Nails: Little Hearts

I've said it once and I'll say it again, I don't do nail art!! But my sister was visiting last week and asked me to do her nails, and I couldn't resist popping a little heart on her ring finger.

The main colour I used was In Style Coral from Nails Inc which I don't think is available anymore. The beige base colour on her ring finger was Essie's 'Sand Tropez'- one of my all time faves. With a bit of help of some cotton buds soaked in nail varnish remover and a steady hand I managed to whip out two little hearts pretty quickly. Perhaps not the neatest of jobs, but maybe not bad for a first timer ;-)

We used a Nails Inc basecoat and topped the final mani with my trusty Sally Hansen MegaShine. 

Thanks for reading,

E.

Midweek Post: Crescent Moon Mani

I think it has been a little while since I posted my Midweek Post. I do try and post every Wednesday, but as you all know sometimes life just gets in the way! I am not one for nail art per se, but I love the crescent moon manicures that have been flying around since they were first spotted on the runways in 2011 sported by the models at Vena Cava. Since then we've seen it on celebs such as Dita Von Teese and as I had some free time this morning I thought I would give it a whirl. 

I knew I fancied a dark nail polish as I have been wearing Illamasqua's 'Whack' the last few days and while it's been a lovely bright contrast against the icy backdrop of the recent weather I felt the need to go back to near- black. I chose Essie's 'Stylenomics' which is a very, very deep green and was released in the autumn collection of the same title. 

After applying base coat and letting them dry I cut a semi circle shape out of a piece of sellotape and popped it on top, painting the rest of my nail with Stylenomics. I made sure to wait a little more time than I normally do to let these dry, I am a real impatient nail painter but knew I didn't want to mess this up by whipping the sellotape off too quickly and leaving uneven smudges behind. Two layers of top coat later et voila! All in all it took me about an hour but it wasn't as laborious as I had first expected it to be. Making do with sellotape I don't think I did too a bad job (all the online tutorials I read and watched were using stationary circular paper binders as their guide, but I didn't have any of those to hand.) I wanted to leave the cuticle end my natural nail but there is the option to have it coloured you would just need to alter the process slightly.

A nice twist on my normal painted nail. Have you ever done a crescent moon manicure?

Midweek Post: Buy of the week!

Nails Inc Duo, £12 for 2x 8ml bottles. 

I just thought I'd show you what a bargainous deal is in Boots at the moment. For only 12 British Pounds you can get yourself an 8ml bottle of the A&E Basecoat and an 8ml bottle of the Albert Bridge Topcoat. They're not quite full sized, but full sized bottles retail at £11 so to have these two for just a pound more is a worthy spend. 
I love Nails Inc polishes and was a bit sad when my base coat ran out last month, then in the same week I lost my Sally Hansen MegaShine topcoat after using it in the car, I cannot for the life of me find it anywhere! I swear cars are just a blackhole for me, I lost a flip flop in one once while it was ON my foot and we couldn't find it after emptying out the car- twice!! Since that mishap I've been using a base coat from Collection 2000 but I swear it is making my nails dry, flakey and weaker than usual. I haven't worn the A&E basecoat enough to comment on whether it has helped repair my nails but it is really quickdrying and provides a good base and fills in ridges well. The Albert Bridge topcoat is wonderful. It dries in under two minutes to a super glossy wet look finish that seals the colour well. It still doesn't prolong the wear of those darn Essie polishes though, but does anything??

I don't know if these have been available for a long time as I normally buy my Nails Inc from Debenhams, but I know that if I had known this was available I'd have snapped it up sooner!

While I'm on the subject, what are your favourite base and top coats?

P.S. So sorry I have been absent in terms of blogging recently- I will reply to all your comments, check out your blogs and say hello to all of my amazing new followers very soon. I have been juggling three jobs and driving all around the country and I am knackered. I'm not ignoring you!

Empty Products- the October Edition.

It's that time of the month again, empties time!! I've racked up a total of 13 empty products this month, which is pretty good going for me. They're a mixture of skincare, haircare, nails, makeup and fragrance! Read on to see what I think of each. :-)

Bioderma Crealine h2O Solution Micellaire- I really enjoy using miscellar waters, I think they're great because they remove face/base makeup effectively and are gentle enough for all skin types. Bioderma was the first I purchased and probably remains my favourite of them all. It's unscented and I notice an improvement in my skin when I remove my makeup with it before cleansing my face, rather than just using a cleanser on it's own to remove my makeup as well as clean my skin. Bioderma isn't readily available in the UK (though I heard miniatures are on sale in Harrods now) so I use an eBay seller, I think this 500ml bottle cost me between £12-£15. There is something so simple yet tactile about the bottle too, I just love it.
Will I buy this again?
I've got an Etat Pur one to use now but I'm certain I'll buy this again in the future.

YSL Top Secrets Pro Removers Eye Makeup Remover- This 30ml bottle came free with a selection of YSL products in a makeup bag that I was given last Christmas after spending so much on the counter! I absolutely loved this, it removed eye makeup instantly and gently, without irritating my sensitive eyes.
Will I buy this again?
I've got a full sized eye makeup remover still unopened, but I would buy this full sized.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish- Another month, another empty Cleanse & Polish! This is my go-to fail safe cleanser of the moment, it cleanses really well and gently removes any excess makeup. I think it's price is so reasonable for the quality, it contains gorgeous natural ingredients such as chamomile, cocoa butter and eucalyptus oil.
Will I buy this again?
Already have.

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light moisturiser- This claims to offer 48 hour hydration and is targeted towards those with sensitive skin. The consistency of this is quite fluid and it takes quite a long time to absorb. For once, a Vichy product left me quite opinionless.
Will I buy this again?
No.

L'Occitane Ultra Rich Body Cream- This was a sample given to me after my boyfriend spent £22 on a body wash for my birthday. I absolutely adored this, while I only used it once I noticed how quickly it absorbed for such a rich cream that contains 25% Shea Butter. It softened my legs and elbows, and the nourished effects could still be felt in these areas days later, after further showering.

Will I buy this?

I would love to have this full size, it'd be a perfect winter moisturiser.

Kiehls 'Creme De Corps' All Over Body moisturiser- This was a favourite of mine and was featured in my May favourites. Luxurious, soft, and doesn't take too long to absorb, it's ideal if you're looking for an unscented intensive body moisturiser. This is technically Ben's, so he used it up and I thought I'd include it in the post, I only used it sporadically but I always enjoyed it when I did.
Will I buy this again?
I'm sure Ben will ;-)

Lee Stafford Hot Shots 4 Blondes- I used to use these religiously when I had white bleached hair when I was younger. This time around, they don't seem to have done much though girls at work keep commenting that I seem to be blonder and blonder each week so perhaps it has been working more than I know noticed. It's a purple treatment that you lather into shampooed hair, before conditioning. You're meant to leave it on for 2 minutes but I always try and do 5, it eliminates brassy, yellow tones to colour treated hair to create a more pure blonde.
Will I buy this again?
This was a repurchase but this time I'm undecided. I think I will try another purple treatment first.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in 'Cherry'- This will probably appear every month. You can read what I think here.
Will I buy this again?
Already have.

17 Miracle Matte pressed powder in 'Ivory Porcelain'- While this was nice n' pale, it was too powdery and heavy on the skin no matter how little I used. The entire product lasted me about two months, but it did shatter when it was near empty and I lost a lot of product when I subsequently opened it!
Will I buy this again?
No.

Nails Inc 'Harley Street' ridge filler- Though this isn't technically empty, it has died a death. The brush no longer reaches the product unless tipped and the product is a gloopy mess. This has served me well as a base coat and I've used it so much over the last year. It smoothes the base of the nail well and doesn't take very long to dry.
Will I buy this again?
I've got another basecoat to use up at the moment, but it doesn't even compare to this one. I will buy this again when I've got a spare tenner.

Hugo Boss 'Orange' EDT-  I've had this for a loong time and for a while it was my favourite but then I felt that it didn't last very long on my skin and stopped wearing it as often. I think my tastes have changed (working next to the perfume department hasn't helped!) so I won't buy this again even though it is a gorgeous scent. I remember an old friend of mine telling me 'if I was a girl, I'd want to smell like that' when I hugged him, and I was wearing this at the time. That sounds quite funny written down, but it was a nice compliment all the same.
Will I buy this again?
No.

Dolce and Gabbana 'Pour Femme' EDP- This was a 2ml sample size of the new fragrance. I've never really liked D&G perfumes and this one was no exception; it's overly sweet, heavy and unoriginal.
Will I buy this?
No.

Marc Jacobs 'Daisy' EDT- Another sample. This is a pretty, feminine and playful scent that I imagine would appeal to a large age range. It's fresh and floral, a lovely day scent or for the summer.
Will I buy this?
No- I don't love the scent enough, and I don't like the bottle!

Do you use any of these products, if so what do you think of them? Please link me to your empties posts too, they're my favourite to read!

My favourite beauty products....for feet!!

The last couple of years have been a time where I've become more and more aware of how important it really is to take care of your feet!! Having always had jobs where I'm on my feet all day, and always seemed to have had a penchant for silly shoes that ruin my feet I noticed them detiorating and thought it was time to take care of them properly. I was never one to wear those £2 Primark flats but I do wear better quality shoes nowadays, which probably helps, too.

Ped Egg Professional (You can buy this from JML stockists such as Boots or Debenhams for £10)

My mum introduced me to these and she swears by them. It's quite gruesome to describe but it's essentially a piece of egg shaped plastic that you hold, in it clips a miniature silver grate, that you use to rub along any rough areas of the feet. It gently removes any dead skin, rough skin, hard skin etc that is on the foot which makes them smoother, and a bit more aesthetically pleasing!! You can remove the grate to bin any dead skin that has collected underneath, and then you can wash it with warm soapy water to prevent any future infections, cross contamination, or general old manky skin collecting in the grate. It's a pretty cool contraption I think, it's quite relaxing to use and it really does work (I find it's best used after showering as the skin it softer then). I try to use it once a week.

Scholl Party Feet Beauty Cream 

I've got to say, this thick cream softens and nourishes the skin on my feet so well. It's heavily scented with papaya which is fine (but it also means I sometimes associate the smell of YSL lip glosses to my foot cream, as the smells aren't that dissimilar!) but I kind of wish it was a bit sweeter/vanillary, but it is nice and fresh. It soaks in fairly quickly as it is non greasy, and is really hydrating. I bought this from Boots but can't find it on the website, it was a reasonable price (I'd say under a fiver) and I chose it because Scholl seemed to be the leaders in footcare and foot knowledge!!

Nail clippers

These are from that 'Miss Pedicure' range that you can buy in Boots stores. For the cheap price I found these are really good quality clippers that do the job really well! They're quite large which means that they often cover the entire nail in one clip, they've remained sharp since I've had them and the pink parts are made of rubber which makes it easier to grip them aswell.

Nail Polish

This one is pretty obvious, but I really can't bare the sight of unpainted toe nails! For me, some colours are a complete no no- I don't like dark, gothic colours on the feet, but nor do I like true nudes either. I always opt for bright, feminine colours; pinks, reds, or shimmer polishes. A bit of colour on the feet instantly brightens them up and makes them look more cared for. Here are a few of my favourite colours for toenails;

Left to Right; Illamasqua 'Whack', Nails Inc 'Instyle Coral', Barry M '308 Berry' and Rimmel London '415 Instyle Coral'

 --Apparently I really love 'Instyle Coral' shades for my toes!!

Happy feet :-)

 

Do you use any of these, or have any products you'd recommend? What colours do you like to paint your toenails?

 

I done and got my nails did #Nails Inc

 Nails Inc

One coat of Holographic Top Coat

I made an appointment at the Nails Inc bar because my nails were in such a state (I'm afraid to say I'm a biter) and I needed it fixed. If I'm honest, I usually go to the cheaper nail shops (we all know which ones I'm talkin' about) to get 'gel nails', but after my rather refreshing/informative visit to Nails Inc and being educated in the proper practices of nail care (and being told that even gel nails in those places are acryllic, and that the UV dryers are used in the incorrect places), I won't be returning to anywhere else again!

I told the lady (lovely Sheeza) my situation. She trimmed my cuticles (trimming and cutting these off increases nail growth because the cuticles act as an anchor onto the nail), buffed, preened, used vitamin E oil.. I felt really pampered. She applied gel onto my nails in layers, (this does't include extensions.) She told me that due to the treatment she was giving me, my nails underneath were going to be kept in good condition. Sure enough, after a cuticle clipping and some treatment, my nails grew about a quarter of a centimetre overnight. No word of a lie!

The lilac colour is the final layer of gel (it was a toss up between this and a neutral pink!). The top coat is a Holographic top coat (I'm in love with this)- it is fine glitter particles that catch the light and reflect off rainbow colours (better than the GOSH Holographic nail laquer beause the holographic qualities are more noticeable, but I love that also. This Holographic Nails Inc varnish may also be similar to Models Own 'Juicy Jules')

3 coats of Holographic Top Coat

 I bought a treatment kit that I'll be reviewing after I've been using it for a few weeks, it contains the Vitamin E oil pen that Sheeza used on my nails during my appointment, it increases nail strength and growth- I have high hopes for this!

Overall, the experience at Nails Inc was really enjoyable. Their varnishes are amazing quality and there are some superb christmas gift sets as well. The employees know their stuff and they offer fake lashes and facial threading, as well as a range of nail treatments. 

Have you had your nails done at a Nails Inc bar? Are you loving the holographic topcoat as much as I? 

Also, if you like fashion/personal blogs then Aimee's blog is pretty good. She emailed me last week and has since added me onto her links page, I'm returning the favour! :)