When it's freezing and dark outside, all I want to do is make myself a cup of tea and curl up on the sofa with a good book (yes I am intact an 80-year-old woman). Of course, me being me it has to be a thriller, something grizzly, creepy and exciting is a must cos you know, six years of watching The Walking Dead has really upped my standards when it comes to gore and horror so it takes a lot to creep me out.

Luckily, this perfect little foursome of novels fits the bill. My weird, worryingly morbid bill. Over the next week or so I'm going to be working my way through these beauties and of course sharing my thoughts with you about each one individually. I've just finished The Widow in a 24-hour sesh as it was SO good I couldn't put it down, literally, I was stirring pasta sauce over the hob with one hand and had the book in the other! 

Here's a little blurb about each one to get you interested and stay tuned for more on these as I work my way through them!

THE PERFECT WINTER WALK: KEW GARDENS

It may sound as though I'm 25 going on 85 but I am a sucker for a Sunday morning stroll. I'm lucky enough to live close to some incredible lakes, gardens and country houses and when I woke up this morning to blue-skies and sunshine it was a majority decision in our household to bundle up and head out for a nice winter walk.

We opted for Kew Gardens which is home to Royal Botanic Gardens (a fancy word for lots of gorgeous trees, plants and greenhouses) just outside of London. During the winter which is classed as Nov 1st onwards entry is £10 including a donation to Gift Aid and you definitely get fantastic value for money here, it makes such a great day out.

There's plenty to do here (as well as of course just wandering aimlessly around and just taking in the gorgeous scenery) including a Treetop Walkway which gives an awesome birds-eye-view of the park a giant badger sett and amazing indoor greenhouses and buildings to explore.

It was the perfect opportunity to take some photos and if you live nearby then I would 100% recommend taking a trip here as it makes for a perfect backdrop for blog photos.

BOOKSHELF: THE CREEPIEST THRILLERS TO COSY UP WITH THIS WINTER

This time last time I would usually be curled up on the sofa or in bed reading a festive chick-lit novel and don't get me wrong, every now and again I do love a Christmas-themed read. However, for me, this year has been the year of the thriller novel and I've worked my way through some amazing, gripping stories throughout 2015, including You by Caroline Kepnes, The Never List by Koethi Zan and The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins.

So don your onesie or winter pjs, make a nice hot cup of tea and curl up on the sofa with one of these books that I guarantee you won't want to put down.

Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton *
What's the worst thing your best friend could do to you? Admittedly, it wasn't murder. A moment's carelessness, a tragic accident - and two children are dead. Yours. This is the first line of the blurb and I know, it sounds intense but bear with, bear with. This book wasn't exactly what I expected, of course there is murder and death involved but it's not all entirely as sinister and evil as it first seems which I rather quite liked as it's a little different to your standard murder mystery.

Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger
Sometimes your best friend can be your worst enemy. Ian and Priss have been friends since they were children playing in the woods outside their small town. But Ian knows there's a darkness to Priss. Bad stuff seems to occur when she's around. Fires start. People die. Still, Priss is his best friend, and best friends are forever.
This is a weird one. Like Little Black Lies, Crazy Love You isn't everything it seems and I similar to You by Caroline Kepnes, this book is written from a male point of view which can be refreshing to read every now and again. This is pretty much a creepy-ass story of a girl who can't let go of her male best-friend Ian and that can make things a little itty bit difficult when said male friend meets a girl who makes him want to change for the better. Unfortunately for Ian, Priss doesn't like change. At all...

The Lie by C.L. Taylor
Jane Hughes has a loving partner, a job in an animal sanctuary and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She's happier than she's ever been but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist. Five years earlier Jane and her then best friends went on holiday but what should've been the trip of a lifetime rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two women. 

This book is gripping from the get-go which is amazing because we all know how much it sucks to hear great things about a book from other people but not be able to get past the first chapter yourself. You're instantly thrown into the story when 'Jane' receives a letter at work from someone who knows her name isn't Jane and it's in fact Emma. There's so much going on in this novel that I can't elaborate on the blurb any more without giving SO much away.

The theme and nature of this story is something that genuinely creeps me out a little which made for such a good read!

Disclaimer by Renee Knight *
Imagine coming across yourself in a novel, a novel that exposes your darkest secret. A secret you thought nobody knew. When an intriguing novel appears on Catherine's bedside table she curls up and begins to read. But as she turns the pages she is sickened to realise the story will reveal her darkest secret.

I'm only half-way through this one at the moment but really wanted to include it in this post because so far I love it. It's a little bit slow-moving but the general premise of the novel interested me so much that I'm going to persist because now we're getting to the juicy stuff and slowly beginning to discover who wrote the book about Catherine although we haven't uncovered the details of the dark secret she is trying so hard to conceal.

What are you reading this winter? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me over at @laurenfell

*These books were gifted to me by Transworld Publications.

AUTUMN/WINTER BEAUTY FAVOURITES

Halloween is over. Bonfire Night is over. It's practically Christmas, right? That was my attempt to justify splashing out on a few new beauty products this month anyway because if you can't treat yourself during the festive period then when can you?

I'm a huge fan of all things smokey, bronzed and burnt when it comes to palettes during these chillier, darker months and I'm particularly loving the MUA Elysium Palette. It includes four matte and six shimmer shades ranging from a nude base shadow to a gorgeous dark shimmer purple shade.

This palette also includes a matte black which I use to smudge out my eyeliner for a super smokey look sometimes and there's also a duo eyeliner thrown in for good measure with a dark eyeliner one end and a nude highlighter the other, I've only given the highlighter a go so far and it's perfect for highlighting the inner corner of my eye.

When I was in Boots the other day I was enticed over to the Benefit counter and was instantly sold on buying the new limited edition Swarovski embellished They're Real mascara which is totally worth the extra £2 on account of how pretty this looks amongst my make-up collection. This mascara is a constant in my everyday make-up routine. I like to apply They're Real first for definition and separation of my lashes and then I whack Rimmel London's Wonder'full mascara with argan oil on top for thicker, fuller lashes.

The Hoola bronzer also ended up in my basket, after trialling the smaller sample last Christmas I really wanted a darker, more matte bronzer for contouring this party season and Hoola fitted the bill perfectly.

If you haven't discovered Makeup Revolution from Superdrug yet then you need to check this range out next time you're in store. As Makeup Revolution is a budget brand it can be a little hit & miss with certain products but I love it when I want to test drive new shades or products without spending a fortune. The Ultra Base Corrector palette caught my eye when I was in store last and with the harsh winter weather coming soon I knew I'd need some colour correction.

The palette contains eight colour correction creams to balance and correct on all complexions. If you're not familiar with colour correction then here's what each cream will do for your skin:

Pink: Brightens dull skin perfect for those months when you might not see much of the sun, read: every day in England.
Lavender: Neutralises yellow tones which can usually crop up in the under-eye area for example.
Green: Neutralises red tones in the skin, for example the green cream is perfect if you suffer from rosacea.
Orange: Neutralises blue and cooler tones in the skin.
Peach - Helps to balance out slight discolouration
White - Adds natural highlight and brightens
Cream - Neautralises purple and covers dark areas, perfect for under eye and darker patches.
Brown - Balances ashiness in medium to dark skin tones.

I suffer from dry, sensitive skin so I'm always using the green cream to neutralise the redness in my skin around my T-Zone. I always really like the lavender and pink cream to brighten up my skin when it's feeling particularly dull after not seeing the sun for hours on end!

Sticking with Makeup Revolution, they also have a new range of brushes in the 'Ultra Metals Collection'. If I'm totally honest I picked up these brushes because I'm obsessed with anything rose gold/copper at the moment and they were too good to resist! I bought the Ultra Flawless Powder Brush, the Ultra Sculpt Blush Brush and the Ultra Contour Foundation Brush although I'm not even sure if i'll get round to using them because the white brush hairs are far too clean and pretty as they are!

That's it for my current autumn/winter favourites, let me know what you're loving this season in the comments below!

CURRENT BEAUTY FAVOURITES

As much as I love autumn and winter it's always a slightly trickier business when it comes to beauty. The wind, rain and cold doesn't do much for my poor hair and skin so now's a better time than any to bring a few slightly different products into my routine. These are the products I'm currently loving.

Good Things Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser, £7.99

Moisuriser is a key player in my make-up routine and I find that my foundation just doesn't last without it. This little gem from Good Things Beauty includes extracts of blackcurrent - for its' clarifying qualities -  and goji berry (so it smells hella good for one thing). What I like most about this moisturiser is that it's fast-absorbing so I don't find myself spending ages trying to rub it into my face in the mornings.

Lush Rub, Rub, Rub Shower Scrub, £8.75

Not only is this pretty pot from Lush an exoliating shower scrub but it double's up as a hair treatment; adding volume and shine to the hair. So two for the price of one! I love to use this product once or twice a week in the bath to exfoliate and really treat my skin to a gentle cleanse, however, this product can be used dry for a really good buff and I find this makes it perfect pre-spray tan!

Montagne Jeunesse (now My 7th Heaven) Dead Sea Mud Spa Clay Mask, £1.09 

I'm such a huge fan of Montagne Jeunesse, who are now known as My 7th Heaven, and I probably own more face masks that one girl needs but at just over £1 a pop it's a crime not to invest in a bunch! One of my all-time favourites though is this Dead Sea Mud Spa Clay Mask.

Each mask from My 7th Heaven boasts lots of different benefits and ingredients but as I have breakout-prone, sensitive skin there's a select few I go for again and again and this is one of them. This particular clay mask is all ready for you to use as soon as you open the sachet, no awkward squeezing out and slapping on, the pre-constructed mask just unfolds, you pat it down and you're good to go!

John Frieda Frizz Ease Miraculous Recovery Intensive Masque, £2 for 25ml 

If you dye, bleach or put heat anywhere near your hair then an intensive masque or treatment will definitely make your life a lot easier! Winter weather conditions can be harsh on your hair, making the ends brittle and dry and this treatment from John Frieda's Frizz Ease range gives my hair a little TLC when it needs it most.

Superdrug B. Makeup Brush Cleanser, £4.99

I'm hooked on the Bobbi Brown Brush Cleaning Spray but as I very recently ran out of the stuff I gave this (much cheaper) version a go and I think it's great for a temporary fix! The cleanser comes in an easy-to-use pump bottle and I've found it works a treat in between washing my brushes properly.

Let me know what beauty products you're loving at the moment in the comments below or tweet me @laurenfell!