Jessica Limited Edition Summer Colours

Pink Shockwaves

This colour somehow manages to look hot pink but almost pastel at the same time. It's a cool bubblegum colour and would look great worn on the beach.

Atomic Red

I absolutely love this red. It is like no other red I've seen before. It has hints of orange and coral and is a polish I will be saving up for.

Radioactive

Love her or hate her, Jessie J caused quite a trend in the nail world when she wore green nails on 'The Voice UK'. Ever since then green nail polish has become the in thing, and this polish certainly does not disappoint.  I think you'd have to be quite confident to wear it but it would definitely look amazing.

Yellow Lightning

Finally this bright yellow is another one to be worn with confidence. I personally have never worn yellow polish because I was always told yellow washed me out, but if I ever get a tan this summer, I will certainly be trying this one out as I think it would look so chic. This yellow just summaries summer for me!

Jessie J showing off her green nail polish, similar to 'Radioactive' 

June Glossy Box

Organic Surge Conditioner

Since working on a predominantly natural beauty department, I have become more in the know about some of the ingredients that are put into our skin and hair care that shock me! I'm starting to sound like a bit of a hippy, but a lot of things we take for granted in high street brands are actually really harmful to us, and I've been making more of an effort to avoid these products. Things such as engine oils and the like go into our hair products, which you would never dream of putting on your head otherwise. Working near brands like Aveda and Liz Earle have made me more interested in natural haircare, so I was so happy when I got my Organic Surge natural conditioner, as it stears clear from all the nasty things that are put into our haircare. I had never heard of the brand and I love this conditioner, and will definitely be buying the matching shampoo and a new conditioner when I finish. It smells of grapefruit and makes your hair feels really clean and detangled. Really happy with this product, especially as it was a full size!

MonuSpa Hand cream

I don't tend to use handcream in the summer but this one is nice and lightweight and very citrusy smelling. I personally find the smell a little bit too overpowering, but it sinks into the skin quickly so you can get on with your day. It is also good for nails and cuticles and a nice size to tuck into your handbag.

Figs & Rouge Lip Balm

I wouldn't strictly call this a lip balm as the consistancy and look of it is more like a lip gloss. I don't usually like the feel of gloss on the lips as I find it too sticky but this one does not feel sticky and leaves a healthy shine to the lips. This is another product that is 100% natural and I love that!

Gosh Growth Mascara

Gosh is a brand I saw in Superdrug a few years back and thought it looked like a good makeup brand. I had never tried it up until now and I must say I was very impressed. This growth mascara feels really nice on the ashes and makes them look long and thick but not clumpy. It also has a growth formula in it so your lashes will grow longer and look thicker when your wearing it. Pretty impressive stuff.

MeMeMe Nail Polish

Finally we have my MeMeMe nail polish called 'Pensive'. At first I thought it was a standard pastel green colour, fit for summer. This polish is actually quite a striking and explainable colour when its on the nails. Its kind of pastel green/ baby blue/ aqua. Whatever it is, I love it, and have had many compliments whilst wearing it! These polishes are usually £5.00 so fairly highstreet.

Mavala: Pacific Dream Collection

The summer 2013 collection from Mavala is called 'Pacific Dream', and is inspired from the colours from the pacific ocean. It features strong colours and light shades. I like all the colours and would wear them all!

Cool Silver

Silver isn't usually a colour I would wear but 'cool silver' doesn't have a cheap feel to it. It's quite a sheer grey colour which I think is subtle.

Pretty Fuchsia

This is a great pink colour. It isn't quite hot pink which can get over done during summer. It's got more of a red feel to it.

Slick Opal

You can't really tell from this picture but 'Slick Opal' is a lovely lilac colour. Very in season with a lot of other summer collections.

Pacific Blue

I love this colour as I seem to be really into blue colours at the moment. It's a lovely deep blue with tourquise tints.

Smart Pink

'Smart Pink' is a pretty pale pink. It would create a pretty nude effect. Pale pinks are somthing you can never go wrong with.

Funny Coral

'Funny Coral' is a cool orange/pink colour which is really bright and fresh. Everyone should own at least one coral shade in their nail varnish collection!

Bare Minerals Lipstick

Yesterday was pay day for me so today I went on a little splurge and bought a new bright red lipstick which I've been meaning to replace for ages. This Bare Minerals lipstick is a bright red from the new Marvelous Moxie range. This shade is called 'Live It Up' and it has such a strong pigment. It feels like a balm when it's on and it is meant to make lips look fuller. One of the things I love about this lipstick apart from the colour, is the lid. It's a bit of a granny thing to say but I love how you have to release a catch to take the lid off. It makes the lipstick very handbag proof, as you don't have to worry about the lid coming off and all that weird handbag fluff getting to it (don't act like you don't know what handbag fluff is). Bare Minerals is a makeup brand that use only minerals, making it healthier for the skin. This is my first purchase from them but I really want to explore the brand more soon!

Cringe

So there you have it! Hope you enjoy your weekends everyone!

Revlon Moon Candy

Another product I bought absolutely ages ago is the Revlon Moon Candy collection. I saw the lovely Emma Stone modelling their new nail art duos in a magazine and rushed out to buy some. 

picture taken beautyloversnotes.blogspot.com

For £7.99 each, I couldn't afford the whole collection so I just bought my favourite three, (from top to bottom) Galactic, Eclipse and Satellite. Sound like a new Twilight Saga don't they?

On reflection I wish I bought some colours that differed a little more, but oh well! I read some reviews that the top coat with the flakes in, tended to smudge the underneath coat if you applied it too soon. I didn't have this problem at all. I applied two coats of the base coat, and by the time I finished that, I went and put the top coat straight on and had no problems. A lot of reviews have also said that that it looks untidy and messy. I think that if you just do one coat of the top coat, it will look slightly random and untidy. I again, applied two coats of the top coat, and used strategic coats to make sure the flakes were evenly distributed. Personally, I don't think the look is messy. The ultra dark base coats help the flakes shine out more to create a more dramatic contrast.

Galactic

Galactic has a dark blue base coat that is lifted by the light blue flakes. I think this one is my favourite of the three I bought.

Eclipse

The Eclipse duo has a very deep purple which is very pretty. The flakes on this were a little disappointing as they didn't show up very much, but nevertheless, it is a more subtle look which looks good reflecting under lights.

Satellite

This is the most dramatic look of the three I have. The base colour is a very dark red with brown hues. It is a very dark berry colour. The bright gold flakes create a real contrast to the nail colour.

To smooth out the nails after the flakes, I used one clear coat of Leighton Denny 'One for all' and finally used Mavala oil seal drier to make it touch dry, and to moisturise cuticles.

Barry M Confetti Polishes

As I said in a Facebook post the other day , I have become really slack with my regular posting recently, and I have had these Barry M polishes for weeks and weeks now and I can't believe I haven't reviewed them yet! 

As some of you may know already, these polishes are very similar to the Nails Inc feather range. I personally didn't think that 'feather' was the correct word for the effect the little bits created, but I was still desperate to get my hands on them, however at £11.00 a pot, I was having to save up my pennies. As you can imagine, I was so happy to see that Barry M had bought out a similar effect, and I think that 'confetti' is a much better word for the effect. If you read my blog, then you will know I did a battle of the brands to see if price made a difference to the quality of nail polish. For that post I did Nails Inc VS Barry M with magnetic polishes and on that occasion, Barry M came out on top. This made me feel a lot better about buying the whole range of confetti polishes from Barry M at just £20.00, where that wouldn't even get me two polishes from Nails Inc! I also prefer the colours of the Barry M collection to the Nails Inc ones.

Nails Inc Feather Effects. Picture from nailcandy101.com

These effects are created but using little rectangles of different colours. There are lots of different ways to wear the polish. You can opt to have a couple of coats over a colour that matches, over colours that don't match, layer up different polishes from the range, or I chose to layer the coats up to create the look the bottle gives. I used about six coats when creating these looks. They really don't look that good if you just do one coat, and you have to get to grips with the awkward application. They dry really quickly though so six layers takes no time at all. You also don't need a top coat as the bits are bound together with an already clear polish, but you could if you wanted extra protection.

Here are the swatches of the individual colours.

Sour Apple

This is one of my favourite from the collection. I would happily wear this on all of my fingers as it had a good depth to the green and yellow colours.

 

Dolly Mixture

This is more of a paler colour which I would prefer on my hands when I had more of a tan. The texture is made up of yellow, blue, light green and orange sprinkles. It is the polish with the most colours.

Marshmallow

Again this is a paler colour which I'd like with more of a tan, especially to make the white sprinkles contrast with the pale pink more. A nice compromise for a pastel pink which is in fashion this summer.

Bubblegum

This is another of my favourites. The bright blue really pops in contrast to the white flakes. A nice bright summer colour.

Liquorice

This is the polish I didn't think I would like, but it actually looks really cool on the nail! It reminds me a bit of the L'oreal confetti effect. The contrast of the black and white is classic but it still surprised me at how chic it looks.

Sally Hansen is a brand I still need to explore, but they too have their 'fuzzy polish' which is exactly the same effect, and has basically the same colours as Barry M. I do like the look of the orange colour Sally Hansen's collection has though. These polishes are £6.99 each, so Barry M is still on top with its cheap prices.

taken from project-swatch.com

Nails Inc Denim Effect

The denim effect polish by Nails Inc is a fairly new product. Much like the leather effect one I reviewed a while ago, it is a textured polish that aims to look like denim. All you need is one coat of the polish and it will dry textured. You don't apply a top coat either as the matte look makes it look really denim-y. I have seen a  lot of reviews that say it chips easily, and I too have had a few chippings already but this could be due to the lack of protective top coat. I however really like the look, and I really like the little denim lid that it comes in. Not only does it look good, it gives you a bit of extra grip when painting your nails! The actually textured look is achieved by small grains of glitter, so make sure to wear a base coat so you don't scratch your nails. It's not as rough as a glitter polish but just gives the variation in colour to give it the denim appearance. 

You can buy the polish in a kit for £19 which comes with little star studs, so you can make your nails look like a pair of jeans. I however just had the polish, and decided to put my own twist on the look. I used a silver Model's Own nail art pen for the zip detailing.

May Glossy Box

Once again I have gotten behind with my Glossy Box reviews, and what reminded me to do this one was my burnt nose as I remebered I had a sun cream in my May Glossy Box (the nose is doing ok now). So this is all the way back from May and it was the Glossy Box 2 year birthday so it was quite a special one!

'Headline Colours' nail polish

The shade I received in my Glossy Box was a shade called 'Twisted Silk', which is a off white pinky shade. I wasn't sure when it was in the bottle but now it's on I do quite like it as a subtle cool colour. It took me FOREVER to get the lid off! It was really really stuck but once I managed to get it off, the first coat was a bit stripey but after the second coat it evened itself out. The polish is free of toxins which is good for my post Glastonbury detox I am currently undergoing, and it has UV absorbents for staying power which is good now its getting sunny (hurrah). A full size pot is £9 which is quite a lot for a new  brand, but they appear to have a large range of colours which I like in a brand!

La Roche Posay SPF 50

How I wish I remebered this when I went to Glastonbury! This sun cream has been around for 30 years and is recommened by dermatologists. It has a gel formula which is similar to the 'Ultra Sun' Cream I took away with me, which means it is absorbed quickly leaving no white marks. I also saw this in my Marie Claire magazine a few weeks ago recommended as a summer holiday essential.

Stone Beauty Body Lotion

This body lotion is from an up and coming brand based in London. It is free from nasties like sulphates and parabens and has hydrating coconut oil and shea butter. It has all the boxes ticked in my eyes when it comes to a product, but I just didn't like it. The lemon scent was way too strong for my liking, and the tiny lid made it really hard for me to get the stuff out. I'm not a huge fan of the label either as I think it looks quite cheap. A full size of this is £10.00 which isn't bad but I probably won't be investing in it!

Jelly Pong Pong

After receiving a Jelly Pong Pong lip crayon in a Glossy Box a few months ago, I was absolutely ecstatic to see I had received another one of their products in the form of their mascara. The 'Fairy Lashes' mascara had a cute box and the wand was a nice shape. I don't like to slate products, and always try to look for a nice way to put it if I don't like something, but I absolutely hated this! It did nothing for my lashes and half way through my day at work, I actually had to take it off because it felt so horrible! The texture was really elasticy which is usually a good thing in a mascara, as it shows flexibility, but this stuff was literally like rubber. I tend to play with my lashes a lot, especially if they have lumps of mascara attached. When I tired to pull out a lump of mascara the stuff would string out for about 2cm which I think is just weird! It felt really horrible of my lashes so I just had to take it off. I won't use this mascara ever again which is a shame. I won't write off Jelly Pong Pong as I loved their lip crayon so much, but I will avoid this mascara like the plaque!

Glossy Box Nail Files

These are the first Glossy Box own products I have received. These cute little nail files are handbag size and disposable so once they're worn you can break of another one. I found them a little too harsh on my nails and a bit too sandy.

Beautiful Movements Primer

This product absolutely saved this box for me. I didn't really like a lot of the products but this one redeemed it. Unfortunately, I finished the pot and forgot to take a picture of it before I threw it away, but it was just a little sample sized pot with a clear gel like substance inside so your not missing anything aesthetically! 'Beautiful Movements Cosmetics' formerly known as BM cosmetics is actually founded by Kimberly Wyatt from the Pussy Cat Dolls. This primer was absolutely amazing and I'm really sad it was such a small pot! It made your skin feel like silk and was the perfect base for makeup.You can also mix it with foundation, blush or eye shadows to get an air brush effect. I really love this product and for £20 for 20g it is something I would consider investing in!

Picture courtesy of Google

Glastonbury Essentials

Apologies for being quiet the last few days! The truth is, I was lucky enough to go to Glastonbury festival, and as much as I love my blog, I needed a few days escape! Anyway I'm back now so I thought a good post would to be to share my festival essentials with you! They are probably products you have all used before as they're mostly high street brands, that don't cost too much but here is what I took with me.

1. Batiste Dry Shampoo- This product is a life saver for boys and girls travelling to places with minimal shower usage. My hair is quite thick so I only used it once, but for people who suffer with thin hair or hair that gets greasy easily, its a great product to pack as it makes it look clean and adds a bit of volume I find too.

2. Ren Photoactive Sun Veil- Again, this is product that I didn't use as much as I should have and as a result I got a very burnt nose! However, this SPF 15 is a lightweight cream to put over moisturiser and under makeup, and is not as harsh on the skin on your face as normal sun screen.

3. Garnier BB Cream in Light- This is the first BB cream that I ever got and I love it. The smell is really summery, and the colour is perfect for my skin. When I go to a festival I am a au natural girl and cannot be bothered with makeup. In fact any opportunity I get to not wear makeup I won't. Therefore this is a great product to give you the glow of foundation but not the heavy feeling of it.

4. Ultrasun SPF 30 Sun Cream- This sun cream is amazing! It's only needs to be applied once a day and then its done its job. The sports formula which I have, tricks your body into thinking it is water due to its water like consistency, so your skin absorbs it for 12 hours before releasing it again. I used it on my body everyday and didn't burn at all even in the blazing sun all day. The smell when it first touches the skin is very alcoholic and a bit off putting but it is a natural product and once absorbed is is scentless. The only reason I didn't put it on my face was because of the smell, however maybe I should have!

5. Tangle Teezer- This hair brush is my hero, my thick matted rat tails were sorted pretty sharpish with this brush and with minimum pain. This brush is an essential for every girl and it is easy to slip into a handbag.

6. Simple Cleansing Wipes- These are a great alternative to a cleanser if your going away and need somthing travel sized. 'Simple' is a brand that aims to look after sensitive skin and use minimal chemicals, so these wipes are a great way to remove makeup and cleanse skin without damaging the skin to much. With my sunburnt nose these were a lifesaver as they're cooling as well.