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.

12 Products of 2012.

Happy new year everyone! It was so hard choosing only 12 products as there were so many favourites this year, but limiting myself was a good idea or you lot would have been subject to a blog post of mammoth proportions. Hope you are all enjoying January so far. It's a funny month isn't it? I'm still living and eating as if it were a week ago, for lunch I polished off yet another cheese plate. Talk about denial...

Super Facialist by Una Brennan- Tea Flower range (£7.99 and £12.99)- I posted about two products form this range just a few days ago, I only bought these in November but they transformed my skin in such a noticeable way- less spots, clearer pores. Whats makes this duo even better in my opinion is that you can buy both for £20. Superb skincare on a budget!

Avene Very High Protection Emulsion SPF 50+ (£15)- This saved my skin in the summer sun. It absorbs quickly leaving behind minimal white residue, protects all day without reapplication and is reasonably priced, gentle enough to use on the face- it didn't cause me any disturbances and I know it'll be a summer 2013 handbag staple too. 

LUSH 'Twilight' Shower Gel (£4.25++)- I didn't think I would fall in love with this as much as I have but it is definitely my favourite shower gel of 2012. An aromatherapic blend of lavendar and malt, it has been lovely to use at night after a long day or night shift. If nothing else, it makes me feel calm, relaxed and clean. Shame that it is limited edition.

Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat (£28)- I think this has to be my favourite foundation of 2012- and I have road tested quite a few. Glowing finish, buildable coverage. It is trustworthy and lasts a surprisingly long timewithout primer considering it is a radiant foundation- they normally slide right off my t-zone! Get a sample first though, YSL products are high in chemicals and this foundation didn't agree with everyones skin (it doesn't affect mine though.)

Collection 'Lasting Perfection' Concealer (£4.19)- Another product that I would struggle to be without now. Good quality, medium-high coverage concealer for around the £4-5 mark. Easy to use, blendable and fairly long lasting.

Bobbi Brown Brighening Face Powder (£40)- I pondered over whether to include this as I do find it a bit too pink, but the formula of this is perfect. So Bobbi Brown if you're reading this- please release more shades in this!! See a full review by clicking here.

MAC Lipglass (£13.50-£17)- This was the year of the MAC Lipglass. After trying one I have now accumulated a few. I love that they are so pigmented and long lasting. This is probably a controversial favourite- I'm sure many people would hate their stickiness.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain (£22.50)- Super glossy, super long lasting and soft on the lips. This product has paved the way for innovative lip products and have defintiely filled a void. The lasting power of something that feels like a lipgloss is astonishing. I love the vivid shade range and I think every girl needs one of these in their lives.

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner (£17)- I've got this in 01 Black an 02 Sepia Ink and both are in regular rotation in my makeup bag. Gel eyeliner is a great multi use product- it can be used on the eyelids for a winged look, underneath and smudged for a sultry look, on the waterline for a long lasting definition. The list goes on! Both these shades are fabuously pigmented and last the majority of the day without showing many signs of fade or wear and tear. I have found that Black is better at fighting wear and tear than Sepia Ink. Worth the price tag.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (£2.99)- This is literally a life saver. I don't know how I would have got through this year without Batiste in my life! It's not too expensive and good at what it does, and there's lots of variables to choose from should you want a different scent or one formulated for brunette hair etc. The best dry shampoo that I have tried so far and would always recommend it.

Essie Nail Varnish (£7.99)- If I had to choose a shade I would be town between my beloved 'Sand Tropez' or 'Stylenomics' both were reapplied so many times and I never got bored of them. I love my whole Essie collection, they're definitely one of my favourite brands of 2012, so glad that they launched in Boots and Superdrug.

Sally Hansen MegaShine Topcoat (£6.39)- Quick drying, super super shiny top coat. Need I say more? (Not pictured.)

What am I searching for in 2013?

 The perfect serum/face oil (preferably natural)

The perfect night cream

The perfect brow filler

The perfect mascara

The perfect lip liner

What are your top products of 2012? Do you have a favourite brand this year?

My March Favourites!!

Hey all!

I'm here with my favourite and most cherished beauty products from the lovely month of March....

M.A.C 'Watch Me Simmer' Lipstick; This is the lipstick I've been picking up the most this month if I wanted statement lips! I love the shade. It's a super bright, amplified coral shade that develops more pink the longer it's on the lips (on first application it leans more red). The only downsides are that it does stain the lips. I picked this up when the Shop MAC Collection was exclusive to Selfridges, it has since been released in the rest of M.A.C. stockists and appears to have become quite popular! If you missed out the first time, don't fret, it's being repromoted in the 'Reel Sexy' collection being released in April. See full review here.

Laura Mercier lipgloss in 'Nude Lilac'; You may have seen this used in a couple of my FOTD's before but I've never really reviewed it. It isn't a particularly long- lasting gloss as it isn't a very wet formula, but I love the glaze it gives my lips, even if it is just for a temporary basis! The lilac colour in the tube doesn't transfer to the lips but the cool tones of it do, it's the perfect gloss if you're looking to tone down a bright colour underneath, used on it's own it will only add a subtle colourlss shine to the lips. There is some gold glitter running through it that does remain on the lips after it's dried up. Note that it has got a strong, deep vanilla scent. This gloss has been carried around with me in my bag and used on a daily basis...perfect for me trying a bit of a more toned down nude look this springtime! (Post Here.)

Blistex Relief Cream; Not a very exciting product but one I've been using on my lips before bed to restore them back to health! I think I must have gone overboard on lip products the last few months because my lips have been paying for it the last few weeks, they've been dry and flaky but this may also be due to seasonal changes, either way I've been applying this at night and taking it a bit easier on the lip products. It's really worked, especially over a period of time and my lips feel nourished and smooth once again! It's not like a lip balm that you can apply on the go, as it is a milky white texture that does take a while to soak into the lips- definitely a night time treatment particularly with its tingly menthol flavour!

M.A.C. 210 Brush; With this, I've finally found a suitable brush that is thin enough to apply gel eyeliner the way that I want! I've been using the Maybelline Gel Liner which I think is okay but I never got on with the accompanying brush (next on my list is the Clinique one when this runs or dries out) so I took it upon myself to get a brush to make applying gel liner a bit easier and a bit more enjoyable. It does the trick, it's a very thin brush but the hairs are dense enough that you can control application quite well. You can choose the thickness of the line you'd like to apply and it distributes product evenly.

YSL Eye makeup remover; I got this free in a makeup bag a few months ago because I'd bought a few products the counter lady threw this in, it was full of goodies and I was so happy because I really love Yves Saint Laurent! I use it sometimes at night if my eye makeup is being a pain to remove but I mainly use it on a cotton pad to quickly remove any products off makeup brushes. It's great to give the M.A.C. 210 a quick clean after use to avoid any gel liner drying onto it and going clumpy between deep cleans.

Benefit 'High Brow'; I know they've released their 'High Brow Glow' now but I'm still a big fan of the original. I feel naked if I don't wear this. Applied under the eyebrows, onto the brow bone, it adds the illusion of more refined brows, and a higher arch (something me and my brow- waxer have been working towards over the last 6 months!) so this helps give the illusion of that in the meanwhile. It's a 'linen pink' colour so it blends into pale skintones really well, and adds that extra highlight and dimension to perfect any eye look! Would really recommend this.

Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat; This was recommended to me by Cara over at Cara's Beauty Blog and since purchasing it a week ago I've put it on top of every nail look I've painted and it has completely transformed the way my nails look! I have other topcoats, but I was after a really super-glossy supershine topcoat that was fast drying and wouldn't break the bank. It dries within a couple of minutes and leaves the nails looking professionally manicured! Thanks Cara!

There's my March favourites, I don't do these often so I hope you've enjoyed it. What have you been loving lately? Let me know!