, whether I'm using powder, blusher or bronzer. I'd highly recommend this bad boy to anyone that might listen. Pure luxury. 

7. Laura Ashley Hand and Nail Cream: €7.50 here: 

Enriched with Shea Butter and Liquorice Root extracts, this Laura Ashley hand and nail cream has taken me completely by surprise. I was going to say it smells good enough to eat until I read the Hazards warning on the Boots website, Seriously!! 

    Hazards and Cautions

• This is not a food. Do not eat!

My hands haven't felt this soft and nourished in quite a while but it genuinely is the scent that sells it. The beautiful powder blue birdy design on this range isn't too hard on the eye either and make this new Laura Ashley range extremely giftable. Check 'em out!

8. Essie For The Twill of It: €9.98 here: 

Very similar to OPI's Peace and Love, there's nowt I love more than a decent duochrome polish. Essie's For the Twill of it from their Fall collection is an opaque in two coats beaut. 

Shimmering and changing between purple/green/grey and blue, depending on the light, you don't own an outfit that wouldn't be flattered by this beautiful polish. 

9. Soap & Glory's Heel Genius: €7.75 here: 

I reviewed this overnight sensation here and to say I'm in love with its heeling powers for feet is an enormous understatement. Good enough to have the worst feet moonwalking in 12 hours, you need to see Heel Genius at work to really appreciate it. 

10. Gorjuss Purrfect Love Tiny Umbrella: €25 here: (though on 3 for 2)

Admittedly, the most I've paid for an umbrella, this Gorjuss offering has been saved my skin (and my hair) quite literally several times over the past six weeks. This being my first autumn/winter without a momo and with the joys of a bandy back has meant that I'm out in the elements with only a tiny bag because of the weight but this brolly has been a godsend. 

Extremely lightweight but with a resilience that belies that fact, this cute brolly folds small enough to fit into my hand or pop into my pocket at a moments notice but flies into action at the touch of a button and hasn't let me down yet. The gift box it came in is also doubling as a cute/sturdy travel box for my make up brushes so this one's definitely a twofer. 

Aaaand breathe - that's them - my October favourites of 2013. 

If you have a favourites post, do please feel free to link it below and let me know what's floating your autumnal boat this year, ja?