Current nail polish favourites

Hi everyone, Happy bank holiday monday!

Im back today with my current nail polish favourites. These are the colours Ive been loving over the last few weeks, theres 10 of them and believe it or not thats after I debated over 15. It may see, like an awful lot for favourite nail polishes but I do tend to change the colour of my nails rather frequently as I get bored pretty easily.

 

 

 

(Main picture from left to right)

 

1. Barry M Gelly- Sugar Apple

2. Tanya Burr- Bright and Early

3. Rimmel Salon Pro- Reggae Splash

4. PS nail polish for Primark- PS2484

5. OPI Nail laquer- You callin' me a lyre?

 

( Main picture left to right )

 

6. Barry M Gelly- Greenberry

7. Nails inc- Warwick avenue

8. Barry M Gelly- Prickly pear

9. Barry M Gelly- Papaya

10. Nails inc- Porchester square

 

 

As you can see my nails arent in the best condition so apologies for the photo quality but I just wanted to share the nail polishes that ive been using most frequently in recent weeks. I think its fair to say im a real fan of the Barry M Gelly polishes, they are just such good value and have a beautiful colour selection. Speaking of good value, I was blown away by the quality of the Primark polish, its a beautiful vibrant purpley pink colour and at £1 its around a quarter of the price of the average drugstore nail polish. Bargain.

 

Thank you for reading.

Emily x

 

 

April favourites

 

 

 

Hi Everyone, Today im sharing with you my April Favourites, these are the products ive been reaching for most frequently this month some are new, some are not but they all deserve a mention so lets get stuck in.

 

 

 

Clockwise from top left corner

 

1. Deep Steep Moisture stick. This came in my march Love Me beauty box, the lavender and chamomile scented  stick can be used on any areas of dry skin, ive mainly been using this as a lip balm at night, I find the lavender scent is subtle and calming so perfect for nightime.

Available here.

 

2. Tanya Burr Lip gloss ( Picnic in the park ).

I spent so long resisting the urge to buy any of Tanyas new lip and nail products, but when I popped into my local Superdrug and saw the beautiful lip glosses all lined up, I just had to get one. I chose Picnic in the park because I remembered seeing Tanya Burr wearing the shade in one of her videos and it looked stunning, its a girly pink which isnt ususally my thing but I really like it.

Available here.

 

3. Tanya Burr Nail polish ( Bright and Early ).

Whilst resisting the temptation to buy every single lip gloss in the collection, I decided that I should definitely treat myself to one of the nail polishes too, I was torn between a few but eventually settled on Bright and Early, its a stunning Coral pinky colour, it adds a real POP of colour to any outfit. I was so pleased to find that the formula of these nail polishes actually do live up to the hype surrounding them. For an opaque finish it only took 2 coats and my nails remained chip free for 3/4 days. I just need every colour now!

Available here.

 

4. Maybelline Color tattoo in Pink Gold.

I see these creamy eyeshadow pots as the drugstore version of MAC Paintpots which I really like to use as bases for my eyeshadows, but Ive found myself using this frequently over the last few weeks as my only eyeshadow product, its probably because of how easy this is to apply, the fact I can use my finger to pop this onto my eyelid, no need for eye primer or brushes pleases me no end and  the colour is a subtle pink which doesnt crease or slide off through the day.

Available here.

 

5. Batiste Dry shampoo (Oriental ).

Ive never been overly taken with the dry shampoo thing, I think I just prefer to wash my hair often and use various root lifting products to give my hair some extra volume. However, my hair has been particularly troublesome recently by becoming greasy after one day so ive found myself reaching for this Oriental Batiste spray on a more regular basis. Im hoping the changes in my hair are due to some hormonal issues and will go back to normal soon, in the mean time I shall be repurchasing this for the foreseeable future. 

Available here.

 

6. Rimmel Scandaleyes waterproof eyeliner (Taupe).

I love a good waterproof eyeliner and this one certainly lived up to my expectations, no smudging or running at all, even when my hayfever decided to rear its ugly head, this eyeliner just stays put. Im not often one to use a coloured eyeliner, infact I NEVER use coloured eyeliner but I decided to give this one a try as its a neutral tone so I figured it would look nice along with my more neutral eyeshadows and a bolder lip. Ive worn it loads recently and cant see me giving it up anytime soon. If you havent tried the scandeleyes eyeliners before, you really should. Im even thinking of trying one of the bolder colours in the future.

Available here.

 

7. Loreal Superliner, Perfect slim. (Intense black).

This was recommended to be by Kirsty (her Youtube channel is adropofglitter) because I instagrammed a pic of a rimmel liner pen which I was pretty dissappointed with as it wasnt a true black and it didnt last very long. So Kisrty suggested this Loreal liner, im so glad she did as its amazing, it gives the perfect truest black slim line and is really quite easy to work with for a winged liner effect if thats your thing.

Available here.

 

8. Estee Lauder Advanced night repair serum.

I was bought my first bottle of this for my last birthday and it quickly became a major part of my nightime skincare routine. 2 bottles later and I cant see it changing anytime soon but I felt it deserved a mention as an April favourite because my skin hasnt been great recently, infact there have been days where ive wanted to cry as the breakouts are starting to get me down, but when I go to bed at night with the Advanced night repair on my face, I find it soothing and I just feel like its my little bit of luxury and pampering at the end of each day which is a feeling ive been very appreciative of this month.

Available here.

 

9. Maybelline, The Falsies Waterproof mascara.

This mascara has made it into my favourites this month because I stumbled across it a couple of weeks ago in amongst the various products ive pushed to one side over time and since finding it ive used it non stop. Im sure nearly everyone has tried or currently owns The Falsies, even if it is right at the back of your make up stash, go and dig it out, im so happy I did because I for one had forgotten just how good this mascara is. Its does everything I want a mascara to do, volumises, lengthens, no clumps and the waterproof formula helps keep the curl in my lashes, its just amazing.

Available here.

 

What are your April favourites?

Do you know any cheaper alternatives to the products ive mentioned? If so id love to hear from you.

 

Thank you for reading,

Emily x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The beauty scenario tag (created by Lily Pebbles)

Hi Everyone, I havent actually been tagged but I like the concept of this tag so much that Ive decided to do it anyway.

 

 

 

 The beauty scenario tag

 

 

1. You have to get rid of all your foundations and you can only keep one high end and one drugstore, which do you keep?
Well my high end answer is without a doubt Estee Lauder Double Wear, I am shade Desert beige by the way. I fell in love with this foundation the day I was given a sample about a year ago, two bottles later and I am still in awe of it. The coverage is second to none in my opinion and the staying power is nothing short of amazing. It doesnt cake on my skin and I just cant imagine being without it now. For my drugstore choice it would probably be Rimmel Wake me up, it suits my skin whatever the day or weather. The coverage is medium but totally buildable, It doesnt cling to any dry patches, yet it doesnt slide off the oily areas either. It does have a teeny tiny shimmer to it which admittedly isnt really my thing but its so subtle that im not too bothered. Its a good all rounder for me.

2. You go for an interview and the lady interviewing you has lipstick on her teeth. Do you approach the subject or ignore it completely?
I would definitely try and find a good way to tell her as Id like to think someone would tell me if I had lipstick on my teeth. Hopefully im never in that situation though and if I were, id hope the interviewer had a good sense of humour.

3.  You're not feeling yourself and need a 'pick me up'. Which lipstick do you put on to make yourself feel beautiful?
100%  MAC Patisserie which is a sheer nude pink. It was the first MAC lipstick I ever bought, its pretty much the same as my natural lip colour but makes them look like a much healthier version of of my lips, leaving me feeling like a more beautiful version of myself.

4. You go back in time for a day to your teenage years, how would you do your hair and make up differently?
OMG, I have too many embarrassing fashion and make up stories but the two main mistakes I made were, I insisted on wearing two eyeshadows, a bright pink from the inner corner of my lid to the middle, then bright blue from the middle to the outer corner, no blending, no subtle transition of colour, just blocks of bright pink and blue, sexy or what?!
 At around the age of 13 I dyed my hair bright red, it looked perfectly nice, many people said it suited me infact, however I just couldnt get over the fact that my eyebrows didnt match my hair. I didnt want to use hair dye on my brows as that would have been a bit risky, SO I decided that it was a good idea to draw over my eyebrows with a nice bright red lipstick, Yep, a lipstick. Someone in my family has photographic evidence of this but Im not sure who. I promise that if I ever find that photo ill post it for you to see as it is just hilarious. Oh and to top it off, i was wearing leopard print flared trousers. Man I was a real trendsetter.

5. You ask your hairdresser for a shoulder length Pixie Lott hair cut, they hear wrong and give you a pixi cut. Do you A) Smile, say thank you and leave then call your mum hysterically B) Cry in the chair and things get awkward, or C) Complain to the manager and demand a refund.
C! C! C! Ive actually been in this situation, many years ago at a very famous higher end chain of hair salons. The hairdresser, apparently one of their top stylists, moaned the entire way through my haircut, "your hair is too long", "your hair is so thick" and by the end I wanted to cry as my hair looked exactly the same as when i sat in the chair an hour before, I was just £45 worse off now. When I finally got up to leave, the receptionist pulled me to one side and said she could tell id had a bad experience so she rebooked me to come back for a complimentary cut with the manager/ Head stylist. Im so glad she did and since then I have learned to say when Im not happy with a service that ive paid good money for.

6. Your friend surprises you with a 4 day city break and you have 1 hour to pack. Which 'do it all' palette do you pack in your make up bag?
Easy, Sleek Face form in 'Light'. The contour and highlight shades can be used as eyeshadows too and it comes with a rose gold blush so its a super handy palette to have.

7. Your house has been robbed, dont worry everyone is safe, but your beauty stash has been raided. Whats the product you really hope is safe?
Hmm, well I think im going to have to say my MAC palette, I know thats technically 15 eyeshadows but its taken me the best part of 3 years to finally have it filled up so id be really sad if I lost it.

8. Your friend borrows your make up and returns it in awful condition. Do you A) Pretend you havent noticed B) Ask them to repurchase it, or C) Secretly do the same to something of theirs.
I think A, it would be very frustrating if someone was to be so careless with my property that it became ruined, but I just dont think it would be worth an argument with a friend.

 

And thats it! Id like to see everyone else do this tag on their blogs or youtube channels so please dont wait to be tagged, just crack on and do it.

 

Thanks for reading

Emily x

Tag created by Lily Pebbles.

 

 



New Look wishlist

 

Hi Everyone, im sorry to have gone AWOL recently but I can assure you im back and ready to now commit myself to a more scheduled approach to blogging. From now on you can expect new blogposts every Monday and Thursday mornings, perhaps even a few inbetween if I get time. I think im just about one of the most unorganised people I know so it will be good for me to have a more structured blogging routine, as long as it doesnt take away from the fun of it though, we shall see.

 

Anyway.... back to my New Look wishlist.

 

I am a big fan of New Look clothes and shoes, Im pretty sure around 75% of my entire wardrobe is from the Inspire range actually (maybe its time to branch out?? ).

What keeps me going back time and time again is the quality of their pieces, which are fair for the reasonable price tags and I feel like they really deliver when it comes to producing on trend, well fitting clothes for larger ladies like myself.

The main plus side for me when it comes to shopping at New Look is that they are 'high street' through and through. Nearly every town has one, most with an Inspire section and even if you cant find what you are looking for instore, there is always their website where they offer free click and collect on orders over £19.99 ,which lets face it is easily done :)

 

These are the items ive been pining after recently...

 

In clockwise order

 

Black floral print bandeau belted maxi dress £22.99

Red tribal print bandeau maxi dress  £22.99

Coral diamond crochet insert T-shirt  £9.99

Mint green waterfall blazer  £26.99

Neon peach oriental floral print kimono  £17.99

 

 

 

Yellow / Mint green leather asymetric strap double buckle sandals £19.99

Neon orange back drape strappy cami  £12.99

V neck and back tribal print dress £17.99

 

Whats on your wishlist right now?

 

Emily x

 

 

 

Love Me beauty box - March.

Now i know im rather late to the party, as usual, but ive finally arrived. Its taken me months to make a decision but I finally got there, I subscribed to a beauty box! Not quite the exciting news you were expecting?.... well for me it was a big decision and one I felt needed careful consideration.

Im sure you are but incase you arent familiar with the concept of beauty boxes ill briefly explain. There are many beauty box companies to choose from, each offering a similar service which is a monthly subscription, usually around £10 plus P+P. With the subscription you recieve a box each month filled with a mixture of sample size and full sized beauty/ health/ lifestyle products.

 

The reason it has taken me so long to decide on a beauty box is that there are so many to choose from and as a woman it is my perogative to be indecisive occassionally. Ive watched many beauty box unboxing videos on good old YouTube, read countless beauty box reviews and ive noticed alot of people subscribe to multiple boxes, which makes me rather jealous as I definitely cant afford to do that so I wanted to take my time and choose the best one for me.

 

 

I eventually chose the Love Me beauty box subscription, it appealed to me mainly because they  appear to be the most consistent with the quality and variety of products they send to their customers. The reviews I have seen in the last few months have suggested to me that often the samples included in the box are of from the higher end brands which excites me as these are the products I wouldnt usually be able to afford to try.
I liked that there are two menus to choose from each month giving me the option to randomly click on a menu resulting in a surprise when the box arrives, or I can read through the products and choose the menu that appeals to me the most. Personally im more of a surprise kind of gal, it just makes life that bit more interesting.

Here are the products i received this month....

Of the six items I recieved, three were full size and three were sample sized, I feel like thats pretty fair for a beauty box subscription.
The items were:

Murad Sheer lustre day moisturiser, 7.5ml (sample size)rrp £64 50ml
The vintage cosmetic company Gracie lashes (full size) rrp £6
Blanx white shock toothpaste, 15ml (sample size) rrp £7.50 50ml
Deep steep, Lavender chamomile moisture stick, 15ml (full size) rrp £3.60
Quintessentially english ,Rose bath salts, 50g (sample size) rrp £4.25 100g
and finally Nip + Fab, CC eye fix in light, 2ml (full size) rrp £6

Im looking forward to using the Murad moisturiser, although Im worried that ill love it and then wont be able to purchase the full size being £64 and all. I plan to use the Gracie lashes this weekend as im going to a friends wedding reception so i shall instagram a snap of those for you all. The tv adverts for the toothpaste have me intrigued so I look forward to giving that a go, unfortunately im not a big fan of lavender scents so im not too sure ill be using the Deep steep moisture stick anytime soon. I may try out the Quintessentially English bath salts on sunday when im in a rather sorry state after my friends wedding, hopefully they will help relax my tired muscles from dancing ( sorry but there wont be any pics of that ).
My favourite product from the Love me beauty box has to be the Nip + Fab CC pen, ive heard great things about the Nip + Fab range so im excited to use this concealer, anything that claims to help hide the ever growing dark circles around my eyes gets a thumbs up from me.

So overall im really pleased with my first ever beauty box and I feel like I chose the right one for me. If you are in the same position as me and want to join a beauty box subscription but can only afford one and arent sure which to choose, remember you can always change your mind. The subscription is usually on a month to month basis so if you get a duff box and decide that actually you would rather try out a different one, you can!

If you would like to subscribe to Love Me beauty box, or if you just want some more info, click here.

Take care,
Emily x


 

March favourites

 

Hi everyone, Today im sharing my march favourites with you all. These are the products ive found myself using the most often and that have made it into my daily beauty routine this month.

 

Ill start with hair products...

 

 

 

 



 

 

Naked Rescue Intensive care shampoo

Ive suffered with an itchy flakey scalp for years (gross i know) Ive tried every anti-dandruff shampoo going and although some have helped to calm down the flaking, none of them have eliminated the irritating itchyness which just drives me crazy. After seeing Laura from Lauralovesbeautyx talk about her love for Naked hair products I had a look into them and saw many reviews commenting on how they help eliviate itching due to being sulphate free. Since I switched to this shampoo I havent looked back, It lathers up really well, It smells beautiful as its made with sweet almond and sunflower and the itching has calmed right down which in turn has reduced how flakey my scalp is, happy days! Ill definitely be checking out the other products Naked have to offer.
Available here.

 

Dove Intensive repair leave in conditioning & care spray

I bought this around 5 or 6 months ago and must have forgotten all about it as I found it a few weeks ago unopened, oops. Ive started spritzing this through the ends of my hair after using my regular conditioner just to give my hair that extra bit of moisture it so desperately needs. Although my roots get greasy quite quickly, the ends are pretty dry and damaged so I feel like using this this spray is helping hydrate the ends, plus, as with all Dove hair products, it smells amazing!
Available here.

 

L'oreal Studio line Hot & smooth straight spray

I usually use the Elnette 3 day straight spray but spotted this in my local Boots and thought i would see how i get on with it and although I do still love the Elnette version, I just prefer this one. Maybe because its pink? Im not sure, I just know I have been reaching for this spray over the other one. The Hot & smooth is lightweight and distributes evenly , it offers heat protection for up to 230 degrees, perfect for when I plan on blowdrying and straightening my hair and it helps to tame frizz and flyaway hairs.
Available here.

 

VO5 Nourish my shine Miracle concentrate

I have written an entire blogpost on this hair oil, entitled " My hair saviour" and it really is just that. Its well and truly converted me to using hair oils from now on. It leaves my hair soft and i feel like it helps to prevent tangling and frizz.
Available here.

 

VO5 Give me moisture treatment mask

Im forever trying different hair masks, as Ive previously mentioned my hair is damaged from having highlights last year so im always on the look out for deep conditioners to help replenish my dry ends. This is without a doubt one of the best budget friendly hair maks I have used so far. Its thick as you would expect a mask to be, but I find my hair soaks it up pretty quickly, it makes combing my hair through easy even when it is full of knots. I will certainly be repurchasing this product and although Ive not been a big fan of VO5 products in the past, im now interested in trying more of the range.
Available here.

 

 

Now for the rest of my march favourites..

 

Lancome Hypnose Star

Ahhhh, my beloved Hypnose Star mascara. Isnt it beautiful? I had wanted this mascara for an absolute age, then finally laid my hands on it last month and it did not dissapoint at all. Its the blackest black, the wand is tapered so its super easy to reach the inner and outer corner lashes and the best part is, I doesnt smudge or leave me with panda eyes from fallout. Love, love, love it!
This doesnt appear to be available on the Tesco website im afraid, but I suggest popping into store as they often have Lancome and YSL sets on offer.

 

MUA Luxe Powerbrow

As im not into the whole eyebrow pencil thing, i just find them hard to work with, i have always used a matte brown eyeshadow and an angled brush to fill in my brows. I stumbled upon the MUA Powerbrow whilst browsing Superdrug and as its so cheap at only £3 I had try it. Im so glad I gave it a go. I use the mid brown shade which I find is a good colour match for me, its quite a waxy texture but ive grown to really like that as it helps hold my brows in place. Once set I find the powerbrow lasts all day which is exactly what I want. Id like to try Benefit Gimme brow and smashbox browtech to go as I have heard such good things about them but for now and on my ever tight budget this is working well for me.
Available here.

 

 

 

Barry M Gelly (Sugar Apple)

This is fast becoming my favourite spring colour. Its a pastel bluey/green but its bright so its a head turner. The formula is great as with all of the Gelly range, it can take up to 3 coats to get the bottle colour but once you do its just the most gorgeous glossy pastel shade ive seen. I still havent found the colour Huckleberry in any of my local drugstores *sad face* I need it. NEED IT!

Available here.

 

Lancome Genefique Yeux Eye Gel

This 5ml pot of eye gel came with the Hypnose star mascara as part of a set, I was excited to try it because at night I always use my Estee Lauder advanced night repair eye cream (which I love) but I dont usually use an eye cream or gel during the day.

With eye gels I find a little really does go a long way, using my ring fingers i gently pat a tiny amount of this under each eye and I feel like it instantly brightens up the area, it feels refreshing and helps to wake up those tired peepers early in the morning.

 The Lancome set i bought was from a Tesco Extra beauty department, it included the Hypnose Star mascara in black, this 5ml pot of Genefique yeux eye concentrate and a 30ml bottle of BiFacils eye make up remover for sensitive eyes, it would be perfect as a Mothers day gift and at only £22 its totally affordable.

 

And finally

 

Soap and Glory Heel Genius

Well who doesnt love Soap and Glory products? It wouldnt surprise me if they feature in every one of my future monthly favourites. This month I have upped my game with footcare as we are (hopefully) coming into warmwer weather and ill soon be wanting to get my trotters out of ugg boots and into some pretty sandals. As im sure most of you ladies do, I tend to let my feet get in a rather sorry state through the winter because they are almost always in some sort of boot so I dont feel the need to keep up with the footcare. Heel Genius is the footcream i tend to reach for most often, unlike most footcreams ive tried in the past, Heel Genius is more fruity than menthol which I really quite like. I apply a thick layer to my feet after a nice soak in the bath in the evenings and I pop some socks on to let it soak into the skin. It leaves the skin on my feet feeling softer and I feel well and truly pampered.

Available here.

 

 

What are your favourite products this month?

Do you have any suggestions for alternative products to the ones I have mentioned?

 

Emily x

 

 

 

 

Barry M Gelly Pastels

Hi everyone, Just a quickie post on the new pastel colours added to the Gelly Hi-shine range, let me start by saying I have been a big fan of the Barry M Gelly nail polishes since they were first released, I like the formula, the finish and the fact that even without a top coat my nails stay chip free and shiny for a good 4+ days (in my experience). My one gripe with these polishes is the lack of colour choices, I see mostly darker shades or bright and bold colours, with the exception of Lychee which is the perfect nude colour for me, Ive just not been bowled over by the colour selection, until now.

Bring on the Spring pastels

Above we have Rose Hip (L) and Sugar Apple (R),

in addition to these two shades there is also Huckleberry, which I hunted high and low for but after trips to three Boots stores and two Superdrugs I gave up. Not being able to lay my hands on Huckleberry is making me want it even more.

So far Ive worn the two shades i bought for a couple of days each to see how i like them, both colours apply just as easily as the rest of the Gelly range, they do take 2-3 coats to acheive bottle colour but for me thats not an issue as i find it dries relatively quickly between coats.

Here is the Rose Hip

Its a beautiful colour, not at all like some pastel pink shades around it actually really stands out, I can see me wearing this alot over the next few months as it will go perfectly with the pastel spring pieces currently on my wishlist.

Then we have the Sugar Apple,

When I first applied Sugar Apple to my nails I must admit I was unsure how I felt about the colour, I thought perhaps it was too cool on me, maybe it was just a tad brighter than the shades I am used to wearing, I dont know, whatever the reason it did take a bit of getting used to but after half an hour or so I had totally fallen in love with the colour.

Its just the perfect pastel blue with a slight aqua/ turqoise hue to it. It certainly stands out and adds a pop of colour to any outfit, like the Rose Hip I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of this colour so I feel they are a great addition to the Gelly line of nail polishes. If I had to choose a favourite out of these two shades I would absolutely pick the Sugar Apple, purely for the fact that when im wearing it I find myself just sitting and admiring the colour.

Have you tried the pastel Gelly shades yet? Do you have any recommendations of other spring nail polishes that you love? If so id love to hear from you.

Emily x