Bioscultpure experience! Plus a henna tattoo or two.

My friend who threads my eyebrows so marvelously has recently rented a space in a salon local to me. Things seem to be going well for her and I am so pleased, it's not often you find a thoroughly talented and knowledgeable beauty therapist (we've all had a bad experience with one whether it be leaving a wax appointment still with hairs on our legs or wonky eyebrows with a dodgy tint.)

She offered me a biosculpture treatment for free as she was training her sister. Obviously I jumped at the chance, my nails have gotten into an unkempt state recently and I was so thankful when I left with them looking 100% better. Biosculpture is just another brand similar to Shellac or Gelish. A gel treatment that doesn't offer extension, just a shiny coat on top of your existing nail length. My friend told me that Biosculpture helped nail growth and protected the underneath, so when I go for a soak off they will be in no worse state than when I came in. (I can assure you, I'm not sure it's possible for them to get into a worse state than they already were!)

I opted for the shade 'Prince' from the Royal collection. A turquoise, mid blue with sparkle running through it. I thought why not choose something different, and I've been really enjoying the colour! In the sun it looks like the sea on an exotic island- at least I can daydream that I am on holiday!!

I also left with a henna tattoo or two. Her sister is a trained henna artist and used natural brown henna, I've got a peacock feather on my right wrist and a mandala on my left arm. I love how they look a few days on, slirghtly worn and faded, that's the beauty of henna in my opinion.

Let me know if you have ever had Bioscultpure/Shellac/Gelish and which you think is best.

Thanks for reading,

E.

Daniel Sandler Waterproof Eyeliner Review

Daniel Sandler Long Lasting Waterproof Eyeliner in 'Purple Velvet', £9.24 for 0.35g here.

I was really looking forward to trying my first ever Daniel Sandler product. The makeup line is quite highly regarded and I've not read any negative reviews myself. I have been itching to try the Watercolour blush for years now and when my budget allows it, I know I'll be stocking up on a few.

'Purple Velvet' on the stock photo looked so vivid and beautiful. I had visions of a shock of purple blended into water and lashline, great for emphasising green eyes and something a bit different to what I am usually reach for. On first swatch I noticed that the purple is actually a deep aubergiene colour, perhaps a more sophisticated version of the electric purple I was expecting. It has fine silver glitter running through it and became opaque on my hand after three swipes.
The colour pay off is quite weak on my eyes in comparison to other pencils I own, I found I had to work quite hard for the colour to show up well, as the product seems more suitable for a slight wash of colour/liner rather than anything vivid or intense.  I had terrible trouble trying to apply this to my waterline, I got absolutely no colour pay-off after rubbing it on there several times before giving up. Slightly disappointing, but as this liner doesn't claim to be a 'kohl' I cannot be too disappointed and it shouldn't affect my review.

The liner can be quite easily smudged and softened, something quite unusual in a waterproof  product as they are normally a lot more stiff in consistency. This is an element to the liner that I really like. For me this works better as an eyeshadow crayon, something to be worked into a smokey eye or smudged to create a purple wash of shadow. Due to it's twist-up mechanism, the pencil can't be sharpened which I find also lends itself to being used as an eyeshadow crayon because it is hard to get a precise finish after it has been used a couple of times as there is no way to sharpen it.

In terms of it's waterproof claims, it performs quite well. I wore it on a 2k jog, which although isn't a long or gruelling run, definitely put it to the test. It remained intact with a little fade. Not bad!!

I had high expectations for this but it just doesn't deliver as an eyeliner in my opinion. I am glad however, that I have found a use for it. Due it it's soft crayon texture, and it's fantastic blendability, I will certainly be using it as an eyeshadow rather than a liner from now on. This slight disappointment hasn't put me off, I would definitely be interested in trying more Daniel Sandler products in the future. 

Thankyou for reading,

E.

This product was sent for me to review. Hairtrade.com is one of the UK's leading online retailers of hair extensions, hair care and beauty products. You can order this product by clicking here.

Summer cupcake NOTD!

Technic 'Carnival' available here for £2.05 for 12ml.

Illamasqua 'Loella' available here for £13.50 for 15ml.

Not one for nail art particularly but like a true magpie anything with glitter and I'm attracted to it! A few weeks ago when my bargainous Technic 'Carnival' glitter topcoat arrived through the post I rushed to my bedroom to pick out the perfect base colour. For the ultimate girly, party nail it had to be paired with Illamasqua's nail varnish in 'Loella'. It's a perfect candy pink with subtle pearl sheen, however the formula of this is gloopy, streaky and takes a long time to dry which is a shame, (however the colour is so gorgeous that I'm never really put off.)

The pictures show (base coat), two layers of 'Loella', two coats of 'Carnival' and a coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine top coat.

Limited Edition OPI Vintage Minnie Mouse Collection- Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It!

OPI LE Nail Varnish in 'Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It', £11.50 for 15ml.

I'd been waiting (albeit impatiently) for Lena White to launch this collection for days, so I ended up doing a quick search on Amazon and found that there was a few of these available. I ordered and was so excited when it arrived through the post on Friday! (FYI the collection is now live on Lena White)

I knew I needed this in my life, I'm a huge fan of Disney and Minnie Mouse though I'll be honest and say that the other three polishes in the collection didn't particularly catch my eye. 'Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It' is a glitter top coat with heart confetti. The polish itself is translucent with a very slight tinge of pink. The glitter is abundant in the polish and is very fine, it sparkles a gorgeous lilac pink colour when it catches the light. The heart confetti is fairly sparse in comparison and is medium sized and in the same shade of pink as the fine glitter. I've personally never seen a topcoat like this before and I absolutely love how unique and pretty it is.

Although the heart confetti is fairly sparse, it's actually not too difficult to get at least one heart per nail per layer. A little bit of skill may be needed here and there to get the hearts into a position you're happy with, but this was fairly easy especially if the bottle is shaken before application. I've read a couple of moany reviews about this from US bloggers, but I found the process really quite straightforward when I was expecting it to be quite frustrating. This certainly isn't an 'apply and go' polish, you do have to set a bit of time aside, but I personally think the results are completely worth it. 

At first I applied it on top of OPI 'That's Hot! Pink!' to achieve this look I applied two coats of 'Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It'. It was a bit of a rushed job and they ended up a bit gloopy as I didn't allow much drying time.

A day later I thought it'd be interesting to put it on top of Essie's 'Mint Candy Apple' and the results are a stunning finish that reminds me of a mermaids tail! The pink glitter and confetti compliment the aqua tones of Mint Candy Apple so well. Below shows one coat of 'Nothin Mouseie 'Bout It', which I think I actually prefer to two coats as it is a bit more understated. Apologies that my camera just didn't seem to pick up the glitter very well :-(

Overall, I'm super happy with this polish and cannot wait to try it on top of other colour combinations! I'd recommend it if you love sparkly, over the top nails! Snap it up while it's still available!

GOSH Bronzing Shimmer Powder!

GOSH Bronzing Shimmer Powder in '002 Pink', £8.19  for 9g.

Realising I hadn't bought anything from GOSH (aside from their glitter pots for nails) in a couple of years I thought it time I re-acquaintenced myself with the range exclusive to Superdrug in the UK. I used to be a big fan of their pressed powders back in the day, great for pale skin!

This is GOSH's version of the shimmer brick (similar products available from Bobbi Brown and 17 to name two), technically classed as a bronzing powder I wouldn't personally use it in this way as the colour strips are much more suitable to be used as a blusher on my complexion. The sparkle shimmer would not be appropriate if you're looking for a contour or all-over bronzing shade.

Initially there are some chunky glitter particles on the top surface of the product. These do translate onto the skin and aren't very flattering as they are green/irredescent and very obvious, however after the top surface has been used these chunky particles are no longer visible in the product. Instead, a more natural (yet still shimmery) sheen can be seen and the finish is much more satisfactory and wearable!

With primer and foundation I find this product wears well for about 6 hours. After this it does become a bit patchy and worn looking on my skin.

The colour you achieve when the product is swirled together is a dusty, dirty pink colour. It's nice for everyday, and is mostly flattering if you work indoors, as the sparkle on the cheeks isn't very flattering in summer weather. Instead, this could also be used in the evening to add a highlight to the cheekbones, or to add a little shimmer on top of a matte cheek colour.

The packaging is really impressive, I love how flat the product is, considering there's 9g of powder the case isn't bulky, instead it is sleek and protective. I like that you can see through the plastic to see the product inside, and my favourite is the click shut/push button mechanism. It keeps it secure and it so easy to use (so much better than Illamasqua packaging, does anyone else get really annoyed/break nails opening that stuff?!)

Overall I do like this product, and don't think it is too bad for the price. However I wouldn't recommend it as a bronzing powder, more a shimmer blush if you're after one that is a good everyday pink colour. It's nothing overwhelming or must have, but not a bad product from GOSH!! I also bought a lipstick and a nail varnish, so expect reviews to come on those :-)

Thanks for reading, have yourself a lovely Saturday! I'm back to cleaning and sorting stuff out now, we have Dan Smith (from LA Ink) staying with us next week and I want our place to be a bit more organised (I've been on a selling rampage on eBay!)

Barbie Nails ♥

TopShop Nail Varnish in 'Adrenalin', £6 for 8ml.

I saw this and obviously had to get it, meant to be on a polish ban as my storage shelf has overflowed onto my dresser and it looks unslightly so was hoping to refrain from anymore until I buy an extra storage shelf!

The varnish is a new addition to the TopShop collection and is a pound more than their standard core collection. With the right amount of time between layers, this formula has impressed me because I was expecting it to be gloopy and annoying like so many glitter polishes that are cheaper in price....however it dried fairly quickly (but do allow time when you're using this to avoid any smudge disappointment).

It's a sheer top-coat style polish with a mix of fine and larger round shaped silver glitter sparkles suspended within it. The sparkles catch the light, and a holographic shimmer bounces off (fairly similar to that of Models Own 'Juicy Jules')

It is so stunning, it has a very sheer wash of pink within it that builds a small amount of colour, but not much.

For those wondering, it doesn't seem far off OPI's 'Teenage Dream' from what I can make out. I always wanted that polish. Both have a tinge of pink in the polish, the size of the glitter parts do differ between the two, but it is pretty much a match.

So far I've tried it two ways, but I am looking forward to layering it over more pink shades and experimenting with it over a mint green...

One layer of 'Adrenalin' over Barry M's 'Peach Melba'.

Three layers applied over a sheer basecoat.
Unfortunately the polish only lasted a day on my nails before it began chipping (with topcoat.)

I'm a sucker for sparkles. Such a girl.....

Will you be buying this?

Boxing Day NOTD #NARS

NARS Nail Polish in 'Arabesque', £13.50 for 15ml.

Hello lovely girls! How are all of your food babies? My ever expanding belly is a little uncomfortable to say the least today!

Just a quick NOTD to show you my new NARS nail varnish from my boyfriend to me for christmas yesterday. It's my first NARS Nail Varnish and hopefully not the last!!

 

Anything pink and sparkly appeals to me, and this nail varnish is a sheer gloss with very fine ballet- pink glitter particles. The photos show about three layers of Arabesque on top of a layer of pink polish. As you can see, this week has not been kind to my nails and I bit most of 'em off. New week new start though, my nails will be looking good again in no time!

Did you all have a lovely christmas? I feel so lucky to have had Eve, Day and Boxing off work, it's been so nice to properly relax and enjoy the festive period. I made full christmas dinner yesterday from scratch, and was so proud of myself. Ben told me the roast potatoes were the best he'd ever tasted!!

We had potatoes roasted with fresh thyme and rosemary, honey roasted parsnips, yorkshire puddings (Ben had beef so that's the excuse for those!), sage and onion stuffing, braised red cabbage in balsamic vinegar, and brussel sprouts, peas, carrots and brocolli all baked in a cheese sauce.

Evening nibbles;

Can't wait to see some christmas pressie posts!

As for me, posts I have coming up include; LUSH, Illasmasqua, NARS, YSL, Benefit, Dainty Dolls (Nicola Roberts makeup line), and more. I think I'm also going to do a December favourites post as well this month.

GOSH Review #1 Nail Glitter

GOSH Nail Glitter in 05 Ruby Red, £3.99.

I love and need a solid sparkle nail as much as the next girl, but sad to say that this product was a disappointment. ( :( )

The GOSH stand in Superdrug was a mess but I managed to pick up the glitter pot '05 Ruby Red' and applied it that evening.

What is it? A loose glitter dust in a screw top pot (similar to Barry M Dazzle Dust). 

How do you use it? You apply a clear coat of nail polish onto the nail (though I don't see why you couldn't use any colour you like), dip the nail into the pot, dust off any excess.

Pros- The instant solid glitter is absolutely stunning. It caught the light and glimmered constantly, and I was absolutely chuffed with the result. It also removes easily, which surprised me! It was so seasonal and happy making....for about an hour...

Cons- It is a messy and time consuming process. The initial sparkly result is soon followed by it becoming mattified and dullened within a few hours wear. After 5 hours the tips of my nails had chipped (you can't use a topcoat as this seems to prevent the sparkle..I did try this!). Use of water or hand product seems to ruin the effect and parts of whatever you touch will become attached to the nail surface as it is rough rather than smooth (because of the lack of top coat) which of course also contributes to ruining the overall effect.
I don't really have the patience to try again but I had a thought on the train yesterday that perhaps a spritz of hairspray over the nails may seal them better and prevent chipping for a bit longer? Someone try it and tell me!!

I'm afraid I wouldn't recommend this product, it was such a shame because the initial effects were so beautiful! It's impractical because the process is quite fiddly and the effects don't last long enough to make it worthwhile.

My search for the perfect sparkle nail lacquer continues!! I might just get the Nails Inc Electric Avenue like I spoke of here, especially since there is 15% off cosmetics and fragrance at Debenhams at the moment!! 

Have you used this yet? Was your experience similar to mine?

Oh and come and say hello, here. :-)

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! :)