Seasonal Staples

I would not get through the cold Winter months without my trusty boots. Anyone who knows me will know I'm a boots girl during A/W and slip on the sandals as soon as I catch a glimpse of sun or some warmer weather. I live in them day in, day out, without fail, and they definitely get worn out. I just think boots are so easy to work with, you can wear them casually in the day with some skinnies and chunky knits, or just as easily work them into a more dressy look - I'm thinking rocking up a cute dress with some tights and boots for an edgy feel. This year I've invested in a long pair of boots which I hope will get their wears worth  for a few years and three (yes, three...eek) pairs of ankle boots which I will pair with my various Autumn/Winter wardrobe.

I've dedicated a post to the first pair of ankle boots already so I won't bore you by babbling on repeating my self but I love them so check them out :) 

Here are my investment boots. Named so because I'm really hoping they last me and are worth the investment. I usually buy a pair of long boots every year if not every other year and wear them so much that they almost fall apart so thought this year I would invest in a classic pair that should see me through for a while. This lovely pair is from Russell and Bromley and to my surprise due to their look, are entirely made from leather. They're sturdy and comfortable and because of the stretchy pleated soft leather, fit like a glove around my calf as well as having a great texture to admire!

I've blogged before about my well-loved Kurt Geiger boots but unfortunately they've finally given up on me (I told you I wear my boots to death!) and I've had to send them to the shoe mender in hope that they can be fixed up with some TLC. I know that I could wear them with almost any outfit though so decided another pair of little black ankle boots would be a welcomed new staple in my wardrobe. These ones from Next are much cheaper than the Geigers but are still leather and really good quality. I just love the cute little tassels, makes a change to having a boring old zip :)

My final pair of boots is also from Next (Next did good this year!) and are a pair of wedge boots. They're also available in black but I thought it would make a nice change to have a mink pair of boots as I tend to gravitate towards black at this time of year. The wedge is so comfortable and can look both casual and dressy but these are suede so will take more looking after thanks to the constant rain we get in the UK towards the end of the year!

Are you a boots girl like me or do you dedicated to your flats?

Friday Favourite: Metallic Croc Effect

After my previous post on Autumnal Nail Shades, I experimented using two together. Barry M Nail Paint in 343 Burgundy Croc and Rimmel London Metal Rush in 80 Purple Reign. Both of these were two of my favourites from the selection and when paired together they create a stunning nail for this season. Metallics are everywhere at the moment and the Rimmel polish reflects that with it's electric purple pop of colour. The result with a coat of the Barry M Croc Effect on top is amazing, with a beautiful texture and two autumnal colours that work perfectly together with just the right amount of contrast.  The metallic purple peeks through the berry toned burgundy underneath the cracks formed by the Croc Effect polish and once finished with a slick of my favourite top coat, Sally Hansen's Mega Shine, you have a unique nail polish collaboration that will ad a pop of colour to the dull tones of Autumn clothing! I've worn this pair for a solid week without a single chip, perfection!

Autumnal Nail Shades

I have an excessive nail polish collection but the strong majority of the polishes I own are darker shades, my favourites being the vampy plums and almost blacks. While I do love the brights and pastels of Summer, there is something about the deep rich shades that return every Autumn and Winter that I'm drawn to, so I thought I would head to Boots & Superdrug to scout out ten of my favourite shades that I'll be wearing this season. I've chosen from a variety of brands and tried to include different tones and finishes so I hope you enjoy my autumnal nail picks!

From left to right:
Maxfactor Max Effect in 03 Red Bronze -  A gorgeous metallic bronze, reminds me of the falling leaves of Autumn.

Models Own in Red n Black - One of the aforementioned almost blacks, with a very slight tint of red.

Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in 786 Taupe Couture -  A dark grey toned taupe, perfect neutral nail for Autumn.

Barry M Nail Paint in 327 Magnetic Burgundy - A beautiful burgundy colour polish, reacting to the magnet with stripes of pink.

Barry M Nail Paint in 433 Magnetic Moon Dust - Similar effect with the magnet, resulting in gold and silver stripes, another great metallic shade for Autumn/Winter..would look great at Christmas.

Barry M Nail Paint in 327 Magnetic Burgundy. This is definitely one of my favourite shades from my selection, I love the berry tones and the stripes the magnet creates. Makes a change to plain block colour nails and is just as easy as a quick manicure.

From left to right: (excuse the nasty little cut on my first finger!)
Barry M Nail Paint in 343 Burgundy Croc - Another great polish from Barry M with a textured finish in a great vampy colour for Autumn.

Models Own Pro in Limited Edition 043 Pinky Grey - It's not all doom and gloom! This is a great neutral nail colour and is exactly what it says on the tin -  pinky grey! Slightly lilac I think, and great for days when you want to perk up a dark Autumnal outfit with a lighter colour nail. I'm finding this is the perfect transition colour from Summer to Autumn.

Essie Sole Mate - Very similar to Models Own Black n Red but much more red so looks like a dark burgundy on the nail rather than almost black.

No7 Stay Perfect in Thunderstorm - The photo does this colour no justice, it looks a lot more dark and black than it actually is (I'm sorry!) It's similar to Maybelline's Taupe Couture because of it's grey neutral shade but has a slightly blue/purple undertone which I really love.

Rimmel London Metal Rush in 80 Purple Reign - This has to be another of my favourites, it definitely steals the show. The Metal Rush polishes are part of Rimmel's AW12 collection and from the four polishes on offer, this one stood out. I just adore the bright purple metallic shade and think it will work well to brighten up an Autumn outfit.

Best of the bunch: Barry M's Burgundy Croc is a polish like no other. I've seen the crackle effects been done by so many brands and quite frankly, I'm tired of it! This is a new twist on things and yes, it does still crackle like the others but the cracks are more precise and it definitely does look very similar to a Crocodile skin. I used this over Maybelline Taupe Couture as to not detract from the effect but I'm thinking of trying it will the Rimmel Metal Rush polish next to see how that contrast works. When finished with a slick of Sally Hansen's Mega Shine, it truly does mimic that of a patent mock-croc bag. Love it!

So there you have it, my nail polish picks for Autumn. Let me know if you'll be sporting any of these yourself this season!