Your autumn to-do list

Autumn is on it’s way and I don’t know about you, but for me it’s the ultimate selfcare season! It’s not too hot in a way that everything just melts off, but it’s also not so cold that my skin gets dry and irritated. You can get away with some cozy blankets and nice candles in the evenings, but it’s not like you’ve got to change underneath the covers in the morning, because it’s too cold otherwise. But how can you make the most of this beautiful and wonderful season? Here’s my big autumn to do list, so you’ll enjoy this wonderful fall as much as you can!

Pamper yourself

A full-on skincare routine

Autumn is honestly my favourite time for big and luxurious skincare routines. My skin is way more balanced with these temperatures and it doesn’t get as easily irritated. Nothing relaxes me like a warm bath with a nice bath bomb, putting a face mask on and just soaking in all the goodness. It’s my favourite evening! Afterwards I treat my skin to a nice toner, a nourishing serum, maybe an essence and a lovely night cream. I also rub in the rest of my skin with a body lotion or body butter and my feet with foot cream.

Here is what one of my favourite routines could look like:

• The brightside bubble bar from Lush
• The drops of youth sheet mask from The Body Shop
• The Bliss bar face cleanser from Ethique
• Camomile cleansing butter from The Body Shop
• The Ayumi turmeric & argan oil body wash
• The Whamisa deep rich toner
• Beauty Bay’s Skinhit balancing serum prebiotic and postbiotic
• The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid Serum 2% in Squalane
• Panda’s dream white sleeping pack from Tonymoly
• Olive body butter from The Body Shop

Get your beauty advent calendar!

For me, advent calendar season also starts in September. The first few have already launched and I can’t wait for the rest. Some of my favourites this far are the Asos advent calendar, the Cult Beauty advent calendar and the Holland and Barrett advent calendar. However, I think many people love the editions from The Body Shop this year as well. For more tips on buying the perfect advent calendar, you could look at my post about advent calendars or you could go and watch the advent calendar queen Eltoria on Youtube.

Make-up

Autumn also tends to get my creativity flowing when it comes to make-up. Halloween is obviously a perfect time to go extreme. Last year, I went as a vampire with about 50 red veins under my eyes and a bold red lip with some blood drizzling down the side. However, there are also some classic looks that I can never get enough of.

The first is a slightly shimmering golden eye and a nude lip, which is perfect for a party, for instance if you’re having a dinner party. It gives you a mysterious and sultry vibe. The other classic is just a nice black eyeliner with a bold red lip underneath. It’s clean, classy and seductive. For me, this looks works perfectly on top of a work outfit or again at parties. A third autumnal look that basically works on everything is a completely matt colder brown-toned eye look with a dark red or brown lip. The lack of shine makes it somewhat subtle, but the dark lip intensifies the look for sure.

Go out in nature!

Of course summer is a wonderful time to be out and about, but for me, nothing beats autumn. The beautiful leaves, the soft, cool breeze… It’s way more relaxing to me. And studies have actually shown that being in nature has a restorative effect on our psyche, so why not treat yourself this way? It’s proven to be effective, it’s super healthy and on top of that, it’s free!

I love walking on the beach when it’s a little windy, especially when I used to go with my dogs. Whereas in summer it’s often too hot for long walks, the autumnal chills are perfect for activities like this.

I also love going out into the woods during autumn. When the leaves are changing colours, the world looks so much more interesting to me. My boyfriend also loves looking for mushrooms in the forest, like oyster mushrooms, which are great for cooking and I love finding chestnuts. The air is light and fresh there and it always feels rejuvenating to be surrounded by so much oxygen. I also love seeing the animals in the forest, like squirrels and the birds. It’s the perfect place to calm down and re-energise yourself after a long week of work.

Creeps and comfort

I love emotions. I love feeling happy and relaxed, but I also appreciate the darker emotions, like fear that is so useful to our survival. And both those sides of the spectrum are so obvious in this season, which to me means that this is a perfect time to get conscious about our emotions again.

Of course, you can’t think about autumn without thinking about Halloween. It’s the ultimate creepy season! I love watching anything with ghosts, witches, vampires, werewolves, serial killers and more. I can definitely tip Robert Welsh’ Ghost stories and make-up Monday’s and I loved the haunting of Hill house, Lucifer and Devil in Ohio, which are all on Netflix. And of course, every serial killer documentary out there.

However, enjoying spooky stuff isn’t possible without some relief and that’s why I made this list. Getting your emotions up can be good, but they also need to come down again. There are so many things that can help with that, but there are some general tips.

Blankets are actually a pretty universal one. If you wrap a blanket around you tightly, you can actually make your brains think you’re getting a hug. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is basically your relaxing system.

Warm drinks like tea or hot chocolate can do the same. Some classic autumnal things are therefore perfect for relaxation! The beautiful Hygge design style also matches perfectly with these practices, so you might also take a peak at that.

Recipes

When it’s warm outside, I generally don’t feel like eating much. That’s tough if you love food as much as I do! Therefore, I’m always excited to be able to get back to cooking. There are so many lovely recipes that warm your heart that are perfect for the fall! Here are some of my favourites:

• Spicy chorizo pumpkin stew
• Roasted pork tenderloin with apples and onion from Abundance of flavor
• Coq au vin
• Chipolata sweet potato traybake
• Peach cobbler from Cook with Jess
• Healthy banana bread
• Bourbon & mixed berries pie from The Grumpy Olive
• Apple pie overnight oats

So I’d say, let’s get cooking and baking (or get your partner to do so).

Fashion

Yes, summer dresses and flashy sandals are super cute, but often they’re not the most practical or comfortable. That’s what I love about autumnal fashion: it’s often way more practical and comfortable. So, make sure you enjoy this wonderful time and get out your creativity! I honestly believe that putting effort into your appearance helps with how you feel and how others respond to you, so you’ll be doing yourself a favour.

I love huge knitted sweaters and a good pair of boots, so autumn is definitely the season for me. Especially when it’s not so cold that you need scarfs and hats, but you can get away with a winter coat every once in a while. Although dresses aren’t the most practical for an active lifestyle, I love wearing knitted dresses with a thicker pantyhose underneath. To finish it, I’ll often throw in a chunky belt and some big black biker boots in my free time, or an elegant high boot for work.

Another thing I love about autumnal fashion is that the weather allows for blazers again. In summer, they’re way too warm. However, they’re the perfect piece to throw on a relatively casual outfit and make it look professional. Blazers honestly make my life so much easier when it comes to my office wardrobe, just like fancier black trousers. Anything that looks like part of a suit basically. Even a neat black trouser and a nicely knitted jumper will work!

All-in-all, there’s a lot to love about autumn and you should let fall love you back. Treat yourself, enjoy it day by day and make sure you make something of every day. No matter what your way to relax is, be it to roll around in the mud in the forest or by doing a mud bath at a spa, you should make time for it. So what’s your favourite way to relax? Let me know in the comments below! And, if you want more content like this, please subscribe and get my free e-book to help you save money. You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter, so you’ll never have to miss a new post.

Lots of love,

Lisa

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