How to: gel-like nails at home

I spotted the new Super Gel Varnish by Rimmel London in Boots over the weekend, and as my nails are prone to chipping almost immediately after painting, I was excited when I noticed that this varnish's finish can last up-to 14 days - my curiosity made me pick a couple up. It was buy one, get one half price on all Rimmel London products which means you get the top coat at half price (I got 2 colours because I was also buying; foundation, eyeliner and mascara from Rimmel London so I made it 6, to get 3 half price). I chose 'Hip Hop' and 'Perfect Posy' as they're both cute summery colours, and then obviously got the top coat in order to make the varnish gel-like. 

Step 1: File, buff and shape nails

Step 2: Pick your colour and paint

Step 3: Apply the top coat and let it dry

I've had the varnish on for four days so far, and there has been no chipping - which for me is great, as I nearly almost chip after a few hours. I doubt the varnish really will last up to 14 days, but I am expecting it to last over a week - which is good enough for me!

The #MailboxSessions

Over the weekend The Mailbox hosted the #MailboxSessions following the launch of the new Mailbox which was unveiled on Thursday. I attended a few different events which took place over the weekend, mainly the ones focusing around hair, beauty and style, although the other events looked pretty cool too - especially the food demonstration hosted by Strada which I just caught the end of.

The first event I went to was 'The Art Of Style' hosted by Hannah Almassi, Grazia's fashion editor, Blogger; Bip Ling and Darren Skey, Head of Menswear at Harvey Nichols. This session was all about personal style and the panelists discussed their own style and asked how you develop this style and showcase your individuality through it. Blogger; Bip Ling said she dresses for herself and no one else, she loves colour and patterns and throws on anything that she loves. She is mainly influenced by art and sees fashion and clothes as an art piece, and her outfit that she is wearing, she described as her own personal art. Hannah Almassi talked us through her style icons which included: Marilyn Monroe, Rihanna and Coco Chanel - all on her list for different reasons, either due to a certain era as with Chanel or due to the confidence that Rihanna has. Darren Sky said there's a fine line between being stylish and then looking like you're trying too hard, he thinks London is often a place where people will try to rock every trend and end up looking silly in the process - he prefers to get his inspiration from Copenhagen and LA, and his style icon is David Beckham.

A similar event was 'The Art Of Beauty' but this was more of a demonstration, this session was presented by TV presenter Lucy Kite who invited brands which sell within Harvey Nicholls, such as Cover FX, Natural Bisse and Shavata Brows, to the stage. The staff demonstrated how to use the products from their counter to the best of their ability, we had a masterclass on contouring as well as top tips on aftercare once having your eyebrows threaded. My personal fave was the skincare routine that was shown as i'm so bad when it comes to skincare, it made me really want to try and find a skincare routine which would suit my skin. That was one of the interesting things about Natural Bisse, they wouldn't sell you anything that wouldn't suit or improve your skin - you can go in and talk to them about your needs and about your skin type and they will advise you on the products you should be using - however they are a little on the pricey side, so maybe I will really do my research before investing.

'Styling Secrets with Nicky Clarke' was a hair demonstration with one of the stylists from the salon at The Mailbox, he gave three different hair style tutorials - all on different hair types, which I really liked. Often, people will demonstrate different looks on the same face or hair, whereas that doesn't always help you because your hair is different. The stylist did an up do, on Lucy Kite (who also presented this show), an effortless curl look on fellow Brummie blogger The Ting Thing and a sleek half up, half down look on another Birmingham based blogger Nutella Tasha. He used all Nicky Clarke products to create the looks, and talked through the benefits of using good haircare products. He also gave us top tips on how to keep our hair styled for longer, and how to re-create that salon-look at home.

I also was lucky enough to attend a 'Bloggers chat' with the lovely ladies from Essensuals, the sister company to Toni & Guy. We were shown around the salon by Sally who gave us an overview of Toni&Guy and the history of the salon. We were then introduced to the stylists who talked us through the styles and looks which were rocked at London Fashion Week. Toni & Guy's products 'label.m'  were the official haircare products at London Fashion Week so I trust that the girls know what they're on about. We discussed hair trends at the moment, which is still that bo-ho, festival kind of look, one of these looks I particularly loved was the 'Glam Garland', a Fashion Fix braid which the stylist Harriet demonstrated on one of the gorgeous models. We also discussed colour with the colour expert from the salon, who said it's great when someone comes in who is up for anything!

Thank-you to The Mailbox for a fab weekend! 

Fashion icon Erin O'Conner set to receive honorary doctorate

This article was originally written for my University' student magazine, see the published version here

Supermodel and fashion icon Erin O’ Conner is set to return to Birmingham later this year to receive an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University for her outstanding achievements within the fashion industry.

The Walsall born fashion icon has a career spanning more than 15 years and has worked with many famous designers including Alexander McQueen and Ralph Lauren. Erin has also graced many covers of influential magazines such as Vogue and has fronted major advertising campaigns such as Chanel and Armani.

She is one of the most successful models within the industry and therefore I consider her as an inspiration to young women everywhere. We can learn so much from her style-wise and beauty-wise so here are a few of our top picks from her looks.

Enhance your features: Here, Erin has really bought out the shape of her face by using contouring around on her cheekbones and nose. This makes her face appear slimmer and more defined.

Don’t be afraid of a bright lip: Be bold, be brave. Bright lips really are a statement and can make any outfit that bit more glam. Bright purples, coral, red and even fuchsia are perfect for making heads turn- and  for all of the right reasons too!

Have fun: Make-up is creative, it’s art and you should experiment with different looks to step out of your comfort zone once in a while. The best thing about make-up is you can always take it off if it doesn’t work out.

Glam it up at night: Wear those darker lipsticks, master that smokey eye for a more daring look once night has fallen.

Match your colours: Pick a colour out of your outfit and co-ordinate your shoes, handbag and accessories to tie it all together for an ultimate chic look! Double fash points for matching nails too!

Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint by Barry M

 
Barry M is known for it's amazing quality nail varnish and I've always been a fan. The affordable yet quality brand provide a full colour which lasts a while, which is exactly what I want in a nail paint. The colour doesn't fade or weaken as time goes on which is perfect if you are busy and don't have time to paint your nails often. I'd say this nail varnish lasts up to a week at a time before it begins chipping. The colours I have on here are 443 'Blood Orange', this colour is a dark red I'd say perfect for the A/W season yet great to add into more pastel colours for effect and pattern like I have done above. The other colour I have used is 445 'Almond' this pastel grey kind-of colour is a gorgeous subtle colour perfect for work and casual days if you aren't feeling wearing a bright colour. I'd definitely recommend these two colours and this brand in general.  

What are your favourite Barry M colours? Are there any other amazing drug-store nail varnish ranges I should be aware of?

Rimmel London lovin'

Okay, so this post originally started of as a new edition of 'What's on my face?' until I realised the majority of products were from drugstore brand Rimmel London. So this post is dedicated to the affordable yet amazing brand that I continue to buy from. My everyday make-up at the moment consists of: 

1) Rimmel London Lasting Finish Foundation (in 200 soft beige) 

2) Rimmel London 'Wake Me Up' concealer (in soft beige)

3) Rimmel London ScandalEyes ' XX Treme' mascara (in black)

4) Rimmel London Liquid Eye Liner (in black)

5) Rimmel London eye brow pencil (in hazel) 

6) Rimmel London GlamEyes 'Day 2 Night' mascara (in black) 

7) Rimmel London pressed powder (in translucent) 

8)) Sleek Face Form contouring and blush palette 

9) 'Liar' & 'Factory' from Urban Decay Naked 3 palette.

10) The Perfect Pair 

As you can see 70% of the products that feature on my face almost everyday are from Rimmel London. The brand can be found in Boots and is affordable as well as having everything you could possibly need. Win, win. 

Most of these products I've been using for absolutely ages, however new to my face is the lasting finish foundation. So far I'm loving it, it lasts all day (brilliant for me as I'm normally out the house by 7:30 in the morning and back in the evening), it's a gorgeous colour and sits well on my face, it's just enough coverage for me - as I don't like too much but enough to cover blemishes. I would recommend this foundation if you are looking for a new one! 

Also new to my collection is the new ScandalEyes 'Treme'. I've used ScandalEyes before but never this particular one, and to be honest I'm not entirely sure what I think. I need to give it a couple more weeks before I can make a final judgement, at the moment I'm not overly crazy on it. 

All hail Rimmel London! 

Do you have one brand that dominates your entire make-up collection? Anything from Rimmel London I'm absolutely positively missing out on? Let me know! 

ScandalEyes Mascara by Kate Moss

Omg. Are you aware of ScandalEyes by Kate Moss?! If not... my gosh are you missing out. Having stumbled across this little beauty in boots I feel like fate has bought us together, I could not have wished for anything else in a mascara and I am so excited to share it with you all. The broken heart shape of the brush creates a perfect curl to the lashes. The thickness of the bristles adds the perfect volume to your lashes, and the application is oh so easy. I choose to use the colour Jet Black, but there also THREE other colours to choose from: Saphire. Emerald and Amethyst all of which would be good if you like going for brighter eye make-up on a night out, but these colours don't quite sit as well with me as the traditional black does. At just £7.49 in boots, I think this is the perfect drugstore mascara and it has made its way to my top draw and features in my everyday make-up.

What is your favourite drug store mascara? Have you tried this product? Let me know!

The Perfect Pair

Lip Pencil - Hip 'n' Happy 

Cremesheen Lipstick - Creme Cup 

This pair work absolutely delightfully together, so much so that I can now no longer use one without the other. I have only recently purchased the pencil in hip 'n' happy and my gosh, how was I using creme cup without it?! It lines the lips perfectly, and gives a brilliant base for the creme sheen lipstick to sit on. Making the colour last longer and defining the shape of the lips, creating a more efficient and professional look. 

MAC are known for their constantly consistent and brilliant products and as they are so well known and so good they do not come at a cheap price. This combination together is a little pricey and not ideal for me as a student to spend money on so frequently, so this was a little christmas present to myself with money given to me in Christmas cards. 

Next time you plan on treating yourself I would definitely consider going over to the MAC counter in your local shopping centre and having a play about with the different colours, make sure you speak to the make-up artists at the store though as they will be able to recommend colours best for your skin tone and match you up a perfect lip pencil. 

Sleek Face Form Contouring and Blush Palette Review:

This palette is from Sleek and includes a blush, a highlighter and a bronzer. I have the palette in light 373, which is perfect for me as I have fair to light skin so I have to be careful with the products I use on my skin as they can sometimes be overpowering. I am unsure of the price as it was a Christmas present of my Auntie! 

The palette includes 3 key products used in everyday make up which makes life so much easier especially on early mornings when you are rushing and rummaging through piles of makeup looking for products. The small compact palette also comes with a mirror inside, therefore making it the perfect companion to travel with or to top up with on the train. 

The bronzer is brilliant, it isn't to harsh on the skin like bronzers I have had in the past and the colour is matte so it blends really well into the face, you can build up the colour until it is ideal and right for you, but I have to be careful not to get carried away. The highlighter I am unsure about, I have been using it still but I sometimes feel it is a little too shimmery for my liking so I am wary and careful when applying it to the skin as too much can sometimes stand out and look a bit over the top for daily make-up however perfect for a night out or special occasion. Finally, the blush is a lovely colour, it is darker and a more powerful colour than I am used to but this works really well with the subtleness of the bronzer, making contouring the face a lot easier and making the overall look work better together. 

Which products do you like to use for contouring? Any recommendations? 

Eyeshadow lovin'

For the above look I have used an old eyeshadow palette from Primark and a liquid eye liner from Mac. I've used a light purple eyeshadow as a base, then a slightly darker more fuller purple on the crease and outer corners. I then did eye liner flicks using the colour 'signature blue'. The mascara I used was Rimmel London in black and on my face is my normal, everyday face makeup. On my lips is my recent purchase from Topshop, which I spoke about in a recent post. (read it here) 

I was just playing around with the palette I found and it turned out quite nice so I thought i'd post it for inspiration for you guys. I think this look would be great for going out and the upcoming festive season, you could add glitter, change the colours, experiment!  :) 

Topshop Makeup Review

This is going to be a super super quick review of two of the most recent products i've bought from Topshop's makeup range. 

I bought a new nail varnish and a new lipstick. 

The nail varnish is in the colour 'War Paint' and the lippy in 'Innocent'  

Innocent, £8

If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll know my everyday go to regarding lipsticks is Mac's Creme Cup, this is sadly on its last legs. I've been looking for a similar, but not the same, for a while. I would repurchase Creme Cup as it was lovely, but I just wanted to have a look round and look at the other options. Then whilst in Topshop, I came across innocent. 

It's oh so beautiful, it is a little more colour in it than the creme cup, but could act as a dupe once its on your lips. It's a creamy finish lipstick, so it has a glossy feel to it. 

I would definitely recommend this and i've already worn it most days since the purchase. 

War Paint, £5

You can see from the pictures how beautiful the colour is. I was struggling to name the kind of pink it was, as its not a bright 'barbie' kind of pink. According to wikipedia it is 'Amaranth' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Shades_of_pink) after looking at this colour chart it is definitely Amaranth and it's very beautiful on the nails. 

In all honesty, it's not a very autumnal colour so I probably won't be wearing it much over the next few months as I like to wear purples, reds & other autumn/christmassy colours over the festive season, but as soon as we're back into the new year and summer spring time it will definitely be on my nails a lot more.