Erstwilder Halloween Jewellery 2019

Happy Halloween!

I hope you're all having a spooktacular day. Are you doing anything fun to celebrate fright night? 

I'm just going to carve a pumpkin, and spend the evening watching Halloween movies with a few sweets. I'm so boring! Haha!

Anyway, last month, I finally added my first Halloween-themed accessories to my Erstwilder jewellery collection. 

I've long admired Erstwilder's Halloween collections, and the spooky offerings from countless other quirky jewellery brands, but with Christmas presents to buy, I never seem to be able to justify a treat at this time of year. Then Erstwilder released their Out of the Shadows Halloween collection last month- the first of three Halloween collections for 2019- and the designs were all so irresistible, I couldn't hold back any longer. I had to get my hands on at least one of the brooches (although I had my eye on many), and I also picked up two pairs of stud earrings from the Halloween Essentials range at the same time. I'm here to give you a closer look at them today.

First up, is my very first Halloween brooch, Patch the Pumpkin Pup. I fell in love with it the moment I first saw a preview on Erstwilder's Instagram page. It's so different to all the usual Halloween designs, with a scruffy black Scottie dog standing up against a Jack o' lantern, and I knew I had to have him. It's the perfect mix of cute and creepy. Patch is made from a gorgeous dark grey marbled resin, and I love how the swirls in the resin, along with the way the resin has been cut so intricately, give the impression of a shaggy coat. He's adorable, especially how he's standing playfully on his back legs against the pumpkin, which is made from the most beautiful orange and yellow marbled resin. It really is the cutest Halloween brooch I've ever seen, and I know I'll be wearing it time and time again for many years to come. You'd better believe it's pinned to my dress today! Unfortunately Patch seems to be sold out everywhere online in the UK, but you can find it via Rocklily Wombats in Australia here.

I also treated myself to a couple of pairs of earrings from the Halloween Essentials range, which was released on the same day. The Halloween Essentials included star, moon, and circle-shaped studs in a range of Halloween colours and textures, and I chose the marbled yellow crescent moons, and marbled orange circle studs. 

The crescent moons are my favourite. Not only are they the perfect shape for Halloween, they're made from the prettiest yellow resins. As each resin is unique, the earrings are mismatched, which I know isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I personally love the mismatched look. One is a dark ochre, and the other a much paler shade of yellow. I'm wearing them today with my Patch the Pumpkin Pup Brooch.

The orange circle studs are also made from beautiful marbled resin, and the orange and yellow marbling makes them look like little planets or suns. Like the crescent moons, the circle studs are mismatched, which definitely adds some personality to any outfit. Unfortunately, I wasn't as wowed by this pair as I'd hoped. They're beautiful, but they just don't suit my skin tone, so I may pass these on to someone else at some point. It's a shame as I fell head over heels in love with them online, but it's not the end of the world at just £5.75 a pair.

I know Halloween is almost over for another year, but if you want to pick up a piece or two for next year, you'll be glad to know many of the pieces are still available to buy. You can find the Out of the Shadows collection on Erstwilder's website here, and the Halloween Essentials range here. If you're outside Australia, you'll find a list of stockists here, including many in the UK, which could save you a small fortune on international postage and import charges.

I'd still love to get my hands on the Raven Mad Brooch, and Take a Bite Serpent Brooch, which I'm hoping to collect soon, but I'm holding off until I see this year's Christmas collection. I know I'm likely to want the entire festive collection!

Have you bought anything from this year's Erstwilder Halloween collections? 

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Wednesday Wish List

Here's a few things I've been coveting this week...

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La Vidriola have the most amazing Halloween jewellery collection this year. I'm obsessed with these four pieces- especially the haunted house statement necklace. Isn't it incredible?!

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I finally sampled The Body Shop's Vanilla Pumpkin range when I was in London last week, and it smelt so good I really want to pick up some products to try. The body butter is definitely at the top of my list. I can't live without Body Shop body butters and this one smells delectable.

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I've fallen in love with Cath Kidston's new 'Garden Club' range, which features the cutest hedgehog designs on pastel-coloured polka dot backgrounds. The little green-fingered hedgehogs, dressed in hats, holding gardening tools, and / or hanging out amongst the toadstools, are so adorable, and I basically need one of everything. These are a few favourites from the collection, but there are so many more products in the range to choose from, from coffee mugs to ironing board covers. I'd particularly love the notebook set and diary, along with the weekend bag, passport cover, and a purse.

Essie Advent Calendar

This one technically isn't on my wish list anymore as I treated myself to it on the weekend, but I wanted to give you guys a heads up on the great deal I found. 

I was browsing for nail polish Advent calendars on Sunday, and came across the Essie Advent calendar, and after some debating, I decided to splurge on it and the Ciaté Mini Mani Month calendar as I had a little cash left over from my trip to London. I wouldn't normally buy two beauty Advent calendars for myself in one year, but I found the Essie calendar on promotion via Ocado for just £40 instead of its usual RRP of £60, and it seemed too good to pass up- especially as it includes eight full sized polishes which usually retail for about £8 each! The promotion is running until the 6th of November, and it's definitely worth taking advantage of if you're a nail polish fan.

I'll be bringing you reviews of both Advent calendars really soon, as well as a list of every beauty Advent calendar available this year.

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And last but not least, I'm also smitten with these beautiful green bags from French Connection. The styles, textures, and colours of the leathers are so gorgeous! Two of my favourite bags have ripped and starting falling apart this week, so I'm on the look out for the perfect new day bag I can wear with just about anything. I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for, but something with a cross body strap that is comfortable to wear would be perfect. I'll let you know when I find 'the one.'

If you'd like to see more of the fashion and beauty pieces on my wish list right now, check out my style and beauty wish list boards on Pinterest. You can also find all previous Wednesday Wish List posts here.

Any favourites this week?

Wednesday Wish List

This week I've been coveting...

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Last week, Erstwilder released a stunning floral jewellery collection called A Fuller Bloom, as a follow up to their hugely popular In Full Bloom collection which launched earlier in the year and sold out in minutes. This twenty-one piece collection is proving to be just as popular, and has naturally sent my heart all aflutter. I particularly love the sunflowers, roses, tulips, and waterlilies, which are all so beautiful. I sadly couldn't afford to splurge on all the pieces I wanted this time, but I couldn't resist picking up the sunflower and tulip brooches as they're two of my favourite flowers. I'm just sad I have to wait a whole month for them because I've put them on lay away to pay in instalments. Sad face. You can find a list of Erstwilder stockists around the world here.

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Little Moose have just released the cutest range of laser-cut perspex Halloween jewellery for 2019. I especially love the adorable little ghost earrings. So cute!

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Can you believe Tatty Devine have actually created a Moomins collection?! OMG! The Snorkmaiden Raindrop Necklace (#1) is definitely my favourite, but the whole range is amazing. (There are more pieces to choose from on their website). I've always had such a soft spot for The Moomins. It was one of my favourite cartoons when I was little, so this is just perfect.

The Body Shop Juicy Pear Festive Sack

I really want to try some of The Body's Shop's new Juicy Pear range, which is one of their festive scents this year. It sounds delectable. I'm going to have to go in and smell it to see if it's as good as it sounds. I think it will be.

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I adore these sweet little ceramic bat earrings, brooch, and necklace from Tramai Ceramics. I think they may be some of the cutest Halloween accessories I've ever seen, and the best part is they're all handmade.

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These are waaay out of my price range, but I'm in love with these stunning evergreen bags from Kate Spade- especially the Sylvia Large Satchel (#1). The colour of the leather is dreamy.

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Hell Bunny has the best Halloween t-shirts and jumpers right now, and good news for you smaller plus size ladies- they even cater up to a 4XL! I've linked to the plus size options above, but each design is also available in standard sizes on their website.

Hell Bunny Miss Muffet Pinafore Dress

And I'm also loving this amazing Hell Bunny pinafore dress which would be perfect for embracing the Halloween spirit this month- or wearing all year round if you like to keep the spooky spirit alive 365 days a year.

If you'd like to see more of the fashion and beauty pieces on my wish list, be sure to check out my wish list boards on Pinterest. You can also find more Halloween fashion ideas on my Halloween board, and find all previous Wednesday Wish List posts here.

Any favourites this week?

The Goodreads Book Tag

I recently came across The Goodreads Book Tag on a few different blogs, and since I'm an avid reader and haven't done a tag post in ages, I thought it would be fun to give it a go.

I've had a Goodreads account for several years, but I mostly just use it to record the books I've read, and keep track of my TBR pile and wish list. Until a couple of months ago, I hadn't even bothered to follow anyone. (I wasn't being rude and ignoring anyone; I didn't have any followers, either. Haha)! I'm beginning to use it more and more now that I'm reading books like there's no tomorrow again, and it's quickly becoming one of my favourite websites. I still have a lot to explore and discover, but I'm having fun finding new ways to use it to enhance my reading experiences. It really is the perfect social media site for any book lover.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling on now. Let's move on to what you're here for: The Goodreads Book Tag:

What was the last book you marked as 'read'?

A psychological thriller called You Were Gone by Tim Weaver. It begins with a woman wandering in to a police station looking for her husband. The problem is, she's been dead for eight years. When  the husband arrives at the station, he's disconcerted by the woman's resemblance to his late wife but is adamant it's not her. The Police know one of them is lying, but who? With the Police doubting his story, the main character has to work to uncover the truth and prove his innocence, while strange things begin to happen that make him question his mental stability and memory. It had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish and was one of those books I had to devour as quickly as I could. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

I didn't actually realise this book was part of a series until I'd finished- it's the 9th in the David Raker series- but it works well as a stand-alone, too. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the collection, and have already picked up the first book which I'm going to start as soon as I've finished what I'm reading now.

What are you currently reading?

I'm currently reading Under the Water by Paul Pen. I've been looking forward to this book all year (it's just been released) after falling in love with his first two books, The Light of the Fireflies and Desert Flowers, and so far I've not been disappointed.

What was the last book you marked as TBR?

Chasing the Dead by Tim Weaver.

What book do you plan to read next?

I'm planning to read Chasing the Dead by Tim Weaver, but I'm also dying to get my hands on The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, and Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris (the sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz).

Do you use the star rating system?

Of course. I do wish it would allow you to rate in half stars, though.

Are you doing a 2019 reading challenge?

I am. It's the first year I've set myself a reading challenge, and I smashed my original goal of reading twenty-five books this year in August! I decided to increase it to forty books to keep myself on my toes til the end of the year, and I actually reached my goal last week with two months to go! It's probably sad to admit this, but I'm really proud of myself for it. I haven't read so many books in a year since I was little (mostly thanks to the distractions of the Internet), and it's more than double what I read last year, so it feels like a real achievement. I've been lapping up books like there's no tomorrow, and really enjoying sinking my teeth in to so many good books, so I'm hoping to keep up the pace. I'm now on my 42nd book of the year! I'm considering increasing the challenge to take me to the end of the year, but I can't decide by how many books. I thought about attempting 52, one for every week of the year, but with Christmas coming and so much to do, I'm not sure if I'll realistically be able to make it.

Do you have a wish list?

Yes, of course, I have a wish list! What kind of question is that?! I have a list of books I want to read on Goodreads, and also make a note of books I want to read by saving them in my Amazon saved list, pinning them to a Pinterest board, or taking photos of books I've seen but can't afford right now on my phone. At the top of my wish list right now are the 'David Raker Missing Persons' series by Tim Weaver, The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris, Postscript by Cecelia Ahern, Deeplight by Frances Hardinge, and The Donor by Clare Mackintosh.

Do you have any favourite quotes? Share a few.

I love a good bookish quote, but I'm terrible at keeping track of them. I sometimes highlight quotes when I have a pen to hand or actually remember to, but not always, and I don't keep all my favourites in one place. I really should start jotting them down in a notebook. I can't remember all of my favourites, but here are a handful that came to mind...

“Time is priceless, but it’s Free. You can't own it, you can use it. You can spend it. But you can't keep it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back.” -The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

“Don't you think it's better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?”  -The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

“I have a sort of Christmas-morning sense of the library as a big box full of beautiful books.” -The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

“There’s no creature more amazing than one that can make its own light.” -The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen.

“A door loses its meaning if you don’t ever go through it. It becomes a wall.” -The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen.

“It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” -Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” -Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

Who are your favourite authors?

At the moment, I'm loving anything by John Marrs, Clare Mackintosh, Paul Pen, and Frances Hardinge, while Chuck Palahniuk and Stephen King have been two favourites since my teens. I also love Audrey Niffenegger's writing style (who wrote one of my favourite books, The Time Traveller's Wife), but she hasn't released many novels and I've only read two, so I'm not sure I can really include her in my list of favourites.

Have you joined any groups?

No, I wouldn't even know where to begin. Even though I've had a Goodreads account for years, I haven't really used Goodreads for more than tracking the books I've read and my TBR list, but I want to start exploring its other features a bit more, so maybe I'll have to look in to one or two.

And that's the Goodreads Book Tag. Feel free to snag the tag and have a go at it yourself. Just make sure to leave me a link to your post in the comments if you do so I can read it! I'd love to see your answers.

If you'd like to follow me on Goodreads and keep up with what I'm reading, you can find me on Goodreads here.

Do you use Goodreads? What do you use it for?

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Wednesday Wish List

It's been a while since I last shared a beauty wish list, so this week Wednesday Wish List is all about the make up and nail polish sets I'm currently coveting.

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Too Faced have released a new limited edition Christmas collection for 2019, and it all looks amazing- from the gorgeous make up shades down to the adorable packaging. (I'm a sucker for Too Faced's packaging- it's always so cute!) 

There are so many make up sets, palettes, and products in the collection which would all make fantastic Christmas presents, but I'm particularly smitten with the six above. All the eyeshadow shades look divine! I wish I could afford to snap one or two of these up right now, but my pennies are needed for buying Christmas gifts for others, so I have to be sensible. I'd be made up if I found any of these under the tree on Christmas morning, though. I hope Santa's reading!

Kat Von D Lolita Por Vida Eyeshadow Palette

I love the look of Kan Von D's Lolita Por Vida eyeshadow palette. Just look at those shades!

Bobbi Brown Love in the Afternoon Eyeshadow Palette

I've always loved wearing colourful make up more than natural shades, but wow, does the Bobbi Brown Love in the Afternoon eyeshadow palette look dreamy.

OPI Hello Kitty Advent Calendar

It's that time of year when I'm on the look out for a beauty Advent calendar to count down to Christmas with, and I'm on the hunt for a nail polish calendar again this year. OPI have just released their calendar for 2019, and this year it's Hello Kitty themed! The packaging is so cute! It appears to have a great selection of mini OPI nail polishes- although there are a lot of pinks and some are repeats of what they included in last year's calendar (which I bought), so I think I'm leaning more towards the calendar I have to show you next...

... the Ciaté Mini Mani Month calendar. 

Ciaté Mini Mani Month 2019

Ciaté's Mini Mani Month nail polish Advent calendar has returned for another festive season, and as always, it's packed full of mini nail polishes,- plus one full sized polish and a nail file. Each calendar includes six mystery shades (which may differ from calendar to calendar), but I like the idea of having a few surprises to look forward to- it'll make every day of Advent feel like Christmas morning. I actually managed to find an image of the calendar showing a full set of polishes (above), and it looks like the calendars will feature a great selection of nail colours and finishes. It definitely has more variety than OPI's, and unless I come across an even better nail polish Advent calendar, I think I'll likely go with this one this year. I love the quality of Ciaté's nail polishes, and have been impressed with their Advent calendars in the past- they're always worth the money.

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And finally, having just thrown out my last beloved but dried up emerald green Urban Decay Heavy Metal glitter eyeliner and with a couple of concerts coming up this month, I'm longing to replace it, and also collect a few more shades. I love layering these over my eyeshadows and eyeliners to add a touch of glitter to my lash line for nights out (and whenever life calls for a little sparkle). They're the best glitter liners I've ever used.

If you'd like to see more of the beauty products I'm coveting, check out my beauty wish list board on Pinterest. You can also find all previous Wednesday Wish Lists here.

Any favourites this week?

Wednesday Wish List

I'd planned to have this post live on the blog yesterday, but I had to head off to the doctor's before I'd finished it, and I was too worn out to continue once I finally got back home. It seemed a shame to waste the post after a full morning's work, so I've decided to post it a day late instead. Aren't I good to you guys?! 

Anyway, here's this week's Wednesday Wish List... on Thursday...

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I'm loving Tatty Devine's funky Halloween jewellery collection for 2019. The cat and mouse skeleton brooch is probably my favourite piece, but the ghosts, bats, and other skeletons are amazing, too.

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Cath Kidston have brought out a new range of retro radios in three classic floral Cath Kidston prints, and they're the prettiest radios I've ever seen. I can't decide which radio I like best (maybe I need all three?), but the Provence Rose print is definitely my favourite of the three. Time to start behaving to get on Santa's 'nice' list, I guess!

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Collectif have the most incredible dresses for autumn this year. The velvet moon print Trixie swing dress is particularly stunning. I'd wear it to death through 'til spring if I could afford to buy it. 

I thought you might be interested to know that Collectif have recently extended their sizes to a UK 26 with Simply Be, which is fantastic news as they previously stopped at a 22. I don't know if this will extend to their own website and full range of clothing, but fingers crossed it does so more plus size ladies can  fit in to their clothes.

Deer Arrow Brooches

Deer Arrow are releasing the most amazing wolf brooches on Tuesday, and I'd love to get my hands on one. Their designs always sell out incredibly fast, so set an alarm for the release time (12pm AEST) if you don't want to miss out!

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These eyeshadow palettes from Tarte look incredible. I'm dying to own the Jessie Paege x Tarte Let It Rain Bow set. Just look at those eyeshadow colours!! *Insert heart eyes here.*

Cakeworthy The Little Mermaid Sweater Dress

How cute is this Little Mermaid sweater dress from Cakeworthy?! This has always been one of my very favourite scenes in the movie.

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These Hepburn and Estella dresses from Lady Vintage are all so stunning. They all look perfect for autumn, winter, and the Christmas season.

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And for a change of pace, here's some new and upcoming book releases on the top of my book wish list. I've been looking forward to most of these books all year, and now they've finally been released, I can't afford to treat myself. This makes me sad. I can't wait to be able to get myself copies and devour these stories.

If you'd like to see more of the fashion, beauty, and books on my wish list, check out my wish list boards on Pinterest. You can also find all previous Wednesday Wish List posts here for similar inspiration.

Any favourites this week?