Friday 2 November 2012

Barry M Nail Effects Magnetic- Neptune Sea

I know it's a little late for this kind of review, but I'm doing it anyway because I absolutely ADORE this nail polish.

At the moment I'm working as a waitress at a hotel and we're not supposed to wear nail polish, so today when I got back I just had to crack out the sparklyness. Green w7 here I come!

This however, was done a few weeks back.
Barry M has been a permanent fixture in my must have list for a while. I love the fun colours, the brightness, the glitter, and now the magnetics. And Oh my gosh they're gorgeous.

I really liked the older magnetics, with two contrasting colours and nifty patterns, but they've taken it one step further now. Glittery ones. With chevron magnets and the star magnet, which is what I have here.

So step up Instant Nail Effects Magnetic in Neptune Sea.
This is probably the most beautiful colour I own.. or perhaps tying in with Maxfactor's Mini nail effects Fantasy Fire.
It's just so gorgeous, it shimmers darker blue and the star shape glows silver. It even looks pretty without being magnetised, but I loved in magnetised.
I warn you, we're about to become picture-heavy.






So as you can see they shimmer all sorts of glorious colours and look absolutely gorgeous. Usually they look like the last picture, but when they catch the light they shine that lovely blue.

And a bonus!!
These are primark nail wraps, and they are flimsy as hell and come off far too easily. They would be fine if you do them when you're about to go out clubbing, but don't do what i did and put them on the night before because it won't turn out well. The application isn't over smooth either. I would suggest not being a cheapo on this account, and going for Nail Rock Nail Wraps. They last for ages, but are a little trickier to apply. But they're worth it.

Stacey

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Graduation Outfit!

My graduation is in late November, but everyone keeps talking about it. This gets me excited, and I get excited about a lot of things rather too early. Birthdays, Easter, Summer, Christmas, Halloween, parties... the lot. My flaw is that I love planning and making things beautiful. So every event I go to has a specially planned outfit, every present is lovingly thought about and expertly wrapped, every festivity has appropriate and mostly pretty decorations.

I've had my dress for a couple of weeks now and I love it more every day. The hood of my graduation gown is a beautiful purple colour, so I thought I'd get a blueish colour to go with it nicely. And then I saw this, and teal it was.

It looks stunning on, but needs a little altering. My shoulders are a tad too small. One other thing is that Boohoo sizes are interesting. They are a little hit and miss, so make sure that you measure yourself against their size guide before you take the plunge and buy something. I'm usually a size 10, but this is a size 12 and is a little difficult to get on. I don't usually do bodycon, but this is worth breaking my rules for.

This dress is perfect for graduation because it's formal without being boring. It's knee length, so I won't be flashing anyone when I walk across the stage. I love the wrap detail and the belt, and the fabric is fairly thick, so I shouldn't bee too cold. I will be wearing it outside in November, after all. It does have a pretty low bust line though, so I may be wearing something underneath for my dignities sake if after altering it still shows my bra.

I'm going to be wearing 2-3 inch thick heels with this dress. They have straps over the foot so I don't walk out of them, and they're black with a wooden heel. I think they go really nicely and they suit the purpose, which is mainly not falling over and looking like a plonker.

What do you think?


Kyra

Saturday 6 October 2012

Torr Boutique



I was recently in Newbury after work with my boyfriend's mum and sister. His sister was looking for a bag to match her shoes for her graduation. We had looked everywhere we could, when someone told us to have a look in Torr Boutique.

We hadn't even known that there were any shops on the street we were directed down, but when we walked in, we were nicely surprised. We were greeted with complimentary pink champagne and friendly smiles. They told us that their new Autumn/Winter range had just arrived, and that there was a 10% discount on all those items.

Looking around, the shop was quite modest in size, but decorated beautifully. The jewellery section caught my eye, of course. I'm a little bit of a magpie when it comes to pretty sparkly things. But although I was tempted, I steered clear. These things aren't exactly cheap, but they are quality, and rather beautiful.

I've been looking for coats and cosy clothes for the winter, so I was over the moon when I found it; the warm woolly cardigan of my dreams. You can see it on the right.

I wanted to show you all because I'm really proud I found it. It looks great on, and it's SO warm. I'm even wearing it today. This one is by Oxmo, which is only one of the brands that Torr boutique stock. They also stock American Vintage, Jucca, Pyrus, Nougat, OUI and many more.

If you want to find out more about TORR Boutique, visit their website, which can be found via this link.

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Liebing me, Liebing you

(I thought a little take on an Abba classic was unsuitable too, but it was the best I could think of.)

So I've been nominated for the Liebster Award by two beautiful girls; Stacey at Stills of my Life and Hannah at Daisies and DMs. Which means I have rather a lot of typing to do today :).

First then, 11 things about me that you may not know.
1. I love Disney films. Not like, love. I know, I'm a sad cow. But let's face it, what could be better than watching films about  mermaids, furry archers and flying carpets/elephants? The coolest thing about them is that they're mostly based on stories, and I love a good story.
2. Nicholas Cage annoys the hell out of me. I'm not entirely sure why, but I know it has something to do with the monotonal quality of his voice. That, and his acting isn't exactly thrilling.
3. I'm a little bit of a tidy freak. Right now, I'm living with my boyfriend, and he's messy. I'm getting to the stage where I'm going to have a giant tidy up without him knowing. When he gets back, it'll be spotless. And all of his stuff will be either gone or in some kind of container.
4. Painting and decorating is my new-found way to be creative. I might even start a business. And yeah, I am that good. It comes from being a perfectionist.
5. My wardrobe looks like I've stolen it from Morticia Adams. Seriously. All of my going out clothes are made of black lace and most of my tops and skirts are mostly dark coloured. What? It's slimming!
6. When I have my own home, I really want a library.
7. If I have kids, I want girls. They're cuter when they're young, and I'll know what to get them for birthdays.
8. I have completely unmarked skin. No tattoos, no piercings. Maybe a couple of scars but apart from that, it's clear. Most people at least have piercings so I think that's interesting.
9. Everyone has a meal they're a pro at, I have two: Toad in the Hole and Pasta Bake
10. I could write all day long and probably not get bored.
11. I have weird-arse dreams that usually come in the form of horror films.

This here first set is from Stacey:
1. What's your favourite food?
This is difficult! I think I'm getting to be a bit of a foodie (I've been watching the Great British Bake Off and I'm hooked) so I don't think I can choose one. I really like flying saucers but I wouldn't say they're my favourite food.
2. What's at the top of your wishlist at the moment?
Books, Books and more books... and a job. I totally want Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch, who, by the way, is a writer for Doctor Who (I didn't realise this until the other day, after reading his first two books of this series).
3. What's your favourite movie, and why?
Pan's Labyrinth. Because as we know I love a good fairytale, and the darker and more alternative the better. As much as Disney is cool, it can get sappy, so when I'm bored of evil men with rubbish plans and factually incorrect histories, I shove this bad boy on.
4. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Right here in England. I know it's kind of weird to pick a my own home when there are so many places I could go, but when I think about it, I like it here. I can go travelling to all those exciting, exotic places that I would love to go, but would I settle down there? My family is here, the weather is mainly the right temperature for me, we don't have any volcanoes and we aren't on the edge of a tectonic plate, we don't get massive earthquakes and I haven't known a tsunami to be here in my lifetime. I think England is cushy, though I may get a holiday home in Ireland, because it's pretty and green.
5. If you had lots of money, what's the first thing you would spend it on?
A house. I am in need of one of my own. I don't particularly like being kept by other people, so a nice house with three bedrooms and a good size living room will do me nicely. Any offers?
6. Where would you most like to go as a holiday destination?
New Zealand. I haven't been there yet and it sounds beautiful. There are plenty of other places I want to go though: Egypt, Italy, Australia, California, Greece, Russia, Norway, Ireland, Gibraltar...
7. Do you have any celebrity crushes? Particularly embarrassing ones?
I don't have what you would call celebrity crushes. Am I weird? I think Henry Cavill is pretty hot, but that's about as far as it goes.
8. If there was a film of your life, who would you want to play you?
Zooey Deschanel. Firstly cause my hair is basically her hair and secondly cause she'd make me funnier than I actually am. Thirdly, I love her.
9. What's your favourite season, and why?
Spring, I think. It can be a bit wet, but the flowers all come out and there are lots of cute baby animals to 'aww' over. The temperature is usually alright too. Plus, my birthday is in spring (technically).
10. If you had to be an animal (real or mythical), what would you be?
A bird, definitely. I don't care what, as long as it flies and won't get eaten easily. Imagine the complete freedom you would feel up there in the sky. And how stunning does the earth look when you're hovering over it, a mile in the air?
11. If you could choose a sense to be heightened, which one would you choose?
Sight, probably. The detail that you'd be able to see would be amazing, and you'd never need glasses or contacts.

And the second set is from Hannah:
1. What was the first cd (or, if you're old school like me, it might be a tape cassette or something else cool) that you remember loving?
We had this cassete of Now 14 or something that I used to love. It had a bit of the Beatles, Steps and some other 90s things that were great to sing along to back then.
2. What's your latest music purchase/download that you're loving?
My latest music is the latest Train album that I got off a friend, and when I get a chance I always put it on and dance around the room.
3. What's your signature scent?
Herve Leger, Femme. It smells a little bit musky but sweet. I love sweet perfumes so it doe sthe job for me.
4. Have you got a passion or hobby that not many people know about?
Nah not really. Everyone knows I like Disney and writing and photography and arty stuff, nothing is new.
5. What's the worst job you've ever had and why?
It wasn't really a job, but I had trouble with a woman I was writing for once. I think she took my first draft way too seriously and to be honest she was pretty rude.
6. Let's pretend last night you won the lottery. what are you going to do with the money?
Buy a house, furnish it and put anything that's left over in a high interest account for a few years. The student loan can wait.
7. Are you a messy or a tidy person?
Tidy, but I can be messy if I'm a bit busy.
8. Do you have any tattoos, or any tattoos planned?
Nope, none. And none planned either. Maybe one day when I decide what exactly I would like to be permanently on my skin.
9. Marmite: love it or hate it?
Actually niether. I'm a weirdo! I can eat it and sometimes I fancy it but I don't have it often.
10. What's your favourite disney film?
Beauty and the Beast. The story is good, and Belle is a great character. What I really like about it is the idea of an enchanted castle and the quality of the film. The beginning animation with the stained glass window is stunning and the beautiful scenery keeps on giving.
11. What would your ideal house be like?Three bedrooms with cosy cream carpets, a library, an office, a large living room, an open plan kitchen/diner with beautiful work surfaces and chrome handles etc, a hot tub outside and a couple of good sized bathrooms. All of this needs to be gorgeous and modern.
Girls, I nominate you back. Oh, and Ed too, his answers should be interesting I think..
Here are my questions:
1. What's your favourite TV show?
2. Do you have any really annoying habits?
3. How many colours have you dyed your hair?
4. Do/ did your parents/friends have any embarrassing nicknames for you?
5. If you could keep one object (that is currently in your room) for the rest of your life, what would it be?
6. Do you have any collections, if so, what are they?
7. Which meal would you say you are a pro at cooking?
8. Whats the coolest thing you've been for Halloween?
9. If you worked for yourself and money was no object, what would you be doing?
10. Who is your favourite author and why?
11. What specialist subject would you choose on Mastermind?

Thursday 2 August 2012

Maxfactor max Colour Effect Mini Nail Polish in Fantasy Fire.

I was very naughty yesterday. I bought another nail polish. This one is a little different to the others though. This one is Maxfactor's Max Colour Effects Mini Nail Polish in Fantasy Fire. And it looks like this:


But when you paint your nails with it, it comes out all sorts of different colours, as you can see by looking in google images. (For the more lazy of us, heres a LINK :) ).

What looks like it would come out purple, on top of a black base coat shines green and orange. This is the only combination I've tried out as of yet, and unfortunately my Rimmel Black Cab nail polish is ridiculously think and gloopy now, so I'm afraid the pictures won't be amazing, but here goes:



As you can see, clearly a beautiful emerald green and a red-orange (or copper), especially on my little finger here. It looks beautiful, and I can't wait to try it out on many different colours. I've put on two coats of it, over the equivalent of two coats of black, but to be honest it would work well with only one coat of Fantasy Fire.

I bought this from Superdrug for £2.99, as it's £1 off at the moment. In Boots you can get it in the three for two offer. It says it's chip resistant too, but we shall see about that. (no chips as of yet though).

I must say I was also very temped by Moon Dust and Ivory. I'd probably go on the Ivory side.

Stacey

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Another Bloggers Standpoint - and different colours.

Wednesday 1 August 2012

Boohoo, I love you.

Today was a fun day. I went to town. Mostly for finding my lovely boyfriend a birthday present, and job hunting, and also for hair dye. My beautiful red hair will be no more.

So today is an outfit post.
I thought I'd make an effort to look smart, and really wanted to wear my new Boohoo.com jeans, which are lovely. They're a dark indigo colour, as you can see below.




These are my new High Waisted jeans from Boohoo.com. Usually I'm a size 10/12 (on the 12 side now..) but these are a size 14 at boohoo. But they do fit perfectly. The top is from a local charity shop (though it was originally from George at Asda apparently) and the necklace is a host of keys and was a present from my mum.

I'm having a small love affair with boohoo at the moment, because I'm always seeing gorgeous dresses that I love there. But now there's high waisted shorts and jeans and I'm in heaven.

To the right you can see my smarter day outfit, complete with boots and jacket, both second-hand. I do very well with thrifting, I must say.

Hope you had a great day, and that you're as pleased with your outfit as I am :) x

Friday 27 July 2012

Barry M Black Multi-Glitter Review

Nail Polish is a girls best friend.
It truly is. I don't know about you, but I almost constantly have my nails painted an unruly shade and/or pattern.
I also have an unruly amount of nail polishes. A whole box is dedicated to those little columns of colour, and it just grows and grows. In fact, the box is pretty much full.
If I get another nail polish then I might have to get another box.

They are also colour coded. All the purples and blues and pinks in one place, greens in another, various black and sparkly variations. And lots of metallics and glitter.

Today though, I would like to rave a little about Barry M's Black Multi-Glitter. For £2.99 from Boots or Superdrug this nail polish is a little firecracker.

You can't see it especially well in the picture, but my nails DO look like the nail polish bottle. For added 'Pow' I put some multicoloured glitter from Technic (From Amazon.co.uk) on my ring fingers. For a better picture of the actual nail polish, please see this other blog on it. It stays on for quite a while, especially when you put a top coat on.

Even in one coat the colour is good and the glitter stands out, and has a textured feel to it. However, the glitter isn't multicoloured, it's holographic. Which is fine by me as it does the same job really. It's relatively easy to take the polish off. Easier than polishes with bigger bits of glitter definitely.

I'd say that it's a perfect nail polish for everyday use and subtle evening wear.

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Also, I want to show you some NY taxi nails we did a while ago. Using MUA Love Hearts yellow nail polish from Superdrug (£1!) and a striping brush.

Friday 20 July 2012

Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain and Balm Review

Hello! I'm a nice shiny new author. In fact, I'm the original blogger's sister. And I would like to quickly tell you a few of my faults.

I have far too many items in my handbag.
Of these I have a lot (and I mean, loads) of make-up in it at the moment, and also a lot of make-up outside of my handbag too.
If you would like to see the disgraceful contents of my handbag, do see my post on it Right Here.
But right now I'm here to tell you about a more recent beauty buy. My very first lip stain: 'Revlon's Just Bitten Lip stain and Balm'.

I bought it for myself as a graduation present because it was on offer in Superdrug. For £5.99 instead of £7.99, how could I resist? For those of you who think this is a great offer, I'm pretty sure it's still on, so get your bum down to Superdrug (or Boots, where there's the same deal). Also, it's advertised my Emma Stone. Who doesn't love her?

As purpley shades seem to suit me, I got it in a lovely shade called 'Beloved'. Putting it on is nice and simple - just draw. Although it can be a little tricky at first to cover the whole mouth with the same amount of lip stain, it gets better with practice, and if you want more colour, put another layer on.
Usually you might be worried about your lips being dry, but the balm that comes with it keeps it nice and soft, and adds shine, as you can see in the picture.

The wear-time is pretty good too. As it's a lip stain, it should stay on for a while. And it does. It stayed on even after I ate a large meal, although not quite with the intensity I originally applied.

I also think this would look very good with some sparkle over the top for going out.

I hope you like it just as much as I did :).
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Quick Links:
Revlon
Boots
Superdrug

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Barry M Magnetic Nail Polish

I've been increasingly curious about magnetic nail polish for an absolute age (ie; ever since they came into my peripherals). But the thing is, they're quite expensive compared with normal polish. Even crackles, glitters and foils are cheaper.

But this week I cracked. It kind of helps that I have a twin who is as much in love with nail polishes as I am. We made a deal to go halves and it was ours thirty seconds later.

As you may know already, I also love Barry M products, so it was the obvious choice for us. The quality of the polish is always good, and it's just the right consistancy to apply. Most of the time, one coat with a top coat on will look great, though I do tend to layer it on thickly. We got 'magnetic dark silver' with a horizontally striped magnet and gosh is it beautiful.

There are some handy instructions on the side of the polish for beginners, but really the process is very easy. You paint it on as normal and let it dry. You then paint another coat and immediately hover the magnet over it. The magent is fully detachable so there's no dripping from the brush! There's a little ridge on the cap that makes this really easy to do. You should see the magnet affecting the polish, if it doesn't either the polish is too dry or the magnet isn't close enough to the surface. And voila, wonderful nails.

The polish is a very wearable colour, and I love the way it has turned out. You may be surprised to know that the surface is perfectly smooth, even though the appearance is textured and 3D. I found the polish really easy to apply and after one nail I got the general idea, so there's not much wastage either. And if you buy lots, you can mix and match the lids!

A couple of heads up though:
  • The magnet needs to be quite close to the nail in order to work properly. I managed to dip it in the polish a couple of times and had to redo nails, so I recommend keeping it at eye level to make sure.
  • Depending on how much polish you brush on, you may not need two coats. I spread it nice and thick and one coat worked for me perfectly fine.
  • If your nails are very rounded, the magnet may not be close enough to the edges to do the whole lot. You may need to twist it around the nail for full coverage. I don't know how well this will work with the other magnetised designs, so it may be trial and error for you.
My next impulse buy will probably be their Chameleon Nail Paint that changes colour when you apply a clear polish on top.


Barry M Magnetic Nail Paint can be found in most health and beauty shops at £4.99, or you can buy online at: www.barrym.com

Thursday 12 April 2012

Cath Kidston Wild Flower Lip Balms

Cath Kidston is great. She creates beautifully designed accessories and home ware that we actually want to buy. And they're right on trend by being vintage-inspired.

I try not to gush, but I have a Cath Kidston shop quite nearby, and I truly want to go in there and buy pretty much everything in it. Thank God I don't even have enough of a budget to get myself there, let alone buy anything in it!

So anyway, recently my mum bought a triple pack of Cath Kidston wild flower lip balms; one for her, one for my sister, and one for me. I think I may have fallen in love with the one that was designated mine. The three flavours are honeysuckle, bluebell and wild rose; mine is the latter, the most potent-smelling of the lot.

The lip balms are wonderful. They smell good, they have a vintage-style packaging with pretty images of the flowers on them and they are wonderfully nourishing. Your lips will smell and feel great with just a slick of this product.

OK, so at £3 and £4 they're not the cheapest lip balms ever, but if you feel like pampering your lips, this is the one for you.
Cath Kidston Lip Balms are sold at John Lewis, Cath Kidston stores, and can also be found online at Asos and Amazon among other places.

Saturday 3 March 2012

Front Cover Nail Polish Review

I had a Front Cover nail polish set for Christmas (click here for more details), and I've only just got to trying out a couple of the colours. It is, quite frankly, unbelievable. But that's what the final year of Uni does to you I suppose.

The colours are stunning. I got the Finger Print metallic nail collection, which has the following colours in it: Gold glitter top coat, moonrock, sloe berry, palevioletred, cupric, beetroot and cadet blue. I tend to have favourites when it comes to collections of polishes, but here all the colours are so beautiful that I simply can't say which one is the best.

Anyway, the one I actually have on is Sloe Berry, and it is a royal purple colour with a slightly blue sheen. Unfortunately, the colour doesn't come up well on camera, hence the description. Strangely, it comes out much more blue than it really is, and I didn't even use the flash!

Here are a couple of examples of what it looks like:




The polishes are rather thin, so I needed 2 or 3 coats to get the colour up to the royal purple you see when you look at the bottle. They also chip easily, so I recommend a good top coat to keep it in check. Make sure to pull the top coat over the edge of the nail to seal, because it chips that easily. However, the colour is great. I've had a couple of comments from people saying they loved it. The only big problem is that the nail polish is very difficult to apply due to the packaging design; The lids are large and the brushes are small, meaning that you can see what you're doing... but only just.

The guide price is £14, which means that each polish is less than two pounds as there are also two file/buffers included. I think this is pretty reasonable given the quality of the product is not the best. However, many people have reviewed this item badly, so maybe it is a little overpriced.

I used a glittery top coat on my ring fingers and I have to say that it has lasted very well. And it looks really good. I think I will probably reapply to the chipped parts of my nails and then put the same glitter coat on all of them.
Here it is; just a simple £1.99 pot from Claire's Accessories:


Have you guys tried Front Cover polish? What do you think?

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Nail Art - Getting Creative

As you all may have seen, recently I have been a little involved with the world of nails. I have been endlessly following blogs, looking for beautiful nail designs that don't look to difficult to do. In actuality, I have learnt that all it takes is a steady hand and a creative mind to make some really beautiful offerings to the nail art clan.

So without further ado, I want to show you all how my nail art is coming along, and what I hope to be achieving when I have more time on my hands. Any comments and feedback would be really appreciated, as I think I need all the help I can get!

This first one was simple because I've done manicures quite a few times. I also had the help of some very useful stick on guides. I was aiming for a simple and elegant look that was ideal for just about anything, so i went for a natural pink with a black tip. looks kind of classic, doesn't it? My friend liked this one so much that she got me to do it on her too!

For this next one, I wanted to create a look that went with my outfit. We weer dressing up as Moulin Rouge Ladies and my corset was a stunning red one, with an asymmetrical black bit and silver gems. Naturally I went for the asymmetrical part, but I wanted to fit all the colours in. The striper came to the rescue and gave me a clean(ish) line to separate the colours.


This one was a piece of pie, but I was so pleased with it, I took two photos! It was a simple pink coat with little star sequins stuck on. One word of warning, though; If the sequins are coloured don't try putting a top coat on or the colour will run off. The top coat stopped the stars from being pulled off my nails, though. Oh, and another word of warning; These are exceptionally difficult to get off. I advise lots of nail varnish remover, and possibly a crow bar.

So these are my attempts. And this is what I am aiming for:

I still think it's doable.. Do you?

Friday 17 February 2012

Look on the Bright Side

In Company this month (that's March 2012), I was reading about a really awesome trend.

Rainbow brights.

And it got me thinking about all the different ways you can make bright colours work for you. I love creative eyeshadow looks, so brights were exactly the exciting trend I've been wanting to read about.

Here are some amazing creative ideas that I've found recently, for your perusing:


 

For some more awesome makeup ideas, why not look at these babies. Other animal prints are awesome, but what about THIS idea?

What do you guys think of the rainbow brights trend?

Saturday 11 February 2012

The Remains of the Tin

You have approximately a half centimetre left of your favourite lipstick, and it has run out of stock in your local. What do you do while you wait patiently for them to restock? You rummage through your drawers for that perfect nail varnish shade only to find it has clogged, dried and gloopified. Now what?

Thank god there are a few quick fixes that can help when you need them most.

So for that tiny bit of lipstick, a solution is to heat it and mix with some vaseline (or vaseline-like substance). That way, you get to keep your shade and you've made a bit more of it. An added bonus is that it will also moisturise your lips!

Your nail varnish problem can easily be solved by putting a tiny amount of nail polish remover in the bottle and giving it a good shake. Be careful not to put too much in though, or you'll end up with polish that spreads thinly and takes ages to dry. Alternatively, you can put it in a bowl of hot water for five minutes before you start polishing and the heat should thin it. You can also put them in the fridge if they're just gloopy, but remember to put them back in again afterwards! Or, if you are intent of spending money, go for a nail polish thinner, like in the next image.


You are in a rush to get ready and don't time for new polish, right? Wrong. Put some polish on just before you're due to do dinner and include your top coat. Don't worry about neatness at all, be as quick as you can instead. Between then and eating, your nails should dry, especially if you keep near that warm oven! Now wash up, and as you do that, the polish on the skin around your nails should soften and fall off. Some parts may need to be rubbed off.

There's nothing worse than getting ready to go out and putting a finger right through your tights. If the hole is high up enough for no-one to notice, there is a trick to keep it from laddering. Simply put some clear nail polish around the edges of the hole.

And by the by, this woman is a genius. For more tips and thrifty ideas, PLEASE  have a look at this fantastic blog : http://www.athriftymrs.com/

Saturday 28 January 2012

How to... Match your lipstick to your skintone

After my previous blog on matching your eyeshadow to your eye colour, I figured that a lot of girls may not know which shades of lipstick will suit them either. I have fairly pale skin, but my undertone is slightly olive thanks to my Gibraltarian Dad. Thankfully when I was an Avon Rep, I got loads of testers and found my ideal shades through trial and error.

That's one way of doing it, but I've got an easier way; just follow my advice.

According to Bobbi Brown, your most flattering lip shade is only one or two shades darker than your natural lip colour. It's a fail-safe option for daytime if you think other colours will look too dark or bright.

Reds look great on everyone, you just need to know which shade to choose. For pink undertones, cherry red is a winner. If you're olive-toned, bright pillar-box red will contrast well.

Fair Skin.
When you have very light skin, darker colours look harsh and childish on your face. You suit light hues like nudes, pinks and apricot/peach. If you have brown hair, you may find that slightly darker shades will also suit you, as well as some shades of brown or coral. Cool reds will downplay any ruddiness in your skin.


Medium Skin.
If your skin is pretty tanned or you have a mixed race background, you can opt for darker colours than our fair-skinned friends. Mauve, burgundies, berry colours, darker browns and roses really work for you. If you're feeling adventurous, try a purple.


Dark Skin.
This skin colour is really versatile and it enables you to wear the darkest and brightest colours on the spectrum. Deep plums, reds and browns work really well, but if you really want to wow everyone, you could go for brights and even neons.



One last tip?
Warm lip shades compliment warm skin tones, and vice versa.

Friday 6 January 2012

Barry M Foil Effect Nail Polish Review

These little beauties were a Christmas present (see 'It's a Beautiful Christmas' for more), and I tried and tested both around New Years.


They are pretty thick, so ensure that when you paint on the colour you don't have too much on the brush. The colours are excellent, and they certainly do look like foil. The shine on them is brilliant, which is just as well, since you can't apply a top coat to it, as it ruins the foil effect. The only thing to worry about is that, as with most metallics, it creates tiny darker lines on the nail. To keep it neat, you need to keep the brush straight when you apply it and not brush in different directions.

Here's what they look like on:

And here are some nail art ideas:

Want some? You can get it at any good drug store, or from the Barry M website.
Colours come in Lilac Foil, Silver Foil and Gold Foil.

Thursday 5 January 2012

Killer Cheek Bones and a Thinner Nose

.. No, really. This is no joke, I really can help you with this. All it takes is a little bit of makeup and some know-how, and viola! You have a slightly more chiseled face.

First, it's your cheeks. As a child I am sure all of us has wanted to delve in our mums' makeup bags for some bright blusher to smother over ourselves. Maybe we even got some lipstick and decided that would work. Oh, how wrong we were. Since we certainly don't want to look like that any more, here is my step by step guide on how to define those cheek bones.

1. Start by applying your usual layer of foundation/ moisturiser with tint and concealer
2. Using a large makeup brush, sweep bronzer or blush directly below your cheek bones, starting from your apples and sweeping backwards. This creates the look of a shadow underneath them, with makes them look stronger. You may need to suck in your cheeks to help you.
3. If you need to, smile and use blush/bronzer to help define the apples of your cheeks more.
4. Apply highlighting cream or powder directly to your cheek bone and blend. Be careful you don't use too much, though.

Here are some examples to guide you:


How to get get a thinner nose:
You may notice that celebrities often look like they have tiny noses, and I will tell you a secret. They cheat! And so can you, only you don't have to spend thousands getting plastic surgery to do it. All it takes is a very similar trick to the one above.
1. Use a bronzer to low light either side of the nose, but be careful not to overdo it!
2. Use highlighter on the top of your nose, this will define it
3. Blend so it looks natural, and check out the result

Good Luck and let me know how you get on!

Tuesday 3 January 2012

How to... match your eyes to your eyeshadow

I always find that finding the perfect colour for my eyes is the most annoying thing in the world. I don't have your easy as pie brown eyes, or blue eyes that go with nearly anything. I have hazel eyes that are constantly switching from brown to green and back again. They have no pretty flecks of gold to match in, so they are a nuisance.

Therefore, I have decided that every girl needs someone to tell them which shade suits them the most, and I will be that person for you. I have trailed through every site possible trying to pin down the colours that suit your eyes shades. So if I have missed yours, please let me know and hopefully I can fill you in.

Grey


Grey eyes are pretty much the hardest colour to use eyeshadow on, as many colours can dull them further. To make them pop, use light and medium browns, deep greys and cool tones. A pale pink also looks good on a lighter grey eye.

Blue

Blue eyes work best with browns with purple bases, pinks (in rose for a subtle look, or fuchsia if you fancy eye-popping colour). Slate grey and deep blue enhance your eyes, but if you want to startle people, go for a highly contrasting tangerine or a coppery shade for night-time. If your eyes are light blue, you can even get away with turquoise.

Green

I recommend a plummy purple shade to make your green eyes stand out, or reds if you are feeling adventurous. Browns in coffee shades, khaki or forest green and apricot/pink shades also work well. For a night look, you could try a gold shadow.

Hazel

As the second most difficult eye to find colours for, you need to be careful when choosing your shades. If your eyes are more brown than green, it is better to go for pinks and golds. If they are more green, it is safe to go with bronzes and warm tones. Browns, greens and purples go well with this eye colour.

Brown

Brown is by far the easiest eye colour to work with. Nearly all colours will go with your eyes. However, if you want them to stand out, use greens and purples. Beige and champagne look great for a day look, and bronzes and browns are good for the night. If you really want a punch though, use tangerine or lime green.



A few tips for everyone:
 Black works for everyone, as do creamy shades that will be perfect for daytime looks or bases.
 Dark colours will minimise eyes, whilst light ones will bring them out, so use the light ones at the edges.
 The lighter in skin tone you are, the less intense your eye colour should be. If your skin tone is really dark, you can get away with brights and fluorescents!
 Complementary colours always make your eyes stand out. That's oranges for blue, reds or purples for green, and greens or purples for brown.

Good Luck :)