NOTD - Something Blue Vintage Florals

Hey there lovely readers!

I think if Princess Arora would rock a manicure then this is what she'd adorn her nails with...some traditional rose florals with a touch of blue to appease that argumentative Merryweather ;) 

NOTD - Blue Porcelain Florals!

Hello there lovely readers & happy new year!

Rolling into 2019 my favourite way...with FLORALS! As you know florals are my absolute favourite when it comes to nail art, the possibilities are endless! I definitely want to work more on my freehand floral skills this year & that will basically involve watching ALL of Follow That Way's nail art tutorials. If you are not familiar, Follow That Way aka Annabel is the absolute QUEEN of delicate floral designs. 

Seriously this girls skills are incredible & I hope one day to even have a fraction of her talent. I find watching her tutorials just mesmerizing, the way she slowly brings her floral designs to life. One such design I fell in love with was her Blue Porcelain Florals, which I've tried to recreate here.

Meebox Nail Subscription Review - April's Material Girl Themed Box!

Hey there lovely readers!

Back in February I tried out my first Meebox Nail Subscription, a monthly beauty box JUST for nails. Perfect for the nail polish enthusiast! After being mighty impressed with the goodies included, of which you can read my full review of HERE, I promised myself that tempting though it is, I wouldn't succumb EVERY month, because your girl really has FAR too many polishes yet to try, instead opting to treat myself every now & again with a cheeky Meebox fix...as you can see I lasted a whole month before giving in! Nil points for self control Aysh...O_o

New Shade From True Brit London - Pillar Box & Royal Guard Nail Art Tutorial

Hello there my lovely readers!

Every girl needs a signature red polish in her stash. Although in my case lets just say its more likely to be a few dozen, yet I assure you that they are all unique & entirely different tones of red...o_O

But if you are looking for a perfect Pillarbox red then look no further because my friends at True Brit London have got you covered with one of the new additions to their already outstanding nail lacquer collection.

New Shades from True Brit London - Nostalgia

Hey there lovely readers!

I'm excited to share with you a few of the divine new nail polish shades that have been released by one of my favourite brands True Brit London, these new additions have recently joined their already stunning array of lacquers available. 

Its no secret how much I adore this brand, True Brit London nail polishes really are something else.  Not only are the shades & formulations top notch, but they really have nailed it in the packaging stakes with their gorgeous chunky ice cube shaped embossed bottles that exude luxury, only without the hefty price tag. I also love their quintessentially classy vibe, seeking inspiration for their collections in all things from history to traditionally British themes. You can check out my previous True Brit London posts & swatches HERE.  

I have four of the new shades to share with you but I wanted to give each shade the attention it deserves so will split up each post individually. To get the ball rolling we are starting things with the distinctly unique Nostalgia*.

NOTD - Rustic Rose Trellis Nails

Hello there my lovely readers,

There's nothing that makes me happier than wearing a feminine floral manicure & my favourite way to achieve such a look on the nails is by adding a few roses onto them, giving your mani a vintage kitsch vibe! And now that we are into Spring well...I have the powers of foresight & I predict a lot more floral mani's to come!.

There's many different ways to freehand roses, adding a few drops of a light & dark colour on top of one another & swirling until you form petals, drawing a whole rosebud like I did on my Beauty & The Beast manicure HERE...One of my favourite ways lately is applying little curved swirls around a dot of polish to create a rustic rose with petals like I've done today.

I am also seriously loving this colour combination, a mix of gothic vampy burgundy & sweet subtle pink giving a gorgeous contrast to look

NOTD - The PERFECT Red Polish!

Hello lovely readers!

Red lips...red nails. Vintage & iconic, whether you're a loyal fan of one or go all out & love to rock both, there's no doubt that both are timeless looks that will never fade out. Its a mission in every girls life to find THE perfect red. Me, I'm still yet to find the perfect red lipstick...it may be a while till this task is accomplished seeing as red lips scare the bejesus out of me however, I am happy to say that my hunt for the perfect red polish may finally be over as I have discovered one that I've fallen head over heels in love with! And its brand Sabon who have delivered so perfectly...

Sabon is in fact a brand specializing in bath and body products, not so hugely well known in the UK...yet. I've heard on the grapevine that they plan to make their stamp here too which I am so happy to hear & they now have a UK website! I actually stumbled across this store on my trip to NYC last year & was drawn in immediately by the delightful scents & cute kitsch packaging.

After befriending the absolute sweetheart of an assistant, gosh I really miss how wonderful New Yorkers were during my time there & indulging in a complimentary hand pamper session in which a sublime selection of Sabon products were used, including scrubs & hand cream potions, my nail polish raider went in to overdrive when I spotted the bottles sitting so prettily amongst the bath products. Naturally I was in my heaven & I ended up taking this beauty home with me which goes by the simple title of Burgundy ;)

Regardless of the simplicity of the name every other aspect of this polish more than makes up for it, firstly packaging. Just look at that beautiful vintage bottle, wouldn't that look so pretty & elegant sitting on your vanity table? J'adore!

Next is the colour, what can I say its just the PERFECT vintage red for me, not too orange toned, nor too bright or too dark, just....PERFECT.

Finally the formula of the polish, which I absolutely love, it does veer towards the thin side, but I actually prefer this as it prevents any possible gloopiness & makes the polish so much easier to work with. Due to the consistency of the formula being such, you are left with a lush glossy almost jelly like finish to your manicure. This was 3 coats applied.

The finishing result...glossy, vintage pin up red goodness. You could even forgo topcoat however its always a good idea to finish with a thin coat at least for longevity. So yes, my hunt for the perfect red is over. Huzzah! You can find Sabon products as well as these beautiful polishes online but I believe there is now a store in Covent Garden...either way I will definitely be popping in again when I return to NYC in June! 

Do you have your perfect red shade? Thanks for reading!

Lotsa love to ya!

What I Wore...Pirating

Hey there lovely readers!

Mixing things up a tad in between all the nail art action with a little "What I Wore" post for you today lovelies!

As you might know already if you follow me on social media (@Aysh_tmb) one of my current obsessions is the shopping app DEPOP, I'm forever going on about it & its become my go to place to browse first. I've found some amazing clothes/shoes purchases on there, all for bargainous prices, including a brand new Pyon Lolita coat for £40 & most recently a new pair of LE Irregular Choice loafers for a tenner! So yup, I am a hardcore Depop-er, send help ;)

Today's outfit includes another recent Depop purchase...some sleek new booties. I was after a pair of knee highs as my current ones were getting a bit worse for wear & came across this lovely pair from Next that seemed to fit the bill nicely.

They are made from sturdy leather which is great for battling the elements, lets face it in England thats a necessity as you never know when the heavens will open most unpredictably! A bit of a heel twas also a requirement for the height challenged individual that is yours truly & the length hitting to just below the knee is perfect.

The outfit itself consists of a vintage blouse with a bit of old age sleeve action going on that was picked up donkeys ago from a charity shop yet still remains one of my favs, I heart bell sleeves muchly, instantly transforming what would be an ordinary piece into something more feminine. It was a tad chilly (Spring where are you?!) so I threw on a trusty black t shirt underneath.

On top of that I threw on my Topshop velvet black playsuit, another fav, I always get lovely comments on this whenever I wear it, not only is it pretty, soft & BLACK (the goth girl is content) but its so darn cosy too! Except maybe when one needs to use the washroom & forgets until the last minute that you're wearing a one piece...*cue speedy panicked unzipping* O_o

Leggings were required to finish the outfit. All together the ensemble kinda bought pirate vibes to mind, but I managed to hold myself back from adding an eye patch to complete the look. Perhaps next time. Thanks as always for stopping by beauts!

Lotsa love to ya!

NOTD - Vintage Afternoon Tea Nails ft True Brit London Victoria

Hello lovely readers!

Hows tricks? So this post is a tad (okay VERY) late in going up, work has once again pretty much taken over life, making blogging regularly hard which makes me sad! Tis my happy place after all. But with a blissfully free weekend & an extra long one at that (yay!) I can finally rectify this situation & get that mojo flowing again :)

The mani I have to share with you today features another delight from the brand True Brit London which I did for Afternoon Tea Week earlier this month & which yes I am just blogging about now *facepalm* O_o....However being such a devoted & avid fan of this most delightfully British pastime, one week is simply not enough for moi & is definitely a tradition that should be celebrated & actioned as often as possible all year round! So in honour of that here are some Vintage Afternoon Tea inspired nails...

First of all...HOW did it take me so long to try foil french tips?! I am so in love with this slight alteration on a traditional french manicure but more on those later...Lets start with the gorgeous nude base colour of the mani shall we, courtesy of True Brit London's Victoria* from the Classic collection.

Victoria is one of those perfect 'my nails but better' shades. A gorgeous, milky, natural nude, it glides onto the nail beautifully creating a tres chic & sophisticated look. This was two coats applied for a lovely opaque finish.

Once completely dry I decided to add some french tips with a twist. Instead of the usual white I opted for the pretty champagne rose gold goodness that is True Brit London's Heirloom. Using some french mani guides, I painted the tips before removing the guides whilst polish was still wet. I am truly adoring foil french tips & can't wait to try with some pastel shades!

For my accent nail I couldn't resist adding a wee delicate teacup, it is an afternoon tea inspired mani after all! Using a thin brush I free handed the cup & saucer using white polish, a bit of Heirloom for detail & brown polish for my tea blend of choice! I'm partial to a spot of Darjeeling myself, whats your favourite blend?

Finishing it all of course with a nice coat of True Brit London Gloss Topcoat & that's it! Nails suitably ready to partake in some sophisticated tea & cake action!

I hope you liked the mani dolls! Thanks as always for reading. The pretty True Brit London range can be found online for £12.50. Don't forget you can get 10% off your order using my code TRULY10!

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! :)

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 - Mint Pearl Vintage Nails ft HugoSophia Crystal Rings

Hello there lovely readers!

Today's nails feature a spot o' bling detail in the form of some pretty crystal stack rings, who doesn't love a bit of sparkle eh? But more on those later. For this mani I went down the vintage route leaving a half moon at the bottom of the nail bare. I love this style of manicure, so chic!

NOTD - Vintage Roses & Gold...

Hello there lovely readers!

I am seriously in love with this mani design I have to share with you today, it features one of my favourite things...FLORALS....& in fact I've loved it so much I've worn it all week & pretty much co-ordinated my wardrobe around it instead of the other way round...because I'm strange like that ;) It also features one of the fab Hyper Gels that I picked up, the gorgeous Naked Glow.

What do you think? This design was inspired by a fabulously talented IG account I follow @lauramerino12. She has some beaut nail designs & the moment I saw this I new I had to give it a try!

I started off with that divine Models Own Hyper Gel, a range which I am looooving! I used White Light for my Valentines Dotticure Manicure a while back, here I've used Naked Glow which is a fabulous nude & applied so nicely. I of course went for my obligatory two coats.

Next I added a few splodges of dark red on to each nail, about 3 per nail using Nails Inc Chester Square & the polish brush. The great thing about rose designs is the less neat the splodges are, the better they look!

I then added a touch of green for the leaves surrounding each little rose, using a random green nail art pen. To finish off the rose I went back in with the Naked Glow for added detail using a fine nail art brush, however I think these polishes may be too thick for that sort of thing, but in the words of Mastermind, I started so I finished!

Lastly, for a bit of pretty gold goodness I applied a thin slick of topcoat before quickly adding some pretty golden balls from my nail art wheels, in bunches of three to each nail. Another thick coat of topcoat to seal it all & finito!

Hope you liked the design my lovelies! Thanks for reading as always! Have you tried the HyperGels? Are you a fan of floral prints too?

Lotsa love to ya!