NOTD #8 | Winter Tale |

Just as I jump feet first back into blogging I come back home and realise I left my camera at Uni. Fail! This won't stop me though so for this week the photos I upload will be taken on my phone. I know, not the best quality but it will do for now.

No7 'Winter Tale' is what I have on my nails today and it's actually quite a hard colour to describe. I would say it's a muted purple, grey, blue colour and that is one thing I love about some of the No7 nail varnishes, they are so original! Seeing as it's meant to snow in England tonight I think it's a very apt nail colour and I love it.

I find the No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colours to last for 5-7 days with a good top coat which is what I would expect for paying £6. Also, I normally get them when there is a 3 for 2 on No7 in Boots which is quite often. They dry fairly quickly and appear glossy when dried so I have nothing really bad to say about them.

Off I go now to sit by the fire and hope for snow tonight!

NOTD #7: Jazzed Pink

I love painting my nails. I find it almost therapeutic and relaxing to take half an hour once or twice a week to give myself a mini manicure. For a base coat I always use the O.P.I. Nail Envy and at the moment I am also using it as a top coat as I am on the hunt for a good and inexpensive replacement. Any suggestions will be hugely appreciated!

For a base I applied the No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in the shade Pinky Pure. This takes three thin coats to achieve an opaque colour which isn't ideal but it gives a really chic, manicured feel. To jazz it up a bit I decided to layer two coats of the Miss Sporty Sparkle Touch Nail Varnish which has multicoloured glitter particles mixed in and goes with literally any polish. I love this combination which lasts on the nails for around seven days due to the glitter top coat which helps to prevent chips more than one without glitter. The only thing I dread about glitter nails is the painfully long process of taking it off once it starts to chip! Someone really needs to invent something that makes it less taxing :P

You can purchase the pink nail colour here and the glitter polish here. Hope you enjoyed this quick nails post! :)

Hayley xxx

July Favourites

This month I have purchase a few new things which I have loved so I thought there would be no better way of showing you than a favourites post.

I have been looking for the perfect bronzer for a while now as I own the Bourjois 'Chocolate' Bronzer however I found it a bit too orange to be worn all year round. When I was looking at the No7 make up with a £5 voucher in my hand I stumbled across the Starfish Bronzing Powder. There are two sizes, a matte dark shade and a light, shimmery shade and when both are mixed together, gives a beautiful 'sunkissed' glow and makes me look more alive. Even though the packaging is plastic and doesn't feel very luxurious, it holds a mirror which is really useful and the starfish design adds a nice touch. I really love this product and I have been using it literally every day of July on the days I wore make up.

I have been loving lip products this month and the three that I have been rotating are the Revlon Colourburst Lipbutter in Peach Parfait, the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain in Honey and the Bourjois 3D Effect Lipgloss in Corail Idyllic. Peach Parfait is a shimmery peach shade which is very subtle, but gives a bit of oomph to your lips. (If you are a glitterphobe you will hate this!) It is similar to the Bourjois Lipgloss but a bit more opaque and deeper in colour. My favourite is possibly the Revlon Balm Stain as it stays on all day and the colour can be worn with any outfit or make up combination.

On a day to day basis I don't tend to wear foundation and save it for evenings, events or bad skin days. However, I have worn the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in the shade Universal Glow nearly every day. I must admit, it adds hardly any coverage which I personally like as my skin is blemish free most of the time. When I first squirted it onto my hand to apply it, I nearly ran for the hills as the shade I have comes out literally orange. I have found that using my fingers to apply it works best and once you work it into the skin, it gives a lovely radiant glow. As it is summer and I have a slight tan (which is still fairly pale), it does not look orange on my skin at all so darker skin tones will definitely get on well with it, however in the winter I am not sure I would be able to get away with it so I might look into getting the colour Light. This is my first dabble into BB creams and so far I really like them and am interested in any others if you have any suggestions.

Another product I have used and used in the month of July is the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze. I use my fingers to apply this to my lid and lower lash line then use another favourite, the e.l.f. bamboo bending eye brush to blend out the edges. This creates such an easy eye look with a bit of eyeliner and mascara but I always get compliments on it!

Left to Right: Honey, Corail Idyllic, Peach Parfait, Starfish Bronzing Powder,  On and On Bronze

So, that is the round up of my favourites this month and I have really enjoyed all of the products I mentioned. Above I have included swatches which I hope you like as personally, I really enjoy posts that include a lot of photos and swatches. I am impressed with the make up Revlon and Maybelline are producing at the moment as they aren't brands that have stood out to me before.

Hayley xxx

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

NOTD #5: Jubilee Nails

For the Queens Diamond Jubilee I decided to join in with the festive spirit in the best way I know how... Nail polish! I didn't do a full Union Jack on my accent nail because it was just too fiddly and I thought it turned out pretty well for my first attempt at nail art. I used my favourite red (No7 Ruby Charm, Limited Edition) over the majority of my nails then painted both my ring fingers with a Collection 2000 Hot Looks nail polish in 13 Vogue for the royal blue. The only white I had was old and gloopy so I used a grey which worked fine (No7 Tip Toes, Limited Edition). For the red in the center of the flag I poured a tiny amount of polish out and used a toothpick which worked well, a nail art pen would have made a smoother line however I kind of like the effect it gave.

I hope you like my festive nails and try it out for yourself :)

Hayley xxx

April Favourites

Above are two of my favourite brushes for the month from Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman. The top one is the Contour Brush which enables a really great, well blended contour and bronze. The one below is the Deluxe Crease Brush which for me, is the best brush for concealer because it's just like a mini buffing brush which blends concealer under my eyes seamlessly. In a few posts time there will be a review all about these brushes and others in the collection so keep your eyes peeled :)

I bought this Bourjous felt-tip eyeliner a while ago on a whim but never really used it because gel eyeliner had taken over. However, I have found that the pointed shape means that you can just place the pen on the outer corner of your eye and pull inward to create a perfect mini wing. I am not a fan of long winged liner but I feel just a little stubby one can really make your outside lashes look much fuller so I have been loving that look this month!

On an every day basis, teamed with the eyeliner I use the No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara because it gives me full, thick lashes but nothing too crazy for the day time. The actual brush itself is really unique and I tried to photograph it but it just came out as a black blob. One third of the wand length ways are shorter plastic bristles, the next third has long bristles for more length and then the last third has sort of small paddles which really add volume. The tip of the wand also has bristles coming out of it like a ball so its great for building up the outer lashes. It's pretty hard to explain so I guess you'll just have to do and take a look at Boots but I really love this mascara for both the wand and the consistency as you can layer it without it looking clumpy or spidery.

I know what you're thinking...'Why on earth would you wear bright pink eyeshadow?' I thought exactly the same thing when I received this sample of one of the No7 Stay Perfect eyeshadows in Antique Rose No#42. I thought it would have been more of a blush colour however when you swatch it, the pink hardly transfers which leaves a lovely neutral golden shade which is actually really subtle and nice for every day wear. I will include swatches at the end of my this post if you really don't believe me :P

Lastly, this is the Collection 2000 Cream Puff Lip Cream in the colour Cotton Candy. I bought this last month because of the really opaque colour but once I got home I was hugely reluctant to wear it because of  the smell. It's a really sweet, sickly, vanillery, strong smell which some people may love but I think it just smells too artificial. I do love this thought because of the colour and the consistency. It applies really creamy then once it drys it doesn't transfer like a lipstick which I really look for in lip products because I don't want to have to check my lips and teeth every few minutes for colour. I want to get more of these but at the moment they only do two other colours. Do you know of any other brands which do a similar product?

As i promised before, here are a few swatches of the products I mentioned. The first is the eyeshadow and as the photo shows it's a great all over lid, sheer wash of colour which I love. The next one is the felt tip liner and the last in the lip cream. As you can see, the colour is so opaque and rich!

I hope you have enjoyed my second ever monthly favourites!

Hayley xxx

Top 5 Spring Nail Polishes

Those eagle- eyed of you would have seen the title and expected a picture of five nail polishes not four however my first spring favourite is one that I have ran out of recently. It was a limited edition No7 polish in the colour Top Toes and even though it was a tiny 4ml bottle, I am rather impressed that I have actually finished a nail polish! The colour is a very natural, light taupe shade with no shimmer to it and I can safely say it is my all time favourite colour. It's appropriate for all year round and looks sophisticated on the nails giving off slightly different hues in different lights. If anyone can recommend me a similar shade based on my limited description please do not hesitate to comment below!

Anyway, on with the first polish in the picture above.. This infamous Barry M nail paint is in the shade #317 Blue Moon and looks almost matte however does in fact have really tiny blue shimmer throughout which is hardly noticeable. This shade is perfect for the spring as it fits the trend of pastels and makes blue a very wearable colour to sport on your nails. For an opaque colour two coats is necessary and I find it lasts a good four to five days with a good top coat which I think is pretty decent. 

My next pick of the bunch is another Barry M nail paint in #308 Berry. It's not at all a berry shade but more of a lilac which also fits in the the pastels trend. I find Barry M has an amazing colour range at a great price, the consistency and longevity on your nails isn't too bad either. Downsides of this brand include that some are hit and miss in terms of opaqueness with some having to apply 3 coats to create the desired effect. Also, the brush isn't for me. As I said in my 'Nails of the Day' post a few days ago, I prefer larger, flat brushes to apply my polish however these are small and thin.

I'll not go on too long about my next polish as I featured it in my last 'Nails of the Day' post which you can read here. Mango Madness by e.l.f. is the only bright colour I have featured but makes me happy whenever I look down at my nails and excited for the summer. All e.l.f. nail polishes are only £1.50 and great value seeing as this colour stayed on my nails for 5 days before a tiny chip appeared!

My last spring nail polish is Pinky Pure by No7 and I picked this up recently with a £5 off voucher that Boots give out when you make a purchase of £5 or more. Like Mango Madness and Berry there is no shimmer to the polish and it's the prefect pink to wear for a bit of subtle colour. It's really fast drying however a massive con is that you have to apply three or four coats to achieve an opaque colour. This makes the whole process of application really long as you have to wait til each coat is perfectly dry before applying the next or else it gets ruined easily. In saying this, the colour is lovely and does stay on your nails without chipping for a good six days if you're careful.

So that's my roundup of my favourite spring polishes, do you have any you'd like to recommend for me to try?

March Favourites

I know this is a little late but I thought it might be nice to show you my March Favourites. The Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake is my most recent purchase and has managed to wriggle its way into my favourites. I'm not going to bang about it for too long as I recently wrote a blog post all about it so go and check that out if you are interested.

                                     

Below is the No7 Translucent Pressed Powder and due to the warmer weather at the beginning of the month I have used this every day since. I have normal to dry skin so in the colder months I don't feel the need to powder however as it gets warmer I like to take it just through my T zone to take away any shine. This compact is brilliant for that and as you can see from the picture I have severely hit pan. I will be repurchasing this once it runs out after I've tried the Rimmel Pressed Powder as I have heard many good things.

My last make-up item is the Sleek Storm eyeshadow palette. For my brows nearly every day I use a tiny bit of black mixed with the lightest matte shade on the top row to create the perfect ashy colour. I dont wear eyeshadow on my eye lids day to day however on a night out I always use the browns and champagne colour to create a smokey eye. They are so easy to blend and are so pigmented which is why I love them!

For my brows and to add definition to my eyes I always use the e.l.f. small angled brush. It distributes exactly the right amount of product and because its not still like a lot of angled brushes, you are able to smudge eyeshadow across the lash line really easily. 

I think dry shampoo is the products that almost everyone owns. I used to wash my hair every day but felt it was getting too damaged so I tried the Tresemme instant refresh dry shampoo and I have never looked back! It gives loads of volume to the roots, smells great and doesn't leave white patches in your hair (*cough* Batiste).

Lastly, as I said before I have quite dry skin and I keep this Avon hand and nail cream in my bag/ on my desk/ wherever I go. I really like the smell because it isn't too strong and it's really moisturising as it contains glycerine. It sinks into your skin really well and makes your hands feel baby soft :)

 That's it for my March favs, I'd love to know products you've been loving this month  :)

TAG: 7 Deadly Beauty Sins

GREED

What is your most inexpensive beauty product?

That would have to be my e.l.f. nail polishes. They are only £1.50 and I believe when I bought them, I had an amazing code for 50% off. Here are the colours Purple Pleaser (which is more of a raspberry shade) and Medium Red (which is errrr...a medium red :P ) Truthfully, they aren't the best quality nail polishes however with a good base and top coat, I can get them to last about four or five days without chipping which is pretty good for 75p :)

What is your most expensive beauty product?

I am assuming perfume counts as beauty here so that is my Miss Dior eau de parfum. For only 30ml, the bottle was around the £50 mark from what I can remember but I just adore the scent for in the evenings. 

WRATH

What product do you have a love/hate relationship with?

This one is easy and I am sure I will have a lot of people who agree with me on this one. The powder 'chocolate' bronzer by Bourjois is no doubt my go to bronzer for every day, however the pigmentation some days is awful. Some times I feel that is gives the right amount of warmth in my face but other times I feel that it is too orange, and not pigmented enough for it to be easily blended out.

What was your most hard to find product?

Generally, that would be avon products. My favourite is this lip cream of theirs which I use all through the day, every day. I am dreading the moment it runs out as  you can see by the packaging, it was limited edition to the christmas collection and I haven't seen it since. So if anyone comes across it, please leave a comment!

GLUTTONY

What are your most delicious beauty products?

I received the Marc Jacobs Daisy luminous body lotion as a gift and I just love it. The packaging is amazing and the lotion smells just like the Daisy perfume which is delicious in itself! To add to this, it has a tiny bit of shimmer to it which is great in the summer on a night out. It is just beautiful :)

SLOTH

What products do you neglect due to laziness?

I could go on four ages on the products I neglect. Some days I just opt for some moisturiser and mascara but the products I really rarely reach for are lipsticks and lipglosses. I love wearing them for short amounts of time but I hate having the hassle of reapplication. I do wear lipstick way more than lipgloss in saying that but for every day, I usually just reach for a lip balm. I am thinking that maybe the Revlon lip butters will sway me. Anyone else excited about their release in the UK next week? 

PRIDE 

What product gives you the most confidence?

I have pretty good skin but dark blue/purple tones under my eyes so I would say a corrective concealer would give me the most confidence. In saying this, if I was to walk out the house with just concealer on I would never feel complete without mascara. I feel that mascara just makes me more awake and ready for the day when used with eyelash curlers so I think it would have to be mascara :)

LUST

What attributes do you find attractive in the opposite sex?

As everyone has been saying, this is such a random addition tot he tag. However I do like a man who can make me laugh (cliche I know, but so important). Physically, I like a nice smile and someone with a nice upper body to hug me and keep me safe :)

ENVY

What products would you like to receive as a gift?

Oooo where do I begin?! I would love to receive MACs harmony blush becayse it sounds great of pailer skins. I would also love the Bourjois highlighter as well as maybe a few essie nail polishes thrown in for good measue :)