Nail Tutorial: Scalloped Nails

I am in no way a professional here however I do like nail polish and every so often I dabble in nail art only to be defeated by shaky hands and impatients. However, I thought I would share this scalloped inspired nail tutorial as it is so easy but effective at the same time. It has people going 'ohhhh how did you do that?!'

Firstly, apply a base coat. This is not essential if you only paint your nails a few times a year for special occasions however it is for someone like me to prevent staining. I have the O.P.I. Nail Envy which also helps to strengthen the nails. You then need to pick three other colours that have a high opacity and complement each other. All my nail colours didn't have any shimmer or glitter to them which I think makes the overall look more effective. My base colour was Ciate's paint pot in Bon Bon and my other colours were both  Maxfactor mini nail polishes in Soft Toffee and Cool Jade.

Apply your chosen nail colour to your nails until you reach an opaque finish, I chose a muted/dusky lilac colour and applied two coats before letting it dry fully.

Then, taking your second colour get your brush with a lot of product on the end and 'blob' it near the base of the nail to create the circular scallop and drag your brush up towards the tip. A thin circular brush is perfect for this (I normally hate these brushes) however if you have any fat and flat brushes just turn them 90 degrees to the thinnest part to apply the polish. Repeat this step going closer and closer to the tip every time to create the scalloped effect. This took four stages on each of my nails but may take more or less depending on how wide your nails are or how thick you want the scallops. 

Repeat the above steps with your third chosen colour, I chose a soft jade just for a bit more vibrancy but as it was still muted I felt it tied in well with the other colours. Apply your top coat and you're done :)

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and be sure to try it because it is so quick to do. Please do send me any pics of your attempt via twitter.

Hayley xxx

How To Style: Official Olympic Scarf

After seeing this scarf in a magazine I decided to get the official paralympics version because I thought of no better way for me to show my support and enthusiasm for the games, both team GB and paralympics GB. I am not a huge sports person however I do love a good old celebration as everyone is in high spirits. I then saw photos of different people wearing them in different ways so I thought I would do this post for inspiration as the opening ceremony is tomorrow. I know I primarily am a beauty blogger however it's nice to spice things up every so often. Directly below is a picture of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge sporting the same scarf and the following pictures are of how I would style it. I like to wear a plain top, jeans and a black leather jacket with this scarf as it accentuates the colours.

Hayley xxx

Glossybox: July 2012

This is just going to be a quick post to give you a sneak peak of what I received in my July Glossybox. The theme of this one is surrounded by festivals and includes five samples plus a bonus product. Also, as a quick side note, my camera has gone to repairs so I am borrowing a snazzy DSLR which will greatly improve picture quality for the next few weeks.

Probably the most disappointing thing I received in my box was yet another perfume. I don't mind getting the odd sample here and there however I have for every single box I have got so far whereas other peoples boxes haven't. This may have been something to do with my profile as you can select sample preferences and I had selected 'all'. I have since narrowed it down to only skincare, makeup and haircare. Anyway, this is the Bex London  Londoner Urban Fragrance which actually smells ok however the full size bottle is a whopping £8.

This is the Paul Mitchell Moisture Mist which I was quite excited about as moisture/cooling/refreshing sprays are something I have wanted to try ever since the infamous Caudalie Beauty Elixer came onto the scene. This one has a bit of a twist however as it can be used on  both the skin and hair which is great for the summer. The full size is a reasonable £9.25 for 250ml and the sample I have is a very generous 100ml. The smell isn't in your face at all and I look forward to giving this a go.

Above is the Jelly Pong Pong Lip Frosting which is a multifunctional cream gloss which can be used on the lips and cheeks. I have used it on the lips and it gives a nice sheer colour however seems too greasy to be used as a blush however I have yet to test it on my cheeks. Mine is the Irish cream pavlova scent which smells delicious. This is priced at £10 for 15ml which I think is quite a lot for a mediocre gloss.

I was very excited to receive an eye gel in my box as I don't yet use eye creams because I deem myself too young. However prevention is the best cure and I planned to start using an eye cream/gel casually once I found one that was light, decent and not overpriced. This Monu eye cool gel claims to revive and tone tired eyes as well as reduce puffiness (which I don't especially need) and dark circles (which I really do need.) The sample is  20ml which is actually more than the full sized version which is just £15 ml and priced at £16.95. This is one of the reason why I love Glossybox as I get to try great products that I usually would not spend my money on.

This is the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse  which is basically a dry oil which you can apply to your face, hair and body. I plan to save this to use in the Autumn/Winter months as my skin gets dry (and when I say dry I mean extremely dry!) If you were to purchase this product yourself it would set you back £17.50 for  50ml.

The last product I received was the bonus product which was a trio of Elizabeth Arden products. I got the Gentle hydrating Cleanser, the Optimizing Skin Serum and the Gentle Hydrating Cream SPF 15 which are all part of the Visible Difference skincare range. I look forward to using these and if you present the card at any Debenhams Elizabeth Arden counter you receive a free deluxe sample which I will definitely try and get my hands on.

That's it for the Glossybox round up. I have seen some other boxes which included the HD bows kit which I was so jealous of because I wasn't a subscriber last year when it got put in the boxes and really wanted it then. Ohhh well my brows will have to endure the MUA clear mascara for a little while longer. What was in your Glossybox that wasn't in mine?

Hayley xxx

NOTD #6: Petrol Nails!

Ever since the release of Chanel's Peridot, other brands such at Ciaté and Models Own have released 'petrol' inspired duo chrome shades. After looking at swatches online they were all proved to be identical which drove me to find Topshop's version. I knew I had seen a Topshop nail polish similar to Peridot however my tiny stored only had basic shades on offer. So when I went to a larger store I quickly snapped up the shade 'Hidden Treasure'. Even my boyfriend was urging me to buy it because of how cool it looked in the bottle, you know you are on to a winner when a male is impressed by a nail polish!

This polish was priced at £6.00 which I think is very decent as you only need two coats for full opacity. I have had no chips for five days now and it is still going strong which is amazing. I haven't tried any other Topshop nail polishes but after this one, I am keen to try them out. I have decided to add  few more pictures than normal to this NOTD as it was hard to capture its true colour and beauty!

In a lot of light, this polish on your nails can look either predominantly green or goldy orange however in some lights you can really see the mix of blue, green, yellow and orange which makes it look a lot like an oil slick.

I hope you don't mind such a long blog post for one nail varnish but I thought it deserved it as I can stop looking at my nails and I have had so many compliments. What is your current nail polish fav?

Hayley xxx 

 P.s. I know these pictures aren't of the best quality however my camera is playing up and  need to take it back :( Thank god it is still within its one year warranty! 

My Current Wishlist #2

Top Left: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation Top Right: Naked 2 Palette (really can't decide which I prefer, the original or the second??)

 Bottom Left: No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water Bottom Middle: Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Emerveillé Bottom Right: MeMeMe Beat The Blues Face Illuminator in Moonbeam

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

Revlon are quickly becoming my favourite high street make-up brand. I love the colourstay foundation as well as their eyeliners, eyeshadows and lipsticks. I never really used to gravitate towards lip products because frankly, I am far to lazy to re apply and check for smudging or lipstick on teeth situations... Since the release of the Lip Butters which are a more moisturising lip balm/ lipstick hybrid, I have really been getting into a bit of colour on my lips. As soon as I heard about these balm stains I knew I was in for a winner. Moisture + long lasting colour = lip perfection.

I ventured into superdrug only to find they were all sold out minus the colour Crush (a browny mauve) which didn't really float my boat. I decided to take a look in Boots and there were only a few of each so I quickly grabbed the colour Honey. The boots website and the actual store seem to sell slightly different colours as Honey isn't on the website however six other lovely shades are (lovesick I am looking at you). The name Honey to me suggests a browny toned maybe peacher shade but in reality it is more of a dusky, rose pink. It is one of the most subtle and mature shades out of the collection however as I am just venturing into the world of lip products I thought I would go with the safe option and I am in no way disappointed.

From the picture above you can probably see why these stains have been compared to the Clinique Chubby Sticks. In looks they are nearly identical however in consistency they are different. I haven't tried the Chubby Sticks however from what I have read they are unscented and a little bland compared to the minty and vibrant Revlon balm stains. 

The formulation is slightly waxy and very smooth which gives a moisturised sheen to the lips. You can either apply the product very sheerly or pack the product on to create a rather opaque colour. I would say the colour lasts a good five to six hours (being optimistic) before you need to reapply which is brilliant for such a moisurising lip balm. I guess this is thanks to the built in stain (why is this property not put into every lip product?!)

Above is the colour Honey applied to the lips as well as swatches. I love these so much that I will definitely be picking up more. They are priced at £7.99 which is great however in both Superdrug and Boots they are on offer for £2 off which is even better!

Have you tried these yet? Which colours would you recommend me to try next?

Hayley xxx