Radiant Make up

Halloween Nails

2011-10-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

As well as doing a few Halloween make up looks I thought I’d show you a few really simple Halloween nail art designs so even if you don’t want to go all out with the make up.

These pumpkin nails are probably my favourite as they take a maximum of 10minutes to do and they’re really cute! They also attracted a lot of compliments when I was wearing these. Simply apply an orange base then once it’s dry dot on the face using a plain black polish then to finish use a clear top coat.

Then there’s the classic spiderweb design, everyone seems to do something like this and I’ve already seen lots of tutorials on different spider webs looks but I thought I should include it anyway as again it’s very simple, quick and really effective too. To do this just have a black coat all over your nails then draw in 3-4 diagonal lines coming from one corner of your nail then join them up :)

This is probably the hardest one to do as it’s a little bit fiddly but if you take your time it’s not that hard. Just apply an orange base coat then do a big black dot for the spiders body and slowly draw in the legs. You’ll have to wait for that to dry completely but then you can do two white dots on each spider for the eyes, again wait for it to dry then do two really really tiny little black dots to finish off.

And finally a Halloween nail art post wouldn’t be complete without a really generic spooky nail! Again I used an orange base, then using a dotting tool I put on some bats and then using the dotting tool I just dragged a black polish into the shape of an old weather-beaten tree on one finger :)

There are absolutely tons of designs you can do like this, I actually did another two but for some reason my computer is being a complete pain and not letting me upload them…

Hope thtis has been helpful!! x

P.S the polished I used were: Barry M Tangerine, Barry M White and Barry M Black

Tiger FOTD

2011-10-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

I did this Halloween look over a week ago but for some reason I wasn’t quite happy with it so I never got around to posting it but, looking at it again I thought I might as well- hopefully it’ll give someone out there an idea for what to wear to a costume party :)

This one is just as simple as my other Halloween looks but it just takes a little longer to do, all you’ll need is a foundation, a white eyeliner, a contouring powder, an orange and a black eyeshadow, eyeliner and a mascara.

1. Apply your foundation (I opted for matte full coverage)

2. Sharply contour cheekbones & temples

3. Go around the contouring with the orange shadow

4. Draw on lightened areas with a white liner and blend

5. Sketch on stripes, liner and broaden out the nose with an eyeliner

6. Go over the liner with a black shadow to darken & draw on the lip

7. Conceal lower lip, apply mascara and touch up

8. Do your hair and your ready to do!

The more I look at this the more I like it but I’m still not 100% happy with it, what do you think? Have you decided on what you’re going to be this Halloween? I still can’t choose between the Fairy, the Mermaid and the Zombie!

Hope this has been Helpful!! x

Zombie FOTD

2011-10-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

Here’s my third Halloween make up look and this is a pretty generic Halloween make up that I suppose could work for nearly any costume – I’m just going to call this a zombie one though :)

This really is a look anyone can do as you need barely any products and its super quick to do!

Apply a pale foundation or white face paint (I used a white foundation with a little gray eyeshadow) and powder your face
Take a black shadow and start heavily contouring your cheek bones, your temples and your under eyes
Place a black eyeshadow all over your lid and slightly blend out to create a dark smokey eye
Take a black eyeliner and draw on the line of your cut, lightly line your lips then lightly do your brows
apply a red eyeshadow(you can use a lipstick or a lip liner too) to draw on the open wound and around your eyes
And to finish conceal your lips blending in the eyeliner and apply lashings of mascara- Simple!

I actually did something really simple to this last year and because there’s nothing fancy, it lasted the whole night with only one quick little touch up. Let me know what you’re going to be this Halloween and if you like this little Halloween make up idea posts :)

Hope you’ve enjoyed!! x

Mermaid FOTD

2011-10-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

This is my second look for my Halloween Series and I had a mermaid in mind when I did it but a few people have said it could be used for a simple avatar make up look if you alter the colours a little it’d also be great for a water nymph!

I really really love how this turned out as I wasn’t sure it’d work but I’m seriously chuffed. All you need is a foundation, a powder (ideally translucent if you’re going for a pale look but a coloured powder will be fine), some netting (I got mine from a bunch of oranges!), a turquoise eye shadow, a royal blue eye shadow, black eyeliner , a mascara and a lip balm.

1. Apply a pale foundation as a base – I used my normal studio sculpt mixed with some of barry M’s white foundation crème, then lightly powder your skin so it’s easier to blend the blue eye shadow out in the next step

2. Carefully place the netting on one side of your face, then gently start tapping the blue eye shadow over it.

3. Continue this all over your face, just try to make sure the netting is fairly taut and isn’t moving around too much otherwise you won’t get the scaly effect

4. Then take the turquoise shadow and apply this all over your lid and into the ‘scales’ around your face.

5. Use the royal blue shadow to contour your eyes and add some dimension; again blend well

6. Apply your eyeliner, I chose to do an extended wing and take it down the inner corner but thats completely optional.

7. For the lips line with a black eyeliner, then mix some lip balm and a blue shadow together to great a blue tinted lip balm and apply to your lips.

8. To finish just apply lashings of mascara and false lashes if you fancy!

(and just so you can see what it looks like if you decide to keep your hair down)

It sounds a little complicated but I promise it’s not, just take your time and have fun with it!

I’ve got another 4 Halloween posts coming up before the 31^st but if you’ve and requests just let me know as I’m sure I can sort out another look :)

Hope you’ve enjoyed!! x

Fairy FOTD

2011-10-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

I’m not normally the sort to get that excited about Halloween, don’t get me wrong I’ve always liked it but never been that into it. This year though I’m really in the mood to do some fun Halloween looks and this is the first of them!

I suppose this could be lots of different things, I had a fairy in mind when I did it but a nymph or an elf or some other mythical creature would probably work just as well :) it took a little longer than I originally expected as I had to go over the lines of the ‘mask’ more than once but it wasn’t difficult (if you’re going to do something similar I’d definitely sketching out a plan before hand!)

I used three eyeshadows, a bright green, a deeper forest green and then a bright baby pink for the cheeks as I didn’t have a blush bright enough. A gel eyeliner and lots of mascara – it’s definitely something you can do on a budget without having to buy lots of colours you’ll never use again.

I also tried pairing this with a nude lip and although I think it’s really pretty, I just can’t pull off nude lips so I’d stick with some sort of definition :)

I’ve already done two other Halloween looks which I’ll post in the next few days as we get closer to Halloween but so far this looks like the favourite for what I’ll actually be doing on Halloween as I seriously love how all the green shadow makes my eyes stand out!

Hope you’ve enjoyed!! x

101 things

2011-09-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

I’ve had quite a few requests to do some more personal posts and I’ve been putting doing them off as I’m not sure any of you will be interested! But I recently stumbled across ‘project zero’ and the 101 things to do in 1001 days. Basically you just write a list of 101 things you want to achieve within the next 1001 days, write them down and then commit to doing them!

(just click on the photo to see everything bigger :) This is mine, I’ve missed off one or two of the more personal ones & left some free at the bottom for things I'll think of in the future but there’s a mix of big things , like the travelling and blogging figures, then smaller little things like learning to knit and watching 26 films :) If I’m honest I doubt I’ll do all of these but I’m definitely going to try my best!
Have any of you come across project zero and made your own list? Or are you inspired to make your own now?
Hope you’ve enjoyed!! x
P.S I should be back to blogging properly now after a little bit of a break – sorry for all the random interspersed posts of late!

Snap Happy

2011-09-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on Twitter you probably already know what this post is about, and you’re also probably fed up of hearing me talk about it, but I finally got myself a new camera! & I’m so excited to start doing posts with it, but I only picked it up on Tuesday so I’ve still got rather a lot to sort out but here it is…

It’s an entry level DSLR and I’m not going to get into everything too much as I know a lot of you really won’t be too interested but it’s a Canon EOS 1000D and at the moment it’s with an 18-55mm lens although I am thinking about maybe getting a different one in the near future..

But obviously I’m not a professional and although it’s actually quite easy to use once you read through the instruction guide (which I suggest you do as there’s a little more to it than simply ‘point and shoot’) so don’t expect amazing photos all of a sudden but you should start to notice some better quality photos and swatches soon!

Like I said I've been playing around with it trying to make sure I know how to get the focus right.. I think I'll stop rambling on now, but I just wanted to show you all as I'm so excited about it (i think I'm begining to annoy family and friends as I'm constantly taking photos)

I'm also starting my new job on Saturday so I'll be even busier than I am at the moment but hopefully within the next week or so I'll get back into a routine as I have so many things to blog about but just not enough hours in the day!

And i thought I'd finish with a little picture of my old camera which is finally retired!.
Hope you've enjoyed!! x

Glitter Icing

2011-09-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

It feels like I haven't done a nail art post in months & missed doing them so much but my camera just doesn't want to focus on my nails!

But I just love how these look I had to post as I'm sure a few of you will like them too :) especially as they are are do quick and simple to do and aren't in your face- theyre subtle enough to get away with for any occasion!

Concrete mixer is definitely turning into one of my favourite polishes, I got it recently in my models pen order for £2.50. It wasn't what I was expecting yet it's honestly the most flattering colour!

Just apply one coat of concrete mixer then I put some champagne on the tip a little like icing.
Once it's dry I put a little of sterling silver as it just adds a really pretty touch

I honestly love this nail art- let me know if you give this a go as it's so simple, pretty and elegant!

Hope you've enjoyed!! x
P.s I've done the whole post on my iPhone with the bloggers app so let me know if something isn't working for you :)

Mac Stereo Rose

2011-09-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to get hold of this as its very much a cult mac product and its rather difficult to get hold off, which in turn only seems to increase its popularity. And now I’ve got my hands on it I finally understand why its so talked about! It isn’t however going to be for everyone
It’s a beautiful shimmery deep coral with pretty golden highlights and a slightly rosy undertone. And although I love wearing it it’s not something I’ll reach for every day, and I know a lot of people will be put off by how shimmery it is as I know a fair few of you prefer to add your own highlight.
Aside from the shimmeriness, which is kind of expected with a mac msf, they are pricey, particularly this one as its only repromoted every so often and consequently prices in CCOs rocket, and its also not the easiest to work with as it is very pigmented so you have to be careful to not apply too much. And it's not going to be a universally flattering shade as it is quite coral/red which can something look too much on some skin tones (this looks terrible on my tanned skin however when I'm pale it's beautiful).

I do love it though, not sure I’ll repurchase but I don’t think that’s something I need to worry about as MSFs last years!
Have any of you managed to get your hand on this?
What did you think?

Hope this has been helpful!! x

Just a little update..

2011-09-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

I’ve been quite a bad blogger this past month (my email box is inundated with emails) mainly because I’ve just been swamped by life and I never seem to get any free time at the moment! My lovely little Kodak M530 has also decided to start dying on me (it’s not accepting memory cards and typically the insurance I bought ran out last month!) so I’m busy researching cameras as taking photos is turning into a bit of a nightmare…

Anyway even though I haven’t been posting nearly as much as I’d like I haven’t completely forgotten you! I’m working on a new page and even though its no where near done I’m so excited about it! Here’s a little clue..
So I don’t usually do posts like this but I’m trying to figure out exactly what I want my blog to be, it’s obviously a beauty blog but I think an entire blog full of reviews can be a little.. tiresome, so let me know what sort of posts you like! I’ve got some nail art and a mini haul coming up soon
but if you’ve any requests let me know :)

Hope you're all well!! x

Hot Butter Fudge

2011-09-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

I read a review on this by fee a few months ago and it’s been on my list of things to try since then and I’m only just getting around to it.. but anyway you’ve probably already seen a few reviews on this brand, N-Spa as they’re sold in a lot of supermarkets quite cheapy and their whole range smells delicious!

This smells like a mix of butter, toffee, fudge, caramel sugar etc.. basically a very sweet dessert so if you’re not a fan of products smelling like baked goods stay well clear. I however adore the scent – simply scrumptious!
This sugar scrub is £6 for 35ml and it’s quite simply well worth every penny.

But enough about how yummy it smells the scrub itself is actually really nice, which I was surprised at as I wasn’t expecting it to do much more than smell nice. You can use it on wet or dry skin to exfoliate away any dead skin cells sitting on your skin, although if you’ve sensitive skin I’d recommend applying it to damp skin as the sugar can be a little bit abrasive on dry skin.

I can’t really find any faults with this, the packaging is simple, cute and the tub is reusable (I’m not sure how I’m going to reuse it yet but I’ve lots of ideas) it smells divine, it’s very reasonably priced and it’s easily available – what more can you ask for!

Have you tried any N-Spa products? And do you have any recommendations for me to try out?

Hope this has been helpful!!! x

ELF Blush and Bronzer

2011-09-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

I don’t think this product really need much introduction as it’s one of the most talked about ELF products I see on blogs and when I finally managed to get my hands on it (it always seems to be sold out!) I was really excited to see how it lived up to expectations.
E.L.F’s contouring blush and bronzer is part of the studio line at £3 which is cheap enough but E.L.F are always having deals and promotions so it’s best to wait a little while as I got mine for a measly £1.75!
Both the blush and the bronzer are much more pigmented than I was expecting and they have quite a nice texture too, not too powdery so it blends effortlessly. The blush is really quite beautiful as it’s a mix of a dusky pink and a little bit of coral with subtle golden shimmer which really is one of the most flattering shades.

I’ll be honest, I bought this mainly for the blush as nothing can compare, for me, to Benefit hoola for contouring however this is again surprisingly nice. It’s a little warmer than I’d like for a contour but not overly so and I have used this a few times to contour and I can see already this is going to be a favourite. In the pan the bronzer has a little bit of golden shimmer although this doesn’t transpire when you actually apply it.

Overall I have a feeling this will last quite a long time because it is really nicely pigmented and it’s definitely worth every penny and I imagine I’ll be repurchasing when it runs out!
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Hope this has been helpful!! x

Good Things

2011-09-05T01:08:00.000-07:00

I was sent these two products a few weeks ago from a relatively new company which you don’t hear that much about – Good Things. The basic idea is their products supply the same quality of skincare as other brands but without all the nasty ingredients. So it’s free from parabens, sulfates, mineral oils and animal ingredients which is great, it’s also meant to be full of natural ingredients to ‘boost’ your skin.

Face the Day moisturiser 100 ml -£7.99
This is my lleast favourite of the two purely because the scent is too much for me. It is lovely and hydrating though and works quite nicely under foundations and tinted moisturisers. It’s the sort of cream I’ll reach for during transitional months (so autumn and spring when my skin can’t make up its mind what to do!) and it does have UV filters which is a great added bonus

Bright Eyes Eyecream 15ml - £5.99
It’s a good standard eye cream which would work really well for someone who doesn’t really have any issues with their under eyes and is just looking for light soothing moisture, for me though I feel like I need more nourishment from my eye cream as my under eyes are my main hold up and need a fair bit of TLC
Both of these smell delicious and fruity however for me that’s a double edged sword. I don’t mind the strong scent in my eye cream as my eyes aren’t sensitive but I feel like that strong a scent is better suited to a body lotion over a face cream and I generally feel uncomfortable applying as surely something that strongly scented is the result of perfumes and added fragrance which doesn’t really appeal

Overall I doubt I’ll purchase these two again but not because I don’t like them, I do, I just don’t love them as they’re not quite right for me. I do think they’re worth the money though as they’d be perfect for someone who is just getting into skincare, who doesn’t want to spend too much and just wants something that isn’t too drying or too moisturising to introduce them into skin care

Have any of you given Good Things a go? I'm tempted to give their face masks a go!

Hope this has been helpful!! x

A/W Wish Lists

2011-09-01T02:56:00.000-07:00

I thought I’d do something a little different today. I’m surprisingly excited about the approaching autumn (I say approaching despite the fact it feels like mid winter here right now..) and a lot of the A/W collections are now out so I decided to do a little montage of all the things I really want this autumn.
Cream Crochet Dress – River Island £25
Navy Blazer – River Island £50
Feather clutch (completely love this!) – River Island £32
Kahki Parka Coat – Topshop £95
Semi-Sheer black shirt – Topshop - £36
Stripy fit and flare dress – H&M £12.99
Three stone ring – Bo ho - £8
Frog earrings – F21 - $3.80
Chanel Bronze universal– Boots £31
Mac costa chic- Mac £13.50
Cleanse and Polish hot cloth cleanser - Liz Earle £13.75
Cleanse and Polish hot cloth cleanser - Liz Earle £13.50
Urban decay primer in Sin- Debenhams £14.50
Essie 'glamous purse' - Essie $8.00
MUA Heaven and Earth palette – Superdrug £4
Samy fat hair thickening hair spray -Superdrug £6.59
A6 Leatherjournal- Topshop £8
Cut roeses make up bag - Cath Kidston £10
Toy watch - £164.99
The final book in the inheritance cycle- Amazon £9.49 (yes, I've pre orderd!)
Canon eos 1100D – Jessops - £379.95
Kankee candle in mango and peach salsa - £16 (I have this in tart form and i love it!)

Let me know if you like these sorts of posts, I’m thinking of doing them twice a year, for A/W and then for S/S :)
Hope you’ve enjoyed!! x

For Audrey

2011-08-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

The classic ‘tiffany box blue’ is one of my all time favourite colours and so consequently Chinaglaze For Audrey (which is pretty much the exact same shade) is one of my all time most used, and favourite, polishes. The formula, finish and obviously the colour are all lovely but getting hold of Chinaglaze polishes in the UK can be a bit of a pain as they aren’t easily available.
(I actually hunted for about a month looking for ‘For Audrey’ until I finally found somewhere that shipped to the UK without charging the earth)
So when I was perusing the George’s nail polish range I quickly picked up Smarty pants as all I could think was that it looked pretty much identical to For Audrey.

As you can see they are pretty much exact copies. Smarty Pants perhaps has a slightly more greenish cast than For Audrey but that’s only if you are really scrutinising the two. The formula of smarty pants isn’t as nice as the Chinaglaze however it’s not clumpy or streaky nor is it difficult to work with.
So if you’re looking for a For Audrey dupe which you can get hold of easily this is definitely the closest I’ve seen (and I’ll admit I do have more than a few shades which come close to being dupes but don’t quite match)
And the best bit is it’s a measly £1.45!
Have any of you tried For Audrey? Or do you have another dupe for the Tiffany box blue?
Hope this has been helpful!!x

Cherry Pie Utopia

2011-08-23T08:08:00.001-07:00

Now this may surprise you, but I’ve never actually tried any Model’s Own normal nail polishes. I’ve tried Buff Pink from their manicure range and some of their glitters but never quite got around to trying their standard ones. So when I was sent these two I painted my nails pretty much straight away!
Utopia
This is one polish I’ve been meaning to get since I first saw it, it’s a beautiful blend of lilacs, nudes and gray meaning it is the prettiest, girly-yet-chic muted shade and I already know this is going to be one of those colours I’ll end up having to repurchase as I’ve already found myself reaching for it time and time again
The formula is also really surprising as it’s incredibly opaque yet it’s not too thick or difficult to work with.

Cherry Pie
This definitely stands out in my nail polish collection as I just don’t reach for dark shades very often as I think they can be a little too harsh but because of the red and burgandery shimmer running through this I actually really like it.
The formula is lovely, two coats and you get a very rich deep red

Definitely going to try and get my hands on more Models Own polishes as the formula of these two is gorgeous!
They actually have a 50% off sale online if you ‘like’ their facebook page so you can get a polish for a tiny £2.50!
Hope this has been helpful!! x

P.S Sorry about the lack of recent posts, there’s just been crazy amounts going on in my personal life and blogging has had to take a bit of a back seat!

Z Palette

2011-08-19T04:28:00.001-07:00

I finally, finally found the perfect palette for me which is the lovely Z Pro Large Palette! Z palettes have been floating around the online beauty community for a while but for some reason I never looked into getting one until last week when I ordered one from GenieMakeUp.
Bascially for those that don’t know what these are they are hard palettes without the slots normally found in make up palettes. Instead the base is just one strong magnet which allows you to fit your pans of any size into it. It also has a clear lid so if you have several palettes you can easily see what’s inside without having to open any
(small and large come in a variety of patterns but pro extra large only comes in plain black)
So far as sizing goes there is a Small one which is a little larger than a mac quad, a Large and finally the Pro Extra Large, which I opted for. The Pro large is described as having room for 28 mac sized pans as well as room for a small brush. But I’ve fit in 32 mac shadows with room around the edges for any smaller pans I have.

Z palettes is an American company and so in the UK you have to either go through a second party such as GenieMakeUp, or Amazon where consequently prices do vary somewhat. Or you pay the higher postage fees by shipping directly from the US via the Z palette website. But generally for the Pro large expect to pay around £20, large £15 and small £10

Have any of you tried a Z palette? or how do you store your eyeshadows?
Hope this has been helpful!! x

Pastel Stripe NOTD

2011-08-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

I’ve been meaning to do some striped nails are for months and I refuse for pay £20 for nail art polishes and I couldn’t figure out how to do it with a standard brush. But I played around with it yesterday and I think it looks pretty good considering I didn’t use any nail art tools!
I used...Barry M Fuschia, Baby pink, Mint green, White, Peach melba, Berry ice cream and Cyan blue
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Basically just get all the light, pastel colours you own and do lots of stripes :) This didn’t take anywhere near as long as I was expecting it too and I can’t wait to do more stripy looks!
Have any of you tried stripy nail art without nail art brushes?
Hope you’ve enjoyed!! x

Collection 2000 Cream Puff

2011-08-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

I first heard about these through Lisa Eldridge, and for those of you who haven’t heard of her she’s amazing at what she does. And quite simply if she recommends something you know its going to be good!
Now aside the slightly strange name, that I just cant help but smile at, these are quite a new release and have a distinctive finish and texture.

They’re described as being velvety soft matt finish lip creams and although that’s a mouthful it’s pretty accurate. The texture is light and soft with an almost whipped texture while it dries to a lovely matt finish.
These supply all the bonuses of a stain, longevity and a natural matt finish but with one huge advantage. They’re incredibly creamy making them lovely and non drying (I wouldn’t say they were moisturising themselves but they don’t need to be)

The colour range is a little limited as there are only four shades. There’s Fair Cakes a pretty coral, Cotton Candy, a mid toned pink, Powder Puff a light nude and Angel Delight a mid toned brown. So despite the lack of colours I can’t help but think there’s something for everyone whatever you like!
All the shades are quite muted so don’t expect anything too bright but again I like this feature as it makes them all really wearable.

The only downside is it doesn’t wear amazingly, after a few hours it will become a little patchy but I haven’t found it to be anything major – quickly reapply and your sorted for another hour!

Have you tried these yet? If not are you tempted?
Hope this has been helpful!! x

147 Peachy Pink

2011-08-12T07:03:00.001-07:00

I want to start off this review by saying this lipstick was one of the hardest colours I’ve had to photograph! In some photos it looked very orange, in others very peach or pink or coral, and I think that’s because this is perfect mix of all of them!
I only got this a few days ago after Vivianna mentioned it reminded her of Topshop Head over heels blush (which I have fallen head over heels in love with) so naturally I went on the hunt for it and I luckily got the last one in my boots.
(they aren’t identical but they are definitely in the same colour family)
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This definitely stands out in my lipstick collection, and I think it’d stand out in most as it’s quite a unique colour, think of the prettiest peach, mix it with a little bit of pink, some coral and a little bit of orange and you’d end up with something like this – love it!
It’s a matte formula which I think is perfect for such a bright colour as it allows it to be easily wearable for during the day, I know that for me, with a gloss this would be a bit too bright to comfortably wear.

The other bonus of it being matte is it lasts a good 3 hours on me, although the wear time obviously depends on how lipstick wears for you. But matte finishes in general do last much longer as they’re less likely to just slip off!
The only negative to matte lips for me, is they can be a little drying so make sure you apply lots of lip balm before you put this on.

I’ve recently been loving wearing slightly brighter and bolder lip colours, I think it’s because you can get away with anything if the sun’s shining!
Have any of you got any favourite bright shades?

Hope this has been helpful!! x
P.S hopefully you can see how different this colour looks in all these shots, in real life it's a bit of a mixture of all these

Tropical NOTD

2011-08-10T05:46:00.000-07:00

I think it’s fair to say the weather this summer has been a bit rubbish in England - It started off well with June being gorgeous and then it’s steadily gone down hill!
So to cheer myself up while dismal rain clouds are looming overhead I did some fun, bright and most importantly SUMMERY nails :)
I just wanted something warm, fun and simple.
I used Barry M Yellow, Fuchia and Red and quickly did stripes of them, roughly on my nail. I applied each colour while the previous polish was wet and I got this effect!
After a few days of the tropical look I applied a thin coat of a white polish.
Once it was dry I simply took some nail polish remover and ta-da, a completely different look!

Let me know what you think of both of these looks and whether you’ll be giving either a go!

Hope you’ve enjoyed!! x
P.S I know these slightly messy looking nails aren't for everyone but I quite like them as a change from my usually neat nail art!

Head Over Heels

2011-08-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

I normally ensure I use new products for at least 2-3 weeks before writing a review (I always test out skin care products longer) just so I know I’ve thoroughly tested the product out. But I’ve only have this for a little over a week but I honestly love it!
(the packaging is definitely a bonus – so cute and yet so simple)
Topshop make up has been out for quite a while now and despite praise from other bloggers I was just never sure. I did however take the plunge last week and ordered Head over Heels Cream Blush online, along with a few other bits I got in the sale…

And I regret not trying it sooner! It’s the perfect blend of peach, pink and coral which makes it instantly flattering on my pale skin and looked just as pretty after I fake tanned!
The formula is creamy, easy to blend and dries to a powder finish. I’ll admit I would prefer it to have the dewiness associated with cream blushes but the powder formula does allow for a slightly more natural finish and for you to add your own highlight

Topshop make up is available in most large Topshops as well as online at £6 for 4g which is a pretty standard. The formula makes this definitely one of the best drugstore cream blushes out there at the moment!

I’ll definitely be checking out their other colours however for me Head over Heels is the blush that really stands out as shades like this are always a bit of a rare find at the drugstore!

Hope this has been helpful!! x

Magenta Divine NOTD

2011-08-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

Every so often I get bored with cute, elegant or edgy nails and quite simply I want something a little bit tacky – we all have bright pink sparkly craving every now and again!
And this is how I have my nails when I want something bright and girly which never fails to brighten up my mood! How can you be feeling down when your nails are screaming Barbie and summer?
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I use Barry M Fuchsia and then applied two coats of Models Own Magenta Divine.
I got magenta divine originally because I expected it to be like their champagne with is an opaque glitter however I love this look enough to forgive it for being a bit sparse on the glitter front
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What’s your favourite thing to do when you need a little ‘pick-me-up’?
Hope you’ve enjoyed!! x
P.S I took these photos a while ago back when I decided to chop off my nails so I could show you a few nail art designs suitable for short nails!

A Rushed FOTD

2011-08-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

Before this summer I was pretty much never late, occasionally a few minutes delayed but usually bang on time or quite often early. But since I’ve finished college this year I seem to be constantly rushing around because I’m late!
Face
Skin79 BB cream
Mac studio sculpt concealer
A little bit of Benefit Georgia & Mac soft and Gentle MSF
(but mainly my natural cheek colour as it was so hot)
Eyes
Nouveau lashes which I got in my Glossybox(I didnt think I'd like them but I love them!)
Mac All that glitters all over the lid
Avon white eyeliner as a subtle highlight
Lips
Just a BodyShop lip balm – I can’t cope with anything heavy on my lips in summer!
(These are some sneaky shots I took inside Topshop’s changing rooms because I didn’t have time prior to going out to take some shots of how the waves looked!)
Hair
Once again my beloved Babyliss waving wand which I love & a bit of hair spray

Try to forgive how rushed these were, I tried to quickly take one or two decent shots while running out the door (I actually took them in the car) as I really liked how this looked :)

Hope you've enjoyed!! x

P.S this was taken on a sweltering hot day last week- I want that weather back!

Silver Elegance NOTD

2011-07-31T02:42:00.000-07:00

I love wearing silver on my nails but I always find it’d a difficult one to pull off without your nails looking tacky so I thought I’d show you my favourite way of wearing silver which I think looks pretty elegant actually :)
I do one coat of a matte white polish (Barry M white)
Once it’s dry I apply a dark gray strip at the top (Barry M Gray)
Then a quick coating of a glittery silver polish all over (Collection 2000 inca silver)
Then finish off with a single thin white strip
(Just a little close up oh how pretty the small pieces of glitter look)
It takes less than 10 minutes as I just use very thin coats of everything so it takes no time at all to dry and it never fails to get a compliment whenever I wear it!

What do you think? Will you be trying this out or do you have another favourite way of wearing silver polish?
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Hope you’ve enjoyed!! x