Posted in Home, Life, Reviews

My Halloween Candle Collection

You’ve seen my Autumn candle collection, but now it’s time to get spooky…

Happy Halloween! My current obsession is all things candles and wax melts, so what better way to celebrate the best day of the year that with a round up of my Halloween collection? Some are really old but I do also have some new items in the collection – if they’re still available to buy then I will include a link. None of this is an AD of affiliated in any way.

Witches Brew by Yankee Candle

These are a good few years old now but they’re great to keep bringing out! I have it in a jar and also a votive, which is in the silver holder that is pictured below. The spider web jar holder is also an old purchase from Yankee. Unfortunately I’ve found that in the UK, the Halloween collections from Yankee in recent years have been pretty lacking!

The scent is very much patchouli centred, which I LOVE. I honestly can’t get enough of patchouli which you might know from my autumn collection, as well as my Lush haul!

Skeleton Candelabra-style tea light holder

I got this a few years ago on a trip to San Francisco, funnily enough in a Christmas shop… but they had a HUGE Halloween section as well, so I was in my element. I very carefully bought this back with me, along with some candlesticks that bled red wax – hence all the red wax drips. I hadn’t actually realised at the time that this was meant to hold tea lights! So once I was home, I precariously melted some tea lights and then balanced the candlesticks in them, it worked a charm, and now this just comes out as a decoration.

I’d like to get some more drippy candlesticks for it in future, but I can’t for the life of me find any… they’re all non-drip these days?!

Pumpkin Jar Candles from Sainsbury’s

At least I think these were from Sainsbury’s, it could have actually been ASDA… I actually have four of these bad boys, cause let’s be honest – you can never have too many pumpkins at Halloween!

Skull pillar candle from ASDA

This is such a cool candle, considering it came from ASDA. The wax in the middle is red, although unfortunately it’s a non-drip… like I said, I can never find a drippy candle these days. I did try to pour some of the wax down the side once, for effect ya know, but it didn’t really work as you can see by the pink blob on the right hand side below.

Forbidden Apple by Yankee Candle

Another golden oldie from Yankee! This one smells like… you guessed it, apples! It’s super fresh but somehow still spooky?

Poison Apple tea light holder from Shop Disney

This is a recent purchase but alas, I can’t find it on the website now so I guess it’s no longer available. I saw this on an Instagram ad and absolutely had to have it… it’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be but a very cool addition to my Halloween collection!

Check out the back too…

Haunted House tea light holder from Sainsbury’s

Another Sainsbury’s find – their Halloween stuff is actually always pretty decent, especially in the bigger stores. Unfortunately this year I didn’t go and have a look for anything but maybe next year Halloween can get back on track!

This was surprisingly hard to get a good photo of, but you get the idea!

Cauldron Wax Burner from Cauldron Candles

This is available on other sites I know, but cauldron candles was the first place I saw it advertised on Instagram and it’s where I eventually nabbed one from – they were out of stock everywhere, for ages!

I also nabbed a few of their handmade wax melts, which I HIGHLY recommend!

First up, Spellbound, which has a fragrance of hyacinth, violet and sweet pea, mixed with rose and musk.

I also got a couple of skulls, which come in various scents.

Dark Heart, which comes in black and smells of smoky tobacco and dusty oak, with leather and spice.

As well as Evenstar, which is purple with a glowing amber blend and notes of spice and dark balsamic fruits.

I also nabbed Pumpkin King, which I just couldn’t leave behind! Just as you might expect, he smells of pumpkin as well as a hint of sweet caramel & vanilla – and he’s cute as a button to top it off!

Lastly, I also treated myself this year to the… Autumn Collection box by CushtyCo

The box itself is no longer available, however you can still shop their Halloween and autumn scents.

I want to write a full review of the box so for now I’ll just give you a sneak peek of the Halloween inspired melts…

Witching Hour is a dark purple melt, with a strong scent of amber, patchouli and incense, plus a hint of jasmine and violet.

Pumpkin Poison Pie which smells exactly like a pumpkin pie, funnily enough… right down to the buttery base. Just don’t be tempted to take a bite!

Restricted Section definitely smells like a bath bomb that I’ve had before, although I can’t think which. CushtyCo says “Take a walk into something from a story book, musky, woody tones of antique wooden furniture, crisp sheets of paper from rare leather bound books, with a slight undertone of sweetness.”

Dead Man’s Chest smells so good that I very may well have to become a pirate after all… “Top notes of Bergamot, orange, raspberry and Mahogany. Subtle middle notes of Orchid, lilies, clove and amber with bottom notes of Vanilla cream, patchouli and sandalwood.”

Jack’s Haunted House is next and another absolutely amazing scent. If this is what ghosts and spirits smell like, then I don’t mind! You can almost taste the pumpkin and allspice.

Monster Breath is not as gross as you might think, it turns out! I’ll be honest, this scent does make me think of soap but that’s not exactly a bad thing. The melt is a gorgeous green colour, with tones of sandalwood, cedarwood, green leaf and amber. You can also detect the spices, particularly pepper in my opinion.

Last but by no means least in this brief little summary of CushtyCo’s melts… Coffee With A Vampire. All I’m going to say is… After Eights. It’s fricken heaven in a wax pot.

Stay tuned for a full review of all of these amazing wax melts in a couple of weeks time! I’ll be honest, I don’t actually want to break them all but they’re calling out to be melted so I suppose I’m going to have to.

Which was your favourite in this collection? Do you have many Halloween candles yourself? Let me know in the comments!

Posted in Fashion, Life

6 Halloween Costume I Would Have Worn in 2020

With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, I had full intentions of planning a costume for a big night out… which of course meant a blog post compiling all my ideas! However, it looks like no one is going OUT OUT this year so, like many things for 2020, I’ve had a rethink.

In my area, we can still go out until 10pm and in small groups, however the chances are that I’ll just stay home instead. I don’t have kids to keep entertained and certainly won’t be having a party, so I won’t be getting dressed up at home either. However, for the sake of staying in the spooky spirit, I decided I’ll share the outfits and costumes that could have been!

Zombie Nun

Spoiler alert – the days of slutty Halloween costumes are behind me. I remember the days when you could stick on a short, black dress and some devil horns or fake blood, and call it a costume… alas, I don’t have the legs or confidence for that anymore!

Zombie nun covers all bases… plain enough that you don’t have to spend a fortune, simple make up that you can make as scary as you like AND still covers everything up. Sorted.

Image from Party Delights

Twins from The Shining

If you’ve got no one to twin with, this still works for one as a creepy kid… although matching costumes would be handy on a night out if you lose your friend!

I figure as well that you can probably use clothes you already have if you didn’t want to fork out for an actual costume.

Image on the left from Party Delights; image on the right from The Shining film

Eleven from Stranger Things

Again, I reckon you could use clothes you already have for this one, or at least buy a cheap alternative! Drip some fake blood down your nose and you’re golden!

Image from eBay

Pumpkin

Image from Amazon

I actually bought the above pumpkin costume for last halloween, which I thought was hilarious… however it didn’t arrive in time so I chucked on an orange dress and painted my face instead. I had a great time but I’ll tell you now… I looked a right state! Especially given that we got caught in an absolute downpour on the way in to the club, but hey ho – I’d certainly love to go back to that night now and enjoy every minute of it! I said I’d save the proper costume for this year, but maybe next year instead…

I mean, it was still a great night!

And if you are going out (whilst sticking to the current guidelines) then you’ll need a…

Spooky Face Covering

I saw a few different bananas on Asos and thought they’re pretty cool, especially if you don’t want to dress up but still get in the spirit!

Image from ASOS

And if you’re not one to fully dress up, you still need to get in to the Halloween spirit, so something like a…

Spooky Little Black Dress

You can’t not NOT dress up, but it’s understandable that not everyone wants to go full on Halloween, so a little black dress with a spooky twist is another option!

Image from ASOS

What are your 2020 Halloween plans and will you be dressed up?

Posted in Films

31 Horror Films To Get You In The Halloween Spirit

Happy October! Spooky season is officially upon us… the best season if you ask me.

I am a HUGE horror movie and general all round Halloween fan, so what better way to get the month started than with 31 movies to binge all the way up to the big day itself?

In no particular order:

1. Halloween (1978)

An all round CLASSIC! You can’t not watch this in the run up to Halloween… if you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t seen it before then here’s a mini summary. After brutally murdering his sister at just 6 years old, Michael Myers is locked away. But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, the now 21-year-old Michael Myers steals a car and escapes. He returns to his quiet hometown where he looks for his next victims.

2. Mirrors (2008)

Ok this film really stuck with me when I first saw it and I couldn’t look at my reflection for weeks! I often think that I don’t get scared by horrors but it’s only later on, when I’m alone with my thoughts, that I realise actually maybe I was a little spooked!

Check out the trailer:

3. The Purge (2013)

I’m going to put my hands up here and admit that I’ve never actually seen any of the films in this franchise… BUT we all know the premise, don’t we?! Is there anything that can get you ready for Halloween more than a film about a dystopian future, with an annual day where no crime is illegal?

My question has always been, what on earth would happen if this was real?

4. Scream (1996)

A classic slasher and whodunit movie… A series of murders at a high school have everyone suspecting each other. Who did you think it was when you first watched?

5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

You might have noticed already, but a lot of the films on this list are classics… but to be fair, they’re classics for a reason!

A group of friends is attacked one by one by the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface and they must do everything they can to escape!

6. A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

“Whatever you do… don’t fall asleep!”

7. Friday The 13th (1980)

In this classic, camp counselors are stalked and murdered while trying to reopen a summer camp that was the site of a child’s drowning.

8. Saw (2004)

I have to say this is probably the film that made me fall in love with horror. I know that might seem strange when there are so many other absolute classics, but this film really stands out to me… all the gore, the story itself and the plot twist of all plot twists!

9. The Ring (2002)

Another film that stands out for me and my discovery of horror… I recently watched this back and realised how simple it was but I honestly think that’s what made it so scary!

10. The Grudge (2004)

Clearly the early 2000s were good for horror films!

11. The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

This is one of those films that I still actually haven’t got round to seeing even after all these years and even though I have the DVD, but SO many people tell me how disturbing it is that I had to still include it.

12. The Shining (1980)

It’s just not Halloween without a Stephen King film fest is it… spoiler alert, there are many more of his stories in this list!

13. House Of Wax (2005)

This was another early 2000s film that sold me on the horror genre. There is something SO creepy about the plot to this one!

14. The Woman In Black (2012)

How this film was only rated a 15 in the UK I’ll never know! By 2012, my horror love affair had evolved and I certainly wouldn’t say that I scare easily but Christ this one got to me… I knew one of the kids in it too, which is pretty cool!

15. Insidious (2010)

There was something really different about this film when it came out. I’m not one for overly supernatural films normally but this one is simply gripping.

16. Carrie (1976)

Another Stephen King classic, enough said!

17. The Exorcist (1973)

Ok I’ll be the first to agree that to the modern audience, this film really isn’t scary… BUT you have to appreciate how terrifying it would have been when it was released in the 70s, which is why it’s still such a classic today.

18. Final Destination (2000)

I’m not exactly the biggest fan of this series, I’ll tell you that now. However, if the first film had been a stand alone then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad… it’s definitely something of a modern day classic though!

19. The Conjuring (2013)

Again, I’m not the worlds biggest fan of this film and the subsequent countless spin offs… but as modern horrors go, it’s not terrible and it does have a few good scares! As I said, I’m not one for overly supernatural films, which I find a lot of films this side of 2010 are all about – it’s still a great run up to Halloween film!

20. IT (2017)

Yep, I’m including the most recent film and not the original, please don’t hate me… I just absolutely adored this film!

21. The Amityville Horror (1979)

If you’re debating the original or the remake, I beg of you watch the original. It’s so gritty and makes for a much scarier watch… the remake is a lot more over the top and less believable. Yes I know I seem like a hypocrite considering I just opted for the IT remake over the original but that’s just different!

22. Sinister (2012)

Ok this film, for reasons I still don’t really understand, scared me way more than it should have. As I said previously, by 2012, horror films genuinely did not scare me… but when I saw this one at the cinema, I literally wanted to walk out because I was so scared! Something really got to me… I’ve watched it since and it wasn’t as bad as I remember so perhaps I was just feeling extra sensitive the first time but yea… a must watch!

23. Pet Sematary (1989)

Something I haven’t mentioned is that a lot of the classic horrors, I first watched during Halloween sleep overs with school friends. Every year on Halloween, we’d dress up in our best scary costumes, order takeaways and stay up all night watching horror films! Pet Sematary was from one of those nights and brings back many fond memories… despite the disturbing story line.

24. Wolf Creek (2005)

I was obsessed with this film when it first came out, I think because it’s quite gritty and simple, rather than all about the theatrics and special effects!

25. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

The title of this film gives me chills for some reason, I must have a guilty conscience! This is another one from the sleepover days and even now, that raincoat is definitely the creepiest horror film outfit in my opinion.

26. The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

A classic performance by Anthony Hopkins and just all round horror movie gem!

27. Don’t Breathe (2016)

There aren’t many modern day horror films that really mess with my head but oh my, this film… It’s so tense, you might literally not breath whilst watching.

28. The Evil Dead (1981)

A group of teenagers staying in a remote cabin… in the woods… what could possibly go wrong?!

29. Crimson Peak (2015)

I don’t think this is considered a horror, but it certainly isn’t a family fun fest either! There isn’t all the classic horror scares but it definitely eerie and it stuck with me for a while after.

30. The Others (2001)

I know a lot of people don’t consider this one scary and would even say they saw the twist coming… but I’ll tell you now, when I first saw it… my mind was blown!

31. Gerald’s Game (2017)

Of course I’m finishing this list off with another Stephen King adaptation! This film is a definite edge of your seat, “how on earth is this going to end” type of ride… it’s SO worth a watch this Halloween!

Of course, there are so many more films that could have been included! What’s your favourite horror film, or another film to get you in the mood for Halloween?