NOTD - The Summer House by True Brit London

Hello there lovely readers!

I hope you're all enjoying the bank holiday weekend? Managed to persuade papa bear to dig out & dust off the old barbie yesterday for a satisfying feast that didn't disappoint, so its finally starting to feel like summer at last! As I'll be away for a while I'm making the most of the extra days break by rolling out a post in between last minute packing for NYC on Wednesday :)

Anyhoos on to today's polish treat for you, there's nothing I find more satisfying than discovering a perfect nude polish & one of the new Garden Party shades from True Brit London has, for me, currently blown all others out the water.

The Summer House* is a luscious creamy caramel beige nude that I think is just perfect for my skin tone & one of those shades that would suit all, I'm in love with it!

What makes this nude polish rather unique in particular is the addition of a pretty pearlescent golden shimmer running through it that also turns pink toned in certain lighting giving an almost rose gold glow, subtle yet so pretty!

This was two coats which applied beautifully, the formulation being slightly thinner than some of the previous shades I've tried.

For an added touch I added a delicate wee daisy to each nail using just a dotting tool with some white & yellow polish. You can use a bobby pin too, just apply a tiny yellow dot & surround it with 5 white dots...simples!

Going with the Summer theme I've added a pretty Jamberry accent using the Sweet Surprise nail wrap which is a gorgeous floral design. You can read all about these fabulous nail wraps that can last up to two weeks & come in over 300 designs HERE & purchase your own wraps to jazz up your manicures via my website HERE.

So yup I think its obvious that I have a lot of love for this shade & can guarantee that it will get much usage! True Brit London nail polishes can be found online for just £12.50 where you can also get 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! :)

NOTD - Fizzy Pink Raindrops

Hello there lovely readers!

Being a erm somewhat  "passionate" fan of the nail polish, (you'd never have guessed right?) I do confess that I own quite a few *cough* hundreds *cough*. Its very rare that I'd find myself repurchasing a polish I've already owned. However, there have been times where such an event HAS indeed occurred, with a couple of my HG 'must have polishes that I recommend every girl MUST own by hook or by crook.

One polish that has been repurchased & which I am forever raving & praising is Models Own Pink Fizz. You only have to gaze at its prettiness to understand, I've never come across another like it! A divine pale pink glitter that sparkles so beautifully not only is it a bobby dazzler but its also the most opaque glitter I've ever come across, two coats equals to full blingy beautiful coverage! 

Basically...you NEED this in your life. I love digging this sparkler out time & again not just by its onesie but also with nail art which is what I've done with this pretty pink design that could not be easier to do.

I wanted to keep with the pink theme so for my base colour I've applied two coats of Illamasqua Pink Raindrops. This is an interesting one, a creamy mauve pink with pale pink glitters suspended in the formula giving a subtle sparkle, so lovely!

Then using a fine nail art brush & some black polish, apply two straight vertical lines down the centre of the nail next to each other, leaving a wee gap in between.

And it is this gap that you will now fill with your glorious glitter! Rather than use the polish brush which can be a bit thick for this, I instead used a finer nail art brush to apply the Pink Fizz down the centre of the nail in between the two black lines.

You can then go over the black lines once more afterwards in case some of the pink glitter went over.

Finish with topcoat & thats it! A super easy yet pretty design with zero effort! My kinda nail art for sure ;)

Thanks as always for reading dolls! Now what are you waiting for? Go get that Pink Fizz!

Lotsa love to ya!

Lloyds Pharmacy SKINeffect Face Cream Review

Hello there lovely readers!

I've found myself having to crank up the hydration game lately & veer towards more intense moisturising lotions & potions to keep thine skin happy. Annoying dry patches in particular are a problem, especially with the hair removal maintenance that is a necessity (asian girl problems!) The procedure of threading/waxing can cause dryness as well as sensitivity so I also look for creams designed to soothe the skin gently whilst also moisturise such as the Avene Cicalfate Cream which has done miracles for my dry skin! Lately I've switched up my usual face cream with a new one from a skincare range exclusive to Lloyds Pharmacy called SKINeffect.

I wasn't aware that Lloyds had branched out in to the world of skincare so was intrigued to see how it fared especially noticing not only how affordable the range is but also the interesting selection of ingredients included in the products. I've been using the Active Day Face Cream* (RRP £7.99) which contains 5% HydraMatrix, an anti-waterloss complex to provide instant hydration whilst maintaining smoothness.

Free from parabens, allergens, colorants, mineral oils, petrolatum & instead containing natural skin boosters, hyaluronic acid & atomized water the formula sounds like a completely lush treat for the skin. The cream itself is thick in texture without being greasy instead feeling silky smooth which is a plus.

After I've cleansed & toned I simply dot the cream on the face & slowly massage in to the skin, I try & do this regularly & commit to facial massaging as often as possible, almost giving one a mini facial at the same time & really ensuring the cream is worked in to the skin without rubbing too harshly either.

The cream sinks in to the skin nicely without leaving a greasy residue & my skin was left feeling smoother & visibly hydrated. The formulation of this cream actually reminds me of Avene Compensating Cream, a skin care brand I am a big fan of, I think its due to the inclusion of atomized water, where the Avene contains thermal spring water, though how similar it is ingredients wise I'm not certain.  

The Active Day Face Cream has tackled the dry patches very well which is the most important factor for me & I've enjoyed using it in the mornings before going in with makeup application with its light yet smooth moisturizing formula.  Of course the fact that the range is so affordable is another plus! I'm intrigued to give the serum a go to see how it would fare compared to other higher end brands.

Thanks for reading! The SKINeffect range can be found in Lloyds Pharmacy as well as online.

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! :)

NOTD - Tally Ho by True Brit London

Hello there lovely readers!

Hope you're all well! Find myself suddenly experiencing impromptu panic attacks at the thought of packing for New York next week, can't believe how quickly its crept up! Cannot contain my excitement & joy at the thought of being in my favourite city once again. But before that one must organise! If you have any NYC holiday guides/itinerary's/blog posts then do hit me up as I would love to have some more recs! :)

Today I have another one of the lovely new True Brit London Spring/summer releases to share with you. So far you've seen Dolly Mixture, a satisfyingly sweet pink & the next one I wanted to give a test drive was the delightfully named *Tally Ho!

Tally Ho is most definitely a unique one, a burnt tan terracotta cream, I can say for certain I don't own anything like it, which for me is quite the feat!

The shade is warm enough to stop it from being too harsh & orange toned which I love & the cream formula was a dream to apply in two coats.

I'm sure you're used to me enough by now to know I can't resist jazzing up my nails in my two favourite ways...glitter & Jamberry!

The glitters comes courtesy of Essie's Tassel Shaker, a super sparkly golden bar glitter topper which I've simply dabbed on to the tips as a glitter gradient

For my Jamberry touch I've used the Circus Tent wrap which not only contained similar teracotta tones but also actually reminded me of bunting...VERY British thus perfect to pair with Tally Ho. I applied the wrap on my pinkie so easily, do check out my full post on Jamberry HERE for all the details :)

Finish with topcoat bar the little Jamberry pinkie as the wraps require no topcoat, no drying time & will last up to 2 weeks with zero chipping!

Thanks as always for reading beauts! You can find the True Brit London nail polishes online for £12.50 where you can also get 10% off your order using my code TRULY10

Lotsa lovs 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! :)

NOTD - Negative Space Marble Eclipse Nails & Tutorial!

Hello there lovely readers!

Hope you're all well! Things have been a tad hectic of late, hence the lack of posts, but I'm currently settling into a new job, which is going really well I'm thankful to say, SO glad I made the change, but I'm happy to get back a bit of normality with the blogging & another marble mani tutorial for you beauts today.

I hope you're not getting tired of these as I'm still very much obsessed with dry marbling & I love sharing how easy they are to do with you. You can catch some of my previous designs HERE and HEREas well as an actual marble stone effect look I did recently HERE. I've mixed things up a tad with this manicure incorporating a little bit of negative space action too!

All you need to create the negative space through the centre of the mani is some french mani guides, I purchased a bunch of these super cheaply off of ebay. Starting with a bare nail, position your mani guide across the nail at whichever angle you like until you are happy.

Then apply your polish shades, for this mani I've used this yummy Wet n Wild creme I Need A Refresh Mint & American Apparel Eclipse which is a veritable DISCO of a polish with its vibrant turquoise shade filled to the max with multi tone holo glitters!

I applied one coat of the Wet n Wild polish first, then immediately dotted on a drop or two of the American Apparel.

Grabbing your tool of choice, here I've used my trusty nail art brush again as this works best for me, swirl the two colours together to create a marble effect you are happy with. 

A couple of tips I've learnt along the way, more polish is definitely NOT better necessarily! I've had many nails which ended up a big puddle of polish mess from being a tad too heavy handed.

Another tip is to use a light touch, hence why I find the brush better for marbling, as with a toothpick I'd find myself going through all the polish layers directly to the nail bed. But everybody is different, use whatever you're comfortable with!

You then need to remove your mani guide whilst the polish is till wet. Clean up any smudges with a brush & acetone.

Then using a fine nail art brush & some pretty gold glitter, simply apply your sparkle along the curved outer edge of your negative space.

Finish with topcoat & you're done! Thanks for reading lovelies! Let me know if you give dry marbling a go, I'd love to see!

Lotsa love to ya!

NOTD - Stained Glass Swirl Nails & Tutorial!

Hey there lovely readers!

If you caught my last post, I recently added a few of the new Barry M releases to my collection including the Limited Edition Lolly Gloss Paints in Pink Candy and Purple Pop. You can see swatches of these sweet juicy jelly shades HERE.

These polishes are sheer formulas therefore perfect for a bit of nail art experimentation! You can smoosh all the jellies together to create a marbled effect, apply on top of another shade to create a whole new one, dab on to silver or white for a watercolour rainbow look, similar to what I've done HERE. I decided to do a stained glass type effect using the Lolly Gloss on top of silver & glitter & this is what I came up with...

Instead of going over the whole nail I decided to just add the pop of colour in the centre in a swirl down the nail. 

For my base to really make the Lolly Paints pop I used not just silver but also a holographic glitter for extra sparkle!

To create the design I've done a simple step by step tutorial for you so you can recreate these too...

Start with your silver base, here I've applied one coat of Sonia Kashuk Smoke and Mirrors.

Next apply your holo glitter, the one I've used here is by Color Club & contains a rainbow of macroglitter that really makes the silver go disco!

This was an additional step that you can skip but being the glitter fiend that I am I couldn't resist adding on a few large hexagonal holo glitter pieces using Barry M's Hologram

Next apply the white outline of where you want your stained glass pop of colour to be, using a nail art pen or some white polish & a thin brush

Then using 2 more smaller nail art brushes as the brushes that come with the polish will be too big/thick,start applying each of the Lolly Gloss Paints, here I have Pink Candy & Purple Pop, alternating between the two until you fill in the whole shape.

Don't worry if the colours merge into each other, you kind of want that to happen to help create the effect!

Once done, go over the white outline again, before finishing with a coat of topcoat & thats it!

Super sparkly stained glass effect nails! If there had been more shades available I would have definitely picked up more to create a multicolored rainbow finish! Hint hint Barry M... ;)

Hope you liked the design dolls, do let me know if you give these a try or have created your own designs using these or similar tinted polishes, I would love to see!

Lotsa love to ya!