I'm still alive

This Mavala training has been really tough and I am so shattered after this week of training but I've learned so much and really appreciate what manicurists do as it requires good concentration, a steady hand and impecable eye sight! Apart from that I am having a fantastic times BRUSHING up (geddit?) on some new skills! I am way too tired this week to report anything worth reading but next week I will do a write up of all the brilliant products Mavala have to offer, and how to use them like the professionals do!

Big News...

As you may have guessed by now, I absolutely LOVE nails, painting nails and producing nail art. The department store in which I work has been incredibly generous and have paid for me to go on a Mavala   manicure training course so next week that is what I shall be doing! I am so so excited and grateful for the opportunity and will let you know all about it when I am all trained up!

Wish me luck! 

Aromatherapy Associates

So the last few days I have really felt the snowy British weather and have been feeling slightly sorry for myself! To sort this out, I decided to use my Aromatherapy associates 'Deep Relax' bath oil to chase away my winter blues.

I ran myself a hot bath, lit some candles and some incense and poured myself a glass of wine! It was sooooo nice and found myself relaxed very quickly! The 'Relax Deep' oil is rumoured to make you feel like you've drank a bottle of wine and having had a glass already, I felt quite chilled afterwards! The oil feels really nice on the skin and leaves you feeling really soft. I was slightly annoyed at myself for lighting some incense as it masked the amazing smell of the oil which is made from sandalwood, vetivert which is a natural sedative  and camomile which is renowned for its calming effects. I will definitely use the bath oils again, and experiment with the different 'flavours' they have. They provide ones that revive you, de-stress you, and just generally give you an excuse to have 20 mins to yourself. If you really don't have the time though the oils are so versatile that you could just rub some on your pulse points or put some in a bowl of hot water to scent your room. A large bottle of the oil is £37.00 or you can get an award winning miniature set of all the oils for £30.00 which, according to Vogue 

"The quality of oil and and pleasing blends are beyond compare, and oh how we love the convenient 3ml size" - Vogue

Aromatherapy Associates pride themselves on having the highest concentration of essential oils on the market and for using 100% natural ingredients. They use the highest quality ingredients and have one loads of awards, including the 2013 In style beauty awards, with the 'Relax Deep' being the awarded product. Aromatherapy Associates also do a skincare range, haircare and also scented candles. The relax deep oil I used also has a matching body wash and lotion, if you really want to go all out. The Aromatherapy Associates philosophy is very much about the mind, body and soul, and that is reflected in their sensuous products. They currently have a sale on their website at the moment so I will leave a link and let you explore ... your welcome

http://www.aromatherapyassociates.com/

*I was given these products to test by the company, as I was fully trained on their brand and products.

Leather and Stud Nails

For christmas my mum got me the Nails Inc leather effect nail kit. You apply a base colour coat and then 2 coats of the leather effect onto the nail. It dries into a crinkly and realistic leather effect. They also do it in tan but I prefer the black.

They provide some little diamante skulls but I had already planned on using some small studs to get the leather jacket effect. I bought my nail studs from sparkly-nails.co.uk where you can buy a bag of about 35 studs for £1.50! I think that is brilliant value and they have a huge variety to choose from! 

I used the Nails Inc nail glue provided which is super strong and lasted well, 

but had a bit of trouble putting on the studs straight, so need some more practice! I really like the look though and will definitely be trying it again soon. It looks really cool, but is a nightmare for running fingers through your hair as they get a little stuck!

Elemental Herbology - Facial Glow

Elemental Herbology is a “naturally active results” brand , meaning their aim is to use natural ingredients from all around the world, but to have effects on the skin that you can actually see. I used the Elemental Herbology Facial Glow, which is a radiance peel and aims to make the skin look more radiant.

Facial Glow - 30ml

The peel had a thick exfoliate texture, and smelt pleasant and slightly of oranges. It says to target between the forehead and the décolleté area (which is neck and chest to you and me) and to apply onto damp skin. After leaving on for 4-5 mins, I washed of the peel with warm water and wipes. Although my skin was not immediately visibly more radiant, it felt clean and refreshed. I have dry skin and have to use moisturiser after most products used on my face, and found I particularly had to lather on the moisturiser after using this product, but found once moisturised my skin looked slightly cleaner and had more of a glow than it did before. The product clearly states that a hydrator with a high SPF must be used after use of the product as it contains hydroxy acid, which increases the skin’s sensitivity to the sun. Priced at £39.00 a pot, I think this is quite reasonable for a high end skin-care, not only that but when you visit their website, they have a lot of online offers to get you started such as 20% your favourite product when you register. I have yet to try a few more products from the range and am excited to see what else it can offer.

http://www.elementalherbology.com/


*I was given these products to test by the company, as I was fully trained on their brand and products.

Happy New Year everyone!

Happy New Year everyone! A resolution of mine for 2013 is to start a blog where I can review beauty products and let people know what is good! I work in a beauty department in a department store so can get the inside information on what products are good for you inside and out, best value for money, and what is just a generally nice product!

It's just a small project I want to do and thought it would be quite beneficial for anyone reading. I am also really interested in nail art and have a real passion for it so I i'll probably throw in some nail pictures and inspirations as well!

Watch this space!