Mani Monday!

Hi hi hi (: 

Manicure Monday comes in the form of these little bargain buys from Primark Beauty. I actually got them quite a while back so these one's aren't readily available in stores right now, although if you search around on Ebay and Amazon you might find them. However, they are currently selling a pastel set and a lovely collection of blues so for £2, I think you should go and see for yourself. 

The set doesn't have a name, I'd say they were all jewelled colours. It includes a purpley blue, a blue/ pink/ purple glitter, a silver glitter which has various sequins in, and a glittered bronze. My favourite would be the silver polish, as it's really thick (gives the illusion of a gel nail) and it only requires 2 coats to get an even finish. 

They're all pretty different polishes in regards to consistency, texture and pigments which is quite odd but it is Primark and you get what you pay for. 

• Purpley Blue Polish- This is probably the one I wouldn't buy if it was sold seperately. It looks really rich in colour in the bottle but once it's on the nail it's almost invisible. It required 4 coats to get the colour in the photo, therefore took quite a while to dry. In fact, it took the best part of an hour to completely dry, this is no good if you're looking for a quick fix. 
• Blue/ Pink/ Purple Polish- I really like this varnish as it only took 2 coats to get an even finish and dried really quickly. It's a pretty standard glitter nail polish at the end of the day.
• Silver Glitter Polish- Not only is this my favourite of the set, but one of my favourite glitter varnishes in my collection. Like I said, it applies thickly so it looks like I've had it done professionally, but it also dried pretty quick. Bonus! 
• Bronze Glitter- I use this quite regularly because it's such an versatile shade to wear. It's easy to wear this from day to night and it doesn't chip that easily either. I wish they sold this individually!  

I'd definitely recommend getting yourself a set of these. Yeah okay, they're not the best quality but you get 4 pretty decent nail varnishes for a measly £2. 

£2!

XXX

Mani Monday & Jungle Fever!

Hello (: Jenn here! 

We're really sorry about our lack of posts lately, we've both been stupidly busy so you'll just have to forgive us for the time being. 

Got a double whammy for you today, with a nail polish review (it's Manicure Monday!) and a quick outfit post which I haven't done for ages because the weather is so messed up ): 

Today our manicure comes in the form of Sinful Colors, an American brand which Boots stores all over the UK have now claimed. I've never heard of this brand or of their collection before so after spotting this absolutely lovely shade, and after seeing they are only £1.99 each, I was quick to grab it. 

 The colour of this caught my eye immediately, I don't have many greens in my own collection but this looked very refreshing and fit for spring. This one is called Pistachio and is slightly more vibrant than these photos suggest. 

Pro's 

• It's £1.99 and the bottle is quite big so you're getting a lot for it. 
• Highly pigmented, needs 1-2 coats (2 is really pushing it though)
• Dries reasonably quick, give it about 5 minutes. 
• I've done loads today and it still hasn't chipped, yay! 

Con's 

• Quite a gloopy consistency, so you have to make extra effort to wipe off the excess before applying. 
• Leaves slight track marks but it's quite easy to fix so that's not a massive issue. 

I really, really like this nail polish and I like it even better because it's so cheap and it doesn't lack in quality which most expensive brands seem to. There are 70 shades in the Sinful collection and they all look beautiful. You can find them here or at your local Boots store. Go, run! 

I also mentioned at the beginning of this post that I have a look for you, but it's just a really quick one (: So, it's stopped snowing (finally!) and the sun is starting to come out, kinda, and I can now go out without wearing my biggest coat which makes me very happy. 

Leopard print batwing t shirt- Topshop 

Jeggings- Next

Brown leather boots- River Island

Brown leather jacket- New Look

Alright, so it's not warm enough to go out completely without cover but my favourite leather jacket does the job perfectly. (I also wore it in this post!)

You can find it here in brown and mink for only £39.99. 

Have a lovely day (: 

XXX

Mani Monday! Nails Inc 'St. James'

I've got quite a love/ hate relationship with Nail Inc, here's why. Their average bottle is about £11, right? That's pretty standard for a high-end nail varnish these days and I wouldn't mind paying this in the slightest if the quality matched up to price but I just find that it doesn't. I'm not a pampered princess, I don't (and can't) sit around the whole day doing absolutely nothing, so I'm quite hands on. I have found with every Nails Inc polish i've used that it chips at the most mundane of things, like washing up for example. This isn't good enough for varnish over a £10 (I personally don't even think that's good enough for anything over £5!) 

But anyway, I got St James free in a magazine quite a while ago and the colour is divine. This is where the love for this brand comes from, as all of their shades are beautiful. So, throwing my issues aside for the moment, I thought I'd give this a go.  

 Pro's

• Every girl should have this shade in their collection. It's just the perfect red, end of. 
• Glides on without any problems. I'm quite a messy one when it comes to applying nail varnish but this went on with 3 swipes of the brush, without any of it going on my fingers.
• Highly pigmented. I've only applied one coat on all of these photos, it doesn't need any more.
• Because of the above, you don't need to use a lot so you get a lot of the bottle. 
• The smell isn't overpowering. I hate walking back into the room where I've just painted my nails and being hit with a cloud of varnish toxins and this doesn't happen at all. 

Con's

• You know that rant I had at the beginning of this post? Well I was totally justified as, yet again, it chipped. Instantly. I let it dry completely and I even applied a top coat and the second I put my hands into the sink to wash up, it chips. 

 It's a shame because I love this colour, it's one of my favourites out of all my nail polishes, which I why I continue to use this. It also helps that this was free, and I didn't pay £11 for it. To say I have polishes that I payed £1 for that stay on for days before I see any sign of damage proves my point about the quality of Nails Inc. 

I would love to know if any of you have the same problem as I have! 

 

XXX

 

Mani Monday! Barry M Nail Effects- Gelly & Textured

Afternoon, Jenn here (:

I've seen many 'Manicure Monday' posts done by others, and we are definitely jumping on the wagon here because we've got so any polishes to review! Barry M is in the spotlight today with a couple of their effect nail varnishes, Gelly Hi Shine and Textured. 

I got these the other week from Superdrug, part of a 2 for £6 offer on these specific collections. 

Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Dragon Fruit

 This is my first experience with the Gelly range and I bought this after I'd heard many mixed reviews. Obviously everyone have their preferences but I just wanted to close the case for myself. 

First of all, this is my favourite ever shade of pink. It's a real candy floss shade and perfect for spring, it's also very pigmented and the above photos show only one coat. Bonus! Application wise, it was a bit tricky. I found it very runny and I frequently had to mop up the excess around my fingers, even when I was being extra careful to avoid it. Furthermore, it took absolutely ages to dry so if you're going to use this I would definitely do it in your down time so you can sit and wait for it.  

Overall, I am a fan. Barry M claim that this collection provides an 'extra glossy finish', and I do agree with this but I do think it's a bit of a novelty. When I first bought this I imagined it to be a thick, rubber-like quality due to the 'gelly' aspect but it's no thicker than an average polish, just more pigmented. Still quite impressive though!

There are 13 varnishes in this collection, all beautiful shades, which you can find here.

Pro's

• Highly pigmented.
• Perfect shade for spring/summer.
• Provides a high shine finish-equivalent to what I expect from a nail salon.
• No topcoat needed, just a base coat. 

Con's

• Takes quite a while to dry so take time out to apply.
• Too runny.
• Chips quite easily, which is a shame as you'd think the glossier it is, the harder it would be to come off. Obviously not! 

Textured Nail Effects in Atlantic Road 

 I actually had never heard of this collection up until I bought this (I know!) There are 4 shades, which are all named after London haunts of the young Barry Mero which I think is a lovely little story. Atlantic Road is definitely my favourite colour and, again, perfect for spring/summer.

I had no idea how it would work out on my nails because the polish in the bottle looks like any other. The only idea I had was from the design of the lid which is quite a grainy texture. It was much easier to apply than the Gelly polish, however I was a bit alarmed when it came out shiny and non textured. But have no fear, this develops as it begins to dry! I also recommened applying two-three coats as it comes out quite opaque (the top right photo shows two coats.)

I absolutely love the finish to this, it's very matte and feels gritty. I know this doesn't sound so pleasant but I literally haven't stopped stroking them since. I will definitely be purchasing the rest of this collection, the texture really gives an extra dimension to the normal and mundane. 

You can find the other shades here.

Pro's 

• All of the shades are perfect for spring/summer.
• Easy application.
• Provides an extra element with the grains without being too rough.
• Quite difficult to chip.
• Doesn't need a topcoat.

Con's 

• Requires 2-3 coats for the perfect finish.

UPDATE

Last post, I reviewed two Miss Sporty nail varnishes in It's Too Latte and Brown. Both were part of the lasting finish collection, Brown claimed to last up to 7 days (it's an older polish) and Latte to last up to 10. 

I applied them one week ago and I said i'd let you know how lasting they really were. 

 I'm not one to sit around doing absolutely nothing, I'm always restless and so i'm always doing things and I have been to work since I applied the varnishes so my hands have seen a lot of things this week. However, Brown chipped within 2 days so didn't live up to the 7 it claimed to be. Latte, I must admit, has lasted a lot longer and only chipped at the very tops of my nails but it certainly didn't last 10 days, more like 6/7. 

However, they were very cheap buys so I can't complain too much! Good for a few days. 

XXX

Don't Dream It, Be It.

As the title suggests, I went to The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Friday evening with Rosie, Maisy, Hannah and Rosie O and her pal, Phil. It was such a good time, and half of the fun came with getting ready for it! The show started at an awkward time at 5, so getting dressed up was a bit of a quick affair but I guess it didn't really matter what you looked like at the end of it, anything goes. 

I don't have too many photos of my outfit, like I said it was a bit of a rush getting ready, but I wore a mini, black, one shouldered playsuit from Topshop which I got a few years ago for £40. If you wanted a similiar one then click here (: I also wore a pair of lace leggings and black wedges which I got from Primark. 

For my hair, I simply placed it up in a bun and left my fringe down, simple! 

Above is all the products I used to achieve my make up. 

From Left to Right (Top-Bottom): High Lights by Technic, Shade 1 and Shade 11 by MUA Undressed Palette, 168 angled blush brush and 239 eyeshadow brush by MAC Make It Perfect Special Edition Brush Kit, POREfessional by Benefit, Sunset Glow Blushing Blush Blusher by Clinique, Velvet Wine Lipstick by NYC, Liquid Eyeliner, DiorShow Mascara by Dior, and Extra Virgin Minerals Liquid Foundation in shade 105/Rose Ivory. 

Eyes: To prep, I put a fingertip of Porefessional onto my lids, not only does this minimise my pores, it works as a great primer. For my eyes I swept Shade 1 from the Undressed Palette all across my lid and blended it all the way up to my brow bone, making sure it lightened the higher it got. I then patted Shade 11 into the crease of my lid and blended as much as I could and joined the outer of my eye to the top lash line to create a wing shape. I then brushed on a medium thick line of liquid eyeliner and then followed the wing shape I created with the eye shadow. I put on several coats of mascara on my top and lower lashes and penned a mini heart just under my left eye!

Nails: I got my nail wraps from Primark, they were reduced to 50p. They are orginally only £1 though so they're definitely a steal. This was my first time with nail wraps (I know, where have I been) so it was a bit of a fiddle to begin with but they're pretty easy once you get the hang of it. All you have to do is warm up the stickers in your palms, cut out the stencil that is a suitable size for your nail, take off the wrap and stick on as neatly as you can. My nails are quite slim so some of the wraps were way to big so I had to trim them, but there was also some abnormaly small wraps too but I can't make too much of a fuss for 50p!

Lips: I wanted a really dark eye/lip combo for the evening so I managed to bag myself a bargain earlier in the week. I got my first NYC lipstick from the local Lloyds Pharmacy for £1.49.

It's from their Ultra Lasting collection in 'Velvet Wine'.

 In the tube, Velvet Wine looks much of a coffee colour but don't be fooled! This lipstick is actually more of a deep bodied berry colour. 

So, straight away you can see this goes on a little patchy, but the colour is absolutely gorgeous and really pigmented. I've searching for my signature lip for ages and i've trowled through many pinks, red and colours but I think this is definitely the one. The dark wine coloured lipstick really suits my complexion and hair colour. Apparantly, this is an 'ultra lasting' colour. When I wore this on the night it did last all evening (I didn't eat or drink much though), however I've wore it since and as I've eaten/drank it's come off and left a sort of stain.

It's a matte lipstick, there's definitely no sheen or gloss that comes along with this lipstick but for £1.49, it does its job. But for a matte lip, it is quite silky instead of feeling heavy and cakey. 

 Application wise, I found it much easier to use a lip brush instead of just gliding it straight on because it is very patchy and it just needs some extra care to be blended in. I'm not going to compain too much though because it's a really inexpensive lipstick and it does what you pay for at the end of the day.

Pro's 

• Stupidly afforadable.
• Lasts on average 3-4 hours which is fine for a night out (just take it with you, just in case!)
• Silky and smooth to apply.
• A good dark lipstick for pale skin! 
• Highly pigmented.

Con's 

• Transfers when eating and drinking.
• Patchy, remember to blend in!
• Isn't 'Ultra Lasting' and it definitely doesn't last up to/longer than 6 hours.

Overall I had a lovely, lovely night with my beautiful freaks and I can't wait to go again!

XXX

Super easy New Year's Eve nail ideas

Hey guys!

Here are a few nail art ideas for New Year's Eve. I say 'nail art' but there really is no art involved at all, they're all really really easy to do and  use affordable products, all of which I'll really briefly review as I go!

Carnival by Technic

Carnival Glitter polish by Technic, without flash

Carnival glitter polish by Technic, with flash

 Jenn got me this amazing Technic glitter nail polish for Christmas, the name is 'Carnival', and it's a clear polish loaded with flecks of different size and colour holographic glitter. At the moment I can see red, gold, silver, blue and green but I seem to notice another colour every time I look at it! Carnival and other Technic nail products are available from Bodycare, but I'm not sure about the price as this was a gift.

#1

For this one, I brushed Carnival onto my nails in the usual way I would apply a polish. I didn't use a base coat so this was to give a nice shine to my nail and add a few flecks of glitter here and there. Applied in this way, not much glitter actually gets onto the nail. For the tips, I applied Carnival in a dabbing motion instead, which allowed me to concentrate the glitter on the ends of my nails. 

#2 

 

To add a bit more sparkle, you could use the dabbing technique to apply more glitter to the top half of the nail, gradually getting less and less towards the cuticle for a glittery ombre effect!

#3

 

And if you wanted to go all out, dab the glitter all over your nail and layer as much as you like! (It is new year's eve!)

 All in all I love this nail polish, it's really easy to  achieve a subtle look with one coat or a reaaaally glittery one with just a few! Loving the colours and different types of glitter, especially at this time of year. 

Black Multi Glitter by Barry M

Black Multi Glitter by Barry M, without flash

Black Multi Glitter by Barry M, with flash

  Black Multi Glitter does what it says on the bottle, it's a highly pigmented black polish with loads of really fine multi-coloured glitter mixed in. Most of the glitter looks silvery but when the light catches it you can see glints of pink, red, green blue, etc etc! The thing I have about this one is that it looks amazing in the bottle and from the description, but I've used this a few times now and been disappointed with how it looks on my nails. I thought I may as well show you...

 

 Although it's really pigmented, I still needed two coats to get full coverage. I think the top picture looks pretty much like any plain black polish, and although the flash picks up the glitter a little, I don't really think it's much to write home about. I've seen other reviews and pictures of this polish on nails and it looks amazing, but never seems to work that way for me! It just seems to dry really gritty and dull on my nails, and base and top coats don't seem to help, am I doing something wrong!?

If you want to give this one a go yourself, I had mine from Superdrug although I can't find it on the Boots or Superdrug websites! It's also available from ASOS for £2.99. 

Gold Mine by Barry M

Gold Mine Glitter by Barry M, without flash

Gold Mine Glitter by Barry M, with flash

 In complete contrast to the previous Barry M polish, I LOVE this one!! Gold Mine Glitter is a really pigmented black polish with tonnes of large-ish gold flecks, perfect for a night out or if you fancy something a bit more special than plain black. You can purchase Gold Mine Glitter from Boots or Superdrug, £2.99 from both stores.

#4

This, again, is impressively pigmented for a black, but to get completely full coverage you ideally need 2-3 coats. I find this one to be really difficult to remove so rather than layering it (and to save wasting it) I'd advice using one layer over a plain black polish. In this picture I'm wearing it over Barry M Black Multi Glitter (above). 

 And my personal favourite...

#5

 

I really like dark nails, so I wanted something dark but with a bit of sparkle for New Year's Eve. I think this combination of Carnival over Barry M Black Multi Glitter is perfect, it reminds me a little of fireworks on the night sky! I tried adding a bit more Carnival glitter for a more full-on look (below), but at the moment I'm thinking of keeping it subtle.

#6

 

I wasn't wearing any top coat in these pictures as I was removing the polish and re-applying really quickly, and I think you could probably get away without it. I pretty much always wear some top coat when I do my nails properly, just to give them that extra shine and protect the polish underneath. Just in case you're interested, this is my favourite:

Wet Look Top Coat by Save the Nail

It gives a really high shine finish, goes on smoothly and lasts really well. I also think it brings out the colours of the polish underneath and really makes them pop! Definitely worth the money as it's lasted me ages (£6.95 from Boots). :)

Thank you so much for reading and happy new year guys!

Sophie xxx