Showing posts with label Nail Enamel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nail Enamel. Show all posts

Saturday, June 15, 2013

The Weekly Selection


I always enjoy doing my monthly favourites, but as time has gone on I've found myself leaning more and more towards making videos about them, and once I have done that I always think twice about posting about them as well, as I feel it might be a bit much. However, I do know that some of you would much rather see a post on the topic, as a lot of people do tend to do their catching up via mobile phone on the go, and nobody wants to be blasting out a video on the tube or the train for all to hear.
So, The Weekly Selection is born. In this series of posts, I'll be sharing with you whatever has made it onto my most-loved list this week, so expect to sometimes see a few old favourites making their way in amongst my newest finds, as often I will have a bit of a root around in my collection and come across a little gem I had forgotten all about (I will always mention if this is the case).
This week, it's been all about the Elemental Herbology Bio-Cellular Super Cleanse*,  a creamy cleanser containing apple AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) to boost cell turn over and gently exfoliate the skin. I've been wanting to add some regular acid exfoliants to my routine for some while now, as I wanted to see whether doing so would help me out in the war against hormonal breakouts, and being able to work this in daily in the form of a cleanser is handy when it comes to both time and money. I've been using this as my evening cleanser, as it's great at removing every last trace of makeup, as well as giving my skin a good, deep-down clean, leaving it feeling soft, nourished and comfortable.
Continuing with the theme of acid exfoliants, I've been trialling this mini size of the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner,  a light  lotion which again this uses AHAs to break down any debris and dead skin that might block the pores. I swipe this liberally across the skin every evening, after double cleansing, and by morning my skin is baby soft and smooth. I have to say, this really seems to be doing the job when it comes to keeping blemishes to a minimum, and as an added bonus, will help to strengthen the skin's resistance to wrinkles when used regularly. I have already ordered the full-size bottle of this, as it has definitely made it to 'can't live without' status in a short space of time.
Makeup wise, my biggest obsession of the week has undoubtedly been my new Sleek Face Form Contour Kit. I went for the 'light' version, which contains a flattering matte contour powder, highlighting powder and the infamous Rose Gold blush. The bronzey contour shade is great for sculpting the face and adding a subtle wash of colour, and definitely isn't too over-powering or obvious on pale skin. The Rose Gold blush is just beautiful - a shimmery, peachy pink that is not dissimilar to Nar's cult Orgasm blush. This won't leave you looking like a glitter ball, but it will leave you with glowing cheeks - in fact, I don't really find that I need a highlighter when using this, as it does the job just fine on its own. My only gripe is that it doesn't blend as well as some of my other powder blushes, but the shade is such that I can let that slide. The highlighting powder is a pretty, subtle, champagne shade, and looks lovely dotted on top of the cheekbones on top of a more pared-down blush. Again, the effect is really natural, without a hint of overkill in sight.
Last but not least, I have fallen in love with Revlon 'Fearless' Nail Enamel, a zingy, vibrant orange-toned red that just screams summer. This goes perfectly with the Mac Lady Danger lipstick, for any of you who like to match your nail polish to your lips, and is sure to make a repeat appearance on my nails over the coming months, again and again.

What have your most loved products been this week?

xx

Thursday, April 4, 2013

On My Nails This Week: Revlon Nail Enamel in Posh


This week saw my first foray into Revlon nail polishes. I don't know why I hadn't gone there before, as I'm a big fan of Revlon as a brand and love their makeup, but for some reason I had never thought to try out their nail-related offerings. However, while on the hunt for a dupe of Essie Mojito Madness, I stumbled across this beaut, which is called Posh (Shade 571). As well as this being a first for Revlon nails, it's also the first time I've welcomed such a shade to my collection. You'll often find me wearing mint and pastel greens, but emerald and forest greens were lacking in my collection until I saw the lovely Helen from The Lovecats Inc (if you don't already read her blog then get yourself over there after reading this post - Helen posts daily outfit posts and always has the most wonderful selection of beauty products to talk about - her hauls are second to none.) post an image on Instagram of various different green Essie nail polishes. It was a bit of a no-brainer really - I love emerald green, so why hadn't I thought about popping it on my nails?
I have to say, I'm really quite impressed with the formula of this nail polish. It goes on so smoothly without the merest hint of a streak, and it seems to dry pretty quickly too. (I used the Post Trauma Nail Treatment  - also Revlon as a base coat, but we'll talk more about that one later.) In terms of chipping, the tips of my nails did need a bit of retouching after a couple of days, but I have to take responsibility for that one as I didn't use a top coat.
These polishes come it at £6.49, which is a pretty mid-range price, and considering how high-end I think the sturdy packaging looks I think it's pretty good. You get 14ml for your money, which is more than you would with some of the more expensive brands, which is another bonus.

Have you tried any of the Revlon nail polishes? Which are your favourites?

xx

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Paul and Joe: Midsummer Nights (Summer 2012 Collection)











Paul and Joe's Midsummer Nights Collection is due for release, and having seen these beautiful pictures, I just know I'm not going to be able to resist.
There is something really stunning and ethereal about these photos, and everything about the products makes me think of fairytales. Apparently, the collection is actually based upon Shakespeare's  A Midsummer Night's Dream, and I can 100% see the influences this has had on the packaging and the products themselves, not to mention the spot-on photography.

So, onto the products.

Shimmering Pressed Powder G (Limited Edition)
(picture 3)
Paul and Joe say:
"Softly shimmer, like moonlight on a fairy's wings, with this exquisite, spellbinding 3D shimmering powder, designed to captivate and charm."

For me, this looks to be the most beautiful of all the products in the collection. And isn't that just the most delightful description? It comes in a sturdy pastel-green compact, complete with mirror, and has such a pretty, delicate butterfly design upon the powder itself. I'm definitely going to be adding this one to my collection, and I can't wait to do so.

Face Color G (in Nymph, Nubile and Faune)
Paul and Joe say:
"Each one of these limited shades is a summer fairy breath of colour that would inspire a blushing rose with their loveliness."

Nymph is a soft rosey-pink, Nubile is a peachy-nude beige, and Faune is a darker, chocolatey chestnut tone.
I'm not really sure from looking at the promotional pictures whether any of these three shades will be for me, but the pretty pink of Nymph is certainly in-keeping with the magical fairy theme.

Lip Gloss G
Paul and Joe say:
"These three magical, limited love potions guarantee sweet, delectable kisses that will keep you both enchanted all summer long."

Available in 001 Love Potion, 002 Fairie Kisses and 003 Dream A Little Dream, these pretty glosses look as sweet as sugar.
I am particularly intrigued by Fairie Kisses, which comes across as an unusual lemon-yellow shade. Love Potion is a candy pink, while Dream A Little Dream is a light coral-beige. Of the three, I'd be more inclined to go for Dream A Little Dream, being the coral lover that I am, although I do generally go for lipsticks over glosses.



Nail Enamel (Limited Edition)
Paul and Joe say:
"Like imaginary fairies dancing on your fingertips, these three beguiling shades are inspired by the enchanted forest to help you weave and cast your magic."

Available in three shades (028 Fairie Queen, 029 Sprite and 030 Pixie), these little beauties all look to be right up my street.
Fairie Queen is a shimmering translucent shade with flecks of pink, purple and blue, and it looks pretty amazing. It can get on my nails now, if it doesn't mind, please.
Sprite is a pearlescent pastel green which reminds me of an antique opal ring my grandmother used to wear. I always thought it was stunningly beautiful with the unique way it reflected the light, and so this is a shade that has the potential to become very close to my heart.
Last but not least, we have Pixie, a sparkling silver polish with a holographic effect. I said not least, but actually it is, as despite being gorgeous, I'm not usually one for silvers - I'm a gold girl every time.



Shimmering Body Lotion G (Limited Edition)
Paul and Joe say:
"This intoxicating green floral bouquet will cool the skin and calm the senses, while shimmering, irridescent fairy sparks of lame' will ensure you continue to sparkle every summer night".

This, again, comes in beautiful packaging and just sounds so pretty and luxurious. I'm pretty sure most of us would invite a little bit of shimmer into our lives with open arms, and I'm really looking forward to trying this out.

Self Select Eye Colour
(picture 4)
Paul and Joe say:
"Most dreams fade in the morning light, but these six colours will remain a constant reminder of a Midsummer Night's magic."

Available in 26 Gipsy (bold purple), 27 Mon Chapeau (bronze brown), 28 Casablanca (orange-gold), 29 L'Artiste (silver-grey), 30 Plumage (teal) and 31 Chestnut (self explanatory). These all look like lovely colours and would be very welcome to join my collection! I particularly like the look of Plumage, L'Artiste and Casablanca.

        Self Select Eye Colour (Limited Edition)
   Paul and Joe say:
  "Inspired by the delicate wings of fairies, these three limited shades of ethereal colours are inspired by the delicate wings of fairies that magically transform into the otherworldly tones - when layered                                        over other colours."

001 Under the Stars, 002 Love-in-Idleness and 003 Moon Beam all appear white/translucent powders to look at. I really am intrigued by these so will need to try these out, too. I hope my budget will stretch this far!

What do you think of the collection? Will you be adding any of these products to your shopping basket?

Hope everyone is having a lovely week so far - almost Friday, yesss!

xx
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