Friday 19 July 2013

My Top 5: Summer Nail Colours


 God I've missed you lot! I vowed that I would not complain about this GLORIOUS hot weather we're having lately but MAN does this sticky kind of heat zap my brain! As an ME sufferer my body and brain become so sluggish when the weather gets like this and I just haven't managed to get my brain in gear to write anything for the last week and a half . Seems every blog post I write recently has begun with an excuse for my absence. Not good at all. However, I am here TODAY to show you a handful of nail polishes that I have been loving the most so far this Summer. I've been wearing all kinds of colours recently but these 5 seem to be my most loved of the season so I thought I'd tell you WHY I love each one. Featured in no particular order....


 I just seem to have developed a thing for blue nails this season. It's odd because, of all the colours, blue has always tended to be my least favourite. I suspect it may be the influence of a certain Mrs Kidston and her pastels that inspired this particular purchase. I've been looking for the perfect pastel blue shade and I think this Bourjois offering might just be it. It's just the loveliest powdery baby blue. The So Laque Glossy formula is a pleasure to apply and lasts really well with a good dollop of Seche Vite on top. I need a durable polish in my line of work and this polish takes my bar cleaning duties in its stride!


Had to get a bright one in there!! Nails Inc are my Holy Grail of polish brands and I have a major sweet spot for their products. I just really really respect their constant ability to innovate and be ahead of the game, coming out with new and different shades and textures with every passing season. Their Neons range (out of which I also own Kensington Park Road) had me suckered in immediately for the Summer months and Notting Hill Gate has quickly become my go-to Summer pink. It's like a bright, neon raspberry shade that sets off a tan perfectly. 


I couldn't not feature the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine range in this post because I'm really LOVING them lately. I own 4 of the shades but I think Greenberry is most definitely my favourite out of the bunch. I own quite a few minty green/blue shades but this one just POPS out that little bit more and is much more fun for sunshiney days. I'm not always a fan of Barry M polishes and have had hits and misses with them over the years but the formula of the Gelly polishes really is fantastic and gives an opaque glossy finish even after just one coat. They also last longer than the regular Barry M Nail Paint which is a big bonus for me. 


OPI, for me, has taken a major back seat since I discovered my infatuation with Nails Inc, but there are a couple of their shades that my collection would be nothing without. One of those shades is Steady as She Rose from their Pirates of the Caribbean collection a couple of years back. I just think it's a really unique kind of pale, dusky pink/grey. The only other polish I have that is similar is Essie Fiji (which nearly made the cut for this post) but I love that it's so cool in tone and can look really rosy in some lights and more muted and grey in others. Plus anything with a pirate theme is a winner in my book!


I'm actually a little surprised that this polish has made it into my Top 5! I remember stating implicitly that I preferred the Nails Inc Concrete effect polishes to the Barry M Texture range. However, I find myself reaching for this way more often than I thought I would. I have other peachy polishes in my collection but I like this one for the gritty, matte finish and BOY does it last ages!! Peach shades are my ultimate Summer shades (same with my blush and lipstick choices) and I find they really compliment my skin tone. They also really bring out a tan. 

So those are my Top 5 Summer nail shades. These are not the ONLY polishes I will be reaching for this Summer by any means. I've also been LOVING the Mavala Chilli and Spice Collection (Blog post Here) and my Nails Inc Feather polishes (Blog post Here). I just thought I'd chatter on a bit about why I choose the shades I do when the sun comes out to play and what works best for me. 

Hope you're all enjoying the Sunshine!!

What are your favourite Summer shades?? Do you favour a particular brand of polish??
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Monday 8 July 2013

Review: Crystal Clear 'Lift Away The Years' System


A little while ago I posted about the 'Lift Away The Years' system* by Anti-Aging specialists Crystal Clear. The products promised a simple, easy and convenient at-home solution to expensive salon facial treatments as well as visible lifting results. For more detailed information on the product see my original post Here. I've been playing with the products over the last couple of weeks and I'm back today to share my thoughts and experience with you. 

The vibrating wand really intrigued me. After filling the rollerball head with the Intensive serum (it was a little unclear how much product to put in initially but I figured it out) you apply the wand to the face systematically in a series of circular motions in different areas and directions. The diagrams and instructions looked a little daunting to be honest but once you start applying the product it's very quick to get the hang of it. Due to my recent operation on my forehead I had to avoid that area, which is a shame because my brows are definitely an area I'd like to focus on in the future, but I really went to town on my neck and jawline to make up for it.


It was actually a really quick process. More so than I was expecting and I found that my skin felt tingly and it did appear lifted. I couldn't really get it to translate very well via a photograph but I could see a subtle difference afterwards. I did go a bit pink afterwards but I understand that that is due to the stimulating nature of the wand. My one slight issue was that the serum itself took quite a while to sink into my skin. This is due to it being very rich and intensive, I'm sure, but I would not have wanted to apply my makeup straight away after using it. Once it did sink in, however, my skin felt plumped and soft. 

 I think these products are a fantastic solution for anyone with areas they feel need a lift but who haven't got the time or budget for regular, expensive spa treatments. This system retails for £59 (you get the wand and serum for this price) which may seem steep but you need to offset that against how much you'd be paying for non-surgical facelift treatments in the salon. I still think it's worth the investment if you're going to see results and can afford it. I, personally, won't be able to repurchase it at full price (student poverty) but I'm really glad I got to try it as I really did see a subtle difference. 

To purchase these products and read more about the Crystal Clear range check out crystalclear.co.uk


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Saturday 6 July 2013

BeneFit NEW Ultra Plush LipGloss: Kiss You


Good afternoon Beauty Seekers!!
Isn't it GLORIOUS?! Its about time we had a few days of proper Summer Sunshine. Before I go and plant myself out on the patio with the ipad and several bottles of Bulmers, I'd like to talk a little about lipgloss with you. Namely, the new BeneFit Ultra Plush LipGloss in the shade 'Kiss You'*. Regular readers will know that I am not a glossy kinda girl and have had more misses than hits with them over the years, but I was keen to try these newly released products and I was also lucky enough to win one in a quiz at their recent event...



I love the Art Deco feel of the packaging for this product! Even the gloss tube itself has that little finishing touch. The colour of this lipgloss got me really excited when I first pulled it out of the box. I've been searching high and low for lip shades just like this. BeneFit describe it as a 'Clear Fuchsia', which did make my heart sink a little. I'm no fan of a sheer lip product, let me tell you. I'm not one to judge a book by it's cover though so I swatched on regardless!



To be completely honest here... I was disappointed that this shade wasn't more opaque. I had to apply it thicker than I would usually to get the colour for this photo. However, it is still a very pretty, subtle shade for Summer wear and I can imagine it being very handy to add a glossy shine to any matte pink or lilac lipstick. The formula isn't sticky or waxy, which is my major bugbear with glosses. It applies directly from the tube as well so no frantically trying to scrape the product out with a wand when it starts to run low.

Looking at the full range online, it seems that not all of the shades are as sheer as the one I have (just my luck). As well as my Clear Fuchsia, they have a completely clear version, then the rest of the shades seem to have more of a WOW factor to them and include a hot pink, a bubblegum pink and soft berry shades, amongst others. 

Check them all out here at benefitcosmetics.co.uk

Are you a Gloss lover?? Do you prefer a sheer wash of colour or something with more DRAMA?? Do you rate BeneFit lip products??

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Monday 1 July 2013

Monday Manicure: Sweeter With Sprinkles


Haven't done a Monday Mani post in FOREVER! Since I finished my University course and stopped getting the train to Derbyshire every Sunday (which became a regular nail painting occasion), my Manicures have started happening on other days of the week instead. This week, it just so happens that I have acquired a few new nail polishes in the last week during an unscheduled dash to Superdrug to buy conditioner.... It just kinda happened, okay? Soooooo I thought I'd showcase two of them at once and kick-start the Monday nail fun once again....


The two polishes I've used today are both Barry M creations. The base colour being their Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Dragonfruit and the candy-sprinkle top layer being their newly released Confetti Nail Effects in Sour Apple. I'm a huge fan of the Gelly range and have picked up at least 4 of the polishes so far. I just love how glossy and opaque they are, even after a single coat. The Confetti Nail Effects intrigued me in the same way as their Textured polishes did: I basically wanted to see if they lived up to the Nails Inc Feather versions (my post on these can be found Here). Barry M were also offering a free LE Neon polish with a £6 spend so I had to pick up a couple just for that!


It just so happens that these two polishes work PERFECTLY together! Here I've done two coats of Dragonfruit followed by a single coating of Sour Apple. I really like the proportion of confetti to polish here. One coat gave a good amount of confetti without the need to fill in too many gaps, nor did it obscure the base shade. I find the Nails Inc Feather polish to be more dense. Sour Apple is pretty much a dupe of Nails Inc Brighton (also teal and yellow) but Barry M have included a beautiful gold shimmer version which is pretty unique to switch it up a bit. I'd definitely recommend these as a budget option for those who couldn't justify the Nails Inc versions. 

I love this effect! Very Summery and looks just like candy! You can pick up both of these polishes from your regular Barry M stockist for £3.99 each.

Do you love Candy colours for Summer?? What nail effects are you loving this season?? Did you pick up any of the new Confetti Nail Effects??
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