Don't Believe Me Just Swatch

I posted a picture on my Instagram the other day of this amazing Michael Kors nail polish I got for Birthday last week. My lovely friend Alex got me this colour which is called 'Envy', which is an amazing bright purple/ pink.

The polish is a really thin consistency so is easy to go on, and you get a really good pigment from one coat, but two coats really makes it pop. It lasts really well and looks fantastic with my matching Michael Kors watch. 

November Birchbox

I thought long and hard about posting this as it's a very old Birchbox now, and I will warn you some of the reviews are not very reliable, but I felt very strongly about a few of these products so I thought I should post it anyway!

Dr Jart V7 Cleansing Foam

This foaming cleanser smells really orange-y and zesty. It's brightening, antioxidant cream foams once it's rubbed between wet hands. It feels really lovely on the skin until it comes to washing it off. It leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean, and I am talking literally. You know when your skin feels stripped of all oil and theres that dry squeakiness afterwards? That's how it makes my skin feel, and it becomes difficult to remove all of the foam due to it. It doesn't actually leave me skin feeling tight afterwards, but I prefer creamier cleanser I have used in the past for my drier skin. I personally wouldn't use this again, and even though it was a full sized product, I have only used it a couple of times.

English Laundry Perfume

So my first unreliable review is this one. If I'm honest, I lost this sample of perfume so I have no idea what it smells like. I'm never good at reviewing perfumes anyway though so your probably not missing out on a review here!

Beauty Protector Leave In Conditioner

I genuinely swore out loud the other day when this ran out. This has transformed the condition of my hair and really changed my view on leave in conditioners. I assumed leave in conditioners would leave my hair feeling greasy and weigh it down. As my hair is thick anyway, I hate the idea of adding any weight to it at all. The nice thing about this 'Beauty Protector' leave in conditioner is that it is a spray in so you can control the amount of product going in. I only spray it in the ends and comb it through and it makes it so much more manageable and less tangled. It smelt really nice and sweet and I really loved this product. I am definitely going to explore the usage of leave in conditioners from now on.

Lord & Berry Bronzer

My next rubbish review is this one. This bronzer was not my colour at all so I haven't used it so I can't really review it for you I'm afraid! I like the brand though from other stuff I've tried from it so I would explore the makeup further!

O.P.I Nail Colour

I love receiving a full size nail polish in a Birchbox, especially one from O.P.I. This Colour is called 'A Grape Affair' and is a deep purple colour. I have to admit that the colour looks slightly better in the bottle, and more purple. On the nail it looks basically black, and you can only see the purple tone on closer inspection. Saying that, I have had a lot of compliments on this nail colour, and think it is a nice one for the more wintery months. 

Apologies for this half arsed attempt, but hopefully you enjoyed the products I did try!

Jessica Phenomen oil

I'm breaking the silence! I'm so sorry I've been so quiet after Christmas, I don't know what happened really! I have no excuses! But here we are! The first post of 2015! After the nail art challenge I did throughout December, changing polishes every 2-3 days, it is safe to say that my nail were in pretty poor condition afterwards. Having that much remover and paint on it can really dry then out, so today's post will be on my nail detoxification! Perfect for a New Year detox post (even of it is slightly overdue)

The Jessica phenomen oil (good play on words) is a best seller at work, and I've always wondered why people buy it so quickly, surely it's just an oil?? I use oil regularly on my nails, and see a small difference but nothing that makes me frantically run to the shops and demand for which some of the phenomen oil customers do. I fancied a change, so decided to try a smaller version if the oil which was in a leftover Christmas set for £9.00.

I'm not sure what's in the oil, but there is undoubtably some almond oil in there from the recognisable smell, and the little poppet applicator makes it easy to apy with little mess. I have to admit, that this has really made a difference to my nails! They are much healthier and peeling less which is my most common nail problem. I don't know if almond oil is a better type of oil for nails, but it certainly seems to have worked wonder on mine. I also really like the smell of almond as I'm a real lover of marzipan, so I look forward to applying it on my nails just before I go to bed at night, as I really look forward to it! 

Rubbing oil into your nails helps to keep them hydrated and flexible so they don't snap. It helps to soften the cuticles, and the motion if rubbing it in stimulates nail growth. It's a really good habit to get into, and if you use a hand cream afterwards, you'll have soft supple hands!

Yin and Yang Nails

Hi everyone! Today is the first manicure of 2015, and I have been inspired by a T shirt I got from Topshop before New Years. The Yin and Yang symbols are globally known, and represent the light and shade, and when together are a balance. I just bought the T shirt cos I liked it.

I took a screen shot these nails by 'celinedoesnails' absolutely ages ago because I liked them, and this reminded me that I had wanted to try them.

I decided to do a gradient as my base, so chose these colours, as I wanted purple-y tones. I chose 'Bright Purple' by Barry M, and 'Skinny Jeans' by Ciate, and sponged the two colours together on top of a white base coat to intensify the colours.

I then used nail art pens to draw on the Yin an Yang symbols. I started with a white circle as it is easier to get a stronger colour on white, and then added the black side on top, and finally the opposing dots.

Hope you enjoy, and keep your eyes out for new posts this week!