Festive Nail Designs

If you know me or having been reading this blog for awhile (It's been 4 years next year... OMG) you will know that not much excites me as much as sparkly nail polish. I have a draw that is sickeningly full of nail polish, that is pretty much exclusive to festive season... because it's rarely ever appropriate to rock a red & gold glitter combo in spring. 

Therefore, this post isn't going to be a massive shock for you. I adore Christmas time and I adore sparkly nail polish so the pair are a match made in beauty heaven and I decided to share some of my favourite festive nail designs.

I've included 3 work appropriate designs and 2 all out in your face "IT'S CHRISTMAS BITCHES" designs. These are all insanely simple and most importantly they last.

Copper Heaven.

- This little number is what I've got on my nails this second. Like the rest of the world, I'm all about the copper and rose gold right now and this combo is ideal for anyone who is looking for a blush toned metallic in their life. 

Polishes Used

Barry M Molten Metal Nail Paint in Copper Mine

Barry M Nail Paint in Rose Quartz Glitter

Gold & Holo. 

- I'm in love with a good Holographic glitter at the moment (I'm totally obsessed with Simply Nailogical!) Don't let the photos fool you, that ring finger has allllll of the rainbows thanks to probably my favourite holo glitter ever. Perfect for the Christmas period! 

Polishes Used

Mavala 117 Treasure 

Nicole by OPI Dazzling With Talent 

Neutral Confetti.

- This is another recent one but I totally forgot to get a good photo on my camera for it so you will have to make do with this quick shot from my iPhone before I filed down my out of control thumb nail. I really loved the simplicity of this look. The neutral creme polish works nicely with the Gold Confetti polish and gives you a festive nail look that's totally suitable for even the most conservative work environment.  

Polishes Used

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Almond

Barry M Nail Paint in Superdrug Limited Edition Gold Confetti ** 

Red & Gold Festivities. 
 - This is one from last year, but I really loved it at the time so I thought I would include it again this year. You can't get much more festive than a red & gold glitter combo.
Polishes Used
Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Limited Edition Sparkling Ruby ** 
Barry M Nail Paint in Superdrug Limited Edition Gold Confetti ** 

PolkaDot Christmas. 

- Another one from last year but I will 100% be doing something similar to this, if not the exact same this year. A sparkling red glitter topped off with a bright white dot is probably one of the most festive in your face Christmas designs you can do. It's like the classic candy cane but a little more cutesy, a little less elf. 

Polishes Used

Barry M Nail Paint in Red Glitter

Barry M Nail Art Pen in White 

You may have been able to spot a reoccurring brand here with Barry M and I promise you I'm not sponsored at all (Although, hit me up Barry M if you're interested! 😂). My nail polish collection consists mostly of Barry M, purely because they have the biggest range of colours and formulas for a reasonable student friendly price - so naturally a lot of my nail designs are made with them. 

But, there's nothing to stop you from recreating these with your own favourite polishes, I've just included what they are in case you are as in love with that Molten Metal polish as I am! 

 ** This was a limited edition polish from 2014 but you can buy a similar (if anything nicer) alternative here from NailsInc

Guide To Glitter Nails

It's getting to that time of the year when you're dying to crack out the glitter nail polish. I mean who doesn't want glittering nails at Christmas time?! But if you've ever worn glitter nail polish before you know that it can be the devil. I mean it can seriously be a massive pain in the arse to get your glitter polish looking flawless and then once you've eventually managed to get it looking acceptable, trying to get the stuff off again is a bloody nightmare. 

I've managed to hone my glitter polish skills over the past few months and I decided to share what I've learnt and right in time for the festive glitter filled season! 

The Application

Firstly, let's start with the glitter types. You will usually find glitter polishes in 2 main formulas, densely packed or loosely packed. The difference is pretty self-explanatory and the way that you should treat them is basically the same.  

If we start with the densely packed glitter (Nicole by OPI in ), you can see that one coat of polish gives a nice relatively even covering of glitter over the nail, it could definitely be worn like that if you wanted to and it would still look nice. However, what happens if you want a really densely packed glitter effect? Do you keep applying it with the brush in the hopes that it will eventually dry? 

Nah, grab yourself some cheap make-up sponges, paint the polish onto the sponge and dab it onto the nail. The sponge absorbs all the clear polish and leaves the glitter behind meaning you can easily dab on the glitter and get the effect you want without all the ridiculous hassle of doing it with the brush. 

Loosely packed polish is much the same, apart from it's even harder to get a good finish out of it. There is nothing worse than applying a glitter that takes about 50 layers to look even and well covered. This is where that magic little trick with the sponge comes into play once again. Just brush it onto the sponge, dab away and look at that final result! Super messy but the coverage is amazing and takes much less time, polish and effort to get it looking good. 

The Clean-up

Once you've perfected your nails the worse thing is trying to get rid of it. Glitter is notoriously difficult to get rid of and leaves you feeling like your only options are to pick it off or soak your fingertips in nail varnish remover - which is not fun kids. However, there are alternatives. 

Peel off base coats - These are big in America but not so easy to get hold of in the UK. However, Maybelline makes a peel-off base coat that works fairly well. You are meant to use these as you would a normal base coat, however, I've had a varying success that way. Instead, I've found that using it right before you apply the glitter works best. In the above photos I have applied the colour as normal, applying a normal base coat, two coats of nail polish and a top coat. I then applied the peel-off base coat allowed it to set and then applied the glitter in the process explained above. As you can see it neatly takes off all the glitter and leaves you with the normal polish underneath that is a doddle to take off. 

Acetone and a small brush - I've found that when removing glitter polish normal nail polish remover just doesn't cut it. Instead, I use a pure acetone (actually meant for removing artificial nails!), and a cheap eyeliner brush that works perfectly for getting around the edges of your nails and doesn't matter if it gets ruined by the acetone. You can bypass the peel-off base coat and just use pure acetone to take off glitter polish, and that does work but I wouldn't recommend it, as acetone strips all the natural oils out of your nails and leaves them brittle. 

Instead, I like to use this purely for clean-up. The sponging technique tends to leave a bit of a mess as you can see above, so by just dipping a brush into acetone and cleaning the edges you can get a really neat effect in no time at all! 

If you have any tips for glitter polish then please leave them in the comments! 

My Go-To Lip Products- NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams

(L-R: Abu Dhabi, Cannes & Milan)

Okay, so I'm a little bit late to the hype with this one. 

About 3-4 months ago my local boots introduced a new stall full of NYX and I had to have a browse. I quickly became mesmerised at the lip section because, liquid lipsticks for under £6? Come at me. 

Apprehensive on the quality I initially only bought one shade, Abu Dhabi. It's a glorious cool-toned brown that shows up as a nude on my lips. If I'm wearing a nude lip in any photos then you can guarantee it's this little baby.  

As with all of the shades, the formula is smooth, creamy and ridiculously easy to apply. They set matte and don't dry your lips out at all. The longevity isn't fantastic but it only wears off once you've had something to eat or drink and to be honest, that really doesn't bother me. The product is scented, a bit like cake, it reminds me a touch of how some MAC lipsticks smell. A little bit sweet and cakey, it's not an offensive smell, but it's certainly something to note if you don't like scented products. 

I then went on to buy Milan and I guess I didn't realise just how bright it was! I'm not really a bright pink girl, but I have had a little use out of this on the day's when I'm feeling braver. As you can see from the swatch it is super pigmented but it's a great choice if you're looking for that perfect barbie pink. 

My most recent purchase has been Cannes, which I find to be a much more wearable pink on my skin tone. It's like a 'my lips but better' kind of shade and has me feeling all kinds of sassy when I wear it. 

Needless to say, I'm definitely going to be collecting more of these beauts and it may seem a little like I'm jumping the gun with this review when I've only got three, but honestly I'm obsessed with them and I haven't worn any other lip colours since I purchased Abu Dhabi - I literally don't need to. 

These are fierce.

You can pick these bad boys up at Boots for the purse friendly price of £5.50. 

Preparing for Autumn - Seasonal Nails!

Oooooh, I love a good autumn nail! 

I don't know about you, but for me, autumn is the season that I want to paint my nails the most. I am obsessed with all the warm toned colours and the dark polish! In summer I'm usually too hot and bothered to care much about nail polish but now the weather is cooling down and I'm spending all my time indoors, all of the nail painting motivation has hit me! So I thought I would share a few of my favourites for autumn.

Barry M always have a great selection of colours to choose from and some of the colours I picked up last year are now standing favourites! 

L-R :

Plum, Chilli, Blackberry, Elderberry, Paprika, Black Pistachio

Mavala has also become a favourite brand of mine, these were always stocked in the Canterbury Boots but sadly my local Boots doesn't sell them. However, I will be hunting them out locally as not only are the formulas great but they also have great colours and cute packaging + they are like £3, which is astonishingly cheap! 

L-R:

85 Chicago, 117 Treasure

Sinful Colors by Kylie Jenner have been on my nails and Instagram more than any other polish these past few months and I absolutely adore them. The formulas are great, the colours are really unique and the price tag is cheap. Going into autumn these two are without a doubt going to be favourites.

L-R:

Konstellation & I Klove U

Nicole by OPI are a brand that I tend to dabble in, there's nothing wrong with them, I just don't often see them! But when I saw this beautiful holo glitter I knew I had to have it. It's the second part to that glitter gradient above and I am obsessed with it! 

Shade: Dazzling with Talent 

I couldn't have an autumnal nails post without mentioning these two Essie shades. 

Bahama Mama and Chinchilly are quintessential A/W shades for me and I absolutely adore them. Chinchilly is a firm favourite and is a warm toned grey-lilac shade. Whilst Bahama Mama is the ideal burgundy red that matches my tartan scarf perfectly! 

Last but certainly not least, in the cooler months it is imperative that you look after those digits and keep everything nice and hydrated! My favourite hand cream is the Roger & Gallet Rose Hands & Nails Cream. It smells beautiful, is super hydrating and not at all greasy. I'm totally obsessed with this stuff and the light floral scent is suitable all year round! 

What do you favour on your nails in autumn? 

Battle of the Brushes - The Ultimate Multi-Tasking Brush Review

A few months back (more than I would like to admit) I was given the amazing opportunity by makeupbrushes.co.uk to review a couple of the Multi Tasking make-up brushes they sell on their site. Now me being me I love a good comparison post and knowing I had a couple of very similar brushes I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to compare and contrast them and write up my thoughts for you. 

My 5 Product Face When You Only Have 5 Minutes.

Some day's you just don't have the time to put on full make-up but you want to look decent when you leave the house. On days like this I think it is imperative that you have a 5 piece kit of products you can depend on when you're in a hurry.

Zoeva Rose Golden Luxe Brush Set

Okay, the amount that I talked about these bloody brushes in the past couple of months on it's hardly surprising that I chose to do a review of them so just indulge me here, I'm like a kid in a candy shop right now and I do not care an iota.

Top 5 Dark Lips

I love a good dark statement lip. In winter time it is the perfect shade of grey outside to rock the pale skin with contrasting super dark lip and it's one of my favourite things to do. This season I have collected a few new lipsticks and been returning to some old favourites so I thought I would share with you my top 5 dark lips. 

Prewarning: This post will contain terrible selfies of me wearing each lipstick. Deal with it. 

P.S: I ruined my lips for these swatches. Be grateful. 

Naked 3 Dupe? W7 In The Nude Eye Shadow Palette

We've all heard of the amazing and highly coveted Naked Palettes by Urban Decay. But most of us (like myself) just can't justify spending £30+ on an Eye-shadow Palette and so rely on the generosity of family members at special occasions. Well now W7 have released an amazingly similar product that dare I say could even be called a dupe and what's even better is that it is a fraction of the price coming in at only £9.99! 

Top 3 Most Worn Lip Products

Today I thought I would share some of my favourite Lip Products from the past few months. These are the 3 Lip Products that I will almost always reach for on an ordinary day. 

Review: Revlon Waterproof Lash Potion Mascara

Today I thought I would share with you a product review I've been meaning to write for awhile now. That is Revlon's Waterproof Lash Potion Mascara which retails at £9.99. I brought this mascara mainly for my holiday in July as I wanted a Mascara to wear when I was by the pool (I really hate being in public without any mascara on, it's just weird to me!). I don't usually like waterproof formulas but I had it recommended by a friend and as I needed a waterproof mascara I thought this is as good as any. 

Favourite Blushes of 2015

I hope you're ready for a behemoth of a post today because that is what you are getting! So sit back, get a cup of coffee and read on! 

Blushers are something that I always tend to look past when I think of writing posts, not because I don't use them (in fact I probably use blusher more than most of my other products) but I think it's a product that can be neglected quite easily. So I thought I would share my Top 3 Blushes of 2015 and shed a little light on my routines with blushers. 

Disappointing Products #1 - Rimmel Good to Glow Highlighter

Not often is it that I find a product I dislike so much that I feel the need to blog about it. But today I have found one. 

Top 5 Summer Nail Polishes

I think out of all the seasons, summer lends itself best to bright fun nails. I also think that in summer the right nail colour can be vitally important, whether its to match your outfit or amplify that summers glow, nails are a big deal - well at least for me they are!- 

So to get you on top this summer here are the 5 shades I've been loving in the warmer months!

1. BarryM Matte Nail Paint in Cancun - This is a gorgeous matte turquoise that is ideal for sunny days out. I particularly enjoyed this one on holiday as it looked amazing with a tan! 

2. BarryM Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Sugar Apple - A classic Gelly Hi Shine shade that so many of us love! This is my go-to pastel shade and lets face it who doesn't love pastels in the summer?

3. BarryM Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paint in On Your Marks - A fairly new addition to my collection, I adore the colour as it really makes your hands look super tanned but I find the formula tricky as it can be streaky! 

4. Essie Nail Lacquer in Status Symbol - Summer is the time you can go wild on your nail colours and this vibrant pinks really makes your hands pop! A beautiful girly colour that is bound to get you compliments!

5. BarryM Aquarium Collection Nail Paint in Mediterranean - Never has a name suited a polish so much! This is a nightmare to get a good shot of as the polish is so reflective, but its a lovely shimmery orange/pink and looks amazing this time of year! When the sun catches it your nails will look fantastic!