Red Nose Nails!

Hello and Happy Red Nose Day!

I think you must've been living under a rock to not have noticed the build up to Comic Reliefs' Red Nose Day. Whether your office has dressed up, you've watched the charity specials or you're sporting a Dinoroar red nose, the giving spirit is in the air and it's easy to get involved.

Whilst I would normally by a nose or t-shirt from TK Maxx, something caught my eye whilst I was shopping in Claire's...

...RED NOSE NAIL WRAPS!

 

These designer nail wraps are a Claire's Accessories exclusive and a £1 donation will be made to Comic Relief from the sale of the nail wraps.

Every year there's a theme surrounding Red Nose Day and this year's theme is Dinosaurs which I absolutely adore! There are three characters; Triceytops (on my index finger, far right), T-Spex (on my ring finger), and Dinomite (on my little and middle fingers). Dinomite is definitely my favourite. I love his smile!

In the pack of nail wraps, there are 16 transfers and a nail file and pointed stick to push back cuticles and press down the transfers.  

To apply, you first buff the nail, then wipe with acetone to clean the nail before applying the transfer. To finish you use the nail file included to shape the transfer to your nail. The whole process took me around 20 minutes as it's quite tricky to apply the transfer without any bubbles. 

I also had a little trouble getting the right size transfer for my nail size and as a result, some of the transfer overlaps onto my skin or you can see part of my nail.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my nails, they make me giggle like a kid when I look at them and they've been on for 5 days so far with no problems.

But nail wraps weren't the only thing I bought....

...POM POM GOOGLY EYED RED NOSE HAIR ELASTICS

(I'm actually just a big kid)

I love wearing my hair in bunches and so this double pack of pop pop hair elastics were a must have for me. I adore them, and who can blame me? Claire's make a donation for the sale of these guys too, so it really is a win-win situation.


Have you guys done anything for Red Nose Day?

(In light of recent events, could you please follow my blog on bloglovin'? Just click the button below)

NOTD: Barry M Gelly in Greenberry

My NOTD

I went to the dentist earlier in the week and decided I deserved a treat for being so brave.

Enter Barry M's Gelly nail paint in Greenberry;

These photos were taken in natural sunlight and while the Gelly looks more blue in the pictures, it is actually more green in the flesh.

The colours in the S/S13 Gelly range are GreenBerry (pictured above), Lychee (beige), Papaya (orange) and Dragonfruit (pink). 

The application process was quite tricky with the Gelly nail varnish. The first coat I applied was streaky and see through and the second coat dragged and become blotchy. The third coat, however, looked perfect not only because it was evenly spread and smooth on the nail.

My mother commented that the finish looked similar to the Shellac nails which is a great result from a £3.99 nail varnish.

Chipping occurred after roughly 3 days on the tips of the nails and the thick varnish got dented slightly (see my index finger in the first picture). 

I've recently purchased the Lychee colour as well so keep an eye on my instagram and twitter for pictures! 

Have you purchased any of the Gelly range? What did you think?

Barry M textures: Kingsland Road

Textured nails!

I recently bought Barry M's new Textured nail varnishes in Atlantic Road (Blue TNP1) and Kingsland Road (Pink TNP3). They are currently on offer in Superdrug, 2 for £6 and can be mixed and matched with the new Gelly shades. I'm not too keen on the Gellies however, and wanted to road test (see what I done there ;) ).

Here are my nails after being painted with 3 coats so it's really opaque. It's a beautiful pastel pink colour; perfect for the SS13 which is all about pastels! The texture itself is a soft rough feeling, it's quite a nice feeling actually and it looks really interesting. I got complimented on it by my fiance's family.

However....

This is a photo of my nails after 4 days wear. I can't really describe what's happened but textured bits have actually collected dirt and no matter how much I wash my hands, it won't come clean. My nails look so grubby. I suppose if the paint was a different colour, the dirt wouldn't be so prominent. My mother so kindly point out that the texture looked like I'd painted my nails and then gone to bed without letting it dry properly which isn't the look I was going for...

I have yet to try the blue Atlantic Road colour and I hope the same thing doesn't happen as I really like the idea of this varnish but I can't go round looking like I haven't washed my hands!

Have you tried the Barry M textures? If so, did the same thing happen to you?

Boogie Nights; Model's Own and Sally Hanson

This is probably one of my favourite nail looks, just because it's so easy and looks fantastic! 

 I used Sally Hansen's nail varnish in Bewitched which, I found in Poundland for the grand total of (can you guess?) £1!! I was actually really shocked because Sally Hansen is such a good brand. I think this generation of bbloggers concentrate on newer brands and sometimes forget about good quality varnish like this one. Whilst the colour in the bottle is purple, after two coats on the nail it appears more of a black purple- the perfect base for Boogie Nights.

Boogie Nights is a bblogger favourite, and I can understand why. It's part of Model's Own Mirrorball collection and boasts large glitter flakes with a purple tinge. I find it a bit difficult to get the glitter/nail ratio right as the flakes can just stick together but too much glitter is never a bad thing!

The only problem I have with this look is when I go to remove it as the glitter takes some scrubbing to get it off! Apart from that, I wore my nails like this for a week and a half with no chipping!

What's your favourite nail look?

The other hemp

One of my favourite hand creams is The Body Shop's Hemp Hand Protector.

When I first got a sample of the hemp hand protector, I was really put off by the smell. It bares a strong earthy, herbal fragrance which really takes some getting used to. The cream itself is thick and the smallest amount goes a long way.

After using this product for only a week, I can already see a huge difference in my hands. My palms aren't blistering from dryness in the cold and the skin isn't so tight. I've also noticed that my nails are stronger and my cuticles are in better condition.


While the price does seem steep, £10 for 100ml, you really don't need much of the cream. I've been using it a few times a day for a week and have hardly dented the amount in there.

I'm also going to start using the cream on my feet at night as their very dry too. Just because it says hand protector doesn't mean I can't use it else where ;)

Have you guys used any of the Hemp range from Body Shop?

Roxy's Foxy bag

How cute is this bag?

 I was on Ebay, ordering some cheap maxi skirts from China when I spotted this charming little bag. It's offered in a range of colours; green, black, red and  my orangey brown.

It's a good size bag; 24cm length, 18cm high and 5cm wide, small enough to take out to lunch but large enough to fit all the essentials like phone, purse, keys and makeup.

The bag comes with an adjustable strap. I've put it on the second hole and the bag sits above my hip so it's a good length for me.  




The bag is made of Bicast leather so it smells and feels a little plasticy but I really don't care because it's so dainty and adorable. 

As for what animal the bag is supposed to be, it's listed as Fox/Owl. I chose to get it in the orange colour so it looks more like a fox but I am debating getting a green bag next. 


I bought this bag for £5.99 but you can get it cheaper by typing 'Fox Owl Bag' into Ebay.


What do you think of my bag? Would you consider getting one?

Winter Graduation Outfit

On the 10th of January, I became a Master of Art in Philosophy. Choosing an outfit was difficult for the occasion for a number of reasons;

1. It was a graduation and the dress code states smart wear,
2. As it's winter, my outfit needed to be warm,
3. I needed  an outfit that wouldn't clash with my University colour of green and sash of pink,
4. Finally, I needed something that covered up the unsightly external fixation on my leg.

Overall, I think I done well choosing an outfit. The Skirt and Blouse were £25.00 each from River Island online. I ordered the Skirt in a size 14 and I'm 5'3 so it was an inch or so too long for me. The outfit was a hit as looked smart, it didn't clash with my graduation robes and the maxi skirt was perfect for covering my leg. The only problem with the outfit was that the light materials did not keep me warm but had my graduation been in the summer, I would give 10/10.

I accessorised the entire outfit with a cute gold ear cuff and a bangle stack in peach and gold from New Look. The shoes were a nude ballet pump from Internacionale. 

Everyone commented how good I looked and I really did feel it.

What outfit would you wear to a winter graduation? 

Flutter your lashes

Hello! In preparation for my graduation, I wanted something to make my eyes pop and distract from the cage on my leg and the braces in my mouth. The obvious way to go was to get some fake eyelashes so we popped on down to Debenhams. I went for the Eylure Naturalites Intense lashes in number 140. They were normally priced at £5.26 but as I used a £5 voucher with Debenhams Beauty Club I paid just 26p. Result.

 

 The lashes were relatively easy to apply.  Two coats of mascara on the natural lashes, glue on the strip of false lashes and apply to the eye.

 Here are the results:

Looking Down

Looking Up.

The only complaint I had was that the lashes were a bit hard in texture and when it caught my eye, it was quite painful. Overall, I was impressed with the look and the thickness and it definitely made a statement.

Do you wear false lashes? Do you have any tips for applying them? Let me know in the comments!

Mini Haul

Today I was feeling a bit sorry for myself and needed a little treat so off to Boots I went. This is what I got:


1. Montagne Jeunesse Mud Pac- Dead Sea, Anti Stress. £1

I've used this brand before and I've enjoyed them. It's good to find a face mask that simply washes off rather than peels off- I hate the peel off masks. The mask is suitable for all skin types and vegetarians. On the back, it informs me it contains Dead Sea Salt, Bergamot, Lavender and Seaweed; all are very balancing and great for circulation but appear quite far down on the ingredient list so probably won't make a huge difference to my skin. I will be using the mask soon and will do a proper review then so watch this space!




2. Balmi- Raspberry. £4.99

I must admit that when I picked this up off the shelf, I thought it was Eos Lip Balm, a blogger favourite. Despite it not being what I was after, I thought I'd give it a go. Balmi is really fragrant and has a 15 SPF  protecting the lips from UVA/UVB. You apply it straight to the lips, saving you dipping your finger in greasy lipbalm (something I don't like doing). It sinks into the lips after a few minutes and gives a good shine on the lips. The Balmi also has a little keychain attachment to hook onto your bag/phone/keys - handy for anyone who loses their balm easily (like me).



3. Peaches and Clean- 4 in 1 Wash off deep cleansing milk. £6

I've read great reviews on Soap and Glory and really needed a new everyday wash which isn't too harsh for my skin. I have combination skin and my T-Zone is very oily, something this product promises to help with. The product smells pleasant and is gentle on the skin, I'll review the product again after a few weeks of using it and let you know whether it clears my skin. 

Have you used any of these products? What did you think of them?

-Roxy