* Olivia Writes *

Birthday Weekend

2012-02-03T18:25:00.000Z

Hello ladies!

It was my birthday last weekend, so I thought I'd do a quick post to share with you some of my favourite presents.

KINDLE! :)

I was lucky enough to get this from my boyfriend, as well as the case. I'm obsessed already! I've found some good free books, is there any others you would recommend?

He also got me Lush Lemony Flutter which I've wanted for ages! There isn't a Lush near me, but he kindly bought me one.

These were from my parents. I saw them whilst shopping with my mum and couldn't resist. They look great over jeans.

My brother got me this cute bag for work, which I also picked out myself. Yes, not a lot of surprises this year. I can tell I'm getting old!

I also got vouchers for some beauty treatments, I'm undecided what to spend them on yet though.

I spent the weekend with my boyfriend at his uni house. I was treated to breakfast in bed with pancakes and this cute birthday cake.

I did my nails but forgot to take a photo of them until three days after, so do excuse the chipping. I thought they were so cute though I had to post them.

Next year I'm 21, so I need some ideas for something big to celebrate!

How do you usually spend your birthday?

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New York Buys

2012-01-23T22:48:00.000Z

I could of spent so much money in New York, but I only had five days and not a very big suitcase to fit it all in. Everything seemed cheaper than here in the UK, we kept converting everything to see how much it was. Here's some of the things I picked up for myself.

I came across an amazing jewellery shop, with literally thousands of pieces to choose from. I spent so long deciding on which rings to buy. I picked this huge flower and the cute koala bear. I'm really into rings at the minute, especially big ones!

Ladybird and owl stud earrings. Cute or what!

Guess bag and purse for much cheaper than in the UK.

I already had a nice purse, but this has so many card compartments it will hold everything.

Couldn't resist nail polish of course. I might do a separate post on these showing swatches if you would like?

Wet n Wild, Sally Hansen and Sin Colors.

I went a big mad on the clothes buying! The Mario top was from the Nintendo store we visited. The other was from American Eagle.

Both of these were from Forever 21.

Again, from Forever 21. My boyfriend picked this one out, I love it!

Have you ever been to New York?

Have you bought anything nice recently?

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Friday Face Mask: Very Berry

2012-01-20T16:43:00.000Z

I love using a face mask weekly to pamper myself and help my skin. It's a vital part in my skincare regime. I love trying out new masks, so I've started a new feature on my blog reviewing all of the face masks I've used.

Montagne Jeunesse is one of my favourite brands, they have so many different types available and only cost around £1. The last face mask I tried was their new Very Berry Mask.

It says:

'Bursting with the juice of pressed Blueberries and crushed Cranberries our fruity beauty is packed with antioxidants. Nourishing Peach Kernel oil and soothing Aloe will leave your skin refreshed and cleansed.'

I think:

Like with all Montagne Jeunesse masks I've tried, it smells good enough to eat! As soon as you open it, you can smell the blueberries. After applying this all over my face, there was still a lot left in the packet, so I had enough for another use too. Not bad for only £1.09. The colour of the mask when it's applied is a a light purple, so not quite the same as the packaging.

I left the mask on for the recommended 15 minutes then washed off with warm water. My skin felt refreshed and pampered after using this and ready to face the cold days. These masks are great for someone who doesn't want to pay £10+ for a mask. I know eventually it adds up, but as least you can try out all the different scents in their range! I would buy this mask again, however they have so many others available it might take me a while to get through them all.

Have you tried any masks from Montagne Jeunesse?

How do you pamper yourself?

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New York City

2012-01-17T21:25:00.000Z

My recent absence was due to being away with my boyfriend, visiting New York City! I had an amazing time, the city really does never sleep! We took so many photos, so I thought I'd share with you some of them.

Statue of Liberty

Trying on all the merchandise in Nintendo World. Yes I did buy that t shirt!

Ice skating in Central Park, it even started to snow

M & M World

Toys R Us - A 60ft Ferris Wheel inside the store!

Being on a billboard in Times Square. We're in the red and black coats in the middle :)

The most amazing jewellery shop! My poor boyfriend had to stay a while.

Breakfast! Delicious!

I'd recommend everyone visits New York at point, I'm so lucky to say I've been now. I think I have the travelling bug again, I'm already looking at my next trip! Egypt anyone?

Have you ever been to New York?

What was your favourite thing about the city?

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Favourite Nails of 2011

2012-01-14T20:58:00.002Z

I know this post is now slightly late, but I've spent this week in New York City with my boyfriend! I had an amazing time, so a post will follow to show you what we got up to and what I bought! However, for now I want to show you some of my favourite manicures from the last year.

Two Tone Purple

This was a simple design to do, but I loved the result, especially as purple polish is my favourite colour.

Easter Nails

I should really use fimo canes more often. This was such a cute design and I got a lot of compliments on it.

First Attempt at Plates

After failing at nail stamping, I'd almost given up until I managed this design. I'm now hooked! Even though it wasn't perfect, I love how it turned out.

Simple Nails

The colours in this design matched really well in my opinion and I got a lot of comments on this manicure. Nail stickers are such an easy way to improve your nails!

Halloween Nails

These were done using my Bundle Monster plates. I was so proud of these.

Hello Kitty

Another cute design that was so easy to create using a dotting tool and some stickers.

Reindeer Nails

These are my favourite by far this year! The red is such a lovely colour and the reindeer is so cute. I didn't want to remove this manicure!

Hopefully I've improved over the last year and I'll continue to do so!

Which design is your favourite?

What designs would you like to see more of this year?

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Christmas Pudding Nails

2011-12-28T20:49:00.000Z

Happy belated Christmas everyone! Hope Santa got you what you wanted! I know it's late, but here are my Christmas nails. For a first attempt at Christmas Pudding nails, I don't think I done too bad, but there's still lots to improve on next year!

Barry M Mushroom

Barry M Matt White

I didn't have a green polish, shock horror, so I had to use a blue!

The holly was done using Bundle Monster Plate 14.

On Christmas day I didn't have a lot of time to do my nails, so I used Barry M Gold Foil.

This was the first time I used this polish, I'm not sure it looked like foil though. The finish wasn't very good either, it was very streaky! I then just added some of these Christmas nail decals from Viva La Nails. However, I forgot to take a final picture, sorry!

What do you think?

Have you tried Christmas Pudding nails?

What did you wear on your nails over Christmas?

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Christmas Reindeer Nails

2011-12-22T23:00:00.000Z

Hello ladies!

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted, my boyfriend is now back from university, so I'm seeing him as well as working twelve hour shifts. There's just been no time to blog! However Christmas is only three days away, so I had to fit in another Christmas manicure! It's time for some Reindeer Nails!

I love these!

I've had a lot of compliments about these nails, yet they were so simple to do.

Two coats OPI Copper Mountain Copper

Index finger is Barry M White, Barry M Mushroom and red glitter for the nose.

This is my first OPI polish, which I bought from TK Maxx. The formula was great and left a lovely glossy finish.

What do you think?

Have you done any Christmas nails?

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Christmas Nails: Snowflake

2011-12-11T16:36:00.001Z

I can't believe Christmas is only two weeks away. This year has flown by. I thought it was about time I tried out some Christmas nails.

I used two coats of Kiko 300 Pearly Malachite Green.

I'm finally getting the hang of using my Bundle Monster plates, so I used BM14 stamped using MyFace Lil' Bling Silver Screen.

I added some dots to resemble snow flakes and finished using Rimmel Disco Ball to add a bit of bling to it.

I got so many compliments on this, I even did my mums matching too!

What do you think?

How will you be painting your nails over Christmas?

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W7 Metallic Venus Duochrome

2011-12-08T20:09:00.001Z

I found this gorgeous polish in TKMaxx recently. They have a great range of nail polishes, a set of 12 W7 polishes were only £20, so its great value too! Of course they stock a lot of Nails Inc and I even found some OPI in there too! More on that polish later.

This polish is one of six from W7's Planets Collection set.

Metallic Venus is a purple/blue duochrome with hints of a coppery colour added in too! It's so hard to capture, because it looks different in every angle, but it's a lovely colour. Perfect for winter!

Can you see the blue coming through on the tips? It has a lovely glossy finish too.

This is with two coats.

I have quite a few W7 polishes now, I think they're really got value for money, as I can usually find these for around £1.95.

What do you think?

Do you own any of the W7 Planets Collection?

I have my work Christmas party this Saturday and have no idea what to do with my nails, any ideas?

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Christmas Wish List

2011-11-27T19:15:00.001Z

Can you believe Christmas is under a month away now? I feel quite organised in that I've already bought quite a lot of my presents, which gives me a bit longer to look at what I'd like to receive. Here's a few things on my wish list.

Models Own Beetlejuice Nail Polish Collection

£20 online Models Own

I've been wanting this ever since it got released and it's finally back in stock!

Vaseline Limited Edition Lip Therapy Kit

£7 at Tesco.

Moroccan Oil

£30 online at Feel Unique.

I've heard so many amazing things about this product. My hair is the one thing I've always really looked after, so I'd love to try this. However other brands using Argon oil do offer much cheaper alternatives.

Lemony Flutter

£5.95 at Lush.

I really want to try this, I just think it's a bit pricey. Convince me otherwise though!

Seche Vite

£5.55 on Ebay.

I could probably add so many more nail relates things you wouldn't believe. Ebay is amazing for nail art products!

What's on your Christmas wish list?

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Hello Kitty Nails!

2011-11-26T20:58:00.001Z

Hello ladies!

I'd never been a big fan of Hello Kitty until I started blogging. I always thought it was quite childish, now I just think it's super cute! I couldn't resist trying out some Hello Kitty nail stickers that I got from Born Pretty Store. I seem to have misplaced my Hello Kitty stamping plate somewhere too!

Cute!

You can buy these stickers here.

Three coats Barry M Strawberry Ice Cream.

MUA Black for the dots.

Barry M Pink Iridescent on accent nail.

Sorry for the poor lighting, I'm starting work when it's dark and finishing when it's dark now. I think I need to invest in a light box.

What do you think?

Do you like Hello Kitty? Have you done Hello Kitty nails before?

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25% Off at Viva La Nails!

2011-11-25T17:56:00.001Z

I had to share with you this excellent deal at Viva La Nails.

This weekend only they are having a Black Friday Sale, giving you 25% off of everything from their website.

Simply use the code BLACK at the checkout page to claim your 25% discount.

They offer a great range of nail art products from polish and konad plates, to decals and brushes. Here are a few things that are on my wish list.

Konad Plate M59

Nail Art Brushes

Christmas Nail Stickers

Have you used their website before?

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Taped Holographic Manicure

2011-11-07T19:35:00.000Z

Hello ladies!

Today I wanted to share with you my first attempt at a taped manicure. For anyone that is unsure as to what this is, it's simply using scotch tape to create different designs. You can cut the tape either straight, in order to get perfect lines, or you can cut other designs into the tape and use it as a stencil. It's such an easy way to add to a manicure. Of course ensure your base colour is fully dry before applying the tape.

For a first attempt I'm pleased at how this turned out. I could have cut the tape better in order to get straighter lines.

The polish I used was a present from my boyfriend when he went travelling around Europe. I'm not sure which country he bought this from, so if anyone knows, do let me know. There is no name or number for the polish, but it's a lovely deep purple colour.

I then used the tape to create this shape on my nails. The polish I used was actually a holographic polish. It was so hard to photograph, but hopefully you can tell. This is from Marks and Spencer and is called Rainbow. It cost me £7.50 which is a bargain for a holographic polish considering these are going for crazy prices on Ebay.

I then added some simple rhinestones for an added effect. It reminded me of an Arabian theme, but perhaps this was just me. I'll be doing a post soon just using the holographic polish, to show you the full effect.

What do you think?

Have you ever tried a taped manicure?

Do you own any holographic polishes?

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Nail Foil Fail

2011-11-03T19:19:00.000Z

This year nail foils have hit the nail industry by storm! After Minx nails became so popular, other companies have since produced their own, much cheaper version of foil nails. I've tired out some nail foils from Born Pretty Store, however not to much success!

I chose a design from 106 different designs available, so there's a huge variety with something to suit everyone. They come in a set of 16 foils, which to be honest seems a bit daft to me, we have ten nails! However, I guess everyone does have different sized nails, so there should be enough sizes to fit everyone.

To use these you simply peel off the foil from the backing paper, cut the foil to the length of your nail and stick down. Sounds simply?

Here are the results!

I'm not loving it!

Maybe it was just me, but I found trying to cut the foil to fit my nail quite hard, they all seemed too wide. They were also all far too long. Trying to cut the foil was quite fiddly as they are sticky, so despite this seeming quicker than painting your nails, this took much longer for me.

I did however get a lot of positive comments on these. From far away they look great and very eye catching, but as you can see, close up, they don't fit my nail properly.

I'm not giving up on nail foils just yet though! I have a few more in my collection of nail goodies, so I'll try these out, perhaps with some practice they will turn out better.

The foils I used can be found here on the Born Pretty Store website. They are priced at $5.37 which is around £3.40, so a much cheaper price than other nail foils on the market.

Have you tried out nail foils before?

How did they turn out?

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Halloween Nails!

2011-10-31T20:28:00.001Z

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Hope you're all having a great night! Who's trick or treating? I'm having a quiet night in after a long day at work. I did try to convince my boyfriend to carve pumpkins with me, he was having none of it though!

However I couldn't resist trying out some Halloween nails to match the day.

I used my Bundle Monster plates (BM 13) to stamp some different designs and attempted to free hand a pumpkin on my thumb.

L-R

Pumpkin, Bats, Witch, Spider web and Spider.

I love how it turned out! I've had trouble with stamping so many times, but it all seemed to stamp well first time for once. My boyfriend really liked the witch, and I have to agree, the detail on it is so good! I've had a lot of compliments on it from people I work with and a lot of the customers too!

The polish I used for this was Nails Inc Atomic.

Please excuse the poor quality photos, these were taken from my phone.

What do you think?

How are you spending Halloween?

What have you done on your nails?

Send me links to any designs you've done!

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Bargain of the year!

2011-10-26T18:40:00.000+01:00

Hello ladies!

Today I wanted to share with you an absolute bargain that I picked up recently from Tesco. I found Pantene Pro-V Shampoo and Batiste Dry Shampoo on offer in my local store.

How much do you think this is all worth?

It's RRP would be £32 for the Pantene and around £8 for the Batiste, so £40.

How much did I pay?

£4.12

The Pantene was only 24p reduced from £4 and the Batiste was 55p from £2.

BARGAIN

With such cheap products I did go overboard and buy eight shampoo! Opps! This will easily last a few years I think, considering I already have a stash of spares. Dry shampoo is a must for everyone I think, so this will also last me ages.

I recommend looking out for these products when shopping. If the product is on offer and the label says it is price cut, this means it is discontinued. So once it's gone, it's gone! Therefore if you see one of your favourite products as price cut, I'd stock up on it! Generally the prices will be slashed on all price cut products. You just have to keep your eye out when doing your shopping for some great deals!

What do you think?

Have you picked up any good bargains recently?

Do you stock up on your favourite products when they are on offer?

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Collection 2000 Fruit Salad

2011-10-22T18:07:00.000+01:00

Hello ladies!

I thought it was about time I did another nail post, it's been a while! Like most nail bloggers, I have quite a few polishes which have sat in my draw for ages left untouched. I think it's about time I started to use them! Each time I do my nails now, I'm going to try to pick a new colour, rather than just go for my usual favourites. The first polish I've tried is Collection 2000 Fruit Salad.

Two Coats Collection 2000 Fruit Salad

This was a new colour released this summer, but I haven't used it until now. I'm in love!

Despite winter drawing in now, I'll be wearing this on my nails still to brighten my day. It gives a great glossy finish and for only £1.79 it's a bargain!

I added some decals I had for an extra touch, but after applying a top coat some of the decal came off with it.

As you can see it ruined my nails! However, I'm still in love with the colour!

Do you have this in your collection?

Which Collection 2000 polishes do you own?

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Barry M Dusky Mauve + New Jewellery!

2011-10-19T19:25:00.000+01:00

Barry M Dusky Mauve is another polish that has sat in my draw unloved for months now, however I've finally pulled it out and used it. For anyone that already has this polish, you will know it's so hard to photograph the true colour. These photo's really haven't done it justice.

Two Coats Barry M Dusky Mauve

I'm really not sure what colour to describe this as. In some of the many photos I took it just looked brown, however it has some lovely shimmers of purple as well.

I think it's a complete dupe for Chanel’s Paradoxal, which priced at £16.50, this is a much cheaper version at only £2.95.

I also wanted to show you these few things I picked up from Primark recently. I love how cheap their jewellery is! I know it won't last as long as good quality pieces, however I still can't resist! Those earrings are so cute and I seem to have a new obsession with rings lately.

Do you prefer cheap or high quality jewellery?

Have you tried Barry M Dusky Mauve?

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Guilt Free Pleasure - Hot Chocolate Face Mask

2011-10-17T17:32:00.001+01:00

Last week,10th to 16th October was National Chocolate Week. What better way to celebrate, rather than adding all those extra calories with a hot chocolate face mask! I tried out the new Montagne Jeunesse Hot Chocolate Self Heating Face Masque. It's a new mask to add to their ever growing great collection!

It Says:

'Take a deep breath of our self – warming Chocolate Orange masque and you'll be in chocolate heaven! Mediterranean Clay cleanses dirt and oils from deep within pores. Rich dark chocolate and orange oil leave skin feeling soft and refreshed.'

I think:

I'm a big fan of their other masks and my Sunday nights are usually spent wearing one from their collection, so I was quite glad to see they've released another one. All of Montagne Jeunesse products are suitable for vegetarians and they always prefer to use natural ingredients, which is definitely a bonus!

As soon as I opened the mask, it started to warm up in my hands. It smells amazing, chocolate of course, I had to resist licking my own face! It's quite thick, so you can really cover your whole face well. I applied the mask and left it on for the recommended 15 minutes. Unlike most face masks, this doesn't set rock solid onto your skin, so you don't feel like a statue. This made it much more comfortable to wear.

The initial heat did wear off after around 5 minutes, however it did stay warm for the full 15 minutes. It really helped to give the impression it was removing dirt from deep within my pores! Whether it did or not, well only time will tell.

There was easily enough of the product for two applications, like with most of their masks. As the product didn't dry hard, I found it really easy to wash off. I know some people have said it's quite messy to wash off, but this wasn't the case for me at all. I woke up the next day to softer, healthier looking skin.

I will definitely be buying this face mask in the future.

RRP from £1.01 and also available from www.montagnejeunesse.com.

Have you tried this?

Do you have a favourite face mask?

How did you celebrate National Chocolate Week?

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Gosh Gasoline

2011-09-11T16:22:00.001+01:00

Hello ladies!

Apologies for my absence recently. I've been feeling awful all week, my body just felt like it was shutting down on me, which wasn't very nice at all. I barely had the strength to stand up, let alone blog. However, I'm feeling slightly better now, so I'm back!

I adore all purple polish, so of course had to snap up Gosh Gasoline to add to the collection!

This is after two coats. As you can see it's a gorgeous shimmery purple. It would of probably looked better with a third coat though.

The wear on this polish is excellent. I'm a bit of a bargain hunter and rarely like to spend more than a few pounds on polish, but this is definitely worth it! It lasted six days without any chips before I finally took it off!

Work colleagues were commenting I'd had it on too long seeing as I'm always changing my polish :)

What do you think?

Do you own any Gosh polishes?

I currently have Gasoline, Ocean and Rainbow, but I'm hoping my collection will grow soon!

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Europe Purchases

2011-09-01T17:03:00.000+01:00

There are so many make up brands across Europe that aren't available in the UK, so after I'd booked my travelling I then started thinking about all the different nail polish brands I could get my hands on. Unfortunately I had very limited time to shop whilst I was away, however I did mange to pick up a few new things for my make up collection. Nail polishes included of course!

L-R

Essence Special Effect Topper Circus Confetti, Catrice Sold Out Forever, Kiko 300

The polish I bought from Kiko only has a number on it, so I checked their website and I found that 300 was Malachite Green Pearl.

I also bought an eye pencil from Kiko in Matita Occhi.

This polish is amazing! It kind of reminds me of something a five year old would want to wear, but I want to wear it too! There are so many different coloured glitters!

Swatches of the polishes.

The blue is gorgeous!

Swatch of the eye liner. It's a very light purple.

Do you own any of these brands?

What brands do you look out for when you go abroad?

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Simple Flowers

2011-08-29T15:13:00.001+01:00

This is a super easy design I did on my nails recently. Dotting tools are a nail art lovers best friend! I had intended to add more to the flowers, yes that's what they're supposed to be, but as usual I ran out of time!

Two Coats 17 Parma Violet

Dots using Barry M Bright Purple

I haven't used the 17 polish in months, so it was nice to bring back an old favourite.

I'm still in love with purples, I can't stop buying more!

What do you think?

What do you use to add something simple to your nails?

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Rimmel Rock Republic

2011-08-26T15:19:00.001+01:00

Today I'm showing you a new polish I picked up recently. I spotted this in the pound shop and couldn't resist getting it as it was so cheap! I had intended to add some nail art to it, but as usual I was rushed for time and never got a chance.

Two Coats Rimmel Rock Republic

I love this shade, it's a great metallic colour, something which I don't usually wear. I now want to expand my collection of shimmer polishes!

A bargain for only £1!

Have you picked up any cheap polishes recently?

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Born Pretty Store Crackle Polish

2011-08-23T15:00:00.005+01:00

Crackle polishes are still big business in the nail polish community. Nearly every brand now has their own version with an array of colours available. I've previously posted some crackle manicures which you can find here and here. I also did a post on comparing the different crackle polish brands available here. Well now I have another brand to try out. Born Pretty Store has also released a range of crackle polishes.

I've been trying out their violet colour to see how they compare to the other brands I have.

The first thing I noticed was the colour. It looks a lot more blue than violet compared to the website image. I do still like the colour however as it isn't something I already own.

I like how this product cracked compared to some other brands I have used. Of course it depends on how you apply the product, but the crackles appeared evenly spaced out. Some other brands don't crackle very well, but you can clearly see the base colour through the cracking polish.

I tried it out against other colours to see how it looked. I tried to apply it different to each nail, some with a heavier coat than others. I still like how each version turned out and was surprised how well it looked against some colours.

The Born Pretty Store Crackle Polishes are available on their website for $5.50/£4.80. They have twelve different colours to choose from, so much more than Barry M or Models Own.

Don't forget that they also offer FREE worldwide shipping!

Have you tried products from Born Pretty Store before?

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Travelling Adventures

2011-08-21T13:39:00.000+01:00

I'm back! I think I'm finally out of holiday mode and ready to get back to blogging! Sorry I've been absent for so long. Before my usual posts are back, I thought I'd share with you some pictures of my trip.

I went to Paris, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Amsterdam. It was the trip of a lifetime for me and I already want to book another one for next year!

Paris

Paris was truly amazing and I'm in love with the Eiffel Tower. We also visited the Notre Dame, The Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa, we went to a cabaret show and did a bike tour around Paris.

Eiffel Tower

Fat Tire Bike Tour around Paris

Lovers bridge.

You write you and your lovers name on a padlock and lock it to the bridge. Cute!

Switzerland

We only stayed here one night, but Switzerland has beautiful scenery, it's just very expensive!

Venice

Another beautiful place to visit, with hundreds of canals linking all the islands together. We travelled on a Gondola and spent the day on the beach.

Gondola Ride

Lido Beach

Germany

We visited Rhine Valley and Munich in Germany. I had my first beer and tried out some German sausages. We also visited a concentration camp.

No I didn't manage it all, I shared one!

Huge beer hall.

Concentration Camp

Amsterdam

Anyone who knows anything about Amsterdam will know it's wild! It didn't disappoint! First we visited Anne Frank's House, after dinner we went on a Cruise along the river, then explored the Red Light District at night.

We stayed on a Botel. It swayed all night long!

They love their bikes!

Final night dinner

River/Booze Cruise

Me and my room mate.

This is just a fraction of my pictures, I took hundreds! There were 30 people on my trip and I was the only one from England! There were people from all over the states, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. It was great finding out about other cultures, we had so many debates about who speaks the proper language, clearly I speak English best as I'm from England :)

If anyone is interested in doing a trip, but doesn't want the hassle of organising it themselves I'd recommend visiting Top Decks website. I went on the Europe Express trip, but there are loads to choose from, from all around the world!

Have you been travelling before, where did you go?

Would you be interested in doing something like this?

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Guest Post: Holiday Wardrobe

2011-07-30T15:00:00.000+01:00

As you read this I'm currently travelling around Europe! However, I've managed to bag another awesome blogger to write a guest post for you today! I'll let her do the writing! :) Hope you enjoy and do check out her blog as well!

Hi everyone! I'm Sarah from fashionismyh2o (dedicated to styling on a budget) and firstly I'd like to say a massive thank-you to Olivia for letting me nab a guest-post spot and wish her some very happy holidays!

Inspired by Olivia's get-away I've created a few 'holiday wardrobe' outfits for you all to have a look at ... with a little twist! As Olivia Writes is one of the best bloggers around for reviewing beauty products and especially nail varnishes, I've finished each look off with a gorgeous nail varnish that I think (and hope! You'll have to let me know if you agree) compliments each outfit to perfection.

So here we go:

Outfit One :

Top - Miss Selfridge £20.00

Shorts - H&M £19.99

Sandals - Topshop £24.00

Nail varnish - H&M £2.99

Outfit One is definitely an example of 'Summer Brights' it personally makes me think of a gorgeous beach bar sipping a delicious cocktail and working on my tan. The top is super cute and lightweight - perfect for keeping cool in the hotter climes, the shorts would pretty much go with anything and become a wardrobe staple and then the sandals are just adorable. Then we have the nail varnish which I think adds a really playful edge to the outfit and works in this seasons 'colour blocking' way in a subtle way.

Outfit Two

Jumpsuit - Peacocks £32.00

Sandals - Dorothy Perkins £25.00

Clutch - ASOS £20.00

Earrings - Hannah Zakari £10.00

Necklace - Peacocks £10.00

Nail Varnish - YSL £16.50

Outfit Two is straight up Seventies Luxe Bohemian inspired. The elegant jumpsuit is just begging to be worn lazing on a yacht somewhere in the Mediterranean (a girl can dream right?) Usually I'm not a massive fan of jumpsuits but I do feel this one would be super flattering and the colour would look fab with a tan. The clutch and sandals pull the look together and then the cute 70's inspired jewellery add to the glam factor. Tying the whole look together is the undoubtedly gooorgeous deep red nail varnish - the embodiment of luxury at your fingertips!

Outfit Three

Crop Top - House of fraser £23.00

Denim Shorts - Desire clothing £10.00

Sandals - Debenhams £15.00

Earrings - Urban Outfitters £10.00

Ring - Dorothy Perkins £6.50

Nail Varnish - Barry M £2.89

Outfit Three is very much a rock n roll relaxation creation. The funky printed crop top is perfect for all you party animals out there (see what I did there? Please don't run away in despair) then the shorts are suitably distressed and burnt out. The sandals tie the look together in suitably fierce gladiator style and then the accessories top it all of (how awesome is that ring? I'm so heading out to buy it ASAP!) Then of course we have the nails I love how acerbically bright they are.

Outfit Four

Dress - MButterfly £24.00

Sandals - Monsoon £28.00

Bag - Zara £29.99

Ring - Miss Selfridge £10.00

Nails - Models Own at ASOS £5.00

Our last outfit is a gorgeous girly inspired look perfect for all you ladies who love to look floaty and feminine on your hols. The printed dress is just beautiful and thanks to it's floaty style would definitely hide any large holiday meal bloats (godsend!) The sandals are really elegant and could also work with anything else in your holiday wardrobe. The bag is just super chic and minimalist - small enough to not weigh you down but big enough for your night out essentials! Then the ring adds a really cool edge to the outfit whilst the nail varnish keeps it lovely and girly!

So there we are lovelies I hope you've enjoyed my ramblings and that my nail varnish picks weren't too bad! Thanks again to Olivia for letting me feature here and if you ever want help styling yourself up on a budget come and check out fashionismyh2o!

Bucket List

2011-07-26T15:00:00.003+01:00

A bucket list is a list of things you want to do or accomplish before you hit the bucket. Or in not so nice terms, before you die. I've been thinking a lot about what I'd like to achieve and say I've done before I die, so I decided to create my own. I think I'd feel a lot more fulfilled if I'd done things out of the ordinary for me.

It's not finished yet, I'm sure there's so many more things I will think of eventually. If there are any others you think should be on here, then do comment below! Some of these can be easily achieved, others are much harder.

Travel

Travel to every continent 2/6

Visit 30 countries 7/30

~~Climb a mountain~~ Mount Snowdon Wales June 2011

Visit Grand Canyon

See the Northern Lights

~~Go to NYC~~ 8/1/12

Spend Christmas in another country

Visit all the counties in England 10/48

Go abroad with a group of girl friends

~~Visit the Eiffel tower~~ July 2011

Go on a cruise

Visit The Great Pyramid of Giza

Leisure

Go scuba diving

Visit a waterfall

Go sky diving

See a concert

Ride in a hot air balloon

~~Go to a spa for the day~~ 14/12/11
Visit a castle

Health

Get to a happy weight

Do 100 consecutive sit ups

Be a confident swimmer

Run a sub 30 5K

Run a half marathon

Other

Be in a TV show audience

Read 100 books

~~Get a facial~~ 14/12/11

Buy a house with my boyfriend

Save £10,000

Give blood

Learn a new skill

Meet a blogger

Get married

~~Get a new job or progress in current one~~ 30/09/11

Volunteer

Do an evening class

Watch the sunset

Some of these are probably really cliché but it is my list after all, so I don't mind one bit! When I'm back from travelling, I'll be adding a page to my blog to track my progress in completing my bucket list.

Do you have a bucket list?

What's on yours?

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An Adventure!

2011-07-22T16:00:00.000+01:00

Hello!

This is a quick post to say I'm off on a bit of an adventure for the next ten days. I'm going travelling around Europe! I've set up a few scheduled posts, including my first guest post too!

I'm staying in London on Saturday night, then being picked up at 7am on Sunday to travel to Paris!

This is my route!

I'm so excited! Everything is packed and sorted, I think!

I'm travelling with TopDeck a touring operator. I'm going by myself, but I will be in a group of thirty people, so I hope I make new friends quickly!

I plan on taking a lot of photographs and buying lots of European nail polish!

Wish me luck, see you in two weeks!

Pink Wednesday: Barry M Pink Nail Effects

2011-07-20T14:31:00.000+01:00

After buying the Barry M Pink Instant Nail Effects a while ago now, I haven't had a chance to use it very often. I know you must be bored of the posts on it by now, but I still wanted to say a little something about it!

This is with one coat of Collection 2000 BMX Bandit and one coat of Barry M Pink Nail Effect.

I only used one coat of the BMX Bandit as I didn't think it needed two if I was just going to cover the polish anyway. This is an old polish, but it's the first Collection 2000 polish I've tried before. It's a cross between a blue and a purple shade. I love this colour just on it's own! It applied easily and covered well.

I then added the Instant Nail Effects.

I've tried many different crackle brands now, you can see my comparison here. I think I've gone off the Barry M crackle polishes. I don't like how they crack compared to other brands such as Models Own. You can see from the pictures, there are a lot of wide gaps between the colours. I prefer more of an even layer of crackle.

What do you think?

Are crackle polishes still on trend, or are you over them now?

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Born Pretty Store Discount Code

2011-07-18T19:02:00.001+01:00

I have some great news for all you nail addicts out there.

I have a 10% off coupon code for you all to use on the Born Pretty Store website.

If you've never heard of the site before, I'd seriously recommend visiting it by clicking here. They do a great range of fantastic nail art, with free shipping world wide! That's right, free shipping!

I've done a few reviews on some of their products which you can find here. They sell all your nail art needs, including polish at really low prices! However they do also sell other beauty products too. It's worth checking out!

Either use the above link or click on the picture to the right!

If you fancy a bargain, then use the code OLIVIAK31 at the checkout!

Let me know if it helps you!

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Models Own Golden Peach

2011-07-14T19:20:00.000+01:00

Since getting my first Model's Own polish, I keep craving more, so I recently got Models Own Golden Peach. I never wear orange, but this is quite light and has a gorgeous shimmer to it!

Two Coats Models Own Golden Peach

As usual, I jazzed it up a bit with some simple nails stickers from Pound Land. I never seem to have enough time to do anything else, I'm always rushing around. I'd love to try some more things!

Only after I upload photos, do I realise how dry my cuticles look :( This could of done with three coats to make it more opaque, but I always only use two.

What do you think?

What are you wearing on your nails?

If anyone has any ideas or requests of what I could do on my nails next, please leave a comment below! I need some inspiration. Are there any finishes you like in particular, or any colours you'd like me to swatch from my collection?

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Bargain Nail Art Supplies

2011-07-11T17:51:00.000+01:00

Nail art is becoming increasingly popular thanks to things like WAH Nails and celebrities such as Katy Perry showing off their nails. All health and beauty stores now stock nail art supplies such as stickers, rhinestones and nail wraps. If you purchase from somewhere like Boots or Superdrug, it can get pricey, as brands will charge more for their products.

Since becoming obsessed with nail art, I always shop around for the best deal. My favourite place to look is of course EBay. They have such a huge range of products to choose from, for ridiculously cheap prices if you're willing to search for a good deal!

However, another one of my favourite places to shop is actually Pound land. I've bought a lot of things from there recently, for you guessed it, only a pound! These including rhinestones, stickers and even branded polishes such a Rimmel.

You get a great selection of different rhinestones and other items. I love that they also come in wheels, it's much easier to use that way!

Another wheel with pearls, fimo canes, rhinestones and more.

They also sell stickers which seem to be all the rage at the minute. The only thing I don't like is that you get eight of each sticker. We have ten nails. How does this make sense? I'll be trying these out soon and let you know what I think! Other companies charge a lot for a similar product.

More stickers. Places such as Claire's Accessories charge £3 for one set of nail stickers.

Finally the best bargain of all. Nail polishes! Pound land do sell their own range of polishes but they also sell branded polishes such as these Rimmel ones. They are still stocked in other high street shops at full price, so this is excellent savings!

If you're anything like me, you might be a bit embarrassed being seen in Pound Land or something similar at first, but it's worth it for the money you save. I know also in the US they have stores such a Dollar Tree which also sell nail art and polishes really cheap.

Who said nail art had to be expensive?

Where do you shop for your supplies? How much are you willing to pay for a polish?

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Pink Wednesday

2011-07-06T14:57:00.001+01:00

Today's Pink Wednesday is a little bit different to the normal. It doesn't feature my nails, but my three year old niece's!

It was her third birthday at the weekend and she was having a princess themed party. She's always asking me to do her nails, so for the party I painted them the brightest pink I had.

Models Own Sophie's Pink.

It's so hard to paint tiny nails like that. I hardly used any polish at all! They look wet because I used a freeze spray to dry the nails quicker.

She was dressed as Belle from Beauty and The Best and all the other children were either princesses or Disney characters. She even had a princess bouncy castle. I wish I had that when I was little!

I'd love to show you a picture of her all dressed up, but there are some weirdos on the internet, so I'd better not! :) Hope you understand!

This was her birthday cake. How cute?

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June

2011-07-03T20:32:00.000+01:00

This last month has gone by so quick. I can't believe it's July already! I've had a busy month and bought a few nice new things, which I thought I'd share with you.

♥ I did the Race for Life and raised over £100 for Cancer Research UK.

♥ I climbed Mount Snowdon in Wales.

♥ I picked up my boyfriend from uni, so I'm spending all my free time with him.

♥ We went to Alton Towers with some friends.

♥ We went to the cinema and were the only adults in the screen!

♥ We had a yummy Pizza Express meal for only £11, including starters thanks to Orange Wednesdays.

♥ I've been buying the following things:

Free Nails inc polishes thanks to Fabulous Magazine and Tesco.

L-R

Marks and Spencer Rainbow, Barry M Mint Green, Collection 2000 Base Coat, Nails Inc Copacabana, Models Own Purple Smash Up, Models Own Golden Peach, Rimmel Azure, Rimmel Pompous.

The Marks and Spencer polish is apparently a holographic, so I'm excited to finally own one! The Nails inc polish was free from Boots for buying two Dove deodorant products. There are two colours available, so if you want one, head down to your local Boots!

I found these in the clearance section of Boots. This lot came to under £4 for everything. That's excellent value considering the body butter is around £8. That's some serious savings!

My boyfriend kindly accompanied me to a car boot sale where I found this. I love mirrored things in my room, so when I found this for only £4 I had to snap it up!

How have you spent your month?

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Barry M Blue Moon

2011-06-29T14:47:00.000+01:00

Blue Moon is one of Barry M's newest nail polishes to be released. It's a very pale blue and great for summer. You may notice on the middle nail there is the remains of some attempted stamping. The colour didn't match well, so I tried covering it with more polish. Looks like it didn't work very well.

Two coats Barry M Blue Moon

I only ever apply two coats of polish, but this definitely needed three to be opaque.

I also added some flower nail decals from Viva La Nails

I've been wanting to use these decals for ages, but didn't know what colour to use them with. I think this works well.

What do you think?

Do you use nail decals?

I wanted to get some more decals from Ebay, so if anyone knows of any good sellers, do leave a comment below. Thanks!

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Cherries

2011-06-26T17:55:00.000+01:00

I tried out some more simple nail art recently. Summer is now in full swing, so I wanted something bright. I've seen so many different versions of cherry nail art, so here's mine.

2 Coats Barry M Pure Turquoise

Rimmel Double Decker

MUA Shade 13

The cherries were done using a dotting tool and a small brush. The design was quick and easy to do. I could of added some more detail, but I was rushed for time as usual.

What do you think?

My cuticles are in awful condition at the minute, so could anyone recommend any good lotions, oils or even home made remedies? I use hand cream every day and cuticle oil every time I do my nails, yet they still look so dry. Any suggestions would be really appreciated!

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Models Own Purple Smash Up

2011-06-23T17:17:00.000+01:00

Models Own have finally released more colours in their Smash Up Collection. There are now five colours to choose from, so I picked up the Purple Smash Up.

I wasn't sure which base colour to use, but decided on Barry M Berry Ice Cream in two coats.

The great thing about crackle polishes, is that you can create your own look depending on how you apply the polish. I applied a thin layer to each nail, so the cracks are quite small, but I love the effect.

I now have six different crackle polishes in an array of colours, but I think the purple will be my most used out of them all.

I tested out the polish on a few other shades to see how they would look too.

I think the polish looks great over the yellow and green.

What do you think?

Have you picked up any of the new Smash Up polishes?

You can buy them online here or pick them up from your local Boots store for £6.

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Barry M Vivid Purple

2011-06-21T14:52:00.000+01:00

Hello!

Once again, I apologise about the lack of posts recently. I've been spending all my free time with my boyfriend whilst he's back from uni. We went to Alton Towers last week with friends and had a great time!

Here's how my nails have been looking. I didn't have a lot of time to do anything extra on them, so I just applied a simple nail sticker to one nail on each hand.

Two Coats Barry M Vivid Purple

This is the first time I've tried this polish and I love it. Like with all Barry M polishes, it's so easy to apply and dried quickly.

This is more of an evening or winter polish, but it still looked good even in the bright sunshine.

What do you think?

Which colours have you been wearing recently?

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Revlon Passion Fruit

2011-06-13T15:45:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the lack of posts this week. The last week has flown by. I picked up my boyfriend from uni on Friday, so I've spent all my free time with him. I also did the Race for Life on Saturday which I really enjoyed but my legs now ache from the final sprint finish :)

Here's something I did on my nails recently. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, so it ended up quite random.

Two coats Revlon Scented Passion Fruit.

Ring Finger W7 Cosmic Purple.

I used an assortment of stickers and rhinestones from Ebay.

Is anyone else doing, or done the race for life this year?

What's currently on your nails?

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A very different weekend

2011-06-06T17:21:00.000+01:00

Last weekend I did something completely out of the ordinary for me. I climbed a mountain! Mount Snowdon to be precise.

For anyone that doesn't know much about it, it's in Wales, which is over four hours drive away from where I live. It's 1085m above sea level, or 3560 Ft.

It was the hardest and scariest thing I have ever done in my life.

We climbed that beast!

I went with my brother and two friends, so them all being men, they wanted to take the hardest route of course. There are six different routes you can take, all of different lengths. We took the Watkin Path, which is both the hardest and longest to take. It took us four hours to reach the Summit and it was the best feeling in the world when we got there.

The first three hours were fine. Obviously it was steep and very uneven surfaces to walk on, but it wasn't too hard. We had lots of sheep to keep us company on the way and beautiful mountain springs all the way up.

Then the final peak hit us. It was practically completely vertical and I had no idea how I was going to get up it. I couldn't stand, I was far too scared of falling off. In the end I had to scramble my way up, grabbing on to any rocks that I could.

It was honestly so scary, if I would of lose my footing, I would of fallen. That's a long way to fall. There's no way I would of survived, so to say I was petrified would be an understatement.

This photo was taken not even half way up and look how high we had already climbed!

I really wish we could of taken a different route. Once we reached the top, we could see the other routes and they were so easy compared to what we had done. They had proper paths which started much higher than ours, so they didn't have to climb as steep. I felt a massive sense of achievement when I made it to the top though.

This would be me, super excited before the climb. I'm aware I look awful, no make up and my hair tied back. Oh well, I had no one to impress! May I also add, I'm so impressed that I didn't even break a nail and my polish only chipped on one nail. That's awesome!

Have you ever done anything totally spontaneous?

I'd love to hear anything interesting you've done!

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Scented Polishes. Rimmel vs Revlon

2011-06-03T16:55:00.000+01:00

When I first heard about scented polishes I didn't quite no what to make of them. Are they just a gimmick to earn the company some extra money? Or could they be good additions to your nail polish collection? After avoiding them for a while I finally decided to try them. I purchased one Rimmel and one Revlon to see how they compared.

Rimmel

Rimmel has named their scented polish collection as 'I Love Lasting Finish Fruities Collection'. Their collection has a range of four different scents, in Lemon Drop, Strawberry Fizz, Apricot Punch and Cranberry Zest.

I purchased Apricot Punch as I don't have a colour that is similar to this in my current collection. I applied two coats of the polish and this was the result.

I love the colour. It's great for the summer and isn't too orange. It applied well and was opaque after only two coats. When I first opened the bottle, there was still a strong scent of chemicals, like with all polish. However after applying the polish, it began working it's magic. After only applying one coat on one nail, I could already smell something fruity. After finishing the first coat on all my nails there was a strong fruity scent, much better than the usual nail polish smell. The second coat made the smell even stronger.

I went out that evening and could smell my nails the whole night. It wasn't overpowering and no one else could notice, but I could definitely smell the apricot. The next morning I was surprised to still be able to smell it. I thought it would of worn off by now. Even after showering the smell was still there. After two days it had faded a lot but if I actually smelt my nails, I could still smell it. It then chipped on the third day, probably because I was in a rush, so didn't apply a top coat, so I removed the polish after the third day.

Overall I'm really impressed with Rimmel's version of scented polish. Of course there are still three other colours in the collection to try, but I'm really happy with the polish I chose.

Price: £2.99

Size: 8ml

Revlon

Revlon has named their scented collection 'Revlon Scented Nail Enamel'. These limited edition polishes come in eight different scents and a variety of different colours. I purchased Passion Fruit, which is a dark purple. You must know by now that I love purple polishes! After applying two coats, this was the result.

This is the first Revlon polish I've bought. The main thing that's stopped me before is the price. I know you get a lot more product in the Revlon bottles, compared to other brands, but £6.49 is quite pricey in my opinion. The quality would have to be really good. Well unfortunately the first coat was a disaster, it didn't apply well at all. It was quite watery, so the colour wasn't very opaque. I think I should of used three coats for a fully opaque finish. I'm not overly impressed with the colour either, it's nothing special.

The scent of the polish is subtle, not as strong as the Rimmel polish. This time round I applied a top coat, to see whether it would affect the smell. It didn't at all, which I was really impressed with. The following day the smell hadn't faded, but on the third day I could only smell it if I actually sniffed my hands. I don't know about you, but I don't normally do that!

Price: £6.49

Size: 14.7ml

Comparing the two brands, I have to say I prefer the Rimmel polish. It's a lot more affordable for everyone. It applied so much easier and the smell was stronger. It may have chipped quicker, but I don't wear the same polish for more than a few days anyway. I know the size of the Revlon is larger, but when are you ever going to use a whole bottle of polish up?

Have you tried any scented polishes?

What do you think? Gimmick, or worth paying a bit extra for?

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BM Beauty Make up Reviews

2011-05-31T15:13:00.000+01:00

Today I wanted to share with you some new products I have been trying out, by a brand new make up company BM Beauty. BM Beauty is a mineral based cosmetics company created by ex Pussycat Dolll Kimberly Wyatt and co-owner Laura McComiskie. What's great about the brand is all of their products are cruelty free and have the stamp of approval from the BUAV and PETA. The mineral make up is also great for spot prone skin as it contains anti-inflammatory properties. It is lightweight and allows your skin to breath.

I have been trying out a few of their products including some concealer, eye shadow and some make up brushes.

Brushes

All of BM Beauty's brushes are made of a soft synthetic material, rather than animal hair. This is because it's more hygienic using synthetic and it allows the brushes to have a smoother surface, so it's easier to keep clean and bacteria free. I have been using two from their collection and would say these are the products I've enjoyed using the most.

124 Bronzer Blush Brush

They say:

An all purpose brush for blush or bronzer application. The brush has a full, angled contour, perfect for expert application to the cheek contour. Ideal for applying a sweep of bronzer for a sunkissed look. Made of the softest synthetic fibre.

I think:

Despite not using animal hair, this brush really is super soft. Without exaggerating, this is honestly the softest brush I've ever used. Now I haven't tried MAC ones, so maybe some people would disagree, but I love the feel of this against my skin! It hardly feels like I'm applying anything when using it. It's a good sized brush and is great for applying blusher and bronzer. The angle of the brush makes it so much easier to apply and gives a great finish.

When I first used the brush only two hairs came loose, but since then all the hairs have stayed in place. I'm used to having to pick off brush hair from my face after applying make up, so this was excellent.

Price: £14

021 Concealer Brush

They say:

Comprising of densely packed, firm taklon fibres, this is the ideal tool to create a flawless finish. Use with mineral concealer and colour corrector to blend and conceal dark shadows and imperfections.

I think:

I have to admit, I don't normally use a brush to apply my concealer, so this was completely new to me! This brush was so much denser than the blush brush, but it still felt soft against my skin. Using this helped the concealer to apply really well and gave an even coverage. I think I'll stick to using a brush in future.

Concealer

BM Beauty's concealers are 100% pure mineral concealers. They are natural and have skin calming formula to treat blemishes while concealing them to create picture perfect skin.

Available in 2 shades - Be Gone! And Vanish. For best results they recommend choosing a shade lighter than your natural skin tone.

I was really impressed with both the concealers I used. I normally use No 7 Concealer Stick, so using a mineral based one was completely different. It covered any blemishes and under eye dark circles really well. I have a small scar on my face, which I've never been able to hide properly, no matter how much concealer I've used. However after only applying a small amount of this over the area, it was completely covered! I couldn't have wanted anything better really. It felt so light on my skin, so I wasn't worrying about it clogging up my pores.

Price: £8

Eye Shadows

BM Beauty have four different eye shadow collections to suit every mood. I have tried two of their eye shadows from the Starry Eyed Glamour Collection and Earthy Princess Collection.

L-R: Dusty Road and Platinum Tiara

Their eye shadows remind me of Barry M's Dazzle Dusts, however these are denser. What's great about their eye shadows is that you can apply them dry for a subtle colour or you can mix them with water for a more dramatic look. This is great as it allows the products to be used for both day and evening looks. Initially I didn't think the colour was bold enough, but after applying more and building up the colour, I loved the two shades. They stayed on all evening when I went out too.

Price: £7

BM Beauty have really made me fall in love with mineral make up, everything applies so well and gives a great finish!

If you wanted to find out more about the company and the other products they sell, then check out their website here. Their website has some great tutorials on how to use the make up and tools to create different looks.

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Nautical Nail Art

2011-05-28T18:40:00.000+01:00

Hope everyone in England is enjoying yet another bank holiday weekend! This last month has been great for extra days off work! Unfortunately I'm in work at 6am on Monday morning though, so not much of a bank holiday for me this time around! Work has also caused me to break four nails the day before I did this design, so excuse how short they look.

This is my messy attempt at nautical nails. I did last night, so I waited until this morning for better lighting to take pictures. Overnight however the design smudged, so it now looks quite messy. Hope you like it though!

I wanted to try out another design from my Bundle Monster plates. When I saw the anchor, I knew I had to do nautical nails!

After applying a base coat I then applied two coats of Barry M Matt White to three nails and Barry M Blueberry Ice Cream to the remaining two.

Using a brush I then applied Barry M Blueberry Ice Cream in stripes across each nail.

I stamped the anchor design on to the two blue nails using the white polish.

Then finished with a top coat!

The anchor didn't show up as well as I'd hoped at all. Obviously the white isn't a good colour to choose for stamping. I still need to find some decent polishes to use.

Any suggestions?

Hope you like the design!

I need to get some new brushes to use for nail art I think. The ones I'm using were just a cheap set of EBay, but they aren't that great.

Where do you buy yours from?

What do you think?

Have you tried a nautical theme for your nails yet this summer?

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B.live by Cellnique Skin Care Reviews

2011-05-26T13:37:00.000+01:00

I'm really excited to share with you some products that I've been using recently. I've been trying out b•liv by cellnique skin care products and want to share with you what I think.

The products: L-R

Off with those heads: Blackheads sebum gel

Quench me: Moisturising gel

Glow and shine: Skin smoothing mask

Off with those heads

They say:

Off with those heads removes white and blackheads without violence or pain, and stops them from appearing ever again. The gel softens the clogging blocking your pores, allowing for effortless extraction and removal of all sores. Its essence ingredients keep oil secretions under control, and skin irritation will never again rule!

I think:

Quite bold claims don't you think?

I've always suffered from blackheads on my nose and white heads around my t zone area. I've tried the strips you use on your nose, but not to much success. They always still come back. After using this for only a few days I started to see results, the blackheads were becoming less obvious and my pores were getting smaller. The scent of the product is peppermint, it's not overpowering at all, but quite refreshing.

I applied this every morning and night, only using a small pea sized around on my nose. This product absorbs very quickly into my skin, so I was able to apply make up straight away. After now using this for many weeks I'm happy to report that I no longer have blackheads and my pores aren't noticeable at all! I'm very pleased with this product, especially as I was sceptical at first. But I'd recommend it to anyone suffering with black and white heads.

You can find this product here on their website.

Quench me

They say:

Quench me lavishes your face with moisturising and cell revitalising nutrients, which pamper your skin and supplies it with much-needed invigoration. The gel moisture-retaining properties keep hydration locked-in, and restores vitality to your tired skin - leaving you a supple, recharged and healthy complexion.

I think:

Despite having quite an oily t zone area, the rest of my face can be quite dry at times. I was therefore recommended this product to try. I usually use quite a thick moisturiser and have never used a moisturising gel before. I have used this day and night for a few weeks now, using a few pumps all over my face.

When applying the gel, the first thing I noticed was a tingling sensation all over my face. It then felt quite cool and refreshing, like the product was really working with my skin and helping to moisturise it. It also helped to wake me up in the morning! It dried quickly, so I didn't have to wait for it to dry in before applying my make up.

You can find this product here in their website.

Glow and Shine

They say:

Glow and Shine deeply exfoliates damaged, scarred or unhealthy skin, to reveal the smooth, flawless complexion lurking within. It also lightens and brightens the dull and uneven-toned face, to make one's inner glow and shine rise to the surface.

I think:

I'm a big fan of face masks and use them once or twice every week. I've tried a lot of different types, from a variety of brands, so I was excited to see how this compared. I have been using this twice a week for over a month now.

I apply thick layer of the mask all over my skin. I had to use quite a lot of the product in order to cover my whole face, so after a few weeks the product is almost gone. The texture is different to masks I have tried before, usually they are quite wet and apply smoothly. However, this was clay, so it was dry and quite rough. It didn't hurt my skin, but it definitely felt like all the dead skin cells were being removed. I left this on for the recommended 5-10 minutes and washed off with warm water.

Straight after washing the mask off, I could feel the difference in my skin. It did feel a lot smoother, thanks to the rough texture of the product. Despite it being different to what I'm used to, I liked the mask and think it has improved the over all appearance of my skin, with the help of the other products too.

You can find this product here on their website.

If you want to find out more about Cellnique, they also have a fan page on Facebook. You can find them here.

Have you used any of their products before, what do you think?

What are your favourite skin care brands?

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GOSH Ocean

2011-05-23T15:17:00.000+01:00

I think I've found a new favourite colour!

GOSH Ocean. GOSH isn't a brand I usually buy, I think it's a little bit expensive compared to other brands out there such as Barry M and Rimmel. GOSH polishes are £4.99 each in Superdrug, compared to £2.99 Barry M and Rimmel. However this was bought for me by my boyfriends mum. I can tell you, she did good!

Two coats of GOSH Ocean.

Honestly I love it! It's quite like 17 Peacock but it's a lot more shiny. It's the perfect teal colour and definitely worth the extra price, I've even bought another GOSH since!

I know a lot of people love Holographic, it sells for a ridiculous price on EBay since it's been discontinued.

I then added some stickers from Viva La Nails.

What do you think?

Which GOSH polishes do you own?

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Week in Pictures

2011-05-21T10:02:00.000+01:00

Usually I don't share much about my life outside of the blogging world, so here's a round up of my week!

I went out for a meal with work friends and wore this gorgeous ring.

Cannot believe I managed to walk in these! I'm 5ft 1in, so wearing these made me look like a giant for once!

I had the day off work so I headed to a car boot sale. I picked up some bargains! The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub for only £1. Never been opened! Normally this is £12.50.

I also got my inner nerd on and bought three books for £2.

I know I only did my nail polish collection post on Saturday, but it's grown already!

W7 Sheer Mauve, GOSH Gasoline, M+S Bright Aqua.

I went out for dinner with a friend and as we were leaving a waiter gave us a rose each. Cute! I never get bought flowers, so this made my night!

I was lucky enough to be one of the winners of Lily's 9 bar giveaway. I've tried the nutty bar so far, it's delicious! Thanks Lily!

How have you spent your week?

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