NOTW: Orange and White Floral Nail Art

It's been a while since I've had the time and patience to get myself inspired to do some nail art. But yesterday I decided to crack open my BarryM White Nail Art Pen and give my hot orange nails a pick-me-up. I went for a pretty basic floral design but I'm really pleased with how they turned out. I hope that this might inspire you to spice up your nails for the weekend. 

Food Post: Obsessed with Brownies!

Saying I'm obsessed with brownies feels like quite an understatement. Without fail, if there is a brownie on the menu, it's mine! I've decided to confess to the world my brownie obsession by making you all stare at the most gorgeous brownie that I gobbled up in minutes this afternoon. And of course it was perfectly accompanied with a generous ball of vanilla ice cream. Mmmmmmmm. Anyone know the number of Brownies Anonymous?

 

I also treated myself to a Sex On The Beach cocktail which is cocktail of choice after my much loved Woo Woo (but you can hardly ever find it on a cocktail menu, sad face). And they gave me two straws, result!

Hope you all enjoyed your weekends and aren't getting too jealous of my scrumptious brownie!

 

 



Lee Stafford Hot Shots Self Warming Ash Shampoo Treatment Review

 

Creating products for every kind of hair issue and style and appearing all over some of my favourite blogs, Lee Stafford's products are quickly becoming a firm favourite of mine among trendy hair products. With the hottest and boldest packaging around, I always manage to find myself drawn to the newest products that sit patiently on the shelf, waiting to be popped into my basket.

 

I have always favoured having blonde hair compared to my much more boring natural hair colour, but continually find it difficult keeping my blonde hair blonde and not the dreaded yellow that I'm sure most bleachers try to avoid. The Lee Stafford Hot Shot Self Warming Ash Shampoo Treatment for bleached hair contains warming ginger and promises to "knock out brassy, canary yellow tones" and leaving more ashy tones in it's place. In the past, I've used my fair share of shampoos and treatments to help combat yellow hair and have always been sceptical about how well they actually work. So when I picked up the Lee Stafford Hot Shots, I was of course unsure if I would see a difference in my hair, and at £7.49 for three small shots of sparkly, purple treatment (which is a little pricey for what you actually get) I figured it must be worth the price.

 

The next morning I decided to crack open and capsule and get started with the treatment. It recommends using it every other wash (I guess to help prevent against over treating and ending with grey-ish, lilac hair), and to shampoo your hair prior to using the treatment. Once I managed to get the treatment out of the capsule, which was annoyingly a lot more difficult than anticipated, I applied it mainly to the upper half of my hair, as that's where most of my yellowy tones were. After 20 seconds or so, I started to feel the "heat" which was actually more like a cool sensation which was more pleasant than I was originally expecting. Once the recommended time of 2 minutes was up, I rinsed out the treatment and applied my usual conditioner.

 

After blow drying my hair, I could see that the results were not mind blowing. I wasn't all of a sudden an ice queen. I did see some difference in the shades of my highlighted hair but there were still elements that were more yellow-toned. After using the remaining Hot Shots over the next four days, it was the same story. But even though the I didn't get the desired effect from the treatment, I had never used a self heating treatment before, so enjoyed trying this product out. I would just like to add, that even though this product didn't work for me, it hasn't deterred me from wanting to try out more of the Lee Stafford hair products as I'm currently using the Lee Stafford Everyday Blonde's Shampoo and loving it.



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Mean Girls 10th Anniversary Makeup Inspiration

 

 

 If you've spent anytime on Twitter today you must know, as it's been trending all day, that today is 10 years since Mean Girls was first released. You go Glen Coco! And with all the excitement surrounding this momentous occasion (yes, I am being half sarcastic), I was quite inspired to create a Mean Girls 10th Anniversary makeup look, and seeing as it's Wednesday today, it just HAS to be PINK!

 

To create this look, I headed straight for the new Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette which is full of gorgeous pink-toned eyeshadows that would definitely be up to Regina George's standards. I used Limit all over my eyelid with Buzz in the crease, then Dusk in the inner corner of my eye, with Factory lining the upper and lower lash line. I used the ever trusty Nars Deep Throat for a Karen-esque subtle and sexy flush and finished the look with Mac Creme Cup. For an evening look, I would have swapped Mac Creme Cup for the hot pink alternative, Mac Girl About Town.

 

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my Mean Girls 10th Anniversary inspired makeup look and are inspired to create your own. Now I'm off to celebrate with pizza and a film ... I'll give you three guesses which one.

Mac Odyssey Lipstick Review

Dark lips have been a serious make up trend for the past couple winters and it doesn't look like it's going to die down any time soon. So when I opened this little gem during a Secret Santa exchange with friends, I was utterly delighted.

MAC's Odyssey is part of the frosted line of lipsticks and is a berry colour with a hint of frost. I would normally stay away from frosted lipsticks as I'm not keen on the frosted look. It reminds me of some of my mums lipsticks from when I was a child which had so much frost, so at first I was a bit wary of what it might look like, but once I opened it up and saw how gorgeous the colour was, I was sold. Odyssey applies really easily to the lips without much precision needed. It's not as pigmented as the amplified range of lipsticks, but I quite like that as I think it makes a nice change from some of my other lipsticks.

Odyssey is a great start off lipstick for someone that wants to start using more berry-toned lipsticks but is wary of wearing darker shades. The texture of the lipstick isn't very hydrating and makes my lips feel quite dry when it starts to wear off so reapplication is necessary to keep the lips looking and feeling smooth.

Overall, I'm really happy with this lipstick and I am really pleased to add it to my MAC lipstick collection. I also want to say thank you to my Secret Santa for giving me this gorgeous lipstick!

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NOTW || Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! I don't usually celebrate Halloween but I like to make an effort to make it fun. This year I've decided to created some Halloween themed nail art. I got inspiration for this look from a photo I saw posted on Instagram (Follow me JennaDoesBeauty) and decided I just had to do it. Personally, I think this look isn't as good as I imagined I could have done it, but I still think it's a great idea for Halloween!

Have you created any Halloween themed nail art this year?

NOTW || Style and Money

Essie Stylenomics and Sally Hansen Gem Crush in Big Money

Lately I have been loving dark colours on my nails. I am truly obsessed with black-toned colours like Barry M Red Black and OPI Lincoln Park After Dark. 

For a while now, I have been on the hunt for a green black nail varnish, so picked up Essie Stylenomics on a shopping trip to Boots. I love the brushes on Essie nail varnishes, it helps the varnish apply beautifully and leaves a smooth and shiny finish. It took me the usual 2 coats to get my desired green/black finish.

I decided to add an accent nail, and what better to use than a glitter nail varnish. For this I used Sally Hansen Gem Crush in Big Money. I love this glitter nail varnish, it's so pretty with tiny gold and pale pink flecks. Although I love this varnish, I'm not looking forward to taking it off as glitter is notoriously difficult to get off but until then, I'll happily admire my nail creation.

Review || Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair with Liquid Keratin

Having coloured hair can really damage the condition of your hair. My hair is blonde and although I try to avoid using bleach, it still can become dry and brittle. Leave-in conditioners are a great way to help combat these hair emergencies and leave your hair looking and feeling great. Recently my hair has been in relatively good condition but with the colder and windier weather becoming the norm, and with the rise of central heating, my hair has been feeling noticeably dryer.

Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair with Liquid Keratin is a 200ml spray bottle filled with hair goodness to help target and repair damaged areas on the surface and deep inside the hair leaving it feeling smooth, silky and a with boost of shine. Personally, I think the packaging for this product is quite funky (yes, funky) as it's got pearlessent labelling. This spray contains Keratin, (which we must all know by now is the hairs structural protein) and contains liquid elements of silk for a smooth and shiny finish. Before using this product you have to shake it in order for solution mix together because it separates when left upright.

To use this product I apply a few sprays onto my wet hair after brushing it through and then blowdry. If my hair is particularly dry, I might spray it a few times after blow drying, and I must say, I do find there is a noticeable difference in the condition of my hair after using it. My hair feels a lot softer and smoother and is less likely to get knotty throughout the day, which means it's much easier to brush. I like this product, but I don't LOVE this product. It's good but it's not "OMG THIS IS AMAZING!", but my hair was never super dry to begin with. I would be quite interested to know how this product works on really brittle and dry hair as it's advertised.


My Hair after using Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair with Liquid Keratin. Hair blow dried only.



Have you got really dry, brittle hair? Would you use this product? What's your favourite leave-in conditioner?

Product Regrets || Seventeen Stay Time Long Wear Primer

It's not often that I write about products that I don't like. I would rather just chuck it in the corner of my make up collection and forget about it. But every so often a products come around and it's so awful and has nothing but bad qualities that I can't help but write about it.

Recently, I've been really interested in primers. After doing a bit of research I decided that I was going to buy the Smashbox Photo Finish More Than Primer Blemish Control which contains salicylic acid to help prevent bacteria from causing breakouts. But after visiting Boots and putting it into my basket, trying to justify paying £28 for a primer when I've never used a primer before, I put it back... with great difficulty of course. So I decided to have a look around to find some cheaper alternatives for my first ever primer. I came across the Seventeen Stay Time Long Wear Primer and decided to give it a try.

The bottle is really small and contains 20g of product, so I was a bit surprised when it rung up as £5.49 (somehow I thought it was cheaper when I picked it up). That's a lot of coins spent on something so small. As a primer virgin, I would have loved for the packaging to have contained some kind of directions of use. You might think it's pretty obvious but I like to know for sure. The first time I used it, I found it quite thick. It's also quite pale on the skin, which is fine for me as I'm fair skinned but I can imagine it wouldn't be great for more olive skin tones. But the thing I hate (yes, hate) the most about this product is that it is so difficult to blend and spread. It dries so fast into the skin that your left with unblended lines and an uneven look. But if you try to rectify it by attempting to blend it out, the primer actually peels off of you skin like dried up Prittstick glue. And don't even think about applying foundation over this because it is so noticeable! The foundation sticks to the patches of peeling primer leaving your skin looking like you have really bad dry patches all over you face. As for it being long wear, I didn't see any signs of my make up budging throughout the day, but would you sacrifice flawless looking skin for longevity?? I know I wouldn't. Who would want dry patchy skin to be long lasting??

I've used this primer twice and can safely say I will definitely not be using it again. I just amazed that it's managed to make it to Seventeen's shelves. This is hands down one of the worst products I have ever used but I hasn't turned me against using other primers in the future. I still have my heart set on the Smashbox Blemish Control Primer, but will have to save my pennies for that one.

Have you ever used this primer? What did you think about it? What are some of your product regrets?

Review || Sleek MakeUp Blush in Flushed

Anyone else finding it impossible to find good lighting lately?

Sleek MakeUp is quickly becoming one of my favourite brands when it come to blush. Whenever I pop into Superdrug I always check out their blush. Flushed was the first Sleek MakeUp blusher I bought. I loved the colour, packaging and the pigmentation was crazy, I just knew I had to have it. I've had this blush for probably a little over a year and you might notice that it hasn't had a lot of use. This is because of how pigmented the blush actually is. I've got quite pale skin, and as you can see in the picture, the blush is quite dark, so it's taken me quite a long time to get used to how much product I should use in order to not look like a clown. This blush has definitely taken a back burner in the last year, especially after buying Sleek MakeUp's most famous blush, Rose Gold (Review Here) and getting my first ever Nars Blush in Deep Throat. But being well and truly in Autumn, I decided to pick out a few autumnal make up products and I rediscovered this blush and thought I'd give it another go.

Flushed is a deep plum colour. It's advertised as leaving a matt finish but I'm convinced it has a slightly shimmer, which, to be honest, I'm quite happy about. The shimmer isn't very obvious but it does leave a slight cheek glow and giving you skin an overall radiant look. I apply this blush with my Real Techniques Multi-Tasking Brush but I'm sure any other blush brush would work fine. Like I've already said, this blush is really pigmented so I try to not to get too much on my brush. Luckily, it blends really well and leaves a really beautiful flush to my cheeks. This blush looks gorgeous with a bronze eye make up, I would recommend Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 Hour Cream Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze. I also think a nude or glossy lip looks great with this blush.

Have you used any Sleek MakeUp Blusher? What's your favourite blush for Autumn?

Blush applied with finger.

Blush blended with Real Techniques Multi-Tasking Brush.

Review || L'Oreal 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution

For what feels like years I've been seeing nothing but rave reviews of this L'Oreal 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution and how its a great dupe of the even higher rated Bioderma Sensibo H20 Micelle Solution and at a third of the price. So on a spur of the moment trip into my local Boots I decided to bite the bullet and try it out for myself.

Now, I am seriously the worst kind of beauty blogger because I am so lazy when it comes to cleansing my face before bed, and even though 9 out of 10 times I do remove my make up, I remove it with my all time favourite cleansing wipes by Simple, and leave it at that. So the biggest thing that drew me towards trying this new product was that I didn't have to wash it off, I could just apply it to a cotton pad and wipe it over my face.

This Purifying Miceller Solution claims to dissolve make up, unclog pores and remove impurities whilst toning and soothing skin. One of my favourite things about this solution is that it's not packed with loads of perfume's and colours. For me, there is nothing worse than putting something of your face that smells so strong of synthetic smelling perfumes or that smells like your smothering your face in chemicals. My skin is is quite sensitive as well so perfumed products are definitely a no no.

I'm not going to go on and on about this product because I will just end up repeating everything everybody else has said but I will say that I do love this product but I'm not completely converted to using this Purifying Miceller Solution alone. I still use my Simple Cleansing Wipes religiously and then use this product to remove any remaining make up and residue.

Do you love this product or swear by Bioderma?

Review || Jemma Kidd City Chic Eye Essentials in Bronzite

There's something about eyeshadow palettes that I truly love. I'm not sure if it's because you know all the shadows will go together so well or because they look so pretty packaged with one another. I got this Jemma Kidd eyeshadow palette last Christmas but only used it a few times as I didn't wear much eyeshadow at the time. But recently I've been pulling this eyeshadow quintuplet out of my collection more frequently.

The packaging of this palette is really lovely. It has quite a chic and classy look with an all black background and a matt leaf/feather design. I also love the black and pink combination. The palette itself is very sleek so will easily fit into a makeup bag or even a handbag. The inside of the palette has a long mirror which is great if your applying on the go or want to check out a closer look of your eye masterpiece. All of the colours are really pigmented so it's easy to create some gorgeous looks with this palette epecially for Autumn as the colours have warm undertones. The eyeshadows themselves are soft and have great staying power. The palette also came with a double ended brush but I threw that away, as I never use them.

This palette has five gorgeous shimmery, neutral toned colours. My favourites for an every day look are Copper, which is the slightly pinky colour, and I apply this to my eyelid up to the crease and then use Pewter, which is the taupey colour, and I use this for the crease. It creates a lovely look that compliments my eye colour. I also use this palette for a more dramatic look for those few and far between evenings out. For that look, I use the Pewter colour all over up to the crease, then I use the Rich Brown colour for the crease and then add a tiny bit of Black Shimmer to the outer corner to give it a bit of depth.

(Swatches L-R) Cream, Copper, Pewter, Rich Brown and Black Shimmer.

I recently did a FOTD post using this palette, if you want to check that out, click here.

Jemma Kidd's makeup range can be quite difficult to find as I don't think they are making products anymore but you can still get them online or in shops like TK Maxx where mine was from.

 

NOTW || Essie Cocktail Bling

 

I have been dying to get some colour on my nails after treating them with the Rimmel Nail Nurse Nail Treatment for 2 weeks. Especially after posting about my Autumn Nail Collection! And if you read that post, you will most definitely recognise this nail varnish. If you didn't, click here to see what I thought.

Update || Rimmel Nail Nurse Nail Treatment



First things first, if you have read my original post then you can read it here. I'm now on my 14th day of this nail treatment and I've just removed the treatment from my nails. I can definitely feel a difference in the strength of my nails. They are a lot less flexible than they were prior to using the treatment. I haven't noticed any early signs of peeling which is great because before using this treatment, peeling nails were my biggest nail worry. As you might be able to see in the picture below, my nails are still slightly stained but I think that's the kind of thing that has to be buffed off or grown out.

 

If I'm being honest, I think this nail treatment has worked better than I thought it would. Especially as it was only £4.49 from Boots. And now I'm off to paint my nails with one of the lovely autumn colours that featured in my Autumn Nail Collection. 

 

 



FOTD || Autumn Chic

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Seasonal Nail Collection || Autumn

Autumn is by far my favourite season. There is nothing more pleasant than the sound of  rain on the windows, getting into your pj's early and sipping on a hot chocolate and watching the leaves change. Not to mention the chunky knits, knee-high boots and tartan print. But today I'm showing you what nail varnishes I'm most looking forward to wearing this Autumn.

 First up is Essie's Cocktail Bling which is a blue/grey colour with a hint of lavender. It's a great colour for the seasonal transition from Summer to Autumn as it's quite a neutral colour and isn't exclusive to just one season. It's also good if you don't like wearing dark varnish on your fingernails but want a colour that symbolises the season. Personally, I think it is a gorgeous colour and is a great representation of the Autumn sky (so poetic, haha).

 Next is Barry M's Red Black (115) which just as it's name describes, is a very dark blood red. Darker colours, especially with deep berry tones are really popular in Autumn and this is a great nail varnish to achieve an on trend nail look. I love this sexy vampire like colour and think it will be a hit for me this Autumn.

OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark is a nail varnish that I think most people will have heard of as it's one of OPI's best sellers. Looking at it in the bottle, it's looks black but when applied you can clearly see that it's dark purple. It's a really chic colour and I can definitely understand why it's so popular. It's a deep plum colour so slots in great with the Autumn berry trend.

Look Beauty Nail Pop in City is a grey/taupe colour which is really popular colour for Autumn. It's a darker yet neutral colour which works perfectly with the seasons trends. Again, it's a great colour for those people that don't like wearing to much of a dark colour on their nails.

Barry M's Raspberry is one of my all time favourite nail varnishes. Every year since discovering it I can't wait for the Autumn months to sneak in so I can start wearing it. It's a gorgeous red berry colour and bang on trend when it comes to this season. One of my very first NOTW posts was about this nail varnish. You can check it out here.

Last up is Essie's Penny Talk and the only metallic nail varnish in this collection. It's a very pretty copper colour, thus being great for this season. I am yet to use this colour but I think it will definitely get it's fair share of use this Autumn.

As you might be able to tell, I can't wait to use all of these gorgeous nail varnishes. I love them all so much that I'll probably have them on a weekly rotation. I would love to know what your Autumn Nail Collection looks like so feel free to leave me a link to a similar post.