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

MAY. Little Haul & Mini Reviews.

Hello little darlings, how are you all doing??

Is it just me that is slightly alarmed by how quick this year is going so far? Come on, it's May already! 5 months in and the sun has finally come out and you're all embracing it I'm sure. I spent the warmest bank holiday weekend of the year at work, boo ): 

I've spent a little bit (only a little bit!) recently so I thought I'd give you a peek of it today. It's a mix of beauty buys and clothing so here we go. 

Cíate Nail Polish in Pocket Money

So I cheated a bit here because I didn't actually buy the nail varnish, it just came as a freebie with last months Marie Claire (£3.50) and this was just a bonus. 

I've never tried any Cíate products before so I was excited to get this in my magazine. I've heard really good things about them, they're a high-end brand, and the bottle is adorable. Not only this, but Pocket Money is the PERFECT shade. I'll go as far as to say this is my all-round favourite colour in my collection, just because the caramel shade goes with anything. Anything. 

Pro's 

• The colour. 
• The brush is amazing, it leaves no track lines and application was so easy. I hardly had to concentrate.
• Highly pigmented, only needed 1 coat. 
• Hasn't chipped at all so far, woop! 
• Dried within 2 minutes, max.  
• It comes in the best bottle and I am a strong believer in making your product look as classy as possible. 
• Well, it was free but Cíate polishes are usually around the £9 price range. Normally I would say this is too much for a nail varnish but I'd pay it. 

No Con's!

Avon Perfect Kiss Lipstick in Smitten Red

Again, this is a Marie Claire purchase (£2.50 for this the June issue!) This time I got this Avon Perfect Kiss lipstick in Smitten Red, which is actually more pinkish than red. I've never purchased anything from Avon before but I've heard very good things about their make up range so I rushed to try this out. 

The results? I love it. 

Pro's

• Really nice, appealing packaging. It has a 'clicky' lid which I always look for because I've had many mishaps with the lid coming off in my bag and all of my belongings have been smeared with lippy. 
• Long lasting. I applied it this morning and since then I have eaten and it's all still on. 
• It's super moisturising, my lips feel really smooth and nourished instead of dry and chapped, which many lipsticks seem to make them. 
• Easy application, it glides on.

Con's

• Requires a couple of applications to get a block, all over colour.
• Maybe a bit pricey for £8.50. That's just my personal opinion though. 

Next Petite Vest- Charity Shop

I love charity shops as much as the next person, but I've got to be in the right mood to go through all the other rubbish that they sell in them. I was in the best of moods this day though as I got this little spotty vest and the jeggings below all for £3.50. This top was only £1.50, but can you imagine how much this was originally?! Primark do similar ones and they're not even this cheap. I like the fact it's light weight and floaty because it makes it perfect for the summer sun. 

Primark Jeggings- Charity Shop

I like Primark denim and I'll forever sing it's praises no matter what people say. Yeah, a couple of months down the line they kind of lose their shape but come on, the most I've ever paid for some jeans are £11 so you can easily invest in another pair. These were £2 from my local charity shop and they fit so well and they're comfortable. I couldn't ask for much else.

Grey Cardigan- Primark

Speaking of Primark, I spotted this grey and white, oversized cardigan on sale for £3 and snapped it up. I love it and I've found it goes with pretty much everything and it's a perfect cover up in the spring sun. 

Black Heels- Primark

My taste in shoes is going through a massive change. I used to love big platforms and sky scraper heels, and I still do for a big night out. However, they just aren't appropriate for a quiet night down the pub or having a relaxing meal with my friends. Here come these beauties, which are a really soft, mid heel, pointed toe shoe which I find I'm wearing everywhere. I can hardly take them off and they're only £10!

Oversized Grey Split T Shirt- New Look

I'm so glad I spotted this in amongst all the mess of the New Look Sale. I've been wanting a top like this for absolutely ages, but as I am skint most of the time I don't want to pay big prices for one. This one is super soft, has two splits down the sides so I can show off a nice bralet or top underneath, and only cost me £5. Yes, £5. 

Internacionale Oriental Shrug- Charity Shop

Another quality charity shop buy here for £2.50. I love the summery colours, how it hangs, and how it can completely jazz up a simple vest and jeans combination.

I'm so impressed with my bargain buys! 

Do you love charity shops too? Drop us a comment and tell us about your favourite second hand purchases (: 

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

 

MUA Nails & Fur Effects!

Afternoon guys, it's Jenn here (: 

Firstly, I hope you all had an absolutely lovely Easter bank holiday! Unfortunately, I was at work all day Friday, Saturday and Monday so I couldn't enjoy it as much as I would of liked. However, I did get the Sunday to scoff my face, spend some quality time with my parents and bake my heart out. 

L-R Top to Bottom- chocolate hamper from my mum and dad, my hot cross muffins, my chocolate and oreo brownies, and my sweet gift bags from Rosie and Maisy!

 Right, on with the show! I have some spare time this morning/ afternoon so I thought I'd review these two little products from MUA. The first is a new shade of nail varnish called Natural Days. I actually bought this because I thought it would be a perfect pairing with the Fluffy Puff Fur Effects, which is the second product i'm reviewing! 

 Quite a straightforward review here. 

 Pro's

• A lovely, on trend, ice cream shade of pink.
• Highly pigmented. I applied two coats but it really didn't need it at all. 
• Fast drying. 
• Hard to chip. I've done loads of house work today and my nails can't usually take it but it's all still on.
• £1!  

Con's

• The brush appears to be made out of plastic, and the bristles don't create a very nice feeling on the nail. 
• Because of the above, makes quite a few track lines so you have to make extra effort to cover them. 

 

I do think this is a great varnish for the price, I actually can't believe I only paid a pound for it. I've paid much more for other varnishes that haven't been half as good as this so i'll definitely be trying the other shades (:

 

I've wanted one of these the second I knew they were being released and I visited my local Superdrug for weeks until they stocked it. It's taken me this long to review it because I worried I was going to be disappointed with it, which is the case for most products that have been hyped up. But alas, I love it! 

First of all, it's so simple to apply. MUA say to apply two coats of your nail varnish and then, either, shake some powder into the lid or take off the sifter and use it straight from the pot. I was feeling wild this morning so I chose the latter. 

I applied it to an accent nail instead of covering each and every one of my nails because I didn't want to go overboard. I'm impressed with the effect. It isn't too garish, messy and dried instantly so I didn't have to wait around for ages trying not to touch anything. 

I also fretted about what would happen when I washed up or got into the bath and shower, would it go all soggy and look absolutely revolting? It didn't, it hardly made any change to it at all actually and, again, dried instantly. 

 

 (Please ignore the state of my hands and fingers, work does bad things to them!) 

 Overall, I am very happy with both of these products and I can't to get my mits on the other shades in both collections. 

 

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

Weekend Haul & Mini Reviews (:

Evening, it's Jenn (:

Just a little post about my mini shop over the past few days. I'm actually trying to save but I assure you it's not going very well. However, I got all of these products on offer or at a stupidly bargain price so I don't feel as bad about it! Here we go. 

Tesco

Top to Bottom: L'Oreal Feria Preference in Mango Copper, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, and The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. 

It pains me to say it but i'm definitely not a natural ginger (more of a mousy brown!) I've been this colour for a quite a few years now and this is the dye that I always reach for. It has a natural tone to it, and it's definitely not too harsh. I've recently seen that Schwarzkopf have bought out a new Live XXL called 'Fiery Copper' but I personally think it's WAY to bright, especially for my super pale complexion. I love Mango Copper, even when it fades I'm still very fond of it and it was £4 at tesco! I usually pay £5.79 at it at Superdrug but that's also been cut down by £1. 

The two books were a bit of an impulse buy. I read an awful lot but lately I've had a bit of a break from it as I was continuously reading classics and they were giving me a heavy head so I thought these would be a bit of a light relief. Part of a 2 for £7 offer, instead of the £7.99 each I was supposed to pay.

Poundland

Not the first place you imagine to bag yourself some beauty buys but i'm so impressed with my finds! Poundland stock a lot of the ChitChat range and also do one offs and discontinued products from famous brands. I got the Miss Sporty nail polish and eyeshadow/concealer duo in a pack, and also this Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick too. 

 Miss Sporty Be Connected liquid eyeshadow in Intrigue and concealer in Dark.

 I've never seen either of these products before but I haven't really dipped my toes into the Miss Sporty collection before. I wasn't too bothered about this product to be honest, I bought it more for the nail polish that came with it. The concealer is obviously too dark for my skin, which you can gather from the photos above, but it was very creamy when applied so i'll give it that. I was a bit put off from the look of the eyeshadow as i'm never one for pastel shades on the eyes. I was even more put off when I swatched it but then I blended it in, and to be honest it isn't too bad and i'll be giving this another chance for sure. 

Miss Sporty Lasting Colour nail polish in (what my boyfriend originally called) Brown.

Annoyingly, Miss Sporty don't print the colours of their polishes on the bottle so Brown will have to do. I love this colour, I've been looking for a rich chocolately brown colour for AGES but I didn't want to pay loads for one and I couldn't never find the right shade. You can imagine my surprise when I found this thrown carelessly into the corner of the beauty bit in Poundland and I didn't even stop to think about it. The photo isn't too brilliant, but it's goes on pretty well and it only required one coat for a even finish. 

Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Mocha Cream.

This colour is now discontinued but i've got a thing for dark lips so I snatched this up when I saw it. The stick itself looks remarkably darker then how it actually looks when it's our your lips but i'm not going to complain, it was only a £1 afterall and it's still a lovely nude colour! Always remember to swatch when you're in the shop, just so you're not disappointed when you get home and discover it's not what you thought it was. 

Superdrug

Barry M Gelly Effects in Dragon Fruit & Textured Effects in Atlantic Road.

 Superdrug have an offer on Gelly Effects and the new Texture Effects at the moment, 2 for £6 instead of £3.99 each. Pretty much everyone I know owns a Gelly Effect nail polish so I thought I would see what the fuss is about and I really love this shade of pink. I didn't even know Barry M had released this new polish so i'll be writing a more in depth review later on this month! 

Miss Sporty Dr Balm Honey lip tint in Glam Kiss. 

I got this as Superdrug were offering a 2 for £2.99 offer on selected Miss Sporty items (the Dr Balm tints & nail polishes.) The packaging really does this justice as it was the first things my eyes were drawn to which is always a positive! The balm looks like any average lipstick actually and it smells delicious (fruity!) too which is the main reason I bought it. Glam Kiss is a really, realy sheer pink and doesn't really change my lip colour at all but it's really moisturizing and it's handy just to keep in my bag. 

Miss Sporty Lasting Colour nail polish in It's Too Latte.

I've been looking for a nude for far too long and i've always ended up buying the more pinker shades. I am really fond of this colour though, it's subtle and not too peachy. I've no idea whether this actually lasts for the 10 days it claims it does but i'll definitely give you an update. I only needed one coat and it went on pretty easily and mess free. Part of the 2 for £2.99 offer but originally £1.99.

Overall I think i've done pretty well on the spending front as I've only spent £21.99 for 4 nail polishes, eyeshadow/concealer duo, a lipstick, a lip balm, a hair colour and 2 books! 

XXX