Some people are “autumn people’. They wax lyrical about the crisp air and the burnished leaves, but I am rendered cantankerous by the season. It registers to a pessimist like myself as a slow theft of summer and as the light levels drop and we anticipate the cold season to come, I seek my comforts where I can find them. Anything that brings light (and I mean that quite literally) becomes a priority, and that includes candles (read on for a great new Irish one) and anything light reflective that I can respectably throw at my face.
While I wouldn't turn to this for hard-hitting skincare, Wishful Skin Honey Balm Jelly Moisturiser (€49 at boots.ie) is a wonderful chilly season quick fix for cooler days when you feel that skin needs the benefit of a protective layer. Almost like a rich moisturiser and makeup primer in one product, it has a cocooning texture and an iridescent, sheeny finish that creates a great, light-reflective base for makeup.
For an all-out glitter fest, Urban Decay Stoned Eyeshadow Palette (€52 at Arnotts) is a joy, and brings you the best aspects of festive makeup several months early. Four eminently wearable matte shades are accompanied by eight hyper light-reflective, gemstone-inspired eyeshadows. Their texture is just short of a cream; sort of squidgy, and their finish is a sort of galactically glossy lacquer effect that will have people marvelling and asking what is on your eyes.
On a chilly, prematurely dark evening, a scented candle can be even better than a personal scent
If you’re more subtly inclined, YSL Vernis a Levres Water Stain Glow in Illicit Orange (€35.50 at Brown Thomas from September 30th) might be the perfect low maintenance autumn lip colour. A burnt russet shade that evokes roasted pumpkins and those over-referenced autumn leaves, it goes on as a gloss and leaves a pleasing stain of colour on the lips as the shine wears off, so you don’t have to worry about topping it up, even after eating.
Last week, I wrote about the best new fragrances of the season but on a chilly, prematurely dark evening, a scented candle can be even better than a personal scent. Green Angel Jasmine Candle (€25 at greenangel.com) is a rich, comforting and sophisticated home fragrance with fifty-five hours of burn time. White florals can have an acrid, headache-inducing quality which often puts me off them, but this one is all soft, round notes that evoke sunnier weather. Even better, it's an Irish company.
Finally, baths seem more an autumn/winter activity than a warm weather one. If you’re getting reacquainted with the thorough contentment of a good bath, try a new product to make it a bit more interesting. I like bath bombs as they’re single-use, allowing you to switch up the fragrances and ingredients every time you use one. LUSH Punkin’ Pumpkin Bath Bomb (€5.95 at LUSH) is far from the sort of sophisticated, bubble-laden image most of us think of when we imagine a bath.
Part of the brand’s annual limited-edition Halloween-themed range, it smells beautifully of clean, citrus oils and turns your bath water a livid shade of orange, but most importantly, it’s just fun.
