NOTD | Pink & white stripes

I have been loving the classical French manicure lately, but felt I needed a little colour on the end of my fingers! I didn't have time to do nail art on all my nails so I opted for accent nails.

So, on all but my accent nails I applied two coats of Rimmel's funtime fuschia. Rimmel are one of my favourite nail polishes; they dry so fast & I love their wide brushes! Then on my accent nails I applied a white base coat. When the base coat was completely dry I applied thin strips of masking tape to my accent nails, & then 2 coats of funtime fuschia. When the pink was dry I slowly peeled off the masking tape, leaving visible white stripes behind. Originally I applied Lead by Topshop nails for the accent base coat, but it was quite dark & the pink polish wouldn't completely cover it. To top them all off I applied a top coat of Sally Hansen's instra-dri. 

It's such an easy look to create, & really livens a boring manicure :) 


Have you guys tried anything like this? What colour combinations do you think work best?


Jen xox

To Me, happy results day! Love, Me x

As I already mentioned in a previous post I received good news a couple days ago that I am successfully graduating :) So obviously I needed to reward myself!

I had, yet another, No7 Boots voucher because I'd spent over £5 in their store. So, I was having a nosey around the No7 stand in Boots & came across their summer products; one of which being the nourishing lip shine that I have seen across quite a few blogs. I bought the shade pink (I think they do it in peach too).

I think the packaging is soo pretty!

So, what do I think of this product? 

Well, the foam applicator is quite nice as it applies an even layer across your lips. However, it was really quite difficult to get the first lot of product out & is still a little tough now. I really like the texture of the product. I'm not really sure on how to describe it, but it's a lot thicker than a lip gloss (explains why it's hard to squeeze out!). It feels really moisturising on your lips & isn't too sticky. As for the colour, it isn't too pink so I think it makes quite a nice day time lip product. I think it would also look great for evening wear over the top of a hot pink lippy! 

As well as the lip gloss I also treated myself to pair of cream jeggings from River Island. I wouldn't usually go for trousers this light but I thought they would look nice for the summer, on my hols next month & great on an evening paired with some killer heels! They're quite thin material too, so they won't be unbearable! The have gold detailing; such as the button & pocket zips. They retail at £30 & are also available in a pale pink!

Jen xox

Help! | Fancy dress ideas?

I need your help guys!

My managers birthday party is just around the corner & he is having a fancy dress theme of anything beginning with 'T' ('cause his names Tom!). As a result of three years at university I have a massive box of fancy dress. I looked through it - not a single one begins with T! Soo, I need to go & buy a new outfit.

Any ideas???

On another note... I got my uni results this morning. I am graduating next month with a 2nd class honours degree in biomedical science. I am sooo pleased, I just had to share :)

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Jen xox

What to spend your Boots No7 voucher on!

Even though I love all things beauty, before setting up this blog (not so long ago!) I didn't really know much on the subject. So I always stuck with the same foundation - maybelline matte mouse. But I realised after reading many blogs & watching many YouTube videos that I need to grow with the times, expand my beauty collection & GET A NEW FOUNDATION! 

So, like many others, I went out & bought the new Rimmel wake me up foundation. (I'll do a review on this when I am more familiar to it :). Another thing I learnt from blogs & YouTube is that applying foundation with your fingers isn't the best idea. Firstly it isn't very good for your skin, as you are rubbing your fingers all over your face & possibly spreading dirt & bacteria, & secondly using a brush for application applies a much smoother & even coverage. With this in mind I set out to find a sparkly new brush for my sparkly new foundation. With my £5 No7 voucher I obviously had to head to that section Boots! Where I found this little beauty for £14, meaning I only paid £9. 

Because I spent over £5 of my own money I was given yet another No7 £5 voucher. & I just couldn't help myself!...

With this being my first (in a very long time) liquid foundation I'm a little scared of it making me look oily or too shiny. I much prefer the matte look to my face in general. So I decided I needed a loose powder in my life, for a little dusting over the liquid foundation - setting my foundation & also giving a more matte appearance.

After speaking to the assistant at the No7 stand I opted for the perfect light loose powder in medium. The powder is a massive 24g for £11 (I paid £6)!

As sad as it is I'm really excited to try out my new foundation routine. If it's a great success, or a massive failure, I will let you know! :)

Hope you enjoyed the post,

Jen xox

Bourjois magic nail polish remover & white tips!

I have been trying to get my mitts on the new Bourjois magic nail polish remover for soo long, but it was always sold out. During a little trip into Birmingham I saw it in Boots & didn't hesitate once to buy it! 

So basically inside the bottle is a sponge which is soaked through with acetone-free nail varnish remover. In which, there is a little hole to place your finger. Each finger is placed into the sponge separately, & after turning you finger a few times the nail varnish is all removed. It really is magic!

Benefits 

• The nail varnish is acetone-free, therefore causing less damage to your nails. 
• You don't end up with nail varnish around the tips of your fingers.
• There is no strong nail varnish remover odour, but instead a pleasant smell of red fruit & vanilla. 
• It is so quick & easy to use! 
• It's very compact & no other tools are needed, meaning its great for travel. 

This is, without a doubt, the best nail varnish remover I have ever used. I definitely recommend it :) I will be repurchasing when I've ran out!

To finish off my mini manicure I then gave myself white tips, for a simple elegant look. I used the Rimmel nail tip whitener, following by Rimmel pearly pink & a top coat of Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri. I have found that the Rimmel nail tip whitener is the best for performing free hand white tips. The brush is very slim, making the strokes more precise & easier to control.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Jen xox

My first FOTD!

As the title suggests I have never posted a FOTD before! So, I'm unsure what to write & how to do it. I'm just going to include some photos & give you a list of what I used. Please let me know if you think I should include any more info or anything else! :)

So here's what I used!...

Face

• Benefit's the porefessional - pore minimising primer.
• Maybelline's dream matte mousse - foundation in shade fawn.
• BM beauty's bronzer - shade summer warmth.

Eyes

• Bourjous' liquid eyeshadow shimmering shine - I can't find the shade but it's a golden brown.
• Benefit's big beautiful eyes - eye contour kit
• Sleek's Kohl eyeliner pencil - shade black
• Yves Rocher France ultra-volume mascara - shade black 

Lips

• Nivea soft rose - as a base coat
• Inika lip whip - shade peach

Let me know what you think! :)

Jen xox

Glossy Box | June '12

This is only my second GB, so I still get really excited upon receiving it but this months box just didn't wow me! Here's a little sneak peak as to what was inside the beautifully packaged monthly box... 

Ooohhh....

Ahhhh...

• Pro beauty brush by Glossy Box. I am actually really please to receive a make-up brush, as I'm currently trying to build up my collection. I'm quite new to make-up brushes, therefore I am fine with the quality of this one. Although I think compared to other make-up brushes this one feels a little coarse (maybe because it's goat hair..? I'm not sure). 

• Mini mascara ultra-volume pulp by Yves Rocher France. I am always happy to try out new mascaras, & I think the wand on this one looks amazing. But a sample size mascara...? Really?

• Summer warmth bronzer. This is a great product just in time for the summer! The photo above is heavily swatched, but it actually gives my skin a nice subtle glow. 

• Dermablend ultra-corrective foundation cream stick by Vichy. This is quite a nice product in the sense that there are a variety of colours for you to try out which works best on your skin. But, is it just me or does it seem a little bit of a waste, as you'll end up chucking 5 of them away? Anyway, I'm looking forward to trying this out, it looks promising!

• Eau provocateur by Agent Provocateur. I thought this little set was quite nice compared to some of the single vials you usually receive. I can't really explain their fragrances because my allergies have been quite bad meaning, leaving me with no sense of smell. However, my dear mother assures me they smell lovely :) The leaflet describes them as feminine, sensual and tantalizing day fragrances. 

I know that I'll use all of the products, but there was just something missing to wow me. I think it might be because the box looked a little empty when I opened it, or maybe because there were no full size products...? Maybe I am just feeling hard to please today, hehe.

Most of you probably already know about the monthly subscription boxes, but if you want to find out more or sign up yourself do so here.

Are any of you guys already signed up to GB? If so, what did you get?

Jen xox

Mattified nails

I haven't really had time to do any fancy nail art lately but I wanted something different on my nails. Looking through my nail varnish stash I found an over coat polish I haven't used for a while. It's Rimmel's pro matte finish mattifying topcoat. I use to absolutely love this, & after using it again today I remember why.

I have painted my nails a few different shades of pinks & purples, so you can see what the different colours look like mattified, & then gone over the top with one application of the pro matte finish.

L-R = Rimmel 60 seconds rapid ruby, funtime fuschia & portobello pink, & Barry M in shade 22 & limited edition 30.

Please excuse the handle. I must have been tested colours for the crackle effect polish. Obviously I didn't want to try it out on my nails...

Below are pictures of my nails before & after application of pro matte finish.

What do you guys think of mattified nails? I think it's quite a nice change. The type of thing I'd have phases of I reckon, sometimes preferring this, but other times preferring shiny nails.

Hope you're all well,
Jen xox

Fathers day gifts

I don't know about you guys but I find buying gifts for my Dad quite hard. He has absolutely everything & men in general are just harder to buy for anyway. Soo, I have to get my brain into gear!

I'm not sure why but whenever I go to London with my family, my Dad always stops to read the blue plaques on the various houses. As well as this my Dad is a massssive hoarder of books. Put the two together... I found this little book on Amazon for (I think) around £9. 

 Most people would probably think that one gift is sufficient for fathers day, & yes it is. Buttt, I always spend more on my Mom for mothers day. I got a little bit guilty & thought I should the same for me old man! My Dad isn't a groomy type of man, but he is partial to a bit of L'Occitane. Whilst in Birmingham yesterday I couldn't resist a look in the L'Occitane store & found a soap collection for £4.50. The collection includes cinnamon orange, lavender, milk & verbena.

Whilst in L'Occitane I also noticed this little men's grooming set for £12, which I think is quite good. I didn't get this for father's day, but for part of my boyfriend's b'day presents. It contain an after shave balm, shower gel & 2 soaps. They all smell divine :)

When I purchased the L'Occitane products the woman gave me two samples; one of which was a hand balm & the other rich body cream. The question is: do I give these to my Dad, my boyfriend or keep them to myself? ;)

What have you guys bought your Dads for father's day?

Jen xox