NOTD - Golden Sands & Tropical Seas...

Hey there lovely readers,

At the moment I seem to be finding myself constantly browsing online at far off holiday destinations filled with sun, sea & sand. Clearly my mind is telling me that a wee break is in order so I'm currently working on making that happen. In the meantime however, I can still get holiday vibe satisfaction on my nails with some holo & gold nails...

Mmmm the holographic turquoise & golden shimmer combination certainly brings blue oceans & sandy beaches to mind! To begin I applied my base coat, this was just a random LA Colors one I had lying around, I wasn't expecting it to be tinted actually but hey ho! Haha!

For this mani I dug out a beautiful KIKO to channel my blue sea, this one is 401, a gorgeous turquoise blue holographic polish that shimmers so prettily just like the tropical waters of the Med.

I decided to go for a V french tip design which is created easily by simply applying two diagonal strokes of polish next to each other on the tips of your nails. It doesnt matter if this isn't super neat as you will go over the edge with the gold...

And the said soft gold reminiscent of sandy beaches was delivered perfectly by this gorgeous pale gold polish from No7 Disco Nights which also contains a little bit of pale pink sparkle, so pretty.

I grabbed my small dotting tool to apply a row of little gold dots along the inside edge of the blue before finishing in the middle of the V with a wee cross. I decided to go for a full golden nail on my pinkie as I loved the pretty pale gold so much!

To finish I added on a some oval rhinestones for added sparkle before finishing with topcoat.

Now all I need to do is gaze at my nails & I'm instantly transported to a hot destination, much needed in this current frozen climate let me tell you!

The midi rings are Topshop FYI <3 Thanks as always for reading!   

Lotsa love to ya!

Loreal Paris Superstar Mascara Review

Hello there lovely readers!

Lately I've been having a play around with the mascaras I have in my possession & not succumbed to any of the new temptations on the market *pats self on the back* Though I do have one little bad boy on my wishlist & that's the Maxfactor 2000 calorie mascara which I've heard nothing but rave reviews! So I may have to go through a wee relapse so I can see its wonders for myself...for blogging purposes of course.  

One mascara in particular that I've stumbled across in my stash & have slowly fallen for big time is this offering from Loreal Paris, the Superstar Mascara. With a name like that I was certainly hoping for super results & I was not disappointed!

The Superstar Mascara is a double ended, 2 step type job here. Normally something like this would put me off as I would presume that it would just lengthen the whole process but this wasn't the case at all.

On one end you have what is described as a super sizing white primer which you apply first as your step 1 to promised super size lashes. The wand for the primer is a corset shaped brush which I love as it really captures & coats each lash very well.

The other end of the mascara contains of course the black shade as no one wants to be rocking white eyelashes! Well I don't know...maybe some would, but not on this occasion. The top coat is a black fibre enriched formula that coats the lashes, adding volume, length & an intense black finish. The wand for this end is a curved shape which is perfect for scooping up under the lashes & really lifting them up. 

So of course the truth is in the testing eh? Here is a before shot of my bare nekkid lashes which I always curl a wee bit before mascara application...

I then applied one coat of the primer. As mentioned the wand works well in capturing each lash & I really noticed a visible lengthening after applying the primer.

Next for step 2, the topcoat. I start with applying the mascara on the top of the lashes combing downwards, before going underneath & lifting up to really get the full benefit of the mascara. The topcoat applied really well, going over all of the now white lashes until each lash was coated evenly. Not forgetting those bottom lashes too!

Et voila, the finished look. Overall verdict, I LOVE the effect the Superstar mascara gives, a glamourous, pigmented & all round beautiful finish, no gloopiness, or spidery lashes in sight. The Loreal Paris Superstar mascara retails for £10.99 & can be found on most Loreal counters & online.

Thanks as always for reading lovelies!

Lotsa love to ya!

Blue Dry Marble Nails & Tutorial

Hello there lovely readers!

So I'm currently completely obsessed with one form of nail art - dry marbling. I can't seem to get enough of it at the moment! What I love the most is that its fun, easy to do plus it doesn't bring about a panic attack of epic proportions at the thought of doing which would be the case if I even attempted water marbling O_O So today I have for you these blue marble nails & I'm so chuffed with how they came out, I predict many more marble nails in the near future!

I was in the mood for blue tones clearly & decided to reach for Nails Inc to deliver on all three shades used, each one of them equally as pretty as the other & which I thought went really nicely together.

The three shades I've used are Baker Street (Royal Blue), Royal Botanical Gardens (Turquoise Blue) & Bluebell (Lavender Blue) all lovely cream formulas. To create these marbled nails couldn't be simpler, to show you how here's a wee step by step breakdown for you.

Start with applying your base colour, which when marbling/gradienting etc, I find white to be the best as it really brings out those colours! Go in with your second coat of white polish & now is when you need to start moving a bit quickly.

Whilst the second coat is still wet, apply a drop each of your three chosen shades on to the wet nail. Starting with a drop of dark blue first, then the turquoise next to it & finally the lavender.

Then grab your tool to create the marble design, now you can choose whatever you feel confident/comfortable with, after having a play around I've found some work better than others, you could use a toothpick, a small dotting tool or a nail art brush, which is what I've opted for here

The reason I've gone with the brush is that enables you to have a lighter touch whilst marbling. In some of my experiments using a toothpick, despite trying to be as delicate as possible, the toothpick often went right through the polish to the nail bed.

Once you've added your drops of colour, quickly go in with your brush & delicately swirl all the colours together, but not too much that you lose any of the shades, until you've gotten your desired marble effect.

Whilst you need a thick layer of polish to do your marbling be careful not to put too large drops of colour otherwise you'll find marbling the colours together difficult plus risk having polish pouring all over your skin area too! However if this does happen then you can always prepare your nails/hands beforehand with some Masking Fluid/Liquid Latex skin protector which I've blogged about HERE and HERE.

For a final detailed touch I added a wee blue stone to each nail before going over with my trusty HG CND Airdry Topcoat.

Thanks as always for reading lovelies, hope you liked the Marble nails! I can't wait to try in a rainbow of different colours!

Lotsa love to ya!

New Scented Nail Polish Removers from True Brit London!

Hey there my lovely readers!

I'm sure you know me well enough by now to understand that nothing excites me more than when an intriguing new product pops up in the nail polish world. Such is what I have to share with you lovelies today & is an offering from one of my favourite polish brands of last year True Brit London, their polishes blew me away with their quality & idea, not only a wide range of fun & fantastic shades but also the most divine packaging! Well they have recently released a new product that has also succeeded in winning me over completely. The product in question? *Scented Nail Polish Removers!

I'm not going to lie, when I first heard of these I was a tad dubious, however having tried and tested these myself all I can think of now is..why hasn't anyone thought of this before?!

As much as we love our mani's there is of course that dreaded task of removal which requires you to reach for the cotton wool & polish remover. Even though you can find many polish removers these days without acetone, the majority of them also come accompanied with strong overpowering fumes that could knock out a rhino! Not only that but they can also strip a lot of moisture from the skin & nails.

Well no more lightheaded wooziness from aforementioned overbearing removers, unless...erm you're in to that sort of thing...but lets not go down that road shall we...*side eye* True Brit London have created these delightful & might I add SUPER pretty scented polish removers which are available in either Strawberries & Cream or Elderflower & Cucumber scents...yummy sounding right?

First things first, I am a sucker for pretty packaging & I would expect no less from the folks at True Brit London who have their packaging on POINT & bottled up the prettily tinted removers in these gorgeous dinky glass bottles that would look so lovely on display next to their gorgeous polishes.

On to the scents, I thought I would prefer the Strawberries & Cream but after using this on one hand & the Elderflower & Cucumber on the other I couldn't decide which I loved more! I love how these work just like perfume, of course if you sniff directly from the bottle you're hit with an overbearing scent which makes it hard to detect the delicate notes, however once transferred to the skin & nails, the most delightful scent is released that will have you finding any excuse to breathe in.

I really have to take my hat off to True Brit London for getting their scents absolutely perfectly British. I don't know how they did it but honestly, the moment I breathed in each scent, both so refreshing & light, it immediately brought hot English summertime's to my mind! Divine! The scents themselves last for up to a few hours.

Of course the most important question is quality of performance & I'm happy to report that these delivered on that & then some! Just a few drops applied to my cotton wool succeeded in removing my polish in just a few swipes. Seeing as I usually have about four coats there (base, two of polish & topcoat) that's a big thumbs up from me!

Not only is the polish removed cleanly, due to the vitamin & oil enriched formula, my nails & cuticles were not left feeling completely stripped of moisture as is usual when using my ordinary acetone, instead they felt soft, clean & of course delightfully scented! I now find myself actually looking forward to the polish removal process haha!

Well done True Brit London, you've done it again! *applauds* The scented polish removers are available to purchase online for £5.95 which is a fantastic price for what you are getting truly is a lovely quality product that delivers. You can also get an extra 10% off your order using my code TRULY10

Thanks as always for reading!

Lotsa love to ya!

Disclaimer - * products featured were sent to me for my consideration. I am not affiliated with the brand nor paid for this post, this review has been as always my 100% honest opinion! :)

Product Love - Collection Gorgeous Glow Highlighter Review

Hello there lovely readers,

I do love me a good highlighting product, whether it be powder or cream based I can't finish my makeup routine without adding a little something something to give that fairy like finish. I have many favs already including the Make Up Revolution Undress Your Skin highlighting powder which everyone & their uncle has no doubt tried & loved, not only pretty in its finish but pretty in price too! LUSH Feeling Younger, a dreamy highlighting cream which I've blogged about HERE is another fav. However there's a new kid on the block thats given these two a run for their money that I've been reaching for often of late & its from none other than good old Collection!

Collection is one high street brand that has impressed me greatly with their makeup, not just in value but really delivering in quality too. We all I think know & love the infamous MAC dupe that is the Collection concealer which has been on the receiving end of many positive reviews, its one product I've repurchased many a time & will continue to do so! Another product I've fallen in love with is the Gorgeous Glow highlighting palette*

Available in two shades, the blush block & the bronze block, the one I have here is the bronzing palette & is made up of 5 shimmering powder shades ranging from light bronze to brown which when mixed together, result in giving the most beautiful healthy golden glow to the skin.

The formula of the powder is just dreamy, buttery soft, easily blended & SO pigmented, you only need to swirl your brush on to the palette lightly & even then still tap off excess before sweeping softly across the cheekbones as a little goes a long way.

The finish is perfect for my skin tone but this palette would suit everyone as its not over the top at all, not glittery or overly sparkly, instead simply creating that healthy holiday like glow. I like to apply this across the top of my cheekbones, down my nose & on my temples.

And the price of this pretty fab highlighter? £3.99! Yup I tell no lies, for a price as a good as that you can't NOT have this in your makeup stash!

Thanks as always for reading! 

Lotsa love to ya!

Disclaimer - * products featured were sent to me for my consideration. I am not affiliated with the brand nor paid for this post, this review has been as always my 100% honest opinion! :)      

Afternoon Tea Adventures - Palm Court Afternoon Tea and Spa at The Langham

Hello there my lovely readers!

Another afternoon tea review for you today my loves! So far I've shared with you my experiences at Claridges & The Sanderson's Mad Hatter Tea. This time sees the turn of the beautiful Palm Court Afternoon Tea, another 'must try' on the bucket list of mine & which I was able to attend with a close chum who received a "Tea Therapy" spa day experience at The Langham for her birthday & kindly took me along with her. Spa AND afternoon tea? Yup, basically my idea heaven.

Source:Google images

NOTD - Floating Hearts Nails plus Tutorial ft KIKO True Love Lacquer!

Hello there my lovely readers!

Another Valentines themed mani for you today my dears! This time I've thrown together some fun floating hearts that are super simple to do & which I'll show you how to create...

For this I've used KIKO's True Love Lacquer in Red Kiss, which the lovely Safiyah aka Frootibeauty kindly gifted me when I saw her recently because she's just an absolute angel who knows my weakness! I've always adored KIKO polishes, fab quality for a bargain price. Well I saw this & though it an apt polish for a Valentines manicure!

What I didn't realise however was that these particular polishes from KIKO's recent BFF collection for Valentines day are actually textured! By the time I noticed this I was already on my 3rd nail in haha! 

The True Love Nail Lacquers are micropearls which in fact dry to a matte textured finish, almost like sand effect polishes. I hadn't seen any swatches online so you could say it took me by surprise a tad. Normally I wouldn't have chosen a textured/effects polish for this type of mani but hey ho, I rolled with it anyhoos :)

The theme of the polish not to mention the fire engine red shade was perfect for a valentines mani. The textured finish is definitely interesting, matte polish lovers especially would love it. You have to work quick with the polish as the formula can get gloopy if overworked hence why its not the best choice for nail art, & the polish dries fast, another bonus of these textured type polishes.

Here's a quick step by step guide on how to create the floating hearts french nails...

To create the sharp edged french tip & to help shape the heart I've used these pointed manicure guides which I picked up in Savers a while back but you can easily find these on Ebay or Born Pretty Store. You can of course do it all free hand but these definitely make life easier! And I'm ALL for that ;)

I start off with a bare nail base as I'll be using the guides & don't want to risk them peeling off a base coat when removing. Plus I find the guides stick better to a bare nail.

Position your guide about 3/4 of the way on the nail, depending on how thick you want your french edge. As I currently have small nubbins I position my guides a bit further down to give the illusion of tips, WHY OH WHY DO YOU KEEP BREAKING NAILS?! I'VE BEEN GOOD TO YOOOOOUUUU!!! ....*cough*....Apologies...my current nail length state is a sensitive subject at the moment...

Start with drawing your heart. Using a fine nail art brush, dip into your polish & free hand two curved line next to each other creating the top of your heart. You can see how the guide helps with the shaping of your heart.

Then using the brush from the polish, apply the polish to the tips. Its good to use a thick opaque shade for negative space mani's like this as ideally you only want to apply one coat.

Once you've applied your polish to the tips, immediately remove the guide, with a pair of tweezers if you have some just to make it a tad easier, whilst the polish is still wet.

Once removed you have your floating heart & french tip! 

Don't worry if some polish has smudged whilst removing your guides, I always do a bit of clean up at this point with my brush & acetone, going along the lines so that the edges are sharp & clean.

I also went over the floating heart once more to get a stronger colour pay off as well as making the bottom point & edges a bit more curved & neater.

I still felt it missing something, so whenever this happens I reach for MAH GLITTAH! Using some glitter red polish I applied some sparkle to the inner edge of the tips. This is of course an optional step.

Because I wanted a super glossy finish & not the textured effect, though to be honest I actually quite liked that too,  I went over the mani with two thick coats of topcoat to get that sheen. 

And thats it! Hope you liked the floating hearts valentines nails lovelies! Thanks as always for reading! 

Lotsa love to ya!