nail of the day

Not at all weather appropriate but hey while there's still clouds (and thunder and lightening yesterday!) I'll still be wearing black clothes and dark nails if I feel like it! Today's pick for my nails is Raspberry by Barry M. I love this dark vampy red, it's such a great polish for nights out and what I see as a 'smarter' nail colour.

As with most Barry M Nail Paints, it's really thick creamy and opaque. I used two coats but to be honest I could have gotten away with one! The only thing is that I always find this colour really difficult to paint on neatly... this may just be me haha. For my base coat I used my No7 So Smooth Base Coat (of course) and for my top coat I chose the Sally Hansen Doubly Duty Top Coat as I need to pick up another Sally Hansen Insta-Dri. Formula-wise the Double Duty Top Coat works just as well but I do miss the Insta-Dri-ing properties!

I've also seen that Barry M have released some new colours. They're not all for me but Cappuccino and Nude look gorgeous so I may have to have a little hunt for them soon...

What have you got on your nails at the moment?

xx

current favourites

I didn't want to call this my April Favourites as that sort of implies that I'll do this every month, which I can't promise I necessarily will. However, regardless of the title, here are some things which I've really enjoyed using over the past month or so.

• For a true neutral lover (and lover of shimmer!) the Naked Palette is a must. It has the perfect range of shades to take you from a pretty subtle day time look to a full on smoky eye. It's quite pricey at £36 but for the quality and the number of eyeshadows you get (12), I think it's worth every penny.
• I've already done a full review of Lancome Hypnose Drama (which you can read here), but let me just reiterate - this is the best mascara I've ever used. It's just a shame that I didn't fall for a high street one!
• While I do love my Rimmel Brow Pencil for more defined brows, when I'm after more natural looking eyebrows for everyday (which are also quicker to do) then Clinique Instant Lift for Brows is a must for me. It has a screw up brow pencil on one end and a brow bone highlight on the other. However, my brow pencil end has run out and this time I've just purchased Clinique's Superfine Liner for Brows as I wasn't so bothered about the highlight side as it seemed a little too gold toned. It's a bit more expensive than a high street brow pencil at £12 but it's the perfect colour for my very fair eyebrows!
• Again, I've done a full review on the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze which you can read here. This is just such a fab multi-use product - I love to use it on its own, as a base for eyeshadow and as a liner - just brilliant!
• Three nail polish colours which I've really enjoyed wearing recently are Models Own 'Blooboo', Barry M 'Peach Melba' and Maybelline Express Finish in 'Turquoise Lagoon'. They're all just such fun colours for spring. Have a look at them on my nails here, here and here!

• I've definitely rekindled my love for Soap and Glory's Pulp Friction Body Scrub. Not only does this stuff smell brilliant (I have to restrain myself from eating it), but it leaves my skin silky smooth! You can pick this up from Boots for £8, which I thing is a fab price considering how long it's lasting me.
• This may seem a bit of an odd choice, but I've really enjoyed using the Dr. Bronner's Magic Lavender Hand Sanitizing Spray which I got in my February Glossybox. Living in London and working in a job where I have to handle money, my hands continuously feel dirty and I find myself using a lot of hand sanitizer. I not only love the smell of this as it's less chemically smelling than others I've tried but I love that it's in a spray bottle. I also find that it doesn't leave my hands feeling as dry as others have done. I'll definitely pick up another one of these when it runs out.
• Ever since I smelled Valentina by Valentino in last month's Glossybox, I've wanted a bottle. My boyfriend treated me to some for my birthday and I can't stop using it! I'm awful at describing scents, but it's floral and girly but not too sweet. Definitely give it a smell if you get a chance as it's such a beautiful perfume.

• These jeans were really difficult to photograph so I don't think I've done them much justice, but I absolutely love them. I can't get enough of Zara at the moment and I think these leather look jeans have to be my favourite recent purchase. I can't find them online any more but they're basically identical to these. They're great to wear both in the day and for a night out and make basic outfits look so much more interesting.
• This necklace from River Island has been practically glued to my neck all month! I know everyone has these cuff style necklaces at the moment but for me this is the perfect thickness. I just love how plain it is and it looks fab especially with basic tees. It cost me £7 and it's also available in silver (umm, may have to get that...)
• Last but by no means least is my Babyliss Big Hair. This makes my hair look salon fresh and feel so healthy and bouncy - Kate Middleton would be jealous! I love how it gives my naturally very flat hair a bit of life and volume. It's perhaps a bit pricey at £45 ish (here on Amazon) but it does make the fiddly task of blow drying your hair so much easier.

Have you tried any of these bits? What did you think?

xx

nail of the day

This is the very bright combination that I have on my nails at the moment! However, I've had them on since Monday now and after a night out and a few days at work, they're not looking quite this neat...

The pink is Shocking Pink by Barry M and the blue is Be Mine by Angelica. In the bottle Be Mine looks more like a mint green so although I do like the colour on my nails, I was a little disappointed that it came up more blue! I purchased the Angelica polish from the Primark at Marble Arch of all places - they had quite a few pretty colours for spring and they were only £2.50 so I bought a couple (the other is a pastel pink) so I could test the quality. It lasted about as long as my polishes usually do which is about four days but due to work my nails do usually experience quite a lot of wear and tear so that's fine for me! I think I may have to go back and get a couple more!

As usual I used by No7 Smooth Base Coat and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat.

xx

nail of the day (x 2!)

I thought it would probably just be easier if I condensed this in to one post for you today, so here is what I've had on my nails so far this week!

From Monday to Wednesday, I was wearing Models Own Pro nail varnish in Mellow Yellow, which was a gift from my boyfriend. He said he picked it because he knew pastels were in this season - good work! As I find with all Models Own nail polishes, Mellow Yellow was very thick and creamy and easy to work with. It did go on a little streaky the first coat but the second sorted that right out.

I had lots of comments on this polish actually, even from boys. I think this may be because it's a relatively unusual colour and as it's so pale it looks quite striking. The only thing I would say is that in certain totally artificial lights it looked a little as if I was wearing Tipp-Ex on my nails which isn't really a good look... However, I do love the colour and in natural light (as pictured above) it reminds me off that delicious yellow vanilla Cornish ice cream - yum! Next time I wear it I'm going to try and pair it with a brighter colour in some way as I think that will look fab too.

By Wednesday night, although my nails were still looking fine minus a little inevitable tip wear, I wanted a change. I love how easy it is to simply change your nail varnish and the difference that this can make to outfits. I work quite a few days a week and I have to wear the same dress every shift as it's my current uniform, so playing around with my nails, hair and make up can make me feel as if I look completely different. I decided to go for Barry M Nail Paint in Berry Ice Cream with Barry M's Hologram glitter over the top.

These nails look like a six year old girls dream. They're so tacky and over the top but that's what I like about them haha! I put two coats of Berry Ice Cream on and I originally intended to leave it at that as it's such a pretty colour. I then spotted Hologram which I'd completely forgotten I had so added two coats of that on top and voila - nails that Barbie would be proud of!

As for base and top coats, both times I used No7 So Smooth Base Coat and then my Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat. Such a fab combination that make my nails super shiny and my nail polish last for ages! (I'll stop there though as I know how much I constantly ramble on about these two lovelies...)

What have you got on your nails at the moment? I have so much nail varnish but can ALWAYS be tempted to get more...

xx

nail of the day (and a quick review of sally hansen top coats!)

Just a quick post to show you what I currently have on my nails. The nail varnish was actually one of my presents from my little brother, so thank you very much Archie! (Will he ever read this blog, considering it's mostly about beauty? I don't think so...)

The colour is Barry M Peach Melba which is such a pretty pastel peach shade. It's perfect for this time of year and looks so subtle and natural. As with most pastel shades, it did go on a little streaky at first. I used two coats, but next time I think I'll add a third, as there are a couple of places where if you look very carefully, it's not totally opaque. I also think this would make a really pretty base for something like a gold or bronze glitter!

As usual, I used my No7 So Smooth Base Coat, which is honestly such a great base coat. In the past I've had a lot of problems with my nails getting stained from painting them too much and this not only prevents this but really helps your nail varnish to last a lot longer. Brilliant!

For the second time now, I used my new Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening Base and Top Coat to finish off my nails. When comparing it to my trusty Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat, I wouldn't say there was any difference between them in regards to how effectively they make your nail polish last. I find that Sally Hansen top coats really do make your nails last so much longer without chipping, even if you are using a poorer quality varnish, and both also give your nails a gorgeous glossy finish. However, I do prefer the fast drying properties of the Insta-Dri Top Coat, as you paint on a thin layer after waiting two minutes for your polish to dry slightly, and very quickly your nails are totally dry and so you don't have to worry about smudging them or leaving little dents anywhere.

No7 So Smooth Base Coat (£7.00)

Barry M Nail Paint in Peach Melba (£2.99)

Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening Base and Top Coat (£5.25)

(For reference, the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat is £5.99, and all prices are from Boots - remember the 3 for 2! Eek, too tempting!)

xx

top 5 nail polish picks for spring

Hello :) !

As you might have guessed from the fact that I've done a few 'Nail of the Day' posts, I really love nail varnish! I'm not always that adventurous with my make up and I think that fun nails are a great way to add a bit more colour and interest to an outfit.

I don't tend to buy particularly expensive nail varnish, I just pick them up from Boots or Superdrug usually on a whim as they're a nice and cheap way to treat yourself! I have quite a few nail varnishes and I thought today I'd show you just five of my favourites to crack out for this time of year!

MUA - UR FAB

This is a relatively recent addition to my little family of nail polishes. It was released as part of the MUA collaboration with Love Hearts, which I thought was a really cute and girly range!

'UR FAB' is the darkest nail polish in the Love Hearts collection. It's a gorgeous raspberry like shade which reminds me of smoothies! Although I love the colour, the formulation isn't the most hard-wearing I've ever used but if you're like me and like to change your nail varnish every few days then this shouldn't really be a problem. Also for the price of £2.00, you can't really complain!

Barry M - Coral

Last summer this was my go-to summer shade. The colour is exactly what it claims to be - the perfect coral! I personally love Barry M for their incredible range of colours and affordability. If you think of a nail varnish colour that you're after, chances are Barry M will have it!

This is one of those colours that I not only love to wear on its own, but also with other clashing coloured nail polishes, such as a bright pink or a minty green. That's the beauty of nail varnish - you can go a bit crazy and get away with it, but if I wore coral and mint green eye shadows together, I'm guessing I'd get a few funny looks... I'm not one for nail art particularly (I don't have the patience, although I love to see other people's) but I really like the look of different colours on alternating fingers or a clashing colour just on the ring finger as an accent nail.

As with all Barry M nail varnishes, 'Coral' was £2.99.

Rimmel Lasting Finish - Disco Ball

I actually first saw this on my cousin Greta and asked what she had on her nails... then I proceeded to copy her! This choice is a little different to the others as I suppose you could also wear these nails in the winter. However, I find myself more drawn towards fun nail polishes such as Disco Ball in the Spring and Summer, whereas I tend to stick to darker polishes in the winter (although perhaps with some sort of glittered top coat).

I've actually got Disco Ball on my nails at the moment!

My hand looks very red...

Rimmel's Disco Ball isn't actually an opaque glitter polish but it can be built up to get a good amount of glitter on the nail. My favourite thing about this polish though which sets it out from other glitters that I have is the lovely mix of baby pink, silver and dark blue pieces of glitter and the differences in size of these bits. Rimmel Lasting Finish Polishes are nice and cheap (like all of my choices) at only £2.99. I also really want to get my hands on the colour 'Misty Jade' from the range too!

Models Own - Feeling Blue

My lovely fabulous wonderful boyfriend Ollie actually got me this as a little extra for Christmas and I was really impressed with his choice. 'Feeling Blue' is what I would call a proper blue... If you were to think of blue, you'd probably imagine this colour - well I do anyway! Almost primary colour-esque blue... Anyway! Not only is this a gorgeous eye catching colour but I absolutely love the formulation of Models Own polishes. They're so thick and creamy and they're one of the few brands that I truly think you can get away with just applying one coat of (although I tend just to apply two out of habit)! I also love wearing Models Own 'Feeling Blue' with something like a silver on my ring finger.

Models Own nail varnishes are £5.00.

Barry M - Shocking Pink

Last but by no means least in my pick of five spring time nail varnishes is Barry M's 'Shocking Pink'. As with the 'Coral' Barry M polish I've got so much wear out of 'Shocking Pink' and to be honest, I also love the two shades together. It's just the perfect bright pink and really brightens up any look. I actually wear this all year round as I think it looks great with darker colours or black in the winter. Eeek, such a fun and girly colour! I can't fault it!

As I mentioned before, Barry M nail paints are £2.99.

Thanks so much for having a little look at my blog and I'd also really love to know what you're enjoying wearing on your nails now the weather is getting (the tiniest bit) warmer?! Any excuse to buy some more...

xxx

nail of the day

Hello again!

I thought I'd show you what I have on my nails at the moment :) I absolutely love the look of bright red nails but I very rarely paint them red. However, when I do it reminds me how sophisticated it can make you feel! They make me want to put on a breton top and capri pants and eat brie and pretend to be be all elegant and chic... just me?

The red I used is a Barry M nail varnish in 'Bright Red', and I also used my No7 'So Smooth' base coat and Sally Hansen 'Insta-Dri' top coat, which are my go-to base and top coat currently. While we're on the subject, I truly do recommend trying the Sally Hansen top coat if you haven't tried it as it not only makes your polish last so much longer but also dries your nails very quickly! You put it on and they're dry in thirty seconds so it's great if you're in a rush or just plain impatient hurrah!

In the picture above, I also included one of my nail files which I love! I've had it for a while and in a pack you get two with a lovely peacock print on and a carry case so that when you throw it in your handbag it won't scratch things. Just thought I'd share that with you haha! I'm not really sure why I like them quite as much as I do... I tried to find them on the website but it doesn't look like they're necessarily available any more :( I picked them up in Bristol last summer and I think it was about £2.50 for a pack :)

Hope you're all fab!

xx

spring make up picks

Clockwise from top left: Sleek Blush in 'Pixie Pink', Jack Wills Eye Liner in 'Aqua', Barry M Nail Varnish in 'Cyan Blue', Models Own Lip Gloss in 'Violet Cream', Topshop Cream Blush in 'Head Over Heels', MUA Pearl Eyeshadow in 'Shade 5', Urban Outfitters 'Blue Lipperty Balm', Barry M Dazzle Dusts in 'Lilac' and 'Grass', Accessorize Nail Varnish in 'Coral Flair'

Here are some lovely Spring make up bits from across the high street to get you in the mood for leaping lambs and blooming daffodils!

xx

my favourite things: lip gloss and lipstick

Hello again!

This is the second part of my favourite things posts, and this one is about my favourite lip gloss and lipstick :)

Lip gloss:


Now, for me choosing my favourite lip gloss was so easy as I'm absolutely in love with everything about this product! Not only does it smell amazing*, but the subtle colour is lovely for the day time and at only £4.49 this lip gloss is absolutely brilliant.

It's the Barry M Lip Gloss wand in shade 11. The colour is a beautiful pinky coral colour which has just the right amount of shine and it's also a great consistency - not one of those horrible tacky glosses that are a pain to wear because you get everything stuck to your lips grrr!

I think I'm now on about my third tube of this and I've also got my mum and sister in to it as well! If you're after a great subtle gloss for the day and you're on a budget then you definitely can't go wrong with Barry M!

*This may smell lovely and fruity but I wouldn't recommend having a little lick, you'll only be disappointed... I'm speaking from experience :( !

Lipstick:


When I was trying to decide for this post what my favourite lipstick of all time was, I found it quite difficult. There wasn't one that jumped out at me as one that I have loved forever so I've decided just to tell you what lipstick I've especially enjoyed wearing recently.

This is probably a bit of an unexpected choice: it's the Jack Wills Gloss Lipstick in Rosewood.

I picked this up about a month ago as a bit of an impulse buy and didn't really expect much from it as Jack Wills have a very small selection of make up and specialise more in clothes. However, I was pleasantly surprised as this lipstick has a really creamy texture and the gorgeous colour lasts absolutely ages on the lips without drying them out. I chose Rosewood as it's a great darker nude shade for the day but with deep reddy brown tones too. Unfortunately, I know that this colour hasn't been continued in to their new Easter collection but they have some beautiful other colours, such as Hot Pink. The lipsticks are £9.50, making them a little more expensive than most other high street make up brands but at only £1.50 more than Topshop lipsticks, I don't think the price is really that horrendous.

Although the lipsticks are great quality, I've tried the Jack Wills lip glosses and they are the worst consistency that I've ever experienced! The only comparison I can imagine is putting Pritt Stick on your lips... yuck.

Thanks so much for reading this :) I'll tell you some more of my favourites soon!

xx