Spring Has Sprung

So as daffodils start sprouting and the sun is finally shining, it's really beginning to feel as if spring has finally sprung. With spring I feel the need for brighter, lighter, fresher products are in much need.

Introducing new patterns and colours into my wardrobe slowly to lighten it up in transition for summer. But beauty wise it's a chance to wipe the dust of the pale nail polishes, pull out the pink lipsticks and pull out the florals print clothing.

Something I've been thoroughly enjoying lately is expressing my mood and self with my scent. May sound weird, but a scent can bring amount memories, feelings and emotions attached to them. It's too easy to get stuck in rut, keep going for the scent that you've had for years or the same kind of smell. If you're a musk kinda gal sticking to heavy scents, or if you're used to light floral smells sticking to much of a muchness. But I've tried to expand my collection of perfumes in order to be able to wear different scents with my mood, season, outfit, moment, or occasion.

So here is an insight into a few perfumes I have in my little collection.





Gucci, Bamboo - Quite a heavy musky scent. Definitely a less is more kinda job. With floral tones I like to wear this when I'm feeling 'grown up'. I imagine women who are jet setters, business women, fashion forward trendsetter women smelling like this. As a more expensive brand I tend to save this for special occasions when I'm feeling a little fancy. It lingers so nicely, so no need to splash it on, just a little will go a long way.

Moschino, Pink Bouquet - This perfume is definitely a does what it says on the tin product. Smells so sweet light and packed full of floral scents. It's youthful, fun, fresh, great for the spring and summer and perfect for those who don't like anything heavy. Lasts okay throughout the day, would probably need topping up in all honesty. This is what I imagine Disney Princesses to wear.










Christian Lacroix, Ambre - Fragrant, rich, sultry. This scent reminds me of romantic dinners out, middle eastern vibes in the fragrant undertones. Confident women, beauty and grace. I get an awful lot of comments on this whenever I wear it, whenever I wear this other women comment on how nice it smells. Lasts very well too.











Avon, Luck (for her) - Perfect perfume for those of you who don't like florals and don't like anything too heavy. Still fresh in smell, it has a fun elegance about it. Great for everyday, youthful yet sophisticated. A recommendation by a friend, lovely everyday smell.







If you would like to see anymore of my fragrances from my collection let me know! Until next time, take care.

Feeling Fresh as a Daisy - Avon Cleansing Brush - First Impression.

I have ordered from Avon for many years I used to spend my pocket money as a 12 and 13 year old on their colour club cheap makeup range - perfect for those wanting to experiment with fun colours in their youthful packaging. I spent many a weekend playing and experimenting with cosmetics in the confines of my bedroom with music blaring.

Years later I am still impressed with their products now discovering the wonders of their skin care ranges and slowly becoming a hoarder of Avon scents. Having a best friend who does Avon is awesome; personal, honest and subjective opinions mean great recommendations for products. She has never got it wrong yet. Just goes to show how well she does her job and how Avon products really do deliver.

For quite some time I have lusted after my own Clarisonic Mia sonic face cleanser but could never quite bring myself to pay out the hefty price. At a price bracket of around the £100 mark it is an investment into your skin care routine. One I wasn't sure I could ever justify as my skin care routine in all honesty is a little sporadic. So its safe to say I was pretty chuffed when perusing my friends online brochure one evening, I discovered Avon did a similar concept for just £16.00 with their cleanser gel at £4.00 a grand total of £20 seemed very achievable budget wise compared to the Clarisonic I had once lusted for.

First impression its relatively light weight - very tactile, fits in the hand well and its very straight forward to use. Simply pull the brush and silicon heads off and click them back into place. It has two speed settings. And the pamphlet comes with recommended times for how long you should focus on each section of your face. Simply wet the head of the cleansing brush - add a small amount of gel cleanser I used the same amount as I would toothpaste on a toothbrush - wet again and turn it on using the button. Starting with the forehead allow the rotating head to push the product into your skin.   It works best if you dampen your skin first with luke warm water. Once you have gone over all the skin rinse any residue cleaning gel off your skin. I was left feeling fresh, crazy clean and my skin supple and soft. 

Would highly recommend. Particularly for those who like me are a little lazy with skin care - 30 second job to feeling as fresh as a daisy. I'm going to enjoy this product. I have quite sensitive skin but this was invigorating enough without being too invasive and abrasive. 

If you would like to find this product - ask your local avon representative. 

So... Shellac

I recently had a birthday, for which I was treated to my first ever Shellac manicure.

I have been aware of the phenomenon that is the world of Shellac Nails but had always been a little wary of the idea of a polish being on your nails for so long. Weird eh? I just thought that something that sat on the nail for so long could be really damaging, despite what I was being told by reviews and nail techs etc...

I got mine done at Centre Parcs Aqua Sana Spa, by the fabulous Kylie, she is the Nail Specialist at the Whinfell Forest Centre Parcs and is by far the most amazing person I have ever met in the Salon and Beauty industry. She is really passionate and so welcoming - she even remembered me from the year before! Her customer service is second to none and you should deffo give her a visit if you're ever near there. Last year I was there for my birthday and she gave me a bottle of sparkling wine, and a card. Literally how many people ever go that extra mile anymore?

In the short of it, she greatly inspired me to continue with this blog and look at training in nails (more about that another time.)

So back to Shellac. I chose a metallic antique gold colour, which I thought would do for my birthday and would look nice everyday after for as long as it would last. Which is has - I didn't purchase any cuticle oil - which is suggested as it helps preserve the quality of the Shellac, instead I have been rubbing my Bio-Oil into my cuticles at night and that seems to be doing the job just fine.

I have had mine on now for two weeks, and they are still great - no chips no breakage of the nail and still looking as fresh as they did when I first got them done, and I've been doing other peoples manicures since using nail polish remover and other chemicals and they've been unaffected. So very impressed.

The only downside is that my nails grow really quickly so I have perhaps about as much as 1millimetre re-growth that is showing, but I have some ideas to use black polish and do a backwards french mani to help cover the re-growth so I can keep it on for a little longer.

You can remove your own Shellac by soaking your nails in nail polish remover and then gently scraping away the Shellac with a cuticle pusher. But as its my first time using Shellac I want to get it removed by a professional just so I can see it be done exactly, and will be able to then know exactly the technique to use - as I wouldn't want to go ahead and remove it myself to then do it incorrectly and ruin my nails!

I have attached some photos for you - one taken day of my manicure, and the second two weeks later so you can see how its lasted.

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Maybelline Baby Lips - Electro!

So as some of you may know I was obsessed with the Maybelline Baby Lips as they hit America and the wait for them to come to the UK was agonising for me. My sister kindly informed me the other week of a new range of Baby Lips much to my amazement (I didn't believe her at first) there they were Baby Lips Electro just sat in my Superdrug. A lack of funds lately has meant even browsing Superdrug and Boots has been banned from my life.

I've been very bad at keeping up with my trends and beauty items lately so was completely unaware of this new range, so for all I know they are BRAND new but they may well have been in stores for a while now, especially as when I discovered them I purchased some of the last stock they had in store.
These new colours are beautiful and definitely pack a little more punch than the last range. They are still balmy and super moisturising to your lips with a sheer coat of colour to make your lips look lively and luscious. However I have found the formula to feel more buttery than the last range. The original Baby Lips had very much the consistency of lip balm, just your bog standard smooth feeling lip balm, the Electro range feels more buttery along the lines of Revlon Lip Butters but much more light weight. It slips and slides on the lips and frankly feels delish! They are less kiss proof than the original range - so expect sticky lip stains on your drinking glasses, but perhaps this is down to the different consistency? But the feel whilst you wear it, to me is much more luxurious.

All I know is that I'm in love, and with them currently on Buy One get 2nd Half Price in Superdrug I would use that as a good excuse to get trying some. The colours are fab too, great for living out these last days of summer, and bringing you into Autumn.

As always happy shopping and enjoy exploring this product as much as I did.

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Lily Allen Nail Art

So Lilly Allen is awesome, as you should all know anyway. But particularly because of her love of Nail Art, and Lily being the babe she is, is running a competition to create a nail art design for her new album, the winner of which will get the design chosen by Lily herself and re-created for Lily by Maybelline's Nail Artist Michelle Humphrey. AND the winner will also win a hot air balloon ride - in celebration of Lily's new single 'Air Balloon'.

So I've been racking my brain trying to think of a design. So I went with the following look - Nude nails with highlights of neon pink, lilac, mint green and peacock. By using geometric shapes I am hoping to create a funky modern take of the patterns you see in the stitching of the balloons. I am really rather proud of this design. Its cool and I can see it working really well with some stiletto acrylics.

I will be doing more designs of course, as I am bound to think of more. So will keep posting Lily Nail Art posts on here showing my designs.

If you want to enter yourself. Simply create a design can be on your hand, or a drawing. Post a photo on Instagram and hashtag it - lilynailart and you'll be entered! Good luck everyone.

Polish used: 

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Nude 

Stargazer - Silver

L'Oreal - Lilac and Mint

Sinful Colours - Hot Pink

No.17 - Peacock 

Oddballz and Watermelons.

So for Christmas, I was a very fortunate young lady and received a box of SIX O.P.I Shatter Nail Paints. Two of which were Nicki Minaj special edition ones, 'Super Bass Shatter'. So I decided to finally start experimenting with various colours from my little treasure box of O.P.I - my first bottles of O.P.I I have ever owned, which in itself is very exciting to me.

Incidentally these beautiful creations were made. My sister and I deciding that they looked like Watermelon design and Oddballz - a 90s computer game where you hatched your own little dinosaurs from this eggs (Oddballz) which had these crackle effects in funky colours on them... for those of you who do not know this game but loved Tamagochi's and Catz and similar programmes you deffo need to get a copy of Oddballz - you may get addicted but you won't regret it!

Anyhoo, back to the nails....

For watermelon nails, the polish used was Elf's 'Mint Choc Chip' and O.P.I Shatter in dark green. For Oddballz nails Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in 'Prickly Pear' and Nicki Minaj for O.P.I 'Super Bass Shatter' in Purple.

Simply protect your nails with a base coat, apply two coats of the base colour. A lighter colour works best for dark shatter colour - and reverse for dark base light shatter colour works best. Once dry apply a top coat to smooth out the base colour ready for the shatter. I find that putting the top coat on now works best, as applying it after the shatter can shrink the polish underneath. Then apply a thin layer of shatter for the Watermelon style to get that thin stroke shatter look. For the Oddballz look apply a thick layer of shatter on top, to create the bigger shaped shatter effect.

Have fun playing around with colour combinations, this look is very simple yes, but get the colours right and you can have a great look on your hands!

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Raindrops Keep Falling On My....Nails.

This is a quick and extremely simple way to create an awesome look. 

Simply need your favourite colour - a matte top coat and a normal top coat. 

Apply a base coat, following that two coats of your chosen colour. Then matte it up by applying a matte top coat - mine is Essie 'Matte About You'. Then to create the water droplets apply a top coat and literally drop it on in raindrop shape on top. Et VOILA. You are done!

Pretty Wild

I'm not going to lie, I'm not really the biggest fan of leopard print, but when it is bright and fun like the following design I am in love. 

Break up the pattern with a little glitter on one of the nails and it'll break up the continuity of the design, adding a little dimension. 

For this you'll need a bright base colour. I am using this Sinful Colours one in hot pink and it happens to be matte, which I adore! Then you'll need a mint kind of colour - mine is Elf mint chic chip. Then lastly you'll need a black nail art pen, and you're fav top coat to seal it all in!

Simply apply a protective base coat, then two coats of the pink, wait till dry. Add random sized splodges of mint to the nail leaving enough room around the colour to add the black and still have gaps between. 

Then once dry add black in a squiggly line breaking the line occasionally to get that leopard print look. If you want to add a glitter nail, use a base coat then apply as many coats of your favourite glitter polish that you wish, using a top coat to smooth out any lumps. 

ENJOY! 

Pretty in Paisley

I love a good paisley print. It can be transferred well to soooo many different colour palettes.

This is probably my favourite combination, a nude base colour and black print.

Simply apply a protective base coat, and two coats of a nude colour. I only used one here as I was using a particularly thick formation.

Then for the paisley print, make a tear drop shape where the end continues round, and plonk a little dot at the end, make half moon shapes around the edge, and add more dots for decoration. If like me you like each nail to be an individual, then move the print around the nail slightly cutting off some of the design to create a little dimension.

Add a protective top coat, and voila you are finished.

Nail Polishes used:

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine - Nude.
Black nail art pen.

Holographic Wonder

I am always amazed at the new polish you can find simply by accident. I came across holographic nail polish accidentally whilst searching for something on eBay (of course). The price and the package was too good to miss so I bought a pack of 12. I have Perfect Polish brand and they are not quite perfect but the holographic effect will blow your minds.

The consistency is a little weak and you do need to apply one thin base coat and then one or too liberal coats on top to create  the effect. I also found that it was essential that each coat were distributed evenly or else the effect was somewhat lost in the gentle uneven surface. I also found that my clear top coat somewhat dulled the shine, and a holographic print with no shine is pretty useless!

The colour range was somewhat limiting I was supposed to have a light and dark shade of each colour, blue, pink, purple, red and orange. But the differences were slim to none and could not really tell the difference.

One final tip, shake well to make sure you have perfect balance between shimmer and colour, and just have fun. These holographic nails will look great on their own or as a statement nail as part of a mix for the holidays as we now lead up to Christmas!

So search eBay if your interest has been peaked. There are plenty of reputable sellers selling holographic nail polish for decent prices. Most ship from the far east though so expect long wait from dispatch to receiving the item!

Happy shopping, Happy nails and Happy Halloween. (Belatedly)

Animal Print Eyes

Looking for something different for Halloween?

Try these really simple eyes.

Grab a gold shimmery eyeshadow and apply all over the lid and blending out over the brow and toward the hair line.

Then grab a liquid eye liner, or khol. And create half moon shapes.

Then place circles around to finish the Leopard print look.

Simple!

Flower Power

Be daring, don't be afraid once your nails have started to chip to whip out that nail art pen and have a go, if the worse comes to the worse then you have the excuse they were chipping anyways to wipe the board clean.

I often use the opportunity of 'better days' nails to try new nail art on myself, rather than whipping out a nail art wheel. This time around I tried florals, usually I use my dotting tool to draw out rose style flower patterns but this time I tried drawing more detailed florals.

Polish is Stargazer - Silver I believer number 242
and a generic black nail art pen.