Spring Swatches

Alongside the clothing spring collections the make-up and nail varnishes are creeping into the shops to complete your spring wardrobe!

I made an order with Transdesign for some polishes from the latest collections from OPI, Essie and China Glaze.

I really love colours that are coming out this season. Pastels, different shades of blues and greys and juicy bold colours.

First up, OPI's Texas collection! Inspired by the American state where I hear bigger is better! It's a mixed collection with some bold colours and a new sorbet formula in juicy colours.

San Tan-tonio.

A beautiful caramel tan colour. This colour really flatters my skin tone, it's not too yellow against my pinky skin. I loved wearing this one, I felt very grown up and sophisticated! I think it will look lovely with my new blue blouse I posted about previously!

Suzi Loves Cowboys.

A delicious chocolate brown! I guess the colour is similar to a horses saddle! You all know I love these shades! I did enjoy wearing this one but I felt it falls a little flat after a day or so, I still prefer Sephora Brownie for my chocolate fix!

Don't Mess With OPI.

Amazing! A fabulous shade of grassy green. I really love this yellow based green it will look amazing in the summer with a white top and gold accessories!

I am pleased with these three, they were the most obvious shades that I would be drawn to in the collection. I haven't seen many swatches around of the whole collection yet and I like the look of some of the sorbet finishes.

Next up Essie French Affair.

Nice is Nice.

A gentle lavender. Very pretty, not sure that it works with my skin tone. I'm not sure on this one yet! Application was lots better than its sister shade OPI's Rumple's Wiggin.

Coat Azure.

Oh my! I just adore this one! A shimmery pale blue that reminds me of the sun glistening off the ocean in the South of France! Such a romantic image! The iridescent glimmer in the polish is quite stunning and really makes this one stand out in the collection.

Essie are on a roll at the moment and have given us another beautiful collection. There are two more from this collection that I would like to get, Barefoot and Topless, a creamy nude and French Affair, a pastel pink.

Finally China Glaze Anchors Away a nautical inspired collection!

First Mate.

I am so into this shade right now! I love it! It's a dusky navy blue, and a true blue too! No black looking blues here! Can't wait to wear this with my new spring wardrobe!

Pelican Grey.

A light grey with shimmer. At first I was disappointed with this one as I felt I had other polishes in the same vain. However on closer inspection it contains a subtle shimmer that really stands out in sunlight and make this particular shade different from the rest.

Sea Spray.

I gambled on this one and it payed off, I love it! It's a blue based grey and at first look looks similar to Pelican Grey. As with the previous colour it is laced with a multicoloured shimmer that really sets this colour apart. Such an unusual colour too, I suppose it's getting more and more difficult to develop new shades. 

To show you that it is more blue than grey here are the two bottles together,

This is Sea Spray swatched on the nail holding the Pelican Grey bottle,

You can see here how blue Sea Spray is in comparison. 

Overall I am very happy with my choices, my favourites have to be, San Tan-tonio, Don't Mess With OPI, Coat Azure, First Mate and Sea Spray! Definite must haves!

Have you managed to get anything from these collections?

xoxo

Shopping Spring Style

I did a little bit of long overdue clothes shopping over the weekend and I thought I share the goodies!

The shops are full of their Spring collections and I am so glad to see some new colours and styles on the racks. I prefer to pre-shop online as I am gradually starting to hate clothes shopping. I rarely like anything I see and often come away with nothing but make-up and accessories because I am confident in my choices in these areas!

One shop I always rely on is Monsoon. I have always loved their style and although the quality and individuality has changed I can still find outfits I love. Plus having a Accessorize next door is always helpful!

OK first up is a dress I saw online and have tried on twice but couldn't make my mind up!

Not the best pic, it looks better on! Its a bit above the knee, perfect with my trusty tan boots and tights for now until the warmer weather kicks in! Its has pockets too! Needs accessorising thought, not sure which way to go, maybe a scarf or a chunky necklace, definitely chunky bangles!

Love, love, love this one! Its a white tunic top with blue leggings. Will look so cool with my gold gladiator sandals and boots for now. Still a little chilly to be wearing this one yet. The necklace is from Accessorize, not usually a fan of this style because of my big boobs the necklace tends to bounce around a bit and draw attention to my chest! I just need to get a skinny belt for the shirt as its a little baggy in the wrong places, I have seen some colourful ones in Accessorize, red or yellow maybe.

This is such a cute blouse from their Fusion range. I adore this collection, I have a few things from it now and I have felt very stylish! Its totally sheer so I will wear it with a white vest underneath. I love the puff sleeves, they are quite big but the material softens the look. I will wear this with a pair of cropped trousers and nude heels when I find the perfect pair of both the trousers and heels!

A cute little pair of dangly earrings. One of about a billion things I could have bought in Accessorize!

As you can tell I am on a blue theme this year! I love navy much more flattering on me than black!

I didn't just shop in Monsoon!

Scarves are a huge obsession of mine. I wear one almost every day. I am so in love with this one from Zara. It has panthers on it! I had first seen it online in pink and fell in love. Since first seeing the pink one they had brought it out in red and it had already sold out online. I couldn't see it in the shop itself so I asked a lovely lady and she found me the last one in the stock room! 

I did buy this earlier in the week from Miss Selfridge. I love the style, not sure how to describe it! Its many trends rolled into one, granny, nautical, country and navy! I have no idea how I'll wear it, probably linen trousers and a simple red top when the weather is a bit warmer!

There were some make-up purchases too.

I have been having problems with sensitivity around my eyes in the last couple of weeks. I suddenly had a reaction the Nivea eye make-up remover I have used forever and I had a massive allergic reaction to a mascara which has left me with tired looking dry sore eyes. I had a tester of the Clarins Instant Eye Make-Up Remover and have got on well with it so i purchased the big size. 

I also bought the Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener after seeing it on one of the Pretty Powerful campaign posters. I asked the MUA to try it out on me and it made me look much more refreshed. I have it on for the first time today and like it so far! The colour is Bisque.

After many of you suggested lipsticks for me both on here and YT I purchased Snob. I haven't tried it yet, I swatched it against Lady Gaga and was the darker version I was looking for!

FINALLY! Portobello Road from Nails Inc, a whim purchase but I am pleased. I think it'll be lovely colour for summer and pretty with the blouse or white tunic from Monsoon.

Phew, that's it for a while! I need the weather to start getting better before I buy anymore!

xoxo

Kiehl's Rare Earth

I received the Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque and Cleanser for Christmas and although I did ask for them I knew little about them. I had read the blurb on the website and was intrigued. I searched for some YT videos but only came across a couple and the girls had positive things to say!

Initially I was more interested in the mask. I do like a good face mask in the bath once a week or so! The unique ingredient in this range is Amazonian White Clay which Kiehl's claim will help to draw out toxins and dirt from pores and being a clay based product will help with any excess oil on the skin. The mask contains aloe and oatmeal that help to sooth the skin. 

On my first use I was surprised to find the mask stung my skin when applying however this doesn't last long and seems to have no adverse effects. I usually leave the mask on for around 15 to 20 minutes or longer if I can. When washed off I have brighter skin and my pores seem to be smaller, I am very impressed. I have used the mask about 4 or 5 times now and the effect is true of each use. I am reluctant to use it more than once a week because it still stings when I apply the clay.

The cleanser I have used almost everyday since Christmas! I only use it in the morning as I prefer to use my Elemis Pro Radiance at night. I use it in the shower, I also choose to use it in the morning as this cleanser makes my pores look diminished and in turn helps my make up application. 

Again the cleanser features the Amazonian White Clay but also Diatomaceous Earth, I know, I have no idea either! Turns out this earth is the exfoliating aspect to the cleanser. Its very fine, not harsh and perfect for the morning cleanse. You only need the smallest amount of product as it foams up very well.

Overall I am impressed with these products, I have noticed over the month my pores appear reduced, I think this is because they are cleaner rather than smaller. I have no reaction to the mask despite its initial feeling.

You can buy Kiehl's from John Lewis in the UK and from their own website in the US. The mask is £21.50 and the cleanser is £18.

Have you tried these?

xoxo

You Nearly Got Me YSL!

Whilst buying a new YSL Faux Cils in John Lewis yesterday I was captivated by their new Spring 2011 collection. Although the whole collection is beautiful I quickly became obsessed with the nail varnish duo that is featured in the collection. I love this new concept that YSL first launched in the past summer. The idea is that the nail varnishes come in a duo of two complimentary but contrasting colours so you can do a French tip with one of the colours. The brushes are shaped to make this a little easier.

I went away considering going back to buy the set but at £24 I was convinced I could dupe it at home!

Surprise surprise I could....... 

Twice!!

First up are a Nails Inc twosome, a permanent colour Jermyn Street and my recently purchased Denim,

Secondly I have OPI Over The Taupe and Suzi Says Feng Shui .

Ok, I know they aren't quite the same but think they are near enough for me! In fact I think the OPI Over The Taupe and the Nails Inc Denim are the most similar to the YSL version. I think I'll wait until YSL bring out a duo I don't already own!

Do you like this colour combo? What do you think of the French tip twist?

xoxo

NOTD - No7 Spice

Spice is from No7's new spring collection designed exclusively by makeup goddess Lisa Eldridge for Boots.

It is a bright coral colour and screams summer to me! 

I particularly like the packaging, its nice to see a different shaped bottle to the normal No7 polish range and I love the design on the lid which ties in with rest of the collection which includes lipsticks, gel liners and an eyeshadow quad.

There is also another polish in the collection, Sugar, a pretty creamy pink pastel. I was tempted to get both however I felt I wanted to get Essie's French Affair as my pink for the summer.

Application was ok, its quite thick and needs three coats to hide the patchy bits near the cuticle. I am very pleased with the colour so I feel its worth the effort. It will look amazing with a bit of colour on my skin in the summer, I really feel this is a colour I will wear a lot come the warmer weather.

I have compared Spice to couple of similar polishes, Pink Flamingo from Barry M and Tropical Temptation from Revlon.

Pink Flamingo is, as the name suggests much more pink in tone and Tropical Temptation is close but not as bright in colour.

Spice is £7 from Boots, and there is currently a 3 for 2 offer across No7, but move quickly if you fancy the polish as it has sold out online and whole collection is bound to fly off the shelves!

xoxo

A Scene Of Green

My previous post features Essie's Going Incognito as my nail of the day, it got me thinking about this unusual colour for nail polish and how my collection and adoration for shades of green has grown over the last couple of seasons.

 I think this is my favourite set, I love the sophistication of the darker shades of green.

I love the more frivolous shades too, the minty colours are summer favourites and the khaki greens are a current nail varnish trend.

OPI are bringing out a green, Don't Mess With OPI, in their soon to be launched Texas collection, and I will be adding this to my stash. 

It would seem that many brands are taking green seriously, Essie used to be very much about reds, pinks and sheers. Their most recent collections have featured greens as the stand-out colours and we have snapped them up. Butter London's British Racing Green caused a stir during fashion week when its creator Nonie Creme manicured the models with this specially mixed hue and it's known as one of the brands signature colours.

I know green is not everyone's cup of tea, I do feel its an either love it or hate it type colour. I don't wear it that often as the company colours of my workplace are green and I get teased a work when I wear the colour so I reserve it for the weekends or nights out making it a special colour for me when I do adorn my nails!

Do you like green or is this a colour you would avoid?!

xoxo

NOTD - Essie Going Incognito

From Essie's winter collection, Going Incognito is a delicious dark emerald green. 

Application was excellent, Essie have obviously worked on getting their formula more consistent as previous collections were a bit hit and miss with application.

Similar to OPI Jade Is The New Black but I would say Going Incognito was the darker of the two.

This type of green is my favourite shade to wear!

xoxo

Springing Into Spring

Springing Into Spring by Hannah Wright featuring sateen pants

NOTD - Models Own Purple Haze

I painted Purple Haze over OPI Funkey Dunkey but this was fairly unnecessary as the glitter goes pretty opaque after two coats.

A major glitterfest!

xoxo

Lippie Obsession!

I thought I'd share with you a piccie of my new lipsticks!

I have really got into wearing lipstick, it was always something I wasn't too bothered about but I really feel like it finishes everything off!

What are your faves?

xoxo

FOTD - Pink Lips!

Today I am wearing,

♥ Clarins Everlasting Foundation in Nude 105

♥ MAC Hello Kitty Blush in Tippy

♥ MAC Superslick Eyeliner in Black

♥ CoverGirl Lash Fushion in Black

♥ Smashbox Quad in Charm

♥ MAC Lipstick in Gulabi

xoxo

Free Nails Inc?!

Once again Diet Coke have teamed up with Nails Inc and only at Boots you can pick up an exclusive Nails Inc nail varnish when you buy two bottles of Diet Coke. So as soon as I heard the news I hot stepped it down to Boots in my lunch break to see what was on offer! 

There are four colours in total, Plum, Heather Grey and the two I purchased Caramel and Denim.

Despite this being a freebie the quality of the polishes is excellent as you would expect from Nails Inc. I predict Caramel will be the most popular colour, I had to hunt around a bit to find it! That's no surprise to me as it hits the trend for natural nude coloured nails and a gorgeous colour it is too!

It's quite similar to a camel coloured polish I recently bought from Nails Inc, for £11 I might add, Cadogan Square. 

Cadogan Square, Caramel and last years London.

Denim is a lovely dusty teal blue, again on trend for the spring.

So get down to Boots and make the most of this awesome offer, Nails Inc polishes are worth £11 each and for a couple of bottles of Diet Coke its worth the trip! Its runs from today 12/1/11 to 15/2/11 but from memory the last time this offer was available the polishes didn't hang around for long!

xoxo

Good Times!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I certainly did, I spent it with my family and had a quiet one at home, the perfect Christmas!

Of course I was spoilt with gifts and I thought I would share!

My new baby! The Bristol bag from Modalú. I love the colour so much and its a nice big bag, it's very heavy though and that's before I've put all of my stuff in it!!

A huuuge cocktail ring from Anusha. My brother got me this, I love it, it's massive and sparkly!

Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque and Cleanser. I was very excited to receive these I have been using them for a week now and will review them soon!

MAC Live and Loud Cremesheen Gloss and MAC Pink Nouveau Lipstick. I absolutely love these colours, very bold and eye catching! 

iPhone 4! Finally I've upgraded my phone! My previous iPhone was getting slow and there was no way I would consider any other phone, this baby is permanently attached to my hand!

Oh and I got a years subscription to Look magazine, pretty awesome I love that mag!

My Christmas summed up in a few pics,

As for the new year, I've started it off with a cold possibly flu but still I am going to remain positive! Although I'm not setting myself any resolutions just some goals for the year ahead. I want to join a couple of exercise classes probably Zumba and Pilates and work toward losing another stone by the summer. I need to mix up my routine a little bit and get out of the house more! Lastly to pick a new hobby or educate myself a little more!

I am so grateful to you all for reading my little blog and watching my silly videos, you have all made me a more confident and happy person over the last year so I wish you all a happy and healthy 2011!

xoxo

Festive Polish Haul!

With Christmas only a week away I have recently bought some new colours from Jessica and Essie to glam up my nails for the festive season! 

I am excited about the colours so I thought I at least get some bottle pics ups for you tonight and will swatch soon!

 

L-R Black Ice, Majesty Blue, For Your Eyes Only, Sexy Siren

Black Ice is totally gorgeous, it is a black polish with very sparkly silver glitter, it really does glitter in the bottle. I think I'll wear this on Christmas day!

Majesty Blue I have worn this week and is a stunning sapphire blue, quite eye catching.

The last two are so difficult to take a picture of, they aren't nearly as light as the picture would have you believe. I have taken dozens of pictures but all are wrong! For Your Eyes Only is much more purple in reality a true Blurple, hate that word but its the only way to describe it!

Sexy Siren is a rich wine colour I wore this for my work Christmas party.

As always with Jessica polishes the application was perfect on the two I have worn at least and I expect the same from the others.

L-R Hot Coco, Going Incognito, Smokin' Hot.

These lovely Essie polishes, from their newest winter collection, only came today so I haven't had a chance to wear them yet however I will be painting on Going Incognito later tonight!

Hot Coco is VERY similar to Mink Muffs, I can't really tell the difference in the bottle other than Mink Muffs is a hint darker. I feel a little cheated.

Going Incognito is GORGEOUS! A dark green, darker than Essies' earlier Pretty Edgy and a different shade of green to OPI's Jade Is The New Black.

Smokin' Hot is a greyed out purpley colour, quite sophisticated and very fashionable. 

I am really becoming a fan of Jessica polishes and I will look forward to their collections for next year. The quality of their colours is exceptional. Essie is on a roll at the moment and I anticipate their Spring collections too!

xoxo

Let it snow!

I LOVE the snow! 

It's still a fairly rare occurrence here in the UK but especially unusual in November, I have never known it before! I hope it stays until Christmas! A white Christmas in the UK happens once in a blue moon!

I am lucky to live in such a beautiful part of England and even more so in the snow, so indulge me here and have look few piccies of the fluffy stuff in and around my village!

xoxo

Ginger Nuts!

Since winter has firmly arrived my skin has freaked out! My body has gone especially dry and I am trying whatever I can to keep it moisturised.

However I hate moisturising! I need to use a product that I love or I just won't do it!

Browsing around the John Lewis beauty department I happened across the Origins counter where they enticed me in with their fab Christmas displays, I'm a sucker for anything red or snowflakey!

Most of the display was devoted to their Ginger range, I have encountered this range before and last year I purchased a body wash and absolutely loved it. I thought I would try some more from the range and purchased the body oil from the range but had a terrible reaction to it and left Origins well alone for a while.

Despite my reaction to the product the scent of this range is divine, and even more-so at this time of year. 

The scent has always drawn me to this range and something I haven't forgotten, being a little wary I thought I would try some body lotions on my hand and leave it on for a while to test it out. Thankfully no ill-effects were encountered so I went back and purchased Ginger Rush.

Described as an "Intensely Hydrating Body Cream" this is a thick rich cream that leaves my skin velvety soft. I I use it after a bath for a warming wrap of moisture and yummy fragrance.

The aroma of the cream is rich and spicy but not sweet, its very appropriate for this time of year. I may be fickle but I can't see me using this outside of winter, it just seems wrong.

I'm sure I'll use this little pot up this winter and go back for more next year! 

xoxo