Essie | Winter 2014 Collection

If you've been reading this blog for a long time, then you know I love me a good seasonal Essie mini-cube collection - four colours (usually from a lineup of six,) plonked into an adorable cube and obviously being more adorable in mini sizes. Having seen the autumn/fall lineup and not been that impressed (far too similar to last years autumn and winter collections...) but when I saw the winter lineup dubbed 'Jiggle Hi, Jiggle Low' ... Queue swooning!

My Essie Mini Collection

I've done a nail polish collection, way back here. Obviously, since then it's been edited down a few times and new polishes added here or there. But I've never really touched on my mini Essie collection. Isn't it adorable?

July Favourites

Another month, another lot of products I simply couldn't keep my hands off of...

Summer Top 5 | Nails

Say what you will but as soon as it hits June it is summer for me. Like it or lump the weather we are dealt with in the UK, you have to make the most of it. So regardless if it's thunderstorms or sweltering heat waves... I'll be rocking summer-ready nails. 

Beauty Bag | June

Another month, another shift around in the beauty bag department. I'll be keeping it relatively similar to last months beauty rotations, albeit swapping a few products here and there when it calls for it...

Beauty Bag | April

Given that for the second week of April, I'll be sunning it in Spain; this months beauty bag reflects that kind of light, bronzed face I'll be (hoping) to achieve...

Holiday Prep

Given that it's just over a week until I jet off (so excited for a little bit of sun, sea, sand and sangria...) I thought I would touch on some of the little routines I keep starting a week before I fly off.

March Favourites

I can't even. March? Let's not dwell though, because it's starting to warm up and things are looking grand, despite how time is flying. Only a few favourites from me this month; as I seem to be sticking to quite a lot of routine as of late...

Spring Top 5 | Nails

Much like lips - a pretty obvious way to easily switch up your looks is via your digits. Spring is probably the easiest way for me to embrace pastel shades as I can never seem to find the right shade of mint knitwear...

Essie | Spring 2014 Collection

I've said it before and I'll say it again; I am a sucker for an Essie collection and when I saw the new Spring 2014 'Hide and Go Chic' colours, well. Wild horses and all that...

January Favourites

It's near the end of another month so we all know what that means; some monthly favourites! I've been enjoying mostly old favourites this January, but a new skincare item has crept it's way into my stocks and I think it's here to stay...

Giveaway & Thank you || CLOSED

Yesterday I did a little post on transitional nails - featuring Essie's 'Bikini So Teeny' - a favourite of mine year round and I've got one to giveaway today... Plus a few other pieces I've been buying & collecting for all that follow my blog. 

Transitional Nails

The one thing that annoys me most about mid-January is the fact people tend to assume the UK will immediately launch into spring, the sun will be shining and we'll all be wearing dresses come February...

There is one setback; we are still in winter. I couldn't get into my car this morning since it was frozen completely shut and I can't even bare the thought of baring skin quite so soon and it makes me want to hide under my duvet until summer...

I'm of course being extremely negative; but there is one easy way to get that early bird take on spring, with an easy transitional nail colour.

December Favourites

Tis that time of the month again and for a very nice change I haven't had to think to hard about what I've been using and loving throughout this month; these beauties have been such a constant throughout December that it'd be impossible for me to forget them...

Essie Winter 2013 Collection

I think I'm not the only one in saying I am down for any of Essie's seasonal collections, no? Here's the deal though, I usually only pick two a year - either between the summer or resort and likewise fall or winter. There is usually a similarity between the colours after all and it helps saves the pennies. This year, you've already seen I chose the Summer collection, and for the more colder months it had to be the winter collection...

In this years mini cube (there are two more shades available not in this cube,) you get four delicious shades, pretty beautiful for this time of year. First up is 'Mind Your Mittens' which is a deep (almost navy) teal. Second is Shearling Darling (for which the collection is named,) which is a super glossy plush burgundy red. The glitter of the bunch is called 'Toggle to the Top' which is described as a 'sparkling crushed garnet red' - pretty spot on. Last but not least is 'Sable Colar' described as a 'pearlescent cocoa plum' - this almost looks like a greige/aubergine/purple concoction (pretty similar to Rimmel Hot List,) and has a slight shimmer running through. 

As with all Essie polishes, wear time is great (a full seven days with Seche Vite as your top coat before any sort of chips appear,) and the finish on all of these polishes is literally the most beautiful. Yes, I'm in love.

This collection is pretty beautiful and I'm glad I picked it up, I got mine from ebay here, which has sold out but you can still get some here or pick the three cube collection at Boots and Superdrug, so I'm told but they are selling out quick! 

Have you tried the Essie Winter 2013 collection yet?

Peace!

June Favourites

I haven't done one of these monthly favourites for a long while. Mostly because I was sticking to the usual skincare and make-up products but I've decided to make more of an effort - these are probably my favourite posts to read (or watch on youtube,) so less yabbering, lets get on with dem beauty bits! ;)

Dr Jart Waterfuse BB Cream is a new product for me, scary once you squeeze it out of the tube (one shade fits all, apparently!) it looks like a grey/tan shade that's hideously ominous. I went for it regardless and oh damn. I am in love ladies and gentlemen! Easy to apply with a brush, sponge or using (clean) hands it provides the right amount of light coverage to conceal redness and give a nice glow, obviously it won't cover all manner of blemishes - concealer will be needed but for a pretty light base - this has been my preference this month. It's half price at Boots at the moment, so go get it!

I've spoken about the Barbara Daly Cream Blusher in Peaches and Cream before (post here,) so I won't go on too much about it. It's just the perfect blusher for that hint of coral/peach to perk up your complexion. Love it. I don't think you can buy it online but should be able to pick it up at Tesco stores that stock the Barbara Daly make up range.

Similar to the scare with the Dr Jart BB cream, the Bourjois Bronzing Primer looks so scary in pan, especially for someone as fair as myself. I didn't have to worry though because once blended this is perfect, I don't like bronzers with shimmer and this one doesn't have it. I find it best to build this one up lightly as you could probably end up super orange.

Another product spoken of recently is the Essie Summer 2013 mini Collection - I adore all of these shades and have been getting on surprisingly well with the 'old' brush. I'm currently rocking The More The Merrier (bright green) on my toes and fingers right now.

I received the Melvita Rose Floral Water in my Latest in Beauty box - and even though rose smells can be either love hate with me, I don't even care about the smell - it's just perfect for after my toner. I'm using this little beaut as a treatment for some ghastly under skin red spots and this bad boy has help cleared them up! 

Also having regular rotation is the Rimmel Scandal Eyes eyeliner in Bronze - this is perfect for either definition or used as an eye shadow (just apply over the lid lightly and blend,) and just really perks up my eyes.

Last but not least is a bit of an odd one. Cult Beauty stock these Jade Facial Rollers that are meant for expelling toxins and making you look younger and a bunch of other stuff, I'll leave them describe it so you can check it out here. I picked mine on ebay to 'try before I buy the more expensive one' and I just picked up a mini version. 

Obviously it was pretty cheap and therefore cheaply made but it is so so good. It's so cooling post-cleansing and toning and I generally do this before I add any serum or moisturiser. A little gem! I will be picking up the better quality one from Cult Beauty though, now that I know I adore it!

So, what are your June favourites?

Peace!

Essie Summer 2013 Collection

Essie's mini collections can be something like an enigma...

For instance - the Resort 2013 collection, so hard to find and when you do people are over charging like nobodies business and it really makes you hate collections and especially limited collections, so on and so forth. 

The problem was that I wanted/needed (not really though, it was pure colour lust let me assure you, no one needs nail varnishes in every single colour,) the resort collection until I spotted the Summer Collection Mini's... Then I was like, well damn it - which one to go for?

In the end, thanks to beloved e-bay again, I went for the Summer 2013 collection and oh god - I am in lurve, let's take a look at the colours, shall we?

From left to right on the swatches;

Full Steam Ahead - A pretty pearlescent lilac with subtle shimmer.

Naughty Nautical - An amazing blue-green with shimmer, I'm dubbing this the 'mermaid' shade.

Sunday Funday - A hot pink/tangerine coral-y blissfull shade with shimmer running through, probably my favourite and will pretty much be my new go to for summer.

The More The Merrier - A juicy lime green shade - this looks amazing on and I love it, surprisingly. 

There are two more colours that weren't included in this set -  but you can check them out here.

The polishes are the old brushes but surprisingly I'm becoming a fan of them - it means I concentrate more and tend to have less slip ups when I'm doing my nails, not so great if I'm in a rush, but totally perfect for the weekly mani/pedi session. 

Have you got your eye on any Essie collections?

Peace!

Essie Bikini So Teeny

I was a late bloomer to make up. It wasn't that I had no interest; I loved watching my mum and sisters apply it and watched how they changed minutely into another 'part of themselves' - but I never 'plastered' it on in school, until I was about 16 and then it was all about the cat flick eyeliner. 

I just wasn't that fussed - I had been cleansing, toning and moisturising since the age of 11... My skin behaved throughout my teens. Apart from redness and the monthly spot (every month, one would appear without fail,) my skin was clean and clear. It was Avon products that my mother got me, if you were intrigued and they worked a charm at the time.

Why the long bio? Well, I was a late comer to Essie polishes too. My first was Absolutely Shore, a pale green, almost minty and perfect for my ever-pale skin tone. Since then I haven't looked back and the collections been building.

Recently I purchased Bikini So Teeny (told you I was a late bloomer!) and oh gawd! It is so beautiful. It's the most perfect shade of cornflower blue with the right amount of shimmer - it's the kind of shade that'll look beautiful on all. I don't regret a thing, I say! It has the wide brush (my favourite,) so application is a dream. Depending on what I'm doing depends on the tip wear/chips. Not working and it can go between three to four days before I need to repair, but if I'm working then, well, just two days and I need to do a repair job but the colour is so pretty I don't care.

It's like the little sister of Lapiz of Luxury a pretty ocean blue - put these two together and you could most definitely do an ombre effect that'll remind you of clear skies and sea... 

Essie polishes retail for about £7.99 but you can pick up mini's from Ebay and Fragrance Direct also carry selected Essie that usually go on sale so keep an eye out!

What's your favourite Essie polish?

Peace!

Haulin' - Fragrance Direct & Escentual

Pay day came, and now it is long gone and now I must wait until the next one (oops,) but I did manage to make a killer saving on some things I actually needed to replace...

First up from Escentual I re-purchased my fourth (!) bottle of the Vichy Purete Thermale Hydra-Perfecting Toner. I simply love it, it doesn't feel tight or dry out my skin. Perfecto! Secondly I picked up a new moisturiser from Avene. It's the Hydrance Optimale Rich Protective SPF 20. Let me just say, Hydrance is the right word. Oh dayumn! It's so hydrating, yet light. I'm pleased I got the 'Rich' version because the 'Light' might of been a tad too light. If you have combination skin you might want to try it out though! They also sent out a nail file, which is nice. I always like when companies add that little touch - it's just thoughtful!

So from Fragrance Direct I picked up A LOT of nail related paraphernalia, if you couldn't tell! I bought a cheap pair of nail scissors and they broke after the first week - not great, and when I saw that FD had a pretty large discount on Sally Hansen and Essie (£1.99 for a bottle of Essie? Not bad, right?) so I scooped up some much needed supplies. I'm looking forward to my back getting better, so I can actually bend down to do my feet a pretty pedicure.

A little note though; the colour for Waltz looks more lilac/greige on the website but it is a pure white - which isn't a bad thing, I've got plans for this one!

Have you got any deals shopping recently?

Peace!

Fashion | Home | Beauty

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Hello lovelies!

Apologies for the lack of posts - unfortunately my little hamster, Bear, passed away on Friday. She was nearly two years old, but had been ill for two days - with what we or the vets do not know, but they gave us some anti bio-tics and anti-inflammatory, not to mention a warning - hamsters go down hill pretty fast. 

At this point she was still the same, bright and cheery although grumpy we had taken her out to the vets. We gave her medicine, she ate and drank as normal. Next day she was just sleeping, really 'floppy' if that makes any sense. So we just held her a lot and fed her water through a syringe with some honey in it for sugar, hoping she perk up. Sadly though, she passed and I've been miserable ever since. :/

So if the posts over the next week are few and far between, do excuse me - I've got a lot planned, still thankfully I am not working this week - but there is no rest for the wicked! 

Have an amazing week!

Peace!