NOTD: Nails Inc Hatton Garden



Nails Inc Hatton Garden

The glitter is out in full force today!

Hatton Garden made an appearance on my blog last year but I was just using my phone cam at the time and the quality was terrible. (link)

Products Used:

Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Base Coat

Nails Inc Hatton Garden (2 coats)

Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top Coat

Hatton Garden is a full coverage glitter, two coats and you're good to go. It stays on the nails for what seems like forever before chips start to appear but as with all glitters, it's a betch to remove. There is so many colours flashing through under different lights, my cam wasn't able to catch the full glory but in real life Hatton Garden twinkles like crazy.

What's on your nails today?

Lately I've Been Lovin' #8

This month has been a bit of a funny one. I've been busy and haven't had as much time to try out as many products as I normally would. I haven't had much free time to draft up post's either but the 4 item's I'm featuring are good'uns! :)

Pro:Voke Touch Of Silver Shine Shampoo Weekly Treatment: Everytime I add blonde to my hair I go back to this shampoo. It work's in the same way all purple shampoo does. It's designed for grey, white and blonde hair. The purple actively neutralises brassiness, protects & treats yellowing and prevents your hair colour from looking dull. With working in a salon I was able to try all different brands including the more pricey L'Oreal Professional version which stained my hair purple! I've never had any staining from Pro:Voke and instead of using it weekly as directed I use it everytime I wash my hair and leave it on for 5 minutes. It's a complete steal at around the £3 mark and in my opinion it's the best.

Milk_Shake Active Milk Mask*: Another hair product has made it's way into my favourites this month. My hair has always been dry but with adding more blonde I swear I can hear it screaming out for moisture at times and this mask has been my most reached for. Not only does it detangle my crazy head beard but it also leaves it so soft and smooth once straightened. It improves the overall look and feel of my hair but doesn't leave my hair feeling heavy or looking flat.You can read my review here if you want to know more.

Clarins Bronzing Duo in 'Medium': This is by far the best bronzer I've ever tried. Don't get me wrong, I haven't tried every bronzer there is but for me this duo from Clarins is perfect. It's pigmented and last's a full day on my skin. I use the lighter shade to set my foundation and it never look's cakey. I'll try to get a post up in the next few days.

Sephora Jumbo Liner in '04 Taupe': I just posted about this yesterday (link) If you're like me and feel like Pat Butcher everytime you try some colour on your lids, are cack handed with eyeshadow looks or are just too lazy to try then you need one of these jumbo pencils in your life. I just scribble it across my lid then blend it out either with my fingers or a brush. It doesn't budge, smudge or crease. I love it!

Have you tried any of these products?

What made it into your favourites this month?

*PR sample

Sephora Jumbo Liner 12HR Wear Waterproof



Sephora Jumbo Liner 12HR Wear Waterproof 04 Taupe

I've been having a bit of a love affair with Sephora make up lately. The few item's I've tried have really impressed me and although I wish Sephora was in the UK, my bank account is lucky it's not! If you've been reading my blog for a while now you'll know I'm set in my way's when it comes to eye make up, I never stray far from my comfort zone and the thought of putting anything other than neutrals on my lids is enough to send me off my rocker. A week or so ago Lina sent me another 2 products from Sephora and once again they've impressed me. I'm usually a bit funny about other people picking eyeshadow colours for me but 04 Taupe is exactly the kind of shade I would pick for myself. She knows me so well! haha

Sephora Jumbo Pencils can be used as regular liner or blended out as eyeshadow which is how I use it. The texture is so smooth, even in this cold weather it hasn't hardened and most importantly, it doesn't drag. The claim of staying put for 12HRs is true. I was doing my make up just as the parcel arrived and tried it out straight away, it lasted a full day with no creasing or fading. It's neutral, quick and easy to use, lasts the full day and unlike alot of waterproof eye products, it's easy to remove. A cotton pad soaked in micellar and held on the eye for a few seconds does the job.

Have you ever tried Sephora Jumbo Liners?

Review: Omorovicza Perfecting Lip Balm

Omorovicza Perfecting Lip Balm 10ml £32

Lip Balm is an essential all year round but even more so during the colder months. I have an awful habit of constantly licking/biting at my lips which results in atleast once a year having lips so dry and chapped that I can't smile or laugh without them splitting and bleeding. It's gross and if it's happened to you then you'll know how painful it is. So far I've managed to escape the dreaded cornflake lip due to constantly using balms/treatments and good ones at that! The latest addition to my lip balm arsenal comes from Hungarian skin care brand, Omorovicza.

Perfecting Lip Balm is full of ingredients which will help to revive and nourish dry lips over the upcoming festive period when everything tends to look dull and bleh. It claims to tingle the lips. I'm not a fan of tingling lip products such as Too Faced Lip Injection but thankfully the sensation is nothing at all like that. I don't experience any tingling but there is definitely a subtle cooling sensation. The texture is perfect. It looks solid in the pot but once it comes into contact with the heat of your finger it turns to goo. I expected the texture to be oily but it isnt, Perfecting Lip Balm is a true balm and lasts very well on the lips thanks to it's wonderfully gooey texture. Gooey in a good way, I promise! :) The balm is a very sheer rosey pink. It doesn't deposit any colour on the lips but somehow manages to make your natural lip colour more vibrant and the glossy finish helps add to the whole plump, healthy look.

''Revive and nourish dry lips with Omorovicza’s Perfecting Lip Balm. With shea butter, eucalyptus and hyaluronic spheres, this gently tingling balm leaves lips fuller, softer and smoother. Hyaluronic filling spheres swell and plump the skin and provide long lasting hydration. Palmitoyl Oligopeptide increases lip volume over time. Omega 6 ceramide retextures the lipid matrix for a stronger barrier function. It also replenishes dehydrated skin and restores softness and elasticity. Virgin Ente plum oil provides long-lasting hydration and restores suppleness.''

It's pricey at £32 for 10ml but it's one of the few balms I've tried that actually help your lips long term rather than just making them feel comfortable while the balm is on. The only downside is the packaging which while pretty to look at is not great for on the go application if your hands feel grubby. I mainly use Perfecting Lip Balm before bed and throughout the day while I'm in the house. It's definitely one worth checking out if you're a bit of a lip balm addict. I know there's a few of you out there! ;)

Perfecting Lip Balm is available from www.omorovicza.com

*PR sample

NOTD: Ballerina Fairie



Products Used:

O.P.I Ridge Filler

L'Oreal Opera Ballerina (2 coats)

Paul & Joe Fairie Queen 028

Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top Coat

After Layering Fairie Queen over a darker polish like Chanel Vertigo (link) I wanted to show how it look's over lighter shades and compare it to another flakie I own. I prefer the colours that come through when Fairie Queen is layered over lighter shades, the look completely changes.

GOSH Rainbow layered over Opera Ballerina

You can see both flakies are really different and I personally prefer the Paul & Joe version. The flakes are various shapes and sizes, the colours are more intense and it adds a textured look to the nails.

What's your favourite flakie?

4 Nights Away: Skin Care.

My last 4 Nights Away post was all about make up. Click here to see which products made the cut. For skin care I'm bringing some of my favourites and some which are new to me. The mini sizes are great for taking away for short breaks and leave enough space to squeeze in that extra pair of shoes you more than likely won't wear. ;)

Liz Earle Prince's Trust Cleanse & Polish*

Omorovicza Gold Rescue Cream* (I'll be using this as night cream)
Omorovicza Perfecting Lip Balm*

JĀSÖN® C-Effects™ Super-C™ Toner* (not pictured)

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask

Sarah Chapman Intensive Hydrating Booster*

Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial*

Sarah Chapman Eye Repair*

Sarah Chapman Age-Repair Serum*
Sarah Chapman Anti-Ageing Day Cream*

Yves Rocher 3 Detoxifying Teas Micellar Water

All I need to add in is cotton pad's, flannels/muslin cloths. If it wasn't for the Cleanse & Polish and Yves Rocher Micellar everything else would fit into a teeny tiny bag and take up no space at all.

Do you save samples for mini breaks?

*PR sample

The A-Z Of Beauty Tag

(Source)

This tag has been doing the rounds on Youtube and blogs lately so here I am on the bandwagon. For each letter of the alphabet you pick a brand then recommend a product that you love. While I was drafting this post up my mind did go blank a few times. It's so hard to think of brands for some letters. You'll see for certain letters I've listed a brand but no product, this means I haven't tried any of their products so can't recommend them.

A: A'Kin - 24 Hour Intensive Leave In Conditioner

B: - Beever: Beever Daily Revive

C: Chanel - Illusion D'Ombre in 'Emerveille'

D: Dior - Dior Addict Lip Glow Colour Awakening Lipbalm

E: Elemis - Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser / Papaya Enzyme Peel

F: Filthy Gorgeous Nail Polish - Rosey Posey

G: Gucci - Flora

H: Halo Hair Extensions

I: Inglot

J: John Masters - Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor

K: Kiko

L: Liz Earle - Brow Pencil in 'Fair'

M: Montagne Jeunesse - Nose Pore Strips

N: Nails Inc - Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top Coat

O: Omorovicza - Perfecting Lip Balm

P: Paul & Joe - Nail Lacquer in '028 Fairie Queen'

Q: Queen Cosmetics

R: Real Techniques - Core Collection

S: Sarah Chapman - Ultimate Cleanse

T: Trevor Sorbie - Dry Shampoo

U: Urban Decay - Naked Palette. 'Sin'

Can't think of one for V

W: Weleda

X: Xen Tan

Y: YSL - Touche Eclat / Le Teint Touche Eclat

Z: Zoya

Have you tried any of these products?
Can anyone think of a brand for V?

The Bath #3

 

Is it only me who prefers sweet/foody scents during the colder months? I prefer it all year round to be honest but even more so in Winter. I always light a candle while I'm in the bath but sometimes I don't have time to wait around while the scent fills the room so instead I went for my new Yankee tart burner. My friend bought it for me a few days ago, it came with a 'Clean Cotton' wax tart which is one of my favourite scents but I decided I was in a Christmas Cookie mood. I prefer tarts/burners to candles. As soon as you light the tea light you instantly get wafts of whatever tart you're burning. I cleansed and exfoliated while the bath was running and could instantly smell the sweet, sugary scent of Christmas Cookie. As I was on a sweet roll I decided to make it a sweet overload and add a great big dollop of Philosophy Double Rich Hot Cocoa to the running water. Hot Cocoa and Christmas Cookie mixing together with the steam smelt amazing, like walking into a bakers house! Unlike Philosophy Hot Buttered Rum I find Hot Cocoa to smell slightly synthetic. There's something slightly floral about it but maybe thats just my uneducated nose picking up notes that aren't even there? I covered my scrunchie/shower puff in the stuff, had a good scrub then applied a thick layer of Yves Rocher Anti-Agressions Mask (review to come) and almost fell asleep while it worked it's magic.

Ahh, I want to go do it all over again.

Do you have any bubble bath recommendations for me?

My New Nail Obsession: Paul & Joe 'Fairie Queen 028' and NOTD.

This beauty is my first polish from Paul & Joe, I think it's safe to say I'm more than impressed and buying on a whim really paid off this time. Say hello to my new baby: Paul & Joe Fairie Queen 028 from the A Midsummer Night's Dream collection.

Paul & Joe Fairie Queen 028

The packaging is adorable, the brush is brilliant, the polish itself is quite thick and applies perfectly. Honestly, I'm in love. The original price is £10.50 but it's currently on sale for £8 on ASOS. At first I thought it was just a regular iridescent flakey top coat but its so much more than that. Painted on top of dark colours it looks as if little gems have been placed on your nails.

This is one coat of Fairie Queen 028 over two coats of Chanel Vertigo before applying top coat. I can't wait to try it out over lighter shades and will no doubt be wearing it all through Christmas. All the irregular shapes look like solid glitter, so different from how it look's in the bottle.

I'm sold on Paul & Joe polishes and plan to pick up a few more.

Have you tried this or any other shades from Paul & Joe?

Eyebrow Threading At Shavata Brow Studio

Part of the reason I watch X Factor beyond the hilarious audition stages is to see what the judges are wearing each week. What nail polish/art adorns their nails, what outfits Nicole and Tulisa stroll off the stage in and more importantly, what their brows are like. Some of you may be aware that Shavata, queen of brows is responsible for all the brows on this years X Factor.

I've tried a few Shavata brow products before but had never had my brows threaded. I always imaged it'd be very painful and kept putting it off but after being invited to a treatment at the Shavata Brow Studio in House Of Fraser Belfast I thought it was now or never.

When I was younger I had really thick brows which I hated. Now they're the complete opposite due to thyroid problems and I don't really have much to work with. I've gone from having to pluck my brows atleast once a week to only needing them done twice a year. You might think this sounds great as it's really low maintenance which it is but it also means growing my brows out/changing the shape is almost impossible. I hadn't had my brows plucked or waxed in around 6 months when I visited the brow studio last Thursday. I didn't have many stray hairs but I did have a lot of fair downy hair above my brows. I explained to the therapist it was my first time threading and she explained how threading gets a cleaner line than waxing or plucking. Once she started with my Eyebrow Shape £17* I was really shocked at how gentle it felt. Don't get me wrong, I could feel the hairs being removed but it wasn't painful or uncomfortable in the slightest. The only annoying part was having brow hairs flick around my face but they were easily wiped away. Having my brows threaded took no longer than 10 minutes then she made a start on my Upper Lip £10*. Hardly the most glamorous of topics but I usually wax my lip then the next day pimples and bumps show up and last for atleast a week. Unlike my brows, the lip threading was uncomfortable (or maybe I'm a big baby) but I'm pleased to report no rash or bumps have appeared above my lip.The lip threading only took around a minute to do so it's not exactly time consuming.  Once my threading was over the therapist applied a soothing gel to my brows and upper lip and I was ready to go.

P.S - By the time I got home from town it was pitch black so these photos are from a few days later. I used my Liz Earle Brow Pencil to fill them in.

Have you tried threading before?

Did you find it painful?

*Complimentary treatment

NOTD: Nails Inc Elizabeth Street

Nails Inc Elizabeth Street

With this months Glamour mag there was another fab freebie: A full size Nails Inc polish. With 4 shades to choose from I decided to go for Elizabeth Street. I love milky pinks so Elizabeth Street was the obvious choice for me.

Products Used:O.P.I Ridge Filler

Nails Inc Elizabeth Street (3 coats)

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

Elizabeth Street is described as a 'delicate nude cream polish' it does contain some shimmer but you really have to look for it in the bottle as it is so subtle and once on the nails it's barely noticeable. The finish is very, very sheer. For a fully opaque look it would take 4+ coats. Milky pinks are my weakness but Elizabeth Street just doesn't do it for me. I don't like the formula, it's very wishy washy and streaky. The finished look is just a bit bleh. I've found it looks best with a milky white base coat.

What Nails Inc colour did you go for?

My Thoughts On Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules.

Escentric Molecules, Molecule 01 30ml £27

I think we all know what Molecule 01 is by now. It's been raved about in YT videos and blogs for months now so I won't go into too much detail but basically it only contains 3 ingredients: Alcohol denant, water & Iso E Super. Iso E Super isn't anything new, it's been used in fragrances for years but what makes Molecule 01 so popular is it supposedly smells different on everyone.

When I done a swap with Lina this is the main item she asked for but after a week or two she sent me an email to see if I wanted it as it made her smell like a 'male xmas tree' best fragrance description ever! From the first spray I understood the male xmas tree comment 100%. It's very masculine and overpowering at first then after a few minutes the pine fresh toilet duck scent kicks in. It's not my kind of scent at all but the weirdest thing is I sprayed it just once on my wrist and could instantly smell it (to the point were I was trying to get my wrists as far away from myself as possible) but when I sniffed my wrists I couldn't smell it at all. So strange. I could REALLY smell it but not when I sniffed my skin. As the day went on I was able to smell it on my wrists then it would disappear again. This went on all day and I also noticed everytime I washed my hands and water splashed my wrists it seemed to reactivate it. I tried it on 4 different people but it smelt the same on all of us. I liked it slighly better when I could smell it on my mum but I think that was due to the fact I could smell it from a distance and could walk away anytime I wanted.

I totally agree with Lina's male xmas tree description. Imagine a hot bath filled with Lynx shower gel and pine fresh toilet cleaner then imagined it all being stirred together with a xmas tree. That's how it smells to me.

It's not all bad though. One spray is all you need and it's not something you're going to have to top up throughout the day which means the 30ml bottle is great value for money (if you like it)

Please Don't be offended if you love Molecule 01. We're all different and love/hate different scents. The point of this post is just to give my opinion on a product which seems to be loved by everyone.

Review: REN F10 Smooth & Renew Mask

REN F10 Smooth & Renew Mask

The reason I went for F10 Smooth & Renew Mask over the Glycolactic Peel is because my skin is so reactive. Honestly, if the wind blows on me the wrong way I come out in hives. Some of my favourite products cause the same reaction so I decided it was time to listen to my skin and go for products it needs rather than products I want. The F10 Smooth & Renew Mask is designed for sensitive skin and after reading reviews on the REN website I decided to order it.

F10 Smooth & Renew Mask is formulated to gently exfoliate and detoxify the skin, promote skin renewal and leave the complexion looking smooth, toned and radiant. I can never find any faults with REN packaging. The mask is held inside a clear bag in a fuss free pump tube with a small cap to place over the opening after every use to keep the product fresh. The mask itself is a thick orange gel/gunge. It feels so, so strange and once applied to the face it feels instantly cooling because of the texture opposed to the tickly/tingly sensation most exfoliating masks seem to have. The scent is incredible! It smells like a tropical drink and is by far the nicest smelling skin care product I own. I must admit I was a bit concerned about how my skin would react to a product with such a scent and expected the mask to be fragrance free since it's designed for sensitive skin but thankfully it didn't cause any irritation. After cleansing you apply the mask to dry skin and leave it to to work its magic for 10 minutes. The mask comes with a muslin cloth but the instructions say to pat the mask off first before using the cloth. To be honest this step is pointless. It doesn't remove the mask so I go straight in with the muslin cloth. The skin is left feelng perfectly smooth and plump, it also looks a bit brighter and most importantly I don't end up with bright red cheeks an remain hive free.

Overall the F10 Smooth & Renew Mask is a hit. It lives upto it's claim of being suitable for sensitive skin but I do have one thing to moan about - within 2 days I feel like I need to exfoliate again (has anyone else noticed this?) but I refuse to do so more than twice a week as it's not great for the skin. If you dont use a muslin cloth to remove your cleanser and gently exfoliate then F10 Smooth & Renew Mask isn't going to be enough to keep your skin feeling smooth.

After thinking I've maybe used this before I had a look through my empties posts and turns out I had. I had a sample tube at one point. Duh me.

Have you tried this mask before?

4 Night's Away: Make-Up & Perfume.

I'm going away for 4 nights on the 2nd of December so thought I'd show what has made the cut. First up is make up. Years ago I would take almost every item of make up I owned, I could never decide what to bring with me and surprise surprise, the majority of it never saw the light of day. Now I'm much more sensible and keep my make up to a minimum. I only bring what I know I'll definitely use it and as it's a spa break I more than likely won't want to wear make up anyway. So what made the cut?

Make Up:

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat

Garnier Roll-On Anti-Dark Circles

YSL Touche Eclat

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre 'Emerveille'

Estee Lauder Lash Primer Plus
Estee Lauder Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara
Nars Blush 'Douceur'

MAC MSF 'Soft & Gentle' (not pictured)

BareMinerals Hydrating Lip Tint 'Juicy'
DIY Tinted Brow Gel
Liz Earle Brow Pencil 'Fair'*

Brushes:

Real Techniques Buffing Brush
Real Techniques Delux Crease Brush

Real Techniques Blush Brush

Perfume:

Stella In Two Peony

I'm all chuffed with myself. I've been quite strict and only packed one of each thing - one blush, one lip product etc. The cases from the Real Techniques collections are so handy for travelling! No more getting the bristles caught in the zip of my make up bag or covered in fluff and whatever else seems to lurk at the bottom of bags. They're so handy to have. Stella In Two Peony has been discontinued, sad times! So now I only use it on special occasions to make it last as long as possible.

Are you a good packer or do you try squeezing the kitchen sink into your make up bag?

*PR sample