When it comes to Basic Bitch Bingo, I’ve probably got a full house when it comes to pumpkins, autumn leaves and a Balm Dot Com tube, but hey, autumn is my favourite season, and I can’t let a Glossier new release pass me by. The newest release from the brand is their iconic Balm Dot Com in a limited edition Wild Fig scent. Realistically, Glossier’s version of limited edition will in no way be actually limited, but I needed to add £10 to an order of their Skin Tint, so thought it was as good an excuse as any to try the newest offering.

The Wild Fig version of the Balm Dot Com is one of nine available flavours, and it feels like a nice option to use for winter. I’m not sure about you, but it never feels quite right slapping on a coconut-scented product in the middle of winter. Fig seems a bit cosier and warmer, and the balm itself has a lovely, almost jammy scent which is noticeable but not overwhelming. Once it’s on, I don’t really notice the scent, but it’s a nice change for the season.

I’ve been using the balm on mornings when I need a little pop of colour before heading out. Patted on to lips, it gives a beautiful warm-red stain, which is perfect for casual autumn days. It’s an amplified neutral, so it looks beautiful paired with a smokey eye, and it gives me just the right amount of colour on cold mornings when I want to look more awake. Since it’s a balm, it wears well, and just fades away (this isn’t a product you need to worry about smearing all over when you have a coffee), and it leaves lips super hydrated too.

Glossier Balm Dot Com in Wild Fig is priced at £10 and is available here. Fancy 10% off your next Glossier purchase? Just use this link here

I’m not sure about you, but I can only manage to find a little time for myself in the evening. During the day I’m always thinking about what needs done, where I need to be, and what’s coming up, but once it gets dark, it gets a whole lot easier to put my phone on silent (usually in another room) and walk away for an hour so we both can enjoy a quick recharge. A warm bath filled with luxe oils and a good book is one of my favourite ways to spend an evening, but it’s nice to know that even on nights there is an easy way to enjoy a bit of a treat, in the form of Templespa’s Repose Relaxing Night Cream.

Throughout the month of October, Templespa are partnering with Mind – a charity dedicated to helping those with mental health issues finds support and respect. It’s an amazing cause, and I have certainly felt the benefit of taking a little time to myself, without scrolling through endless headlines. For the past few weeks, each evening, I’ve been loving the Repose Night Cream. Described as ‘a good night’s sleep in a jar’, the formula soothes, calms and settles skin, thanks to ingredients including natural plant extracts, natural antioxidants and essential oils, it’s got a beautifully soft texture which melts into skin without leaving any heaviness behind. It also smells incredible – hops valerian, chamomile, frankincense, lavender, patchouli, geranium, bitter orange and clary essential oils have all been used thanks to their relaxation properties. Smoothing the cream on after cleansing feels close to spa treatment, and once it’s on, I love to use my rose quartz roller to de-puff and push the cream even further in.

If you fancy enjoy a bit of a skin-treat yourself, for a limited time, Templespa are offering a buy-one-get-one-free offer in order to help raise funds for Mind. You only pay £40, and you’ll receive two, full size Repose Night Creams, both with the Mind charity logo on them, and Templespa £6 to the charity. Doing good has never felt better!

Templespa Repose Night Cream is priced at £40 and is available here

When it comes to this time of year, I feel like my skin always needs a bit of a helping hand. We’re right at the cusp of winter, and although the temperatures haven’t quite dropped, it’s getting chillier, and my skin is starting that awkward transition into my cold weather routine. So, last week, when I went to my first Covid-safe press event at Harvey Nichols last week, I was pretty thrilled to get gifted this genius powder from Pixi.

Part of the brand’s Vitamin +C line, which is designed to keep skin radiant, the Glow-y Powder is a multiuse powder house, which you can use as a blush, highlight and even eyeshadow. It’s one of those products which finds a spot in your daily makeup bag, then never really leaves. Personally, I find my skin can look too ruddy if I pile on the blush, but I’ve been loving swirling a light layer of the powder onto my cheekbones, and buffing it in as a neutral shadow.

The powder has a beautifully buttery texture which just melts into the skin. It has such a gorgeously soft texture, it almost feels creamy, and as a result, it won’t ever cake or look cake-y on the face. Instead it just brings a warm glow to the skin without adding any of the dreaded sparkle. I’m more than a little obsessed with the amount of shine it brings, which whilst beautiful, never looks too much. Even when applied sparingly, the colour and glow lasts all day long, and it’s pretty much golden hour in a pan – exactly what I’m looking for at this time of year!

Pixi Glow-y Powder Vitamin+C – Peach Dew is priced at £14 and is available here (UK) and here (US)

Last week I felt like a glimpse of normality when I was lucky enough to be invited to Edinburgh’s Harvey Nichols store to meet the Global Director of Education and Artistry Amanda Bell. As well as learning about her hero products, and the new bits and bobs the brand has just released (I have some absolute gems coming your way, which are perfect for combatting the dreaded maskne we’re all dreading) and it was such a treat to talk all things beauty with someone so incredibly knowledgable. The press treat was perfectly timed, as, for the past few weeks I’ve been loving the Pixi Skintreats Glow Mud Cleanser – a gloriously rich cleanser which feels perfect for treating skin during this transitional period of weather.

I don’t think I’ve ever tried a cleanser from Pixi before, and honestly, if they’re all as good as this one, I’m set for life. Depending on how my skin is feeling, I’ve been using it either as a regular cleanser, or, on days when I need a little extra help, I’ve been using it as a cleansing mask. It has a beautiful, almost whipped texture – it’s lighter than other mud or mask products I’ve used. It eliminates makeup, and, in a stroke of genius, the formula is enriched with 5% glycolic acts as well as with soothing botanicals. The result is smoother, clearer skin which feels less irritated than before – I love using after days when I’ve been out and about, and it’s an absolute godsend on days when my skin feels congested or dirty. Even when used as a mask, it never dehydrates my skin, thanks to the avocado oil in the formula. After using it it, I pat my face dry, and follow up with a hydrating serum and moisturiser and I’m good to go.

Pixi Skintreats Glow Mud Cleanser is priced at £18 and is available here (UK) and here (US)

One of my all time most used gadgets has to be my Foreo UFO. I’ve reviewed it fully here, but if I loved sheet masks before, it’s really been a bit of a game changer. Rather than having to sit around whilst my skin drinks in the goodness of a mask, the UFO activates them with LED and thermal technologies, which bring spa-level treatments direct to my bedroom. To accompany the device, Foreo also have a range of masks for every skin type, and the latest ones are the new Cannabis Seed Oil masks, designed to clear, hydrate and soothe skin – perfect for heading into the chillier temperatures of winter.

Part of the brand’s farm-to-face range, the masks work on both the original UFO and the UFO 2, and they couldn’t be easier to use. You secure the mask onto the UFO device, sync with the phone app, and you’re good to go. The treatment takes under two minutes, and cycling through green, cyan, and blue LED technology, along with cooling temperatures and T-sonic pulsations, the formula is allowed to penetrate deeply into skin. I love it after I’ve used a really deeply cleansing clay mask, as is soothes and hydrates so effectively, and I’ve found it super calming on any irritation too!

Foreo Cannabis Seed Oil UFO-Activated Masks are priced at £19 and are available here (UK) and here (US)