Superdrug Haul!

I said I had a few hauls coming up in my recent post (currently two but there may be more...) and this is the first set of things I bought. I'm trying to split them up a bit as variety is the spice of life, or so they say.

Superdrug is my go to place. I could honestly spend hours in there. I secretly want them to hire me but my saying loudly about how much they should hire is obviously not being received *cough cough Superdrug Norwich*. Anyway as well as helping an old lady with her make up puchases, I managed to pick up:

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint- Greenberry

I was actually looking for the pastel green nail polish but it wasn't in stock at the time (I found it later however) but this caught my eye. It's a neon aqua which I think would set off a tan amazingly

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer- Dark 4

This was a repurchase but I wasn't initially enamoured with it. It was only when I started comparing it to other drugstore offerings that I realised this high coverage beauty was pretty good. It still creases like a bitch and I know in my heart of hearts there must be something better (but probably more expensive- sigh) out there but for now, I really really like you, CLPC.

Maybelline Instant Anti-Age The Eraser Eye Concealer

The concealer junkie that I am had to pick this up. The sponge applicator just intrigued me. I've been really liking it so far, either for prepping my eyes (cancelling out the purple tones) before going in with the above concealer or just alone when my bags aren't that bad for a more natural look.

Maybelline Fit Me powder

I used a powder from my stash recently for a bit of shine control and really liked it. It added a bit more coverage but was a bit light for my current (slightly tanned) face. Not wanting to pick up the same powder (I do like to experiment!), I got this one. It's not adding as much coverage as I expected but maybe it just needs more building. I'll report back soon!

Have you been shopping recently or have/want anything that I've bought? In my defence, it's the end of exams so that obviously means I should have to buy the whole of Superdrug...

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NOTD: Topshop Eclipse

I've had this nail varnish for yonks and was a little scared it might have been discontinued. It hasn't (thank goodness) so I can share it with you all! Look at how pretty this nail varnish is in the bottle. If you say you could walk past that and not pick it up, you're lying! When I saw this, I thought it looked like when oil is spilt; that rainbow like puddle that changes in different lights. In some lights, Topshop Eclipse looks green, in others in looks more goldy and I absolutely love that!

I recently bought Seche Vite and have been having a little trouble with it. As a lot of my nail varnishes are quite thick to start with, my nail polish would just flake off in huge chunks because it just gets too thick with Seche Vite as well. I haven't been having that trouble with Eclipse though (hurrah!) as it is a thinner polish that can be built up. You could use one coat for a sheer coverage that still looks beautiful as your nails catch the light or two coats (like above) for it to be opaque.

Will you be picking this up? Have you got any favourite polishes at the minute?

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Disappointing Product #1- Nails Inc Porchester Square

Please excuse my red tinged nails, that was a stubborn one to remove!

I have to admit I don't like being negative about a product. I feel that the majority of the time there is an alternative use or method of using that may be able to redeem it. Sometimes though, it has to be said, 'I just don't like this'. This is unfortunately how I feel about Nails Inc Porchester Square. I feel like I'm betraying Vivianna Does Makeup for saying this but it's true.

I don't know if it's because I went in with such high expectations that it disappointed but it just wasn't the perfect nude polish I hoped for. This polish doesn't actually belong to me, my sister got it in a pack of editors picks or the likes (don't quote me) but I had it on my nails before she even had a chance to get the rest of the wrapping paper off. She wasn't happy, let me tell you.

I think the problem was that it just doesn't compliment my skin tone. It seems to just look 'meh' on there. Nothing special. This could also be because I love my brights and nudes don't come naturally to me but I really tried hard to love this. It wasn't meant to be...

Despite my disappointment, the mauvey grey polish did last well (two to three days on my nails, which is a god send for my poor nails) and it did have a shininess to it even before a topcoat. In this NOTD, I used the Barry TopCoat featured here (LINK) however I must let you know, I've crumbled. I've bought Seche Vite. I'm currently testing it for review but I've found it works better with different polishes. Anyone else find this?

Buy Nails Inc Porchester Square- LINK

What did you think of this polish? Overrated by bloggers or loving it?

 

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Barry M Base Coat Top Coat and Nail Hardener

 

I've been meaning to blog about this for ages but I find that when a product is meh, it doesn't really inspire much writing. I remember promising in THIS post that I would write a review and a month later, it's only just materialising. This topcoat from Barry M is good as just that... a topcoat. It's when products start making bold claims that it all goes down hill. When speaking to a beautician recently, she told me that no product can really strengthen your nails. It may do so whilst you use the product but as soon as you stop using it, they'll return to their previous condition. Essentially it's all down to genetics and good eating habits (something you don't want to hear around the Christmas period!)

I don't hate this basecoat/topcoat. It really does add a shine to the nails, however it definitely doesn't strengthen or harden the nail. I can't say I wouldn't buy this again as it does do the job I want it to, just a shame that it doesn't live up to its bold claims of a nail hardener.

Have you tried any good basecoat/ topcoats? I want to try Seche Vite.

 

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NOTD: Christmas Glitter #2

Ooooh my hundreth post! Exciting times!

What could be more Christmassy than a snowy white and a glitter? Stop thinking, the answer is nothing! (Apart from maybe said nails on top of wooley apparel!)

In this nail of the day, I have layered Barry M Matt White and (appropriately) Barry M's 2012 Christmas limited edition polish in SLE 2012 (whatever that means). I bit the bullet and put the glitter on all of my nails. My hatred for removing glitter polish had me loving the accent nail trend but you just don't get the same effect as when all your nails are glittery. I couldn't give into my inner Scrooge! BE FESTIVE NAILS!

(Give me about three days and I'll be cursing that I thought this was a good idea)

I really like both these polishes. The white is opaque in two coats and not that milky consistency you get with some. The glitter is a mix of pink, blue and green hexagonal chunks in two sizes. You have to dab on the glitter to get it even but I think it turned it quite well. It lasted for about 3 days which is about average on my nails.

How festive are your nails looking? I'm searching for the Christmas true red (edit: which I may have found in a Bourjois offering. Coming soon!)

Barry M Matt White-link

Barry M SLE 2012- I can't find a link to this one but you can shop this years limited edition polishes here

 

NOTD: Christmas glitter #1

 There is nothing in the slightest that makes this glitter Christmassy. You could wear it all year round, but something about glitter screams Christmas to me!

I absolutely love this combo for many reasons:

1. Darker base colours make shorter nails look better. I don't know what it is, it just works!

2. This Sinful Colors (no 'u', must remember that Alex) polish is gorgeous. It's a dark purple with a pearl finish. It lasts amazingly (4 plus days) and is a really nice formula. No bumps to be seen and I'm not the best at applying nail polish!

3. The purple base colour works really well with this glitter because of the matching lilac hexagonal chunks (I think). I find it looks better on this polish compared to other dark bases e.g black

See separate reviews for each polish:

Sinful Colors Let's Talk- link

Models Own Hedkandi Ibiza Mix- link

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The Weekend #4

Another busy weekend but at the same time doesn't seem like I've done much! My family came down this weekend so we all met at my nana's who lives near to me and spent the weekend there. It was lovely to see my mum and sister. We relaxed and I ate A LOT! My nana has a sweet tooth like me so when we get together, we're awful!

Mum and Nana love Sherlock Holmes so while they were watching an extremely old black and white movie of that, I caught up on my YouTubers!

Olivia, my sister and I messing around! Please excuse my  hair and make up free face. Like I said, a very relaxed weekend.

Nana knows me too well! I luuuuurve sparkling water. My favourite brand is Pellegrino but I'll drink any of them. I think it's a real love it or hate it drink.

A weird late night snack! Nana cooked this pork chop up but we didn't end up eating it so I ate it cold later. I'm awful!

A very bad and blurry picture of Norwich's Christmas lights. They look really Christmassy. Not that you can tell from this photo :(

I'm having a real hormonal break out at the minute (TMI?) and really wanted to treat my skin. I leave this on for a few minutes, rinse it off and my skin is silky smooth! (Disclaimer: This product isn't designed to be left on, but I like to get as much use for my money as possible and think it works most effectively when used like this. I have left this on for 15 minutes before and my skin was very red and hot feeling. I think 5 minutes is a more appropriate time but obviously not all skin is the same so be careful and bear this in mind).

 

I haven't painted my nails for what feels like years, which is so unlike me! You'll see this combo up on the blog later in the week so look out for that!

What have you been doing this weekend? Eaten any sweet treat that I can lust over (and then buy in the name of blog research? ;))

 

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Rimmel 60 Second nail polish Instyle Coral

 

How obvious is it that this post has sat in my drafts for a while? A completely unseasonal colour with lovely bright pictures which seem impossible to attain in winter. Does any other blogger have this problem? Go to take a product picture and suddenly realise it's after 4pm and all the light has gone? Not enjoying the nights drawing in to say the least!

Rant over, let's get onto the product! I picked this up on a whim in Superdrug as I'd been looking to expand my pastel nail polish collection. I thought this one was beautiful as it's a muted coral, not too orange. Standard opaque in two coats, you can see some of the ridges in my nail but they are really bad at the minute so I won't fault the polish on that.

 

It stayed flawless for a about three days before chipping started. This is pretty standard on my nails (I think it's because they're in such bad condition, boo). The brush was a wide brush (my favourite), which I love as it coats the nail in one, maybe two swipes. I think the top coat worked really well to give them a lovely glossy finish though! A review will be coming on that soon separately on the nail hardening qualities (spoiler: it doesn't work).

Definitely recommend having a look at this polish if you're in Superdrug or Boots. £3.69 HERE. I'm always looking to expand my collection so recommendations are welcome! Have you got a favourite polish? This post has reminded me of this one and it will be the next one worn!

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Halloween Nail Tutorial: Dripping Blood

I'm really not one for nail art. It's too fiddly, takes too long to dry and I'm such a darn perfectionist that most of the time it fails. I'm the girl who keeps trying to perfect it until my nails are a gloopy mess! However, I really wanted to try out something for Halloween and believe me this is so easy, even I can do it!

 

 What you will need:

A base coat/ top coat- I chose Barry M Base Coat Topcoat & Nail Hardener

A white nail polish- I chose Barry M Matt White

A red nail polish- I chose NYC Expert Last Nail Polish in Fine Red Wine

A bobby pin/ nail art brush/ small make up brush

First I whacked on the base coat (not pictured because who wants to look at that!)

Next I painted on two coats of the white polish

Here comes the "tricky" bit (read: fool proof). I glooped (technical term there!) on the red polish quite thickly and then as you can see I've pulled the bobby pin apart, to use the thinner part to simply drag the polish down the nail! That's it!

Couldn't resist adding a spooky filter ;)

The great thing about this nail design is that it doesn't have to be perfect. Blood doesn't drip evenly!

I loved how this turned out! Have you done any festive nails this year?

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The Autumn Nail post

Painting my nails for this post was a real surprise. I had in my mind what polish I would like the best and then I fell in love with all the others!

First up on the pinky we have an L&B polish

This is a gorgeous dark teal colour with a silver shimmer running through it. I've had this polish for a while and can you believe it's never graced my nails before. Sacrilege for such a lovely polish. Applied beautifully, opaque in two coats, I can't fault it (apart from the fact I can't find where to buy it, grr!)

On the ring finger we have, another L&B polish

This is a dark metallic grey again with silver shimmer running through it. Another one to never have made it onto my nails, I'm disappointed I don't know a good polish when I see it. Opaque in two coats and looks lovely on shorter nails

On the middle finger we have Collection 2000's 12 Blue My Mind

A polish that has been on my nails before finally! I can't believe I haven't worn it in so long though. This is a beautiful dark navy and for the price it's excellent. Opaque in one coat, and despite my habit to add two, I just never had to with this one. Will definitely be looking to buy more of these!

On the index finger we have Avon's Golden Wine

This polish screams Christmas to me. A burgundy with golden shimmer? I'm getting my stocking out! I was a bit worried about this polish, it's quite a watery formula but after two coats, it looked great and I like that the shimmer isn't too in your face, just shows up in certain lights. Like a selective disco ball...

And finally the thumb, NYC's Fine Red Wine

This is the polish I thought would be THE Autumn colour. I bought this in the summer when the colour was less than seasonal so this is the first time I've worn it. A lot more red than it appears in the bottle; I thought it was more of an Oxblood red but definitely more of a true red (or man eater red as I like to call it!!). Bit too festive for the Autumn nail for my liking but will be getting its use throughout December. It's one fault is the brush. It has a tendency to flood the nail bed so be careful of that

I loves how my nails looked with all the colours on! Back to the childhood days of never committing to one colour!

(P.S. L&B polishes: I've been a bit naughty here and can't seem to track down where to buy them. Sorry!)

Woah! Bit of a long and photo heavy post today but hope you liked it. What's your favourite Autumn polish?

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Sinful Colors 24/7 nail polish

It pains me to see how pastel (ish) this colour is appearing in these photos! In reality, it is the most neon polish I have ever seen! I was attracted to the Sinful Colors stand again (see the first time HERE) as it had been re-stocked and there was a lot of choice. After a lot of um-ing and arr-ing (I'm talking 10 minutes here), I picked up this one which is 24/7. I think the name really suits it as it is SO bright.

Application wise, it goes on a tad streaky, as in you can see the brush strokes, no matter what you do. I tried thinner layers, more coats, it must just be the formulation (of this particular colour, not the brand as a whole). It's a matte polish which I never realised until application. Matte never appealed to me before as I always apply a top coat which it makes it shiny anyway. This wore for about two days until some serious chipping began and I'd again put this down to the formulation. It's just not good. It's such a shame as my other Sinful Colors polish was excellent. You get hit and misses in all brands though.

Saying that, I'd definitely wear this again purely for the amazing colour, just with it in mind that it will only last for a few days.

Have you tried any Sinful Colors polishes? What's your favourite polish?

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Avon Opal Top Coat nail polish

Two nails posts in a row! I'm becoming obsessed with the polish again!

The only way I can describe this is 'moon in a bottle'! Holographic mixed size chunks suspended in silvery polish? What's not to love? I ordered this from Avon as I thought it would look lovely over darker polishes for Autumn/Winter. It's very similar to the double ended polishes bought out by Revlon  a little while ago, the Moon Candy polishes.

As well as looking great over dark polishes, it also looks lovely over lighter ones. I tried it over Barry M Gelly in Satsuma, just as a accent nail and the add of shimmer really gave it an edge.

Application wise, however it's not great. I painted it over nails I'd let dry for a whole day and it still managed to smudge them. Also with the chunks being so large, it's hard to get an even amount on each nail and they don't tend to lay flat, meaning your nails aren't smooth. If you have the time to dab on the chunks and play around with it though, it's definitely worth it. Maybe I just need to work on my manicure skills!

Still available from Avon and currently half price- LINK

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