Disney Nail Art Series - Festive Edition - Frozen Nails!

Hi there lovely readers!

I've been wanting to revisit my Disney Nail Art Series for some time as yet again its been a while! You can see all my Disney recreations on the nails HERE, including classics such Beauty & The Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King & more!

Frozen became a bit of a sensation with Disney for this generation of youngsters & the source of many parents loss of sanity at the thought of hearing Let It Go for the 3496th time....I myself waited a long time before watching as I am a hardcore CLASSIC Disney fan & was somewhat cynical at these newbies. However I confess, whilst I didn't understand the obsession, I STILL enjoyed the film immensely & seeing as its that time of year that ice likes to make its frosty appearance...what better for my next Festive look than some Disney Frozen Nails!

Festive NOTD - Xmas Vintage Roses & Gold Glitter

Hey there lovely readers!

So Fall has passed us by far too quickly in my opinion & it seems that the natural way of things to go moving forwards is Christmas! Yup tis the season to be jolly which means nail art will be getting suitably sparkly around these parts, or I hope anyway! As usual it all depends on time but I do hope to roll out some fun festive goodness for the nails this year!

Halloween Dripping Blood Scream Nails!

Hey there lovely readers!

Holy moly its been a minute! I had hoped to get in the spirit of Halloween with my nail art but time it would seem has run away with me! I've just returned from a much needed & most amazing break in New York City, my most favourite place on earth! With that, work & also the fact that I had me some beautiful gel nails did whilst out there means any new nail art looks will be put on hold for a month or so...thankfully I have a backlog of looks & also managed to throw together one spooky look before I left so woohoo!

I always like to do some form of dripping blood nails every year so keeping in with tradition that's what I've done but this time with a spooky twist!

NOTD - Autumn/Fall Tree Dotticure

Hello there lovely readers!

Before we wave a fond farewell to Autumn this year I wanted to share with you one of my favourite Fall Nail Art designs I did but totally forgot to put up on here! Plus I'm just not yet ready to get rid of all the comforting Autumn feels just yet!

Getting Lippy - Winter Lip Hydration with Korres & Burts Bees

Hello there my lovely readers,

Harsh weather brings with it skin in desperate need of hydration & requires us to enforce a bit more TLC to our skin & lips. For me this is pretty much a year round problem, especially dry lips. Its been a bane of my existence for a long time & also the reason why I rarely venture in to that world of lippies that is so daunting to me! Mostly a fan of tinted balms, what I look for in a good product is a light wash of colour with smooth moisturizing properties without stickiness. Two such brands who have delivered on this for me are Korres & Burts Bees with their range of lip butters & shimmers...

Starting with Korres, I've heard nothing but praise when it comes to their products so was keen to investigate for myself. When passing through my local Lloyds chemist I saw that they'd introduced a wide range of skincare & beauty products, including both Korres & Burts Bees. I noticed that there were two variations of Korres lip butter available, the well known pot form as well as a more convenient stick, so went for one of each as well as nabbing a Burts Bees Lip Shimmer in the shade Peony.

The Korres Lip Butter pot (RRP £8) I opted for was Pomegranate which has a lovely red tint & contains Shea Butter, well known for its moisturising properties including soothing chapped irritated skin. The butter is almost jelly like in formula & glides smoothly on to the lips without feeling too heavy. The shade is more pigmented in the pot however you still get a really lovely delicate wash of colour across the lips. I love the feel of this after application & keep the pot by my bedside applying as often as I can remember, however I know many are put off using balms/butters in pots, which is why I love that Korres also have the stick option as well.

Not only more compact & travel friendly, the Korres Mandarin LipButter stick (RRP £8) also contains SPF15 giving it major score points as well as including lush ingredients of Mandarin Oil, Sunflower Wax & the Shea Butter. The shade I have is Pink which again gives a lovely delicate rose tint to the lips as well as moisturizing. I found this slightly more creamier in consistency to the jelly like pot butter but equally lovely on the lips & I love using this as a base for the rare occasions when I DO wear lipstick as it glides on so smoothly over the top.

Now we have a touch of glam factor if you like with the Burts Bees LipShimmers (RRP £5.99). These moisturizing balms are divine, delivering a wash of subtle colour to the lips but with a touch of shimmer in the form of macroglitters & come in a nice selection of shades to choose from ranging from plums & reds to warmer nudes & browns.

Thankfully the macroglitter is very fine preventing the balm from looking like a discoball or feeling gritty on the lips, which wouldn't be pleasant at all. The shade I have here is Peony which is a lovely warm brown toned nude.

The lip shimmers contain Vitamin E, Beeswax, Sunflower & Coconut oils making them incredibly nourishing & have a subtle peppermint flavour which feels nice & refreshing on the lips. I love that the tube is also nicely compact & slender, making it ideal for popping into your bag or pocket when on the go.

Overall I am utterly converted to these lovely lip hydration offerings from Korres & Burts Bees, they are a joy to wear & my lips are certainly happier & in better condition. The Mandarin Lip Butter stick is also available in a colourless version if tint is not your thing, I'm keen to try a few more of the Lip Butter pots too, Jasmine and Wild Rose look dreamy as well picking up a few more adventurous shades of the Burts Bees Lip Shimmers!

You can find both Korres & Burts Bees in selected Lloyds Pharmacies as well as online via FeelUnique or LookFantastic to name a few.. its worth having a hunt around as prices vary on different sites. Thanks as always for reading!

Lotsa love to ya!

Autumn/Fall Inspired Diva Nails & Tutorial!

Hello there lovely readers!

Halloween took precedence when it came to my nail art over the past few weeks but now that has passed *sobs* I can now embrace Autumn in all its glory with some Autumnal nails! There's still time non? Better late than never...I'm definitely an Autumn baby & adore this time of year with its abundance of burgundy tones, blankets, bubble baths, burning candles...ungh I LOVE IT!

Naturally my favourite way of expressing myself is through my nails so I got to thinking & created this Autumn vibed design featuring a pouting painted diva with vibrant flowing hair reminiscent of burnt Autumnal leaves!

I was inspired by a Robin Moses Tutorial on YouTube, her nail art designs are wonderful, in her design she created the one lady accent nail & incorporated her flowing Autumn/Fall leaved hair over the remaining nails. I loved the look so much I decided to do an individual painted lady on every nail!

To re-create this design is easier than it seems & I've done a step by step pictorial for you to show how you I did mine...

Begin with your base colour, wanting to keep with the Autumn tones I reached for Barry M Dusky Mauve. Remember when everyone went doolally over this shade due to its high dupe level of Chanel's Paradoxal? Here I've applied 2 coats of this lovely purple griege shade.

Now to begin creating our shaded divas, start with applying her slender neck starting at the tip of the nail, using white polish & a nail art brush.

Now to create the face, using your thin nail art brush & white polish, start about 3/4 of the way up your nail where you want the forehead to be & draw a curved triangle with the top point angled slightly to the right, to give the appearance of bangs/fringe, then continuing on from the two bottom points of your triangle,curve a round oval like shape down to the neck before filling in.

Next step is to add on our ladies sophisticated sunnies! Because even though its Autumn, shades can be rocked ALL YEAR ROUND. To do these simply start by adding a thin horizontal black line just underneath the fringe/bangs.

Then with the same black, underneath your line add two semi circle-esque shapes to create lenses.

Now for our diva's pout, grab a pink or red polish & a dotting tool or a bobby pin & place two dots of red with one dot underneath, almost creating a heart like shape for the lips.

Final detail to the face is a tiny angled line for the nose before you can go to town with all the Autumn colours for her hair! I decided to use a shimmer yellow polish by Color Club to add on some strands in the brown, because its ALL about the balayage babes, before using the aptly named Autumn Leaves glitter polish by indie brand Coco Allure which I picked up from Etsy donkeys ago!

As the glitter in this polish is quite large I poured out a bit of the polish on to a piece of paper first & then used a toothpick to pick up the pieces of glitter which come in shades of burnt orange, reds, coppers & gold & just placed on to the hair.

Finish it all with a nice thick coat of topcoat & your done! Thank you Robin Moses as always for the inspo, a really fun & interesting way to wear Autumn/Fall nails! Hope you like them too!

Thanks as always for reading! 

Lotsa love to ya!

Happy Feet - Winter Foot Pampering!

Hello there my lovely readers,

Now, the tootsies are a topic that no one likes to get in to too much detail about, however just because we now find ourselves in the season of wrapping up the layers, doesn't mean we should start neglecting our little feet, we do owe them a lot after all, getting us from a-z everyday, often suffering at the hands of high heel torture ;) Every now & again I like to treat myself to a wee foot pamper session to keep them in as tip top condition as possible, with the help of these few essential products that have become firm favorites of mine.

First up we have the *Emjoi Micro Pedi Nano foot exfoliating device. You may be familiar with this range available in Boots, of which I am already a fan of. I've tried & tested the MicroNail Electronic Buffer & been very impressed with the results of beautifully buffed shiny nails. Emjoi also offer a range of electronic foot exfoliaters, including this new addition which not only comes in a range of cheerfully bright colours but is also travel sized for your convenience!

The Emjoi Micro Pedi Nano (RRP £29.95) is battery operated (2xAA) & works by gently removing hard rough skin with the use of the unique anti-bacterial Flex + roller technology that contours around the foot enabling you to gently yet effectively exfoliate those hard to reach places.

Thanks to its compact size, you can easily pop the Micro Pedi Nano in your travel bag without taking up too much space & it is so easy to use, in the space of minutes you are left with smooth soft skin. I've used this quite a few times, noticing a visible difference & the little Nano has been perfect to prep the feet for the next stage of my foot pamper routine, bringing me on to my next product...LUSH Volcano Foot Mask!

I picked this up on one of my LUSH sprees, after reading many positive reviews & being very curious to try it myself. Containing an intriguing mix of ingredients from kaolin & pumice to tomatoes & papaya, Volcano (RRP £6.75) is an invigorating foot mask that also doubles as an exfoliater. The scent of the mask is quite pungent & spicy but not in an unpleasant way at all.

To use the mask apply generously to the feet, I would do this in the bath as it can get quite messy! Whilst applying be sure to rub the thick paste in well activating the exfoliation. Then whack a couple of plastic bags over your feet, I use sandwich bags which are the ideal size, & leave the mask to work its magic for about 20 minutes. During this time you'll feel a slight tingly sensation but not uncomfortable, it just means the mask is working! Once ready, remove the bags & rinse off the mask well using the shower head, a bit of rub rub rub action will be required too. Once completely clean you are left with noticeably smooth & soft tootsies ready for the final stage of my foot pamper session...moisturisation!

For this I reach for Soap & Glory's Heel Genius (RRP £5.50) which has become a Holy Grail product for me...this stuff is INCREDIBLE & blows all other foot creams out the water. Heel Genius Amazing Foot Cream really deserves that title, a thick blue gel like formula, it contains magic making ingredients such as allantoin, glycerin, macadamia oil, menthol & bilberry & provides such intense hydration to the skin without the weight of a heavy cream. I apply this straight after the foot mask & immediately whack on a pair of of socks, which I keep on overnight, letting the cream soak in, really reaping the full benefits. 

Come morning you'll have smooth soft feet fit to rival a goddess ready for some pretty polish to complete your foot pampering! Me being me I can't finish this post without suggesting a polish to you my lovelies, currently I'm LOVING wearing Barry M Vanilla Matte on the toes, an odd pick perhaps but this is such a lovely lilac tinted nude, so pretty, especially when topped with a glossy top coat! Highly recommend!

And that sums up my winter foot care pampering, happy feet all the way! Have you tried any of these products? Thank 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! :)

Polish & Poise - Adore Me Lingerie Inspired Nails!

Hello there lovely readers,

I do enjoy finding nail-spiration in all kinds of places, fashion, food, media, you name it. Lately I've loved creating nail art inspired by fashion, such as this Colour Block mani that was inspired by a beautifully printed dress. Another avenue I've found myself going down is lingerie. Think about it, all the pretty lace detail & jewel tones are perfect for nail art inspo! Just the simple task of wearing a pretty set underneath your winter layers can make you feel as good as when having a freshly painted manicure, so why not match both for extra brownie feel good points? When I came across lingerie brand Adore Me I became inspired to participate in their fun Polish n Poise project by creating some lacquered looks inspired by a few of their pretty pieces, I couldn't resist the challenge!

Adore Me is a New York based online lingerie company with a vast selection of pretty pieces to tempt. From dark vampy to angelic pastel sets there's something for everyone. This time of year, the warm tones especially draw me in & this gorgeous emerald two piece Wilhemina set caught my eye with its gorgeous jewel green lace & bow details.

And here is the nail look I've created inspired by this lovely piece...

To create the design start off with your green, I'd been eyeing up the gorgeous Revlon Rain-forest polish for a while now so was happy to finally give it a whirl! Rain-forest is a delightfully deep green shade with pretty glitter particles suspended in the formula making it shimmer so nicely! Perfick for this time of year.

First step is to apply Rainforest as a V shaped tip to each nail. This is so easy to do & can be done using the brush with the polish, apply one stroke at a diagonal halfway across the tip before doing the same on the other side of the nail creating the V shape.

To start with the lace detail, grab a fine nail art brush & your green again & simply apply a row of small round circles along the top edge of your V.

For added detail do the same on the opposite inside edge using a lighter shade, here I used Models Own Chrome polish in Olive which is a beautiful green tinted gold that really stands out. Again using a fine nail art brush apply your row of circles mirroring the dark green.

Next to add on your little bows, again grabbing a fine nail art brush & a dark purple, I've used Ulta3 Orchid, simply freehand your bows by drawing on two loops with a couple of curved lines underneath for the ribbon strands.

For a final touch of bling I added a pale green rhinestone to the center of the tips before sealing it all with topcoat.

Thanks as always for reading, I hope you liked the lingerie inspired nails my lovelies! I've seen a few other sets that have got me itching to create some more nail art to accompany them! Why not try rocking your nails to match your lingerie next time?

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!
 

What I Wore - Seventies Suede & Scallop Edges ft Luxemme

Hey there lovely readers,

Happy Sunday! Are you having a good weekend? Currently recuperating from a recently returned break to the lovely city of Edinburgh. I've always wanted to visit & it definitely met expectations & then some! At just under an hours plane ride away its guaranteed to be a place I see myself returning to again! :)

Thought I'd mix things up a tad with something a bit different on the blogaroony today, I was delighted to be contacted by new fashion brand Luxemme recently for the opportunity to do a wee collaboration with them, after swooning completely over the range online I couldn't say no!

Luxemme is a new luxury fashion brand whose range of pieces embodies sophisticated Parisian chic with cool clean cut Manchester street style. After having a browse at some of the gorgeous pieces on offer I decided to opt for the Charisse Suede Crop Scallop Two Piece Co-ord & style it in a way ideal for the now much colder months with the help of some Parisian vibed black layering action....

I confess, going for a co-ord was WAY out of my comfort zone, for ages I've been drooling over the trend of two piece outfits consisting of crop tops, paired with either shorts or midi skirts. However I've always been self conscious about baring my midriff as, to be quite blunt & TMI here, I suffer from bloatedness & will never possess a washboard stomach! No joke but by the end of the day I often have the appearance of one who is expecting a wee bundle of joy! Even when it comes to swimsuits I always go for one pieces instead of bikinis O_O However one of the reasons why I love Autumn...LAYERS! Thus I decided to style my suede two piece with a polo neck, leggings, some knee high booties & voila, a two piece co-ord outfit styled in a way I can wear, hurrah!

It was with much eagerness in which I opened up the package containing my first two piece, the combination of camel suede & scalloped edges had me excited with its interesting mix of seventies retro & safari like vibes!

I'm not going to lie to you, I may have spent a short time simply rubbing that smooth suede against the cheek, I couldn't help myself. I can confirm it IS very soft...*tumbleweed* AHEM! Moving on I decided to keep with the seventies vibe & dug out my favourite Clarks suede knee high boots & a black polo neck with leggings to complete the look.

The outfit was so comfortable to wear & I am utterly in love with this two piece. I hope you liked the Autumn/Winter friendly styling of the co-ord lovelies! I'm already eyeing up more of their delightful range, especially the playsuits! The Luxemme range can be found online & you can even get 10% off your order using my code trulymadlybeauty :)

Thanks for reading!

Lotsa love to ya!