Blogmas ¦ Day 22 - Reindeer nails

 

I thought these nails where just to cute to not show you. I'm finally starting to feel a little more festive as college is over and we've finally got a Christmas tree. So today I thought I would share this really cute nail design with you. I'm pretty sure I did a very similar design but I thought I would update the post with some better quality images and share it for those of you that weren't following me last year.

 

So I started off by painting all of my nails completely white as I personally find it's the best base colour for these nails. I then waited until that was completely dry as it can very easily all end up smudging into one big mess. I then used a Nude shade from miss sporty and painted the heads. I did this by doing one stroke of polish down the middle of my nails and then I rounded them off with the edge of the brush. Then it was time for the reindeers facial features. I would again recommend leaving the nude polish to dry completely as it just makes it much easier. I used the brushes from my Rio nail art pens as I find the brush makes everything a lot easier than when I use the little squeezy but. Finally I topped everything off with a top coat and they where done.

 

I feel like these would also be super cute with silver glitter over them to give them a snow like effect. Let me now if you've been trying any festive nail art! 

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Blogmas ¦ Day 1 - November favourites

 

I actually really struggled with picking my favourites this month. I seen to have tried so many products that I've really enjoyed so narrowing them down was pretty tough. However in the end I managed to get it down to five absolutely awesome products.

 

If you read my drugstore lip lacquer post (Here) then you will know that both the lip products I'm showing you today made it into the top category. Sleek Matte me in Birthday suit is the perfect "Kylie Jenner" lip colour for me. It's a brown-y pink nude which looks stunning on it's own but I also love to pair it with a darker nude liner to make it a little darker. It feels incredibly comfortable on the lips and last for hours and hours without fading or beginning to break up. The other lip lacquer I have is the I heart makeup Lip lava in Firestorm which is a beautiful dark red shade. This goes one glossy and then after a couple of hours the gloss wears off and you are left with a slightly lighter red stain which lasts all day.

 

Eye wise I've been loving the Collection Your mood your style palette which contains two looks. One which is pink toned and the other which is more bronze toned. These shadows are beautiful, the quality is excellent for the price, they blend seamlessly and the staying power is also pretty impressive. Something that I've had for a while is the Gosh Velvet touch liner in the shade Black ink. For the past couple of months I've been using it pretty much every single day to tightline my eyes and I love it. It's the only kohl liner I've found that doesn't end up all smudged underneath my eyes at the end of the day. I just love the way it makes my lashes look much thicker.

 

Finally for this months favourites I have a nail shade that I was obsessed with about this time of year last year. Essie Aruba blue is a gorgeous metallic dark blue shade. As with al Essie polishes the wear time is pretty good and I can get about three and a half days wear out of it before it starts chipping.

 

 

So that's it for this months favourites. I hope you enjoyed this post and I'd love for you to let me know what your favourites are in the comments.
 



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Beauty ¦ Mani monday #10 - Barry M plum and L'oreal Black diamond

 

Welcome to the 10th Mani Monday post. I'm actually really impressed with myself I don't think I've ever made it 10 posts into a series so go me!

 

Today I'm showing you a polish I have worn a lot since September but I keep forgetting to blog about it. Today I actually decided to pair it with some glitter to add a little bit of sparkle. You will know if you are a regular over here that I love the Barry M gelly polishes. This one is pretty much opaque in one coat however I always do two coats to make sure that it isn't patchy. The L'Oreal glitter is one of those glitters that dries down to that strange concrete-y finish that's sort of matte and it feels rough. It's one of those shades that I always forget about but every time I use it I remember how much I love it.

 

Beauty ¦ Mani monday #9 - L'oreal Rouge pin up

It feels like months since I've written one of these Mani Monday posts. Today I thought I'd get a little festive after all it is November. I love a good red polish however it isn't a shade I wear very often. I love these little L'oreal polishes as they are perfect for chucking in your bag as they are so tiny and I mean you never know when the mood will strike to paint your nails. This shade is a very true red despite the fact that the first coat does look very pink once the second coat is added you get a very true shade. I find this shade super festive as it's that Santa's suit red shade. The formula of these isn't the best I find they do chip quite easily however if you are looking for a fast drying festive shade I would recommend it. You can always stop chipping with a top coat.

 



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Beuaty ¦ Mani Monday #8 - Barry M Poppy

I am so in love with this shade, it was something that my mum gave me as she just never wore it and I'm so glad she did. It's stunning and I've pretty much worn it constantly since she gave it to me. I love the fact that it dries to an almost matte finish. I did expect the shade to be a little darker but it's actually a stunning deep pinky burgundy shade. In terms of lasting power I got a good 4 days out of this which isn't something that I find very often. I really love this one for the winter as it's still that beautiful berry tone however it isn't so dark that it makes me look like Casper the ghost.

 

I'd love to know if you've tried the Barry M silk polishes.

 



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Beauty ¦ Mani Monday #7 - Revlon vixen and Essence time for romance

Apologies for todays post being late but because I'm an idiot I actually forgot to schedule it so I thought instead of just forgetting todays post I'd just pop it up a little later than usual. The past couple of Mani Mondays have been super autumnal and this one is no exception. Revlon vixen is a shade I dig out every winter as it is a super nice quality polish and also a beautiful colour. In the photos it is showing a little pinker than it is in real life but it is just as pretty. I felt like the look needed a little sparkle so I got out one of my favourite glitters for this time of year. Essence time for romance is a beautiful pinky burgundy glitter with a good mix of glitter sizes. One thing I do love about this polish is that it's super opaque so it only takes two super thin coats.

Beauty ¦ Mani Monday #6 - Maxfactor Colbalt blue

So it's Monday once again and it's time for another Mani Monday post, once again I've pulled out one of my favourite blue shades. I always get this one out in the transition between summer and autumn as it's not to dark but it's not a bright blue either. It doesn't pick up in the photos but it has quite a lot of green in it so it's a gorgeous deep teal shade. I love the formula of these polishes despite the claims they don't last 7 days on me personally but they are beautiful and glossy and I do still really love them. I definitely need to get around to picking up some more!

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Beauty ¦ Mani Monday #5 - Maybelline Color show Burgundy kiss

I said in my last Mani Monday post that I was going to be digging out my autumnal nail shades and this weeks post is the first of many.

Maybelline's Burgundy kiss is one of my favourite polishes for this time of year. Despite the fact that in the photo's it look quite pink it's actually quite a bit darker in most lights and it looks almost black. These polishes are really lovely, they paint nicely and despite the fact that this is such a dark shade I still got about 3 days wear out of it which on me is pretty fab. The finish isn't super glossy so I like to top it with a glossy top coat (however in the images it hasn't got a top coat over it)

I think these are really lovely polishes for the price and I'd seriously recommend them to someone who is looking for budget polishes but want's to try something other than Barry M!

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Beauty ¦ Mani monday #4 - Rimmel Neon fest

 

The summer has pretty much gone in the UK so Mani Monday's are probably going to turn a whole lot more wintery so I thought I'd give the brighter shades one last hurrah. I love this polish so much it managed to make it's way into my July favourites (which are //Here// if you want a read)

 

This shade is an amazing holiday shade as it really enhances a tan. It's a very bright true pink with no blue undertones. I love the brushes on the Rimmel polishes as they are nice and thick meaning that you can get a much more even coat on the nails. This also dries super fast which is a massive bonus for me as I have a habit of painting my nails and then realising that I need to do something.

 

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Beauty ¦ Mani monday #3 - Catrice Raspberryfields forever

 

I decided that it was time to mix up the colours on Mani Monday this week as the last two have been blue. This is a polish that my friend bought me over from Germany. The formula is super lovely and the new extra wide brush works really well and makes painting super easy. The colour is a beautiful

raspberry shade and the finish is lovely and glossy.

 

I really like these polishes and I'm definitely going to be picking some more shades next time I go somewhere that sells Catrice.

 

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Beauty ¦ Mani Monday #2 - Miss sporty Pop fiction

For the price of these polishes they are seriously insane. At £1.99 piece you don't expect much but they are seriously impressive. They are by far the fastest drying polishes in my collection and they are always the ones I reach for when I'm in a rush. The one thing I will say is that the lasting power isn't amazing but for someone who changes their nail polish almost everyday it's not a problem.

 

The shade is the most amazing Bright blue and it looks awesome for the summer as it's so bright. The finish is a cream so it isn't overly glossy however I like that as its so bright.

 

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Beauty ¦ #Flashmob cosmetics Shock treatment nail set.

Flashmob are a brand that I heard so much about a couple of the months when I was given an opportunity to try one of their products I jumped at the chance.

In the end I decided on the Shock treatment* as I thought it would be a brilliant way to incorporate a little bit of colour and glitter into a look and would be perfect for a festival without wearing lots of colourful makeup.

The set contains three nail shades, a white base coat and three glitters. The photo above shows two coats of each colour over one coat of the white. The formula of these is really nice and they paint well. The yellow isn't quite as opaque as the other two shades but with an extra coat. I found the whole application if the glitter not as messy as I thought it would be. I waited about two minutes after doing the final coat and then I dipped my fingers in the pots making sure to roll my finger so that the glitter was on the sides. 

I then decided to apply a clear topcoat to seal in the glitter. I found that the pink glitter which was the chunkiest was the first one to begin to show signs of wear after about 2 and a half days. The yellow and the orange glitters lasted much longer and only begun to show wear after about 4 and a half days.

 

Overall I thing this is an amazing set for festivals and I also imagine little girls would absolutely adore all the glitter and the neon shades!

 





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Beauty ¦ July favourites

So it's the end of July which means one thing! It's monthly favourites time. I'm not going to say how fast time is going but wow! I've got quite a mixed bag this month so I'm going to get on and talk you through each product.

 

Soap and glory heel genius -

 

This isn't one of those products which I would have gone out and picked up from boots however I found it at the bottom of my big box of beauty products after receiving it in the big Soap and glory set at Christmas. However since it's meant to be summer I decided I should probably take a bit more care of my feet. This has made them super soft and it smells like peppermint.

 

Yankee Orange splash -

 

This was a gift off my lovely friend after I did her prom makeup and I absolutely love it. It's not quite as intense as some of Yankee's other fruity scents which I like as I find sometimes when burning them in my bedroom with the door shut it can get a little intense. This is really citrus-y but still lovely and sweet. I urge you all to go and smell it!

 

Maybelline colour tattoo in Permanent taupe -

 

I've actually been using this in my brows this month. I've been finding that some of my brow products seem to be a little too warm for me at the moment. I'm not sure whether this is because my skin is a little more tanned than usual. This is a super cool toned medium brown so I decided to give it a go in my brows and I really like it. They are lighter than I'm used to but the shade matches my hair colour well.

 



 

Topshop lip velvet in Blood orange -

 

This was one of those random no research purchases to make my feel unique order over £10 so I could get free shipping. This is the most amazing orange toned red which dries matte on the lips. In terms of lasting power it's not quite as long lasting as the Bourjois rouge edition velvets however it does last well over the 6 hour mark. The only thing I find is that if you apply a layer that is too thick it can look really strange and it begins to fall into the lines of the lips.

 

Rimmel Rita Ora nail polish in Neon fest -

 

I think this may be one of the brightest nail polishes I own. It's a neon medium pink shade and I absolutely love it. The formula is lovely to paint with and it dries pretty quickly or a normal nail polish. I get around 3 days wear out of it before it starts to chip but for me that's no problem as I change my polish so often.

 

Superfacialists Vitamin C cleansing oil -

 

I am really loving cleansing oils at the moment and this one is no exception. Once again it smells like oranges (I sense a theme in this favourites) It removes makeup really well even stubborn mascara like They're real. It leaves the face feeling clean but not stripped.

 

 

Schwarzkopf got2b Beach matt sat spray -

 

In the past couple of months I've been really embracing my natural wavy mane and this I brilliant on the days when it needs a little help. I find a lot of salt sprays leave the hair sticky or crispy which I'm pretty sure is something no one wants. This bottle has a really fine spray meaning that it doesn't collect in patches in the hair and it dispenses the product really evenly. If you've got crazy wild hair like mine and you want to enhance the natural wave in it I'd highly recommend this.

 

 



Beauty ¦ Mani monday #1 - Barry M Blueberry

So I've decided that my blog feels a little bare at the moment so I'm going to start posting on a Monday again. I've decided that for the first Monday of each month I will be doing a little instagram roundup and for all the other Monday's I'll be doing Mani Monday posts as I feel like my nail polish collection doesn't get enough space on my blog. I hope this idea and you enjoy the posts.

 

 

Today I decided to pick one of my favourite summery nail shades. I absolutely adore Barry M gelly polishes. The formula is brilliant and I can find I get a good 3 days without chipping with no top coat (this for me is pretty impressive as my nails seem to chip so easily) I think this shade is perfect for enhancing a tan as it is just so bright yet not to dark.

 



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Beauty ¦ May favourites

 

 So you know it's the end of may, (incoming blogger cliché) where has this year gone. I've actually got a mixed bunch of favourites this month. My favourites are usually pretty makeup heavy but I've got a bit of everything this month.

 

L'Oreal Ever Riche No sulphates shampoo and conditioner.

 

I'm not usually one to bother about hair care, as long as my hair feels clean and smells nice I'm not overly bothered. However lately I've had a very dry and sore scalp so I've been on the lookout for a shampoo and conditioner that are a little more gentle. These are perfect they are super gentle but they still smell nice and make my hair feel really clean. I've also found since using these there has been a lot less build up in my hair.

 

Quick fix facials Mega moisture mask.

 

I've only used this a couple of times but I am so in love with it. My skin has been so dry at the moment and nothing seems to be fixing it. However I've found this has pumped some serious moisture into my skin. After two uses my skin feels much more hydrated and plumped and for £4.99 there isn't anything bad about this product.

 

Dove Summer glow nourishing lotion.

 

This is something that I use every summer without fail. It gives the most natural looking and subtle tan but if I use it a couple of times a week you can build up a really lovely and intense tan which still looks natural. However I will mention it does smell like fake tan so you can end up smelling like a barrel of biscuits if you aren't careful.

 

Maybelline Super stay 7 days Nail polish - Hot salsa.

 

I have had this polish on my toes all month as it is the most amazing summery colour. I absolutely love the formula of these polishes and on the toes they last a good 1-2 weeks before they need re-doing. This shade is just the perfect shade for summer and I seriously suggest everyone gives it a go!

 

Maybelline Colour sensational lip gloss - Glorious grapefruit

 

I've been wearing my hair up a lot this month so I've been reaching for lip gloss quite a lot. I'm not usually a lip gloss person however I really like these. They are a little stickier than my beloved Clarins Instant light natural lip perfector these are still pretty amazing. They pack a nice punch of colour and they last a really nice amount of time for a gloss. I find I get about 4 hours wear out of them before they have completely gone from the lips.

 

 

L'Oreal Colour riche eyeshadow - Café saint german

 

This was a shadow that so many people talked about last year however I've only just got around to picking it up. It's a really lovely pinky rose gold shade and I've been wearing it alone with lots of mascara for a really lovely pop on the lids. The formula is so creamy and it blends beautifully with other shadows.

 

Bourjois Rouge edition - Pink pong

 

My final favourite is something I am definitely regretting not trying earlier. I had heard so many things about these and I thought that they would be a bit overhyped however now I've tried them I'm so impressed. They are super matte however they don't feel drying. There lasting power is insane and I find it difficult to get them off at the end of the night even with a oil based cleanser. I love this shade and I have a feeling I'm going to wear it a lot more over the summer.

Beauty ¦ The pastel nail edit

I love a good pastel nail so today I thought I would share some of my current favourite shades!

 

Maybelline Super stay forever strong gel nail colour - Mint for Life

 

This shade actually has it's own post //Here// because I love it that much! The formula of these is just amazing and they are such lovely quality for around the £5 mark.

 

Claire's Pastel neon nail polish

 

This bottle hasn't actually got a shade name just a number ( 29503 ) if anyone want's to know.  It's a gorgeous pastel neon coral (I'm sure you all read my blog for the outstanding colour descriptions!) I hadn't tried any polishes from Claire's but I'm actually really impressed with the quality!

 

Sinful colours - Cinderella

 

This is the most Disney nail polish I have ever seen. It's a gorgeous baby blue shade with lots of tiny rainbow shimmer particles. The one thing I will say though is that it's an absolute nightmare to et off as it leaves behind the tiny bits of shimmer.

 



Nails inc - Cambridge

 

I'm so fussy about lilac nail polishes as I like them to be quite grey toned rather than pink toned. Despite the fact this looks really pink in the photo's it's a fairly grey toned super pale lilac. As always with Nails inc polishes it's super high quality and it only requires 2 coats to get an opaque colour.

 

Barry M Gelly High shine Nail paint  - Huckleberry

 

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I love these polishes as the formula is almost as good as the Maybelline ones. This shade is a gorgeous super pale green-y blue. However it is still a blue rather than a mint green.

 

Models own Scented nail polish - Strawberry tart

 

I hate the fact that this is scented as it's so gimmicky but I do love the shade. It's a beautiful strawberry milkshake pink which looks amazing on tanned skin. I wore this one all the time last spring/summer and I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of it this summer too! 



Beauty ¦ March favourites

 

A pinch and a punch for the first of the month.

 

Hello April you came around awfully fast and I'm super happy about that the days are getting longer and spring is well and truly on it's way. This month I've been buying lots of summery makeup and close and getting very excited.

 

This months favourites is actually quite a large one. With it being my birthday I've received and bought lots of new beauty bits with my money which I will show you all in a haul on sunday. All but one of these things I've actually purchased or received this month so I'm super excited to show them all to you. If you are interested in reading my birthday haul it's //Here// and as I said before my March haul will be up on Sunday. So without further a ramble lets get into my March beauty favourites.
 

The only favourite that I haven't bought this month is the Barry M Gelly high shine nail paint in Blueberry, which is just the most beautiful brightened cornflour blue. I love the finish and the lasting power of these polishes but this colour just has my heart at the moment. It's perfect for spring and I can see me wearing it a lot more in the next couple of months. I picked up the Body shop Camomile silky cleansing oil when I went in to repurchase the cleansing butter and I'm really glad I did. I fee like this removes makeup a little easier than the butter and I also find it's been going a lot further than the butter did as I feel like I only need to cleanse once.

 

I've heard so much hype about the Stila In the light palette and now I completely get it, the shades are stunning and work beautifully together. There's a good mix of shades so I can create so many looks out of the one palette. All the shades all well pigmented and creamy including the four matte shades. My favourite shades are Kitten and Sandstone. Charlotte Tilbury Bitch perfect is possibly my perfect nude lipstick, it's more on the peachy side of things with a creamy formula and an impressive lasting power combined with the beautiful packaging it may just be my favourite lipstick ever (Now that's a big claim)

 



Another product that is seriously hyped in the blogging community is the Nars Sheer glow foundation I tried to hold off from picking this up as it isn't cheap and I was worried I wouldn't get on with it however I'm so glad I bit the bullet and gave it a go because I'm in love. The finish is stunning and it blends beautifully on the skin leaving a very natural medium coverage which can be built. If you haven't given this a go yet I seriously suggest you give it a try!

Something I've loved using underneath sheer glow is the L'Oreal infallible primer which is amazing at prolonging the wear of foundation but also find it blurs and smooth's my skin well. It has a silicone-y texture which I like from a primer but if you're not a fan of that kind of texture I'd steer clear. Maybelline's Instant eraser eye has been out for ages but I never got around to picking it up. It's a really amazing under eye concealer. It offers a good amount of coverage and it doesn't settle even if I don't powder it. I haven't actually used this on blemishes due to the sponge applicator as it would just spread the bacteria however I have read it doesn't work amazingly on spots.

I first saw the Barry M contour kit on Kate from Sugarfixx's Facebook page and I knew I needed it I'm a big fan of contouring as I have a chubby face and I am really loving this one. I'm not the biggest fan of the middle powder as I find for me personally it's a little muddy however the darkest contour shade is something I've been reaching for everyday. It has the perfect amount of grey in it to make it look natural whilst really making a difference. This months final favourite is the Nuxe Reve de Miel a chocolate orange scented uber hydrating lip balm. What more can you ask for. I also love the fact that it's matte as it means it goes well under lipstick without changing the finish in anyway.

Beauty ¦ The best drugstore nail polishes (Ever!)

 Maybelline forever strong Gel nail colour - £4.49 - //Here//

I actually love the formula of these nail polishes, they are so shiny and the lasting power is insane. Even without a topcoat. I have two shades, the own above is Mint for life and I also have Hot salsa. These are like the more grown up version of the Barry M gelly paints. With a strong 50 shade range there is a colour in this line for everyone. I've got my eye on the deep wine shade and I'm thinking about picking up one of the paler pink colours for prom. 

I seriously suggest you give these a go! They have most definitely overtaken the Barry M gelly paints as my favourite drugstore nail polishes! 

Beauty ¦ The glitter gradient

I'm not sure if i've talked about this nail combination on here before but I really love it! The perfect spring nail look, I adore the Barry M gelly polishes but I think this has to be my favourite shade. A very pale pink that looks almost white in some lights it paints beautifully and is totally opaque in 2 coats which you don't get very often with such a pale shade. I think i'd have to say that Models own Pink fizz is my favourite nail polish ever. It's the most beautiful really opaque glitter and it works really well for glitter gradients as it's so jam packed with glitter. 

I'd love to know what your favourite shade and glitter combos are! Let me know in the comments! 

Beauty ¦ The at home Mani-Pedi

I love a good salon manicure as much as the next girl but when it comes to people touching my feet I'd much rather do a little DIY pedicure so today I thought I'd show you some of the products I used last weekend when I had a little pamper. 

Lets face it feet are just a bit gross in general but if your feet are anything like mine they have ended up a bit battered from to many pairs of heels over the party season. The Micro pedi is perfect for getting rid of any hard skin with ease. I also really like to scrub my feet with the Body shop peppermint foot scrub which if you read my empties post you will know I just finished. I then like to file all my nails and I use a 4 way file and buffer to make sure my nails are ready for the polish. 

Polish wise I start of with the P2 anti split base coat and then use my polish. For this particular Mani-Pedi I went for Nails inc Richmond which is the most beautiful pearly pink shade on my toes and Models own Pink fizz which is a stunning pink glitter on my fingers. I then top them off with the Nail magic Wet high gloss topcoat and sit and watch some youtube whilst I wait for them to dry. 

Once they are dry I like to use the Soap and glory Heel genius on my feet, at this point I like to give them a nice massage and then put on some socks to hold in all the moisture from the cream. On my hands I used the Soap and glory Hand dream super cream massaging it into my cuticles and really slathering it on to moisturize my hands. 

As you can see from the image above this is the finished manicure. 

What are your favourite Mani-Pedi products?