RottenOtter's Thoughts

Essie Nice Is Nice - NOTD

2012-02-23T11:06:00.000Z

Annoyingly I scratched my middle nail while waiting for it to dry but thought I'd take a photo anyway. Essie's Nice Is Nice is a lovely light lavender colour but I wish the forumla was better. It's quite thin and streaky so three coats is needed to look opaque and nice.

Munio Candela Soy Candle In Relaxation

2012-02-22T14:38:00.000Z

I'm a big candle lover but have to be careful with what I use as some can really irritate my skin. I love Yankee Candle tarts but find they can set off the eczema on my face and just make my skin really itchy. Such a shame as they all smell amazing! This is where soy candles come into it as I've heard they're better for you.

I've heard of soy candles before but haven't tried any until this one from Munio Candela*.

Soy candles are simply better for you, your family and your environment.
Better for the indoor and natural environment.
Burns without toxins, carcinogens or soot.
Burns up to 50% longer than traditional candles.
Cruelty free, contains no animal products.
Contains no genetically modified material.
Biodegradable and derived from renewable sources.
Cleans up easily with soap and hot water.

This particular candle from Munio Candela is housed in a paint can which is just perfect and the little drawing of the elephant is really cute. Everything is hand made even down to the holes in the can!

The only negative thing I have to say about the candle is there aren't any scent definitions on the Mypure website or even the brands website. When I think of relaxation scents I think of lavender when in fact this candle smells like orange and basil. This is the same for the other two paint can candles, inspiration and vitality. With a bit of googleing I managed to find out what the scents are mean to be so I knew what I was going to get. Vitality is lemon and lavender and inspiration is jasmine and patchouli. Really glad I didn't order inspiration before finding out what it's scent was, I really hate jasmine!

What's really interesting about this candle is that it has a wooden wick which I've never heard about before. From what I can tell, it seems to burn through the candle slower and when distinguished, there isn't any horrible smoke that may set off your smoke alarms.

As with all candles, the first time you light it you should leave it burning until the top is completely melted so it burns evenly throughout. When I first lit mine, I had mine burning for 5 hours and it still hadn't totally melted! The candles is meant too burn for about 50 hours. I've had mine burning a couple of times a week, for a few hours each time and it's hardly gone down. It's probably been burning for some like 18 hours in total so it's going to last a really long time.

The scent is subtle but really fills the room and even spreads to other rooms in the house. I much prefer scents to be in the background so they don't give me a headache or set my skin off.

The paint can candles cost £23 and can be bought from the Mypure website.

Nail Polish Blog Sale

2012-02-21T20:49:00.000Z

Trying to get my collection down to what I know I'm going to use and not waste any when someone else might want them. Most polishes have only been used 1 or 2 times.

Postage is included in the price.
UK and paypal only.
Leave your email in a comment and which polish you would like.
First come, first served.
If not payed for in 24hours then it'll go to the next person or back for sale.
No refunds.

Models Own £4 each.

Top Turquoise

Slate Green

Blooboo - SOLD

Golden Peach - SOLD

Peach Sherbet

Nyla Nude

Bronze Rage

Turkish Delight

W7 £2.50 each

Silver Dazzle

Blue Diamonds

Green Dazzle

Purple Paradise

OPI Don't Know Jacques £5

OPI Yodel Me On My Cell £2.50

OPI Off With Her Red £2.50

OPI Colour So Hot It Berns £2.50

Essie Nice Is Nice (mini) £2.50

Essie French Affair (mini) £2.50 - SOLD

Revlon Beach £3

ASOS Ciate Pixie £2 - SOLD

Barry M Mint Green £2 - SOLD

Bourjoir no.7 £2

Rimmel Apricot Punch £2 - PENDING

Rimmel Beige £2

Rimmel Star Dust £2

Mac All That Glitters - used 2 or 3 times - £6 - SOLD

Essie Topless & Barefoot - NOTD

2012-02-20T12:56:00.000Z

I always seem to gravitate towards nude colours when I'm not sure what to paint my nails. I got this little mini polish in a set, I'm thinking maybe a spring set? I can't really remember. It came with a pink, purple and blue.

It wasn't a very good introduction to Essie polishes as I'd heard so many good things about the brand. But the quality of this set is horrible. They're thin and streaky and take at least 3 coats to look ok. Apart from the Blue which is slightly better. Since buying this set I have bought two other Essie polishes which I love but I'm still not convinced.

The colour of Topless & Barefoot really depends on your skin tone. In the bottle it comes off as nude, on my nail wheel it looks more of a tan-nude. With my skin tone it looks more pink/purple, similar to Utopia from Models Own.

This is three coats with Models Own 3 in 1 topcoat. I really like the colour but the application always puts me off wearing it.

Week In Photos 074

2012-02-19T15:49:00.001Z

Chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake // Love Hearts // New mug // Currently reading // Playing Limbo //

001 I put up a nail polish blog sale this morning as I'm trying to get my collection down to the ones I like and know I'm go to use. There's a mix of OPI, Essie, Revlon, Rimmel, W7 and Models Own. Check it out here.

Guppy 08 Red Glitter - NOTD

2012-02-16T12:30:00.000Z

Another Guppy polish, definitely one of my favourite brands at the moment. You can buy it from Ebay for about £2 with free delivery.

This one is a bit thinner than the pink one I posted about the other day so really needs two layers. Once again, it's a matte polish than can be transformed with a good layer of topcoat.

One thing I never mentioned in my previous post is how easy they are to remove! It's what makes me wear these polishes over other glitters.

Shopping The Stash 001

2012-02-15T11:06:00.000Z

Following on from my blog post last week about about de-cluttering my make-up collection, I'm now working on using up what I have left. I've put a selection of products that I wanted to keep but don't use that often in a glass which I'm going to use until they're finished. Some will be used up really quickly so I'll just add a new product when I've done so.

At the moment I'm trying to use up: depotted Urban Decay Primer Potion // Bourjois Eyeshadow in beige rose // Essie Topless & Barefoot // L'Occitane hand cream // Carmex lip balm // George volume mascara in brown // Barry M lipgloss in strawberry milkshake // E.L.F lip balm in mellow melon.

Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask

2012-02-14T11:30:00.000Z

This Brightening Mask* from Liz Earle is the perfect pick me up for this time of year when our skin is much drier and overall looking duller than normal. Simply apply to clean, dry skin and leave on between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Then gently wipe away with a muslin cloth soaked in warm water.

I use it once or twice a week in the morning depending how my skin is feeling and I find two pumps covers my whole face. I'm not keen on the scent but can ignore it as it's a mask and it'll be washed off.

Although it says it's not suitable for sensitive skin I haven't had any problems especially as I don't use it every day. I'd say try doing a patch test if you're not sure if you'll have a reaction which is what I did. I also sometimes mix it with my cleanse & polish so it isn't as strong.

As with most of the Liz Earle products, you can buy a mini sized tube to try it first and see if you like it which is £5 along with a muslin cloth. It's also available in a 50ml tube for £12.75, 50ml pump for £12.75 and 50ml pump with muslin cloth for £13.50.

W7 Purple Paradise & Barry M Once Upon A Time - NOTD

2012-02-13T17:06:00.000Z

I was a bit bored of Purple Paradise by W7 so I thought I'd add Barry M's Once Upon A Time, another one of my Christmas presents. I think I like the name more than the actual polish! It looks better on the nails than in any photo I took for some reason.

You also need a good layer of topcoat over the top as the pieces of glitter can be sharp! I scratched myself a good few times before adding a layer of topcoat.

Week In Photos 073

2012-02-12T16:04:00.002Z

Kitten Cat turned up at my door // New desktop calender for my laptop via Geninne's Art Blog // Freshly washed bedding // Drink fail! Looks amazing, tasted horrible! // Fancy envelope // Washi tape arrived // Stuck some of my photographs to the wall with said Washi tape // Ginger beer // Making a bracelet // Much nicer and healthier milkshake // Currently reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

Washi Tape

2012-02-11T12:23:00.000Z

I just got my first rolls of Washi tape in the post today so thought I'd blog about them. I first read about the Japanese tape through Stylizimo Blog and I've been looking at all the different designs ever since. I couldn't decide what to get, did I want colour? patterned? plain? I then spotted this trio of greys which had £1 off and thought they were perfect. A mix of everything and a really nice simple colour. The main thing I'm going to use these three for are wrapping presents and gift tags. Although I want to get some more and do other creative things with them. I bought mine from the actual Washi UK site but you can buy them on Ebay and Etsy.

All these images are what inspired me to buy them and what I'm going to make with them.

Seven Deadly Sins - Tag

2012-02-10T10:00:00.000Z

I was watching Alison's video the other night and thought it translated well into a blog post and wanted to do it myself. I'm not going to tag anyone but if you want to blog it or even make a video, leave your link in the comments!

1. GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?
Most inexpensive beauty item has to be anything from the £1 range from MUA. In particular their eyeshadows, even though I only have three, they all have great pigmentation and are really creamy.

Most expensive product was quite hard to think of. First of all I was thinking my Nars Orgasm Illuminator but then I got that in my glossy box so didn't pay the full price, only the price of the box. Then I was thinking of Benefits Powderazzi but I won that in a giveaway so technically I didn't buy it. So I'm going with a perfume for this one and it has to be YSL Parisienne. I bought the 30ml first but then bought the 90ml as I was going through it so fast and was about £70 or £80. I wouldn't normally spend that much but I bought it on holiday as a treat as I didn't find anything else I wanted.

2. WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?
I'm going with the same answer as Alison for this question. The product I have a love/hate relationship with is definitely loose anything! Whether it's eyeshadow, powder or blusher. They always seem to come in the most beautiful shades but are a nightmare to apply as I seem to get them every where.

I found it really hard to think of a product that was hardest to get as I don't go crazy over Mac's limited edition collections. Gosh Holographic nail polish was definitely a hard one to track down, it's going for like £30 on Ebay at the moment. I luckily managed to get it in Lily's blog sale last year! Couldn't believe it when I saw it and for only a few pounds as well.

3. GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products?
Most delicious beauty product has to be The Body Shop lip butters as they smell absolutely amazing and like you should eat them! I have grapefruit at the moment but have probably had all of them over the years.

4. SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness?
This was pretty easy to answer and it has to be toner! I love my Liz Earle skin tonic and even have it in a handy spray bottle but I always forget to use it or can't be bothered to add this simple step into my routine each night. I've heard or read somewhere that it takes 21 days to break a habit. So I'm thinking if I apply toner each night for 21 days then I'll just get used to applying it and it'll become automatic like cleansing and applying moisturiser. I'll report back if this actually works!

5. PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence? Mascara is the one beauty product that gives me the most self confidence. I can happily go out the house without any other make-up on but I always have to wear mascara. My eye lashes are so blonde they're practically invisible and my face just doesn't have any definition to it without it. I also look a lot, lot younger when I'm not wearing it which I hate as I already have a baby face.

6. LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

I'd have to say eye's and hair is what I notice first! Especially green or blue eyes and dark brown hair. And yes, I did add a photo of Zac Efron. Didn't want to not add a photo!

7. ENVY: What items would you most like to receive as a gift? I'd say nail polish is a good gift to receive as you can't really go wrong with it in terms of colour! Everything else I think you have to really know what the person likes and already has. Especially things like perfume or skin care.

W7 Purple Paradise - NOTD

2012-02-09T11:00:00.000Z

Purple Paradise by W7 looks a lot nicer in the bottle than on the nails. As you can see from the bottom photo, it has a really nice duo-chrome to it. But once applied to the nails, this totally disappears! It's an ok colour but nothing special. If it wasn't part of the set, I wouldn't have bought it.

This is two coats and no topcoat.

Sewing And Textiles Storage

2012-02-08T12:28:00.000Z

Yesterday I posted about how I'd condensed my make-up collection to one set of Ikea drawers which left the bottom ones empty. I decided to fill them with all my sewing and textiles bit and bobs.

Textiles is another big interest of mine, something that most of my readers probably don't know about me. It's what I was going to study at University but then situations changed and things happened so I didn't end up going. I really need to get back into making things again!

I'm lucky that my mum is also really into art and textiles so she has her own art room in the house (as well as a studio) so I can raid that whenever I want so I only have the basics in my room and my big bag of fabric is in the art room.

Top drawer holds cottons and interesting wools that I really like. Next set of drawers hold loose cotton on card, my button collection and extras like tape measures. Finally the bottom drawer holds pins, safety pins and needles with other random bits and bobs. I also have my cute little Cath Kidston mushroom pin holder on top of the drawer.

I'm hoping to be more creative this year and make more things like finishing my wool and felt wreath which I'll be posting about. Also thinking of posting about things I've made in the past as well.

De-cluttering My Make-up Collection

2012-02-07T12:18:00.000Z

When I bought the bottom set of drawers from Ikea I originally thought I'd be putting all my sewing/textiles things in them. I'd just finished a year of Art Foundation specialising in fashion textiles and I was then going on to study printed textiles at university so I had a lot of related products. Textiles was a huge part of my life back then, over two years ago, but then my make-up collection out grew my old storage thanks to starting my blog and reading other beauty blogs.

After reading Anna's post about cutting down her make-up collection to only one drawer it got me thinking, could I do a similar thing? She went with, if a product hasn't been used for 6 months then it's got to go. Although I think this is a great, I just couldn't do it! I have the bad problem of always thinking, oh but there may be a time where I'll use it so I'll just keep it. This goes for clothes too.

Here's the things I'm either throwing away or adding to my pile of products going to Give And Make-up.

My make-up now fits into the top set of drawers and the few bits on top which I'm really pleased about. I'm now working on using up the products I wanted to keep but don't use too often like lip gloss and certain eyeshadows before I buy anything new.

On top of the Ikea set of drawers I have some clear acrylic storage from Muji which holds my lipsticks and lipbalms. Behind this is my Naked palette and two Mac palettes. Then to the side is where I keep my brushes.

The first two drawers in the Ikea set hold my face products such as tinted moisturiser, powder and concealer. The next one has all my blusher, bronzer and highlighters. This one's a bit messy and full but can just about fit everything in.

The next two drawers house all my eye products. The first is all my eyeshadows including my sleek palette, Mua trio's, Mac eyeshadows etc. The next drawer is a bit of a mess but it's quite easy to rummage through everything. In here are my mascaras, eye liners, brow products and eye primers.

Then the last two drawers hold my lipglosses then random things like empy back to Mac stuff, things for depotting and pressing eyeshadows and brush cleaner.

Guppy 02 Pink Glitter - NOTD

2012-02-06T10:57:00.000Z

This Guppy polish is one that I got for Christmas and can be found on Ebay for about £2. For some reason you have to type "cuddv" into Ebay to get these polishes up.

Without a topcoat, it's pretty matte which I actually really like (Top photos). It almost makes the glitter more subtle. With a topcoat it still looks amazing. Always like it when you basically get two polishes in one.

I usually apply two coats but you can get away with only one. I just find two coats lasts longer one me. It also dries incredibly quickly which is perfect.

When first applied and totally dry this polish has an almost strawberry lace scent which fades after a day or so. Or if you apply a topcoat to it. Overall I've been really impressed with these polishes from Guppy and I'm definitely going to buy a few more at some point.

Week In Photos 072

2012-02-05T15:32:00.000Z

New blender! // Image on a Passion Fruit // Finally got round to hanging a picture frame. It has some vintage cards in from my cousin for my 21st // Business cards arrived // Made another batch of cookies: this time peanut butter and chocolate which turned almost brownie like // Gossip Girl: The Wedding! // No snow :( // Catching up on episodes of Nikita.

Moo Business Cards

2012-02-04T12:27:00.000Z

I've wanted to order some Moo cards for a really long time, I've even got a saved project which has been there for a couple of months. I was reading Adrienne's blog (TheSundayGirl) and saw her post on the new facebook cards from Moo. Free offer was in the title of the blog post which also drew me in!

You get 50 free cards (but still have to pay the £3-ish postage) to see how they look. It also gives you an idea of the overall quality if, like me, you were already thinking of ordering some business cards.

Now I'm not 100% happy with them but can't complain as I basically got them for free! You get the small image from your profile photo and then the larger one from the updated Facebook layout. I kept the same cover image I already had on my facebook profile just because I think it looks nice. If I was going to actually pay for them, I'd have gone for something a long the lines of my blog layout.

You can't choose what little icons you have and since I didn't want to put my number of there I just left it blank. I've repeated my email address twice as I couldn't think what else to put. Also found it hard to decide what I wanted written on the back. I'm happy with what I went with though as it's a little bit of background information about me.

Get your own Moo Facebook cards here. I'm not sure how long this is going on for so I'd order them soon so you're not disappointed.

Finally have to add, delivery was perfect. I got a confirmation email on Tuesday (31st) and they got to me the next day!

Living Nature Rescue Gel

2012-02-03T14:34:00.000Z

The Living Nature Rescue Gel is something I haven't really heard about before. It's formulated with Manuka Oil and Honey renowned for its healing properties, it's a soothing fast drying gel for superficial cuts, grazes and skin irritations and blemish prone skin.

It's not going to magically make spots disappear immediately. I still use a spot treatment such as Liz Earle or Alva but it's going to really help with the healing. It calms down the redness some spots can have and also helps with discoloration after a spot is gone.

I just apply this throughout the day whenever I feel I need it but always make sure I apply some before bed after I've cleansed and moisturised my skin. The tiniest amount is needed, like the size of a pin head, and I just apply it any problem areas.

The only downside to the rescue gel is the scent, I really can't stand it for some reason. I'm not even sure how to describe it, it could just be the Manuka honey but it's definitely one I don't like. Although when actually on the skin you can't smell it.

It comes in two sizes, I have the small tube (10ml) so I can easily fit it in my bag which is £7.99. It's also available in a 50ml tube for £11.99.

You can read more about it and purchase from the Mypure website.

Models Own Peach Puff & Rimmel Disco Ball - NOTD

2012-02-02T10:00:00.000Z

Not a fan of Peach Puff's formula, it needs 3 coats as it's so thin, but I love the colour and haven't got another like it.
I tend to put a glitter polish over the top of polishes like this as it hides any flaws or if the base colour isn't totally opaque. Today I went with Rimmel's Disco Ball which I mentioned wanting in a previous NOTD. It was actually one of the last polishes I bought before I set my no buy for 2012. This is one of my favourite combinations at the moment!
Disco Ball is a lovely multi-coloured glitter in a clear base. It works best as a topcoat as the glitter is quite sparse. You'd need a lot of coats to cover a whole nail.

January Empties

2012-02-01T13:01:00.000Z

I haven't finished many products this month as I'm now onto newer products which will obviously take more time to use than half empty ones.

N-Spa Chocolate Orange bath syrup - This was my least favourite out of the four. I like the scent but it just didn't make any bubbles for some reason and I didn't have this problem with the others. I wouldn't buy this again.

Cutex Nail Polish Remover - I'm always changing my nail polish so I go through bottles so quickly. Especially if I've been using a lot of glitter polishes. I don't have a favourite, I just buy whatever bottle Asda has which is usually Cutex.

Boots Botanics Cleansing Balm - I loved this and will definitely be buying another tub. It's perfect for the winter as it's really moisturising and just nice to use. I also used it on my body a few times when my skin was really dry which worked wonders. I'll be buying another one when I finished a few more cleansers.

17 Falsifeye Mascara - I really didn't get on with this mascara. Firstly the brush is huge which just didn't work with my smallish eyes. Also I found it really dry, even when I opened it the first time. Definitely wont be buying this again.

George Under Eye Concealer - I really liked this concealer but the colour was just totally wrong for my skin tone. It's in medium so I'd really need the light if I was to buy it again. I won it in a giveaway so didn't have a say on the colour.

What products have you finished recently?

January Favourites

2012-01-31T12:53:00.001Z

I didn't think I'd have too many favourites this month as I haven't bought anything new and have just been using old favourites which I didn't want to repeat.

N-Spa Hot Butter Fudge & Angel Cake bath syrup - These are my two favourites from the set of four I bought in the sale. They smell amazing and make a good amount of bubbles. Angel Cake smells a bit like Lush's Snow Fairy which I didn't actually buy this year for some reason. Hot Butter Fudge smells like you should eat it! Definitely going to be buying the full sizes.

N-Spa Jojoba and White Jasmine body scrub - Another great product from N-Spa! I'm not normally a fan of jasmine but for some reason I love the scent of this. It's what made me buy it in the first place. I always prefer body scrubs that are named body polish. The grains or seeds are usually much smaller which I find works better with my skin. I bought the mini bottle to see if I liked it but am going to buy the full size once this runs out. I'm also thinking of trying a few more products which have the same scent.

Ahava Mud Mask* - I use this on my t-zone and it works wonders. I apply it, leave on for 2 minutes then use a Liz Earle sponge to take it off. You can see an immediate difference and blackheads are much smaller or have disappeared completely.

Rimmel Disco Ball Nail Polish - I've been applying this on top of most of my manicures recently, I just love it. I haven't posted any NOTD's using it yet but I have one scheduled for Thursday.

Benefit Eyebright - This is a re-discovery as it's been sitting in my drawer unused for quite a while. I got it when it was free with Glamour, along with everyone else! I used it for a while but stopped for some unknown reason. I've been applying it on my waterline every morning just to make my eyes look more awake and works really well. Not sure I'd buy it when it runs out, £14 just seems a bit too expensive.

Topshop Infared Lipstick - This is my latest edition to my lipstick collection and has quickly turned into a favourite. I find oranges suit my skin tone and hair colour better than most reds. It also makes my teeth look whiter which is always a bonus. The formula is great too, really creamy and easy to apply. It's made me want to try the other shades. I really want to try one of the darker colours but they'd sold out when I was buying this one.

Lush Honey I Washed The Kids Solid Perfume - I've had this perfume for a long time, I won it in one of Steph's giveaways but just didn't use it that much. It smells amazing but as you can only apply it to your skin I found it quite hard to use. With normal spray perfumes, I spray my wrists and then clothes/hair. Obviously with this you can't do that. Instead I've just been using it when I'm around the house or want a more subtle scent.

What are your January favourites?

W7 Cosmic Black - NOTD

2012-01-30T10:53:00.000Z

Really impressed with this nail polish by W7. Some of the others I got in the same pack have been a bit disappointing but this one's my favourite.

It reminds me of the black Guppy nail polish I got for Christmas. They have the same gritty texture and look but Cosmic Black has a lot more silver in it. Even with a good amount of topcoat you can't get rid of the grittyness. Something that doesn't bother me, I actually like it, but I know it would for some people.

Only two coats needed and it dries really fast! Can only being to imagine how much of a pain this is going to be to remove.

Week In Photos 071

2012-01-29T20:13:00.001Z

Started reading the Uglies series on my Kindle - now up to book 3 // Finished jigsaw // New Tulips // Started Paris jigsaw // What my bedside table looks like from not knowing what polish to wear // Watching Lovefilms - Chuck is one of my favourite TV programmes at the moment.

Living Nature Blusher In Warm Summer

2012-01-28T18:32:00.000Z

I've only tried the odd few bits of make-up from Living Nature so thought I'd give one of their blushers a go. I couldn't find many proper photos of the actual shades so I totally guessed and went with Warm Summer*. The other shade being Cool Winter which is brown.

I always think the little words on the cardboard packaging are such a nice touch. Most of them have been "smile", but I really like "breathe". The blusher itself is encased in cardboard with an elastic band to secure it. Like with the Benefit box powders, I can see this getting quite battered after being kept in a make-up bag for a while or even just being in a make-up drawer. It's really slim though could have been made smaller by not including the brush which is pretty useless.

As for the colour, Warm Summer is a nice neutral pink. It's quite sheer which is perfect for a more natural look but it can be built up for more colour. You can see this on the last photo, bearing in mind the sunlight is horrible at the moment.

This Living Nature blush costs £14.99. Despite being a really nice colour I don't think it's worth the price when you compare it to other blushers with the same price.