Minion Nails

I'm sure a majority of you have seen the film 'Despicable Me' and if you haven't, then I'm sure you will know what minions are, from advertisements on buses and on TV. I absolutely love the film and think it is great for all ages and a really cute story! My friend recently saw the film and caught the bug, and asked if I could do the endearing little creatures on her nails. This is the first time I'd done nail art on someone that wasn't a family member so I was a little nervous. She was happy with the outcome though and so was I, so here they are!

You can see the dungaree detailing better on this picture

Dior Overcurl Mascara

The fateful day that my Dior Overcurl Mascara ran out occured a few weeks ago, and it is only now that I feel I can review it now the sadness has dampened. As you can probably tell, I really loved this mascara. It was lightweight, easy to wear and did exactly what it said on the bottle. 

The Dior Overcurl is the newest of the Dior mascaras, and lengthens and curls lashes, but in a very subtle and natural way. I don't like lashes that look over the top and I'm not a huge fan of clumping either. This mascara was perfect for coating each individual lash, and its thick wand made it very easy to apply to every corner of the eye. For £23.00 it isn't a mascara I could buy all the time, but it certainly is a luxury product I will miss.

Butterfly Nails

Hello there! I am back from holiday which means I am back to blogging!!

As you may know, I went up to Norfolk on a boat trip with friends. Whilst up there, I caught my first fish, saw loads of cool plants and animals, and the main insects I saw were butterflies! Norfolk is full of them! Really pretty ones as well, so my next post is inspired by the beautiful little bugs.

Peacock Butterfly

Tortoise Shell Butterfly

To create this look, you will need:

-base coat

-two contrasting colours

-foil and a make up sponge

-black and white nail art pens

-corrector pen or nail varnish remover and a cotton bud

-top coat

Firstly, paint your nails in a protective base coat, and then your first colour. Here, I used two coats of a new Ciate polish I received in a recent Glossy Box. This Orange colour is called Speed Dial. Next, on your piece of foil, stripe your two colours next to one another like so

Some people recommend using a white coat before ombre effects so the colours are stronger, but I find if you use the lighter colour on the bottom then you don't need the white as your just layering onto the colours you have already used. Take your Makeup sponge, and dab the two colours on the foil and pat onto the nail in a blending effect.

If the blending doesn't look perfect then do not worry as a topcoat will smooth it out and make the gradient less dramatic. Clean up around the edges where the paint has gone over the nail.

Now your ready to do your butterfly effect! You can try all sorts of patterns, but I just googled butterfly nails and got this simple idea. Using nail art pens, you simply do a half moon in the corner of your nail, then do long arcs coming out of it.

Next you fill in the top part of the nail black and then using a white nail art pen, do little dots of white at the tips. (I realise a visual tutorial of this would have been much easier but I painted them before I thought about it!)

And there you have it! Butterfly wing effect nails. Let me know if you like them and if you have any natured inspired manicures you would like to see.

Bon Voyage!

I am off away on holiday today! Not too far, just good old Norfolk for a boating trip with friends! Although i'll still have access to all my blogging resources, I'd quite like to escape the modern world and learn a spot of fishing and catching up with friends! My little blog will not be forgotten about though, as I have some fantastic reading material to keep me occupied! Yeaterday I purchased the infamous Nail Candy book by sisters Donne and Ginny Geer. It's pretty much the number 1 nail art book that I've wanted for ages, and I happened to stumble across it in urban outfitters so purchased immediately! (£12.99) I also was blessed with the timely arrival of my latest Scratch magazine which has some awesome tortoise shell nails on the front which I want to do!

I will be straight back on the blogging as soon as I return! Enjoy the next week and see you soon! Xxx

Floral Nail Art

A long time ago back in Febuary, I went to the Beauty Show in Excel Centre, London. Whilst there I purchased a 'Mo You' stamper set which I have not used enough! I decided to have a little practice the other day and think I'm slowly improving. I always feel like I'm slightly cheating when I use a stamper set, but actually they're quite professional, and create really neat detailed nail art. I chose quite a dainty floral pattern and used my MeMeMe polish in 'Pensive' which I got in my Glossybox and reviewed the other day. For the blue flower detailing, I used Nails Inc 'Baker Street' which is a really striking, cool colour. I still need a lot of practice but I will definitely persevere! This print came out a little patchy, but I quite like how it makes the delicate flower pattern look antique and vintage. 

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.