Disney Nail Art Series - The Lion King

Hello there lovely readers!

I could not let August go by without throwing in a new manicure for my Disney Nail Art Series now could I? Speaking of, how on earth is it almost September already? This year seems to be going by at an alarming rate!

My next Disney manicure is a bit special to me I guess as it is up there as one of my favorite Disney films & was actually the very first Disney movie I went to watch at the cinema...The Lion King.

NOTD - Faded Lavender & White Marble Nails...

Hello lovely readers!

Anyone else a tad freaked that we are in March already?! Wooo where is the time going? Anyhoos my dears, the dry marbling obsession continues, I can't get enough of this fun nail art technique, experimenting away with different shades & combinations! Check back to my Blue Marbled Nails post for a wee guide on how to create dry marbled effect nails. 

For this mani I found myself prowling through Instagram & @Yagala's account in particular for inspiration, her designs are simply incredible. I saw her mani for marbled tips in pretty lilac tones & just had to recreate!

Obviously my skills aren't a patch on this talented ladies but I'm super chuffed with how these came out. I love the idea of just applying to the tips, ending three quarters of the way down the nail, almost giving it a fading effect.

For this I used Bourjois Lavender Esquisse for my lilac shade & a random Claires polish in white. 

These two polishes actually worked so perfectly together, not only due to the colours but also the formulas. The Bourjois is a thick creme whereas the Claires polish is actually extremely watery, so I'd flung this into the back of my drawer with the idea that it would never be used on account of this!

However because the Claire's white formula is so watery, it actually made the marbling with the thicker Bourjois much better, huzzah! Well done Claire's you sly dog you, forgive me my impulsive error.

Start with applying a coat of clear base polish to your nail, I dug out this random Miss Sporty one, these polishes retail for just £1.99 & are fab in my opinion, this clear one was perfect for the task! Then whilst the polish is still wet apply a few dots of purple & a few of white on to your tips & marble together using your brush/toothpick/dotting etc bringing the polish down as you marble to wherever your happy!

To finish add two curved rows of little dots down the nail in various patterns on each nail using a nail art pen or white polish & dotting tool. Add your topcoat & your done!

Oooh these nails make feel so ready for Spring now! :)Thanks as always for reading!  

Lotsa love to ya!

NOTD - Burgundy Beauty with Bourjois Rouge Diva!

Hey there lovely readers,

Burgundy is one of those shades that most definitely falls into the perfect tone category for the Autumn/Winter months & certainly gets a lot of love at this time of year especially! A warm & flattering shade which suits everyone, every girl needs at least one burgundy polish in her stash.

I wanted share with you one of my favourite Burgundy red polishes which I find myself reaching for time & again as it meets all my needs, everything from the colour to the formula is just perfection & is courtesy of good old high street brand Bourjois!

This little pretty goes by the name Rouge Diva & is from Bourjois So Laque Ultra Shine Range which retails for around £5.99.

I don't know why I don't own more of these babies in my collection as the formula is fantastic. Rouge Diva is a lovely rich marsala red & applies like a dream.

The formula is smooth & enriched with twice as much vinyl giving it that thick glossy almost gel like finish. It could even pass as a one coater but of course I always go for my obligatory two, creature of habit is me!

Rouge Diva is lovely enough all by its onesie but I couldn't resist jazzing it up a tad as is my way with the addition of these pretty blue/black rhinestones available from Born Pretty Store. You can use my code TRUW10 to get 10% off of your order ;) The midi rings are Topshop, I do love me some finger bling I do :)

Thanks for reading my lovelies, do you have any favourite burgundy polishes?

Lotsa love to ya!
 

Beauty Icon Makeup Inspiration - Cat Eye Wing Eyeliner...

Greetings to you my lovely readers!

Here's a question for you, when it comes to your makeup style, do you seek inspiration from a particular era? Be it a modern day celebrity or an iconic beauty of the past, no doubt there have been many women whose unique styles have left a mark on the beauty world. Personally, when it comes to my go to makeup look there is one thing I am usually NEVER without...cat eye winged liner. A look that was very popular with the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Bridget Bardot, Sophia Loren & many other beautiful icons of the vintage film era.   

source: google images

Of course these ladies knew how to ROCK the red lip also, yet being slightly terrified of bright lips in general, I'm one of those that much prefers to focus on the eyes. Just the simple addition of a cat eye flick can transform your look, emphasizing & making the eyes stand out, a look that Bridget Bardot had down to perfection & one that I love to try to channel in my makeup.  

Recreating a look similar to that which these ladies rocked so fabulously back in the day doesn't have to be a difficult task either! As long as you have in your make up arsenal the core item which has come to be one of my holy grail beauty products...Felt Tip Eyeliner.

Being a complete eyeliner addict & having tried & tested literally ALL types of eyeliner out there, gel, liquid, pencil, you name it, I am always & forever returning to my beloved felt tip eyeliners.

I've found that not only are they effortless for creating the perfect cat eye wing shape, but the pen design gives you more control, perfect if your an eyeliner newbie & not confident with it. A couple of my favourites are by Bourjois and Make Up Revolutions. Not only are they pigmented but both have great longevity. However there are many great quality ones available including offerings from MAC, Urban Decay & YSL to name but a few! All these & more can be found online in the House of Fraser Makeup Department...a makeup addicts dream!

Everyone has their own way to create their cat eye wings that they are comfortable with, of course there are numerous tutorials on YouTube with detailed steps that are very helpful. I prefer to start on the outer corner & draw my wing first before going on to the lid, finishing about halfway.

If you're not sure which direction or how far out to take the eyeliner, a little helpful tip for creating the perfect angle for your wing; simply line up your pen at an an angle from the corner of your eye, going up to the end of your eyebrow, applying a dotted line if it helps & use this as your guide. 

Once drawn, you can then go back & shape it up a bit more if you wish, curving the bottom edge, defining the point etc. You know how it is ladies with getting that perfect flick!

source: google images

Once you're happy with the finished wing, you can keep it as it is for a simple low key look a'la Marilyn Monroe or you can go full on Sophia Loren & pile on more for that fully defined feline look. Just line the waterline with a gel eyeliner, my personal favourite being MAC Fluidline with its smooth formula & for added oomph factor, go in with pencil liner on top & smoke out on to the lower lid. Urban Decay 24/7 is one you can't go wrong with, super pigmented!

And there you have it! That's my simple way on how to channel the look of some of my favourite movie star divas of the vintage era. I hope you've enjoyed this wee post which I've also written as my entry for a wonderful competition that House of Fraser are running at the moment who are currently on the hunt for a Beauty Ambassador, details can all be found HERE if you're interested in applying too! 

Thanks as always for reading lovelies, I would love to know who your beauty icon inspirations are! 

Lotsa love to ya!  

NOTD - Purple & Polka Dots...

Hello there lovely readers & Happy Mothers Day to all you beautiful & incredible mums out there! Truly, what would we do without you? However you're spending your day, hope you're all having a lovely one. My fab & beaut mumma bear & I will be trotting off to enjoy a delightful afternoon tea together later for some quality mum & daughter time, which I cannot wait for :)

                                                                                Moi & Mumma <3
Yesterday my matey & I had an early start & visited Stonehenge & Bath for the day on one of those Groupon thingamybobs, its something we've always wanted to do & I'm so glad we did as it was incredible. I have to say this was quite largely down to the fact that our guide David was absolutely bloomin hilarious, such a character & definitely made the day ten times better! I've fallen in love with the city of Bath, so beautiful & picturesque, we had an ace day visiting the Roman baths, exploring the streets, visiting the fudge shop, enjoying a delicious Indian lunch with stunning views of Bath, before finding ourselves in an arcane bookshop we stumbled across & spending the afternoon talking starsigns & crystals & palm reading with the lovely staff there. An exhausting but wonderful day & I deffo recommend you visit, we already want to go back!

The Lash Files - Bourjois 1001 Cils Mascara Review

Hello there lovely readers!

Today I have a gem of a mascara to share with you pretties that has officially made it to number one favourite HG mascara status for moi, no mean feat let me tell you. Lately I've been mixing & matching, chopping & changing my mascaras, trying to maintain a bit of rotation so that they all get a bit o' loving, however despite that I've found myself reaching for this baby most often of late as dayaaam does it deliver! Mascara in question? Bourjois 1001 Cils!