November Nails - Never too old for a pamper

For today's November Nails I have decided to give my own nails a rest and go and give someone  a bit of a pamper. I had been meaning to go and do my Nanny's nails for a while so yesterday I went down and give her a bit of a pamper by giving her a manicure.

My nanny is a lady in her 80's who has always taken pride in her appearance and still loves getting her hair done and always has kept her nails neat and tidy and why wouldn't she, I sure hope I'm like that at her age. So to start here manicure I gave her nails a file and then applied Skin Truth Cuticle Remover on to her cuticle to soften them and remove any unnecessary skin around that area. Before applying the nail polish I wiped over the nails with nail polish remover just to remove any excess product.

 

Then I applied two coats of Barry M's nail paint in the colour  342 Nude . This is a great natural colour that just gives a healthy colour and shine to the nail. I then applied a coat of Sally Hansen Diamond Shine top coat which made the nails even more glossy looking and added the perfect finishing touch to the nails!

** I will be doin a seperate review on this litlle beauty cus I just love it hat much :) **

Once the nails had dried , I done a mini hand and arm massage with my favourite hand cream, Patisserie De Bin Sugared Violet Hand Cream. I adore this, one of my favourite sweets are Parma Violets and this smells like them. It leave the hands feeling so soft and look glowing. It is a gorgeous hand cream!

** The finished result! My Nanny showing off her nails **

My Nanny loved the end result and spent the day showing her nails off! I enjoyed being able to give her a pamper as it give people such a nice pick me up from the rest of the day! With Christmas coming up, this is a great idea if you want to give some one a special present! Why not treat your loved ones to a pamper?

xxx

November Nails - Christmas Nail Art with Illamasqua

I decided last night that I was definitely starting to feel Christmasy, so I thought why not do my nails with Christmas style nail art ?

I picked Illamasqua's Nail polish in 'Scarab', it is a deep rich brown toned red, as the base colour. I applied 2 coats to get a strong opaque colour.

 

 

 

Then to add a bit of a festive touch to the nails, I used Illamasqua's Precision ink in the colour Alchemy. The applicator made it really easy to apply the product precisely to the nail and the intense gold colour is gorgeous!!!

I then applied Sally Hansen's High shine top coat on top to seal the nail polish and the Precision ink.  I think this is a great way to use the Pecision ink as a multi-purpose product!

I am really pleased with the finished look and will definitely be trying out more looks using my Precision inks!!


xxx

November Nails - Nail art wheel

Today's post for November nails is a recent purchase!! I was in having a look at the make up section in Topshop and on there accessories stand they had various different brush sets and eyelashes, I then spied this little gem! This is a nail art wheel like I have never seen before!! Most of the ones that I have seen have always just been rhinestones or little bows and hearts!

 

 

I love the fact that this one is so on trend with the studs and colours in it! I think it is really funky and was good value at £3.50 as you will get a lot of use out of it! I will definitely be uploading some post with photo's of nail looks that I created with these :)

 

 

xxx

One for the Boys - Nivea for Men Skincare

A while ago it was my other half's birthday, and as one of his pressies, I got him the Nivea for men mini selection tub. This little tub contained ;

* Nivea Energy Shower Gel
* Silver Protect Antiperspirant
* Sensitive Face Wash
*Sensitive Post Shave Balm

I got this from the Christmas gift selection from Superdrug, i think it cost between £4-5.99 ( sorry I cant remember the exact price and its no longer on there website!) I thought this was a good sample selection for hi to try out the products and see if he liked them.

Then more recently he was saying how his skin had gotten really dry and I asked him had he been trying out the skincare... being a typical male he hadn't and it was still sitting int he tub! So I said to him I would get him a moisturiser as the kit didn't contain on and suggested he  tried the products as they would make a difference.

I decided to stick to the Nivea range and got him the Nivea for men sensitive moisturiser. For £6.99 for there full size moisturiser that is 75ml, I thought this was good value as it is alcohol and fragrance free as well as containing pure chamomile which is great for men's skin to sooth irritation from shaving.

The other day I noticed how good his skin was looking and told him how good it looked, and he responded by saying how he had been using the wash, post shave balm and moisturiser! It really did make a difference and made his skin look really fresh, bright and smooth. He only uses it when he shaves and every other day or so to moisturise but you can definitely see how beneficial it is.

I think this Nivea for men range is really good for men who don't use any form of skin care and just want something basic, uncomplicated and that works! I also think these mini sample tubs are an excellent way to try out a few products before trying out the full size product, plus there great for travel :)

xx

November Nails - Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint

For today's November nails I have chosen Barry M's Gelly Hi-Shine polish! I have been eyeing up these little beauties for a while , but was unsure whether it was more of a gimmick! Well I can happily tell you that a gimmick it is not. I am now in love with the formulation of the polish. It really is thick like a gel would be but is so easy to apply.

I used 2 coats of this polish to get an opaque look. I adore how smooth the texture is and how glossy it looks and feels. It is very similar to having gel on the nails but without the risk of damaging the nail! It feels very secure on the nail if that makes sense, like it feels like it isn't going to chip or peel easily.

The range of Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint comes in a range of 9 shades. Mine is the colour Blackberry, although in the photographs it may look slightly navy, it is a dark purple. I will definitely be investing in more of these long lasting durable polishes! Who wouldn't want a gel like polish with out the hassle of the UV lamps and having to go to a salon. Also there is the major discount in price as these fab polishes are only £3.99...How amazing is that!!!

So, if your are looking for a durable nail polish that's gel like, great value and has an extremely high shine finish then Barry M Gelly High Shine Nail paint is for you :)


xxx

Wild About Beauty at House of Fraser

I had heard that House of Fraser were having a launch night for the new make up line Wild About Beauty, Now I don't need to be told twice if there is a make up event... I'm there!!  I was really looking forward to going and seeing this new beauty range and finding a bit more about the products.

It is a core collection made up with beauty products that is paraben free, easy to use make up essentials. The products are very wearable shades that are meant to help enhance women's natural beauty. The make up line is co-founded by Make up Artist Kim Jacob and Louise Redknapp. They have known each other for over 7 years and together have created 'Wild about Beauty'. After having children Louise developed skin pigmentation and Kim's style of make up help Louise regain confidence of a natural look with out it being heavy or complicated make up.

** Sorry about the quality & lighting of photos!! **

The colour range is more on the natural side but still provides you with some colour like a gorgeous purple shade (Heather) and a dark green black (Jody) to give you that darker smokey evening look. The creme eyeshadow's stood out as a favourite for me as the colours are gorgeous and would make a lovely base or all over lid colour for everyday. I got a creme shadow in the colour Edna, it is a stunning shimmery golden brown. I think this will become my everyday go too shadow!!

** The Creme shadow in Edna**

Another piece of the collection that stood out were their Eyeshadow Pencil Duo and the Lip pencil Duo. I think these are great for your make up and handbags! Definitely a must have for anyone who love combination products and like to have things easy to use on the go.

Another thing that I really love about this new make up range is the packaging! For me it is a definite winner as anyone who knows me, knows how much I adore anything purple! And to top it of the extremely pretty detail of the dragon fly and bug that that are embossed onto the products.

** Some products are missing from the display as they were using them on customers! **

I think the price range isn't overly expensive to other high end brands and I would happily pay the price for such good quality products. I will definitely be trying more products from this range as I really liked the look of the skincare, in particular the Botanical skin prep. I love the fact that there products are paraben free as well as them using nourishing and beneficial ingredients in there products.

I think this brand will appeal to everyone as it is more natural products but without being boring! They have the colours as well as the naturals that you would want, and as they say on their website they've made it so it isn't over complicated!

I would definitely recommend going down and having a look at this range. It is available at the House of Fraser in Belfast. You can find your nearest stock list here.

It was really nice getting the opportunity to meet Louise Redknapp. She was really lovely and took the time to get photographs with the people that turned up to see the make up line.

Check out there website Here!!

You can also find the House of Fraser link to there page for Wild About Beauty Here!
xxx

November Nails - Rimmel Precious Stones

For today's November nails I have chosen Rimmel's new line of glitter polishes for Christmas and that's Rimmel's Precious Stones Nail Polish. I got the Shade Diamond Dust - A lovely deep silver.

I have been absolutely loving any nail polishes that are glittery and shimmery now its comming into christmasy months as I think it adds a lovely bit of sparkle for everyday and these polishes are no exception. I love the brush on this polish as it is short and wide so covers the nail in one stroke. I gave my nails 3 coats of polish but you could easily get away with 2! I love the way it dosen't look overlly shiney but if you would like it too a top coat would do that easily. I thinks its a really nice change how it is a dark silver rather than the usual bright silvers that are on the market at the moment.

 

 

I am very pleased with this polish and when I purchased this one, I also got the red glitter in Ruby Crush so I'm sure you will be seeing a review on that one too throughout the November Nails feature.

 

 

I definitely think this will be one of my go to polishes as it is so easily to apply and dries so quickly. It is a colour that will go with everything and is perfect for everyday and night!!! I really hope Rimmel add more colours to this collection!

xxx

Inglot Blogger Event

On Tuesday the 6th of November, Inglot hosted its first blogger event in Belfast. I was so excited to finally see an event for bloggers in Belfast and was surprised at how big the turnout was as I was unaware of how many bloggers Belfast actually has!!

Inglot had the store looking amazing and put on a lovely spread of Champagne and sweets! I had been in to the store once or twice before and it was so lovely having the chance to have a good look at all the products. Once everyone had a good chance to have a nosey at the products and have a chat , we all sat down for a make up demo by the lovely in store make up artist Nicky Whitten. The products that they are launching were a 14 piece Brush set, There New range of Shimmer Rainbow eyeshadows and there new festive frosty Nail polihes. In the range there are 10 of the new eyeshadows and 5 of the polishes.

** The New 5 Shades of Nails Polish **



** New Collection of Shimmer Raibow shadows!**


 

It was really good getting to see a demonstration of how they use the products and actually getting to see how these products look on the skin. I have to say my personal favourite was the eyeshadows as the colour range is stunning and the pigmentation is amazing! These little beauties retail at £7 each!!! Yes they actually are that cheap and you are basically getting 3 colours for the price of one!!! Not many eyeshadows provide you with enough choice to do a smokey eye look in the one pan!! The Nail varnish are priced at £8 which is good value as they are a really good quality nail polish and dries really quick! The Colours of polish are very on trend for the festive season.

I think it is a really good idea that they have brought out a bush set with the essential brushes that you would need and that are made for specific professional use, therefore the customer isn't getting loads of brushes that they wouldn't need! The price of the brush set is £125 which for 14 full size brushes works out under £10 for each brush which is great value for money. This Set has everything you would need for day to day make up from all your face, lip and eye brushes that you could possibly need! I think this especially would make an amazing Christmas present for any make up lover !!

 

** I'm really sorry, But only got a photo of the brush set after it was used in the demo .. whoops! There are 2 compartments to the brush set and they really are great quality!! **

 

Inglot very kindly gave all the bloggers who attended a goody bag as well as letting us each pick 2 of our favourite rainbow shadows to take home and try!! Of course this made everyone extremely excited, especially after seeing how gorgeous the shadows were during the demo!

** The red bag was are gorgeous goody bag and the purple is the stuff I bought..**

 

** This is what was in the gorgeous goody bag ; Inglot Nail Varnish from the new collection, mines is the number 225, Inglot Sleeks Cream Lip paint, AMC eyeshadow in Shine, YSM cream foundation sample and 2 of the Rainbow shadows .




 

There was also an offer on specially for the event that you would get 20 % of any purchases in store that night, so of course I couldn't resist picking up a few items that had caught my eye.... It would of been rude not to!!

 

 

I got another one of the Rainbow shadows as I couldn't make up my mind which two I wanted and really loved this one as I thought it was more unusual having the three shades of red. I then got a freedom palette to put my three Rainbow shadows in. One of the products that really caught my eye during the make up demo was the eyebrow gels, I the light brown and dark brown gel. I also wanted the blond shade but was out of stock, although I will definitely be going back to purchase it. I then Bought an empty palette to put the eyebrow gels in. Lastly I got one of the Body Sparkles in the number 71. I am really looking forward to trying these products out!

** This is the palette I got filled with the 3 new Rainbow shadows. **

** Eyebrow gels in palette **



 

I had a really good time at the event and loved getting to know more about the products and the brand. It was a great chance to meet some lovely bloggers as well!! Here are some photos I took through out the event!

** Inglot Make up Artist Nicky Whitten doing the demo **

 

 

 

I would also like to give out a little mention to two other bloggers that I met at the event, TJ and Ruth :)

** Ruth, TJ and myself at the event **

 

You can get a link to Ruth's Blog here and a link to Tj's YouTube channel here !! You should definitely go and have a nosey at their blog and channel as they have amazing style and are just lovely ladies!!

I would like to say a huge Thanks to all the lovely staff at Inglot Belfast for throwing such an amazing bloggers event and if you haven't been to the store yet ...firstly why not?? and secondly get down there as there products are amazing!!!!

xxx

November Nails- OPI Man With The Golden Gun

Now that it is the month of November, I have decided that every other day of this month, from today I will be posting a different Nail of the day. This will feature a new Nail Polish, trend or look.

**sorry about the flashback!**

To start my November nails feature , I have a very special nail polish by OPI. This nail polish is made up of 18K gold leaf. This nail polish was brought out to celebrate 50 years of James Bond and the has been conveniently called  'The Man With The Golden Gun'. OPI describes it as the ultimate luxury, and when applied to the nails I have to agree that it does look luxurious and special! It is unlike glitter and applies very smoothly. At first it does apply quite sparsely , but the more coats you apply the more gold leaf gets applied to the nail. It is very delicate and really adds something special to the nails.The packaging really stands out as it comes in a lovely black box, and with the nail polish bottle being metallic gold it looks extremely striking and rich.

** It is less yellow looking in real life!! **

I am really pleased with this product, it retails at £30 which is very steep for what it is, but if you are lucky enough to own a Sallys card , you can purchase it at wholesale price which works out about half the retail value. I think it would make a gorgeous gift for any nail fanatic and think that it gives a stunning look for the festive season! If your looking for something that has that extra something that feels and looks luxurious and rich, then this is the product for you!

What do you think of OPI's idea to use 18K Gold Leaf?? Would you buy it?


xxx

Happy Birthday Illamasqua!!

I am writing this post to acknowledge the 4th birthday of a brand that, since they came along, I have loved and obsessed over there new innovative products, colours , advertising and stores!

Illamasqua is a brand that based its heritage on the culture that was a live in Berlin in the 1920's. This was a time of freedom of artistic expression as there were  new creative limits, this was  when the brand Kryolan was born.  Kryolan was always a brand that wanted to create products for the professionals and for those who wanted to create and express there individuality whether it was on TV, Film , Theatre or even the streets. Then came a live a brand that embodies the  same creative genes and empowerment in make up and that brand was Illamasqua.

Before then we had the same mainstream make up brands that continued to reproduce the same colours styles and looks, and eventually let packaging take over the actual quality of the products themselves . Then when Illamasqua came out of the wood work the beauty halls were filled with vivid colours, strong pigments, amazing quality products, all embodied in sleek stylish packaging.

There advertising campaigns alone are so interesting and unique as they provide a booklet explaining in depth the collection, explaining the story of the the company,products as well as showing you how much thought actually goes into each product collection and photographs. 

They are a brand that truly believe in self expression in the for of make up artistry and support the creativity of each individual that becomes there customer. They stand up of the right to self expression and support the S.O.P.H.I.E charity and in there fight to stand up for those who want to embrace there individuality.

I personally use and adore Illamsaqua products and would use them personally and professionally in my work as a freelance make up artist. Everything about the brand from the products down to there staff are exceptional. When I was in London last year for my birthday, one of the places I was most excited about going to was of course there flagship store in beak street. I was booked in for an appointment to get my make up done as they had an event on in store with there Art team were doing free make overs. I was lucky enough to get my make up done by the lovely Leena Adesara. Whilst getting my make up done I was lucky enough to be in the presence of the amazing David Horne, now if that didn't make me start struck as it was, whilst there the one and only Alex Box who I have always looked up to and admired as a make up artist called in quickly to check on some students that were at the school at the time. I had explained to Leena how much of a fan I was of Alex and I think it was quite obvious by how nervous I had got. After getting my make up done I left and met my boyfriend for lunch. After lunch I seen I had a missed call on my phone and a voice mail. I near fainted when I listened to it as it was Alex Box herself saying that Leena had told her how much I loved her work and wished me a happy birthday. I have never been so happy to leave my number when booking an appointment or else this wouldn't of happened, nor would it of happened if it hadn't been for Leena.

** Make up By Leena **

 

I think this basically sums up how amazing the company are and how much they care about there customers and fans. It is a brand that I and many more will always love!!

Very kindly Leena let me send here a couple of questions regarding her thoughts on Illamasqua and here are her answers...

1) How did you first hear about Illamasqua and come about working for them?

 I heard about Illamasqua whilst I was working for another cosmetics company, from a friend who started with them in London 2008.

She was raving on about the company so I had to go and see it for myself, I did and of course fell head over heels in love not just with the products but what the company stands for. I actually got the job on my birthday Jan 27th 2009 and have never looked back since!

I started out as assistant manager, then worked up to national artist where I got to travel to Dubai and Australia to work for Illamasqua, then became a key artist and now reached my dream of being Northen Trainer.

2) What Does Illamasqua mean to you?

Illamasqua is not only my career choice it is a way of life for me, the way it has changed my thinking of make-up, to understanding different styles of make-up and that make-up is not just for vanity purposes its a way of life for some. I feel a deep emotional connection to this brand which has expanded my mind and abilities. I will forever be grateful working for them.

3) What do you think sets Illamsqua apart from other brands?

The fact that we are an Independent British Company.

 We are truly for anyone no matter what age, sex, race. Illamasqua artists are trained to such a high level that every customer walks away not only with an amazing new look, but a whole make-up experience and journey, we pride ourselves in the way we teach our customers to apply their own make-up, we make sure we take the time out to make every single one of our customers feels like they are part of us.

The products are completely unique, who else does 57% pigment matte eyeshadows? They have the highest level of colour pay off. The fact that we opened in a recession with people telling us we couldn't do it! WE DID IT! And now we have stores worldwide with a huge following, without over marketing or using celebrities to front our makeup campaigns.

Most of our artists have met Alex Box, Julian Kynaston (founder) and Joe Corre. Which other company can say they have met the top people and have a real conversation with them? They totally and completely support us and what we bring to the brand, their is so much support for our artists in terms of progression in the company and progression in their artistry skills.

The brand is cruelty free!

We have the school of make-up in London with courses available to beginners and professionals- you will learn so much its amazing! We also hold beauty school drop in around the UK these are free yes FREE makeup classes.We support the S.O.P.H.I.E. CHARITY Stamp Out Prejudice, Hate and intolerance everywhere.

4) If you had to pick your top 3 Illamsqua products what would they be?

Ooo only 3??

Skinbase:
the best foundation I have ever used!! primer, concealer and foundation in one, lots of shades to suit EVERY skin tone, lightweight yet have a medium to full coverage. I use it as an eyelid primer too and on photoshoots, brides... it is a HD foundation so the camera will love it.

Medium Pencils:
Soft blendable pencils, that can be used on eyes lips and cheeks in rainbow, flesh tone and dark colours, see youtube video on skin sketching technique you could do a whole smokey eye from just 3 pencils! One colour I cant live with out is Vow, a nude flesh tone great for highlighting under brows and used for makeup correction, under eyes and over blemishes.

Translucent Powder:
LP010, now I have medium to dark skin normally translucent powders look chalky on me, not this one and its buttery soft without being dry on your skin. I use this every single day and could not live with out it, my job is quite hectic as I am a trainer I am travelling up and down the country and this powder keeps my foundation stay put and looking fresh.



xxx

A lovely surpise parcel :)

As you know, I had recently blogged about doing a make up swap with Claire Does Makeup (link to her blog here and YouTube here and I had done a post all about what I received in my swap! Well after Claire received my parcel she had said on her YouTube review of the swap that she had felt bad about the Wet n Wild shadows she sent me as a couple of colours had cracked and that she wanted to send another package of some make up goodies to me. I had said that there was totally no need to do so as I loved everything that she had sent me and it wasn't her fault at all for the shadows shattering!! But a week or two a go I got an amazing surprise parcel in the post and thought I would share with you what she sent!!

Elf Eyelash Curlers



 

These are elf Luscious Liquid Lipstick's in the colours *Pink Lemonade, *Baby Lips & *Perfect Pink



 

Elf Golden Bronzer


 

I am really excited to try some products from elf as I haven't tried anything from them before! I love the shades of the Liquid Lipsticks and think they will be perfect for everyday wear. The eyelash curlers actually came at a perfect time as i really needed a new pair and the bronzer is in the perfect shade for me! I am very excited to try it out contouring!



L'oreal Voluminous Full Definition Mascara

 

I am ashamed to say it, but even though I have heard so much hype and amazing reviews about L'oreal mascara's I have yet to try any, so I am super excited to see what this mascara will be like!!



Wet n Wild palette in *Vanity*

 

I love the shades in this!!! It is the perfect compact neutral palette for travel!! After trying out the other Wet n Wild palettes that Claire sent me I am even more excited to try this one as I know how good quality eyeshadow's they are!

As you can see she sent me far too much and was more than generous about what she sent me and was so kind of her! I absolutely love everything and will have post's up on how I got on with each of the products! I have some reviews coming soon of the products she sent in the first parcel!

I meant to post this as soon as I got it, but with work being so crazy I never got the chance! Oh well, better late than never!!

I just want to say a HUGE Thank You to Claire again for everything she sent and for taking part in the swap :)

xxx