Craft & DIY: 5 Cheap & Easy Halloween Pumpkin Ideas

I had the week off from work this week and couldn't wait to start getting into the Halloween spirit. Each year, I enjoy this time of year even more and it was fun to experiment with some new ways to decorate our house. Halloween can still be cute if you want it to be! 

If you try any of these pumpkins, please let me know and tag me in social media :) All links at the side of my blog! xxx

The Best Festive Nail Varnishes

L-R: Barry M 'Starlight', Model's Own 'Jack Frost', China Glaze 'Cleopatra', Models Own 'Dancing Queen' and Nails Inc 'Alexa Sequin'

L-R: O.P.I 'Play the Peonies', Essie 'Carry On', Nails Inc 'Tate', Jessica 'Venus Was Her Name' and Nails Inc 'Motcomb Street'

Now the festive season is in full swing, it is a great excuse to crack out the glitter nail varnishes. I've picked 5 of my favourites perfect for Christmas parties and 5 bases that work really well layered with the glitters or by themselves for a glossy plain manicure. These polishes offer a multitude of combinations, a few of which I have suggested below.

'Tate' is a deep red by Nails Inc which is opaque with two coats and works really well with a new offering from Barry M called 'Starlight'. The packing is super cute but the formula is quite gloopy. However, the thicker nature of the polish is packed with glitter and means the particles stick to your nails more easily. I love the stars included in this polish but you need to make sure to seal them well with a top coat otherwise the points can sticks up and catch. I will definitely be sporting this on Christmas Day.

The next combination is different to the traditional dark shades of this time of year but I think is so pretty and reminds me of fresh snow. The base is 'Play the Peonies' by O.P.I which is a pearlescent white with the tiniest hint of a pink undertone. Applying two thin layers of Model's Own 'Jack Frost' on top, the combination gives a subtle iridescent glow. 'Jack Frost' is again packed with glitter but in comparison the particles are much smaller and have a bluey green tinge to them.

In terms of the darker hues 'Venus Was Her Name' by Jessica is a dark yet vibrant purple, Essie's 'Carry On' is similar but a much deeper rich burgundy and finally 'Motcomb Street' by Nails Inc is a wonderful inky blue. My top picks for glitters which look amazing on top of these include 'Cleopatra' by China Glaze - a thin formula filled with a majority of tiny particles of antique gold and a few flecks of iridescent glitter similar to those featured in 'Jack Frost', another varnish from Model's Own which this time is full of chunky, different shaped glitter with a range of green blue and gold hues running through it. And finally a relatively new release from a collaboration between Nails Inc and Alexa Chung packaged in the new bottles is 'Sequin'* polish - a black base filled with bright gold particles.

What are your favourite festive nail varnish picks? xxx

NOTD: Essie | 'Bikini So Teeny' & Models Own | 'Sunset Chillout'

Essie | 'Bikini So Teeny' £7.99  - Models Own | 'Sunset Chillout' £5

A NOTD post hasn't made an appearance for such a long time which is silly because I change my nail varnish pretty much every week! This particular combination I've never tried before but I quite like the effect. 

The base colour is Essie's Bikini So Teeny which was from their summer range last year that I rushed out to purchase as soon as it was released. It is supposed to be a bright cornflour blue with a very slight amount of shimmer running through it. I find if you apply more than two coats of this however, the polish takes on a darker and more grey element, which is what happened this time around. This bottle also features the newer brush which is larger than the original, making application a breeze. In terms of chip wear I would say this polish lasted around 3 days, but bearing in mind this has a glitter topcoat which reinforces base shades I don't think that is the best. 

This Model's Own glitter is one of my favourites - I've said it once but I'll say it again, they hands down do the BEST glitters!! The Hed Kandi range in particular is awesome and this mixture of shapes and colours of  this glitter just works so well with loads of different polishes and is a great choice for summer.

Do you have any favourites by Essie or Model's Own? xxx

NOTD: O.P.I & Models Own | Pink upon Pink |

O.P.I. // 'Be A Dahlia Won't You // £11.50  // Models Own // 'Hot Stuff' // Mirrorball Collection // £5.00

As you probably already know, I am a huge fan of the colour pink. Teamed with pink sparkles, it is pretty much the best combo out there. The base shade of this duo, O.P.I's 'Be A Dahlia Won't You', is one of my favourite nail varnishes in my collection, which I received as a gift a few Christmases ago from my sister. A deep shimmery hot pink, it adds dimension and depth compared to my other opaque polishes. I love both kinds of finish, but for this time of year I think shimmer looks a bit more festive. I love the look of O.P.I bottles, and the wide brush makes application easy and quick. The formula is also lovely and thin which makes it easy to build up layers and an opaque colour in max 3 coats. Minimal tip wear occurs in 1-2 days - not the best but there is no major chipping which is a plus point.

To jazz it up a bit more, I chose Models Own 'Hot Stuff' for an accent nail which is featured in their Mirrorball collection, that in my opinion one of their best launches. A clear polish, it features large chunks of gold, pink and iridescent glitter. I also like the colour coded top makes it easy to pick out of my ever growing nail varnish stash. In order to get a good coating this needs a few layers but it looks so nice once layered up. The only annoyance is that it is such a pain to get off but I suppose that is the case with all glitters. 

I think these nail varnishes together make such a good pairing - even the lady who served me in the Body Shop said how much she liked it, which is always a good sign! I also have a lip product which matches this perfectly which I will be popping up a review of soon. It is annoying that the colour hasn't come out as well on camera but I'm blaming the gloomy lighting! What is your favourite pink nail varnish? xxx

NOTD: Tropical Glitter

American Apparel 'Neon Orange' // £9 // Models Own 'Sunset Chillout' // £5 //

If you follow me on instagram you might recognise this amazing duo for summer, featuring two of my favourite polishes of the moment.

My Models Own collection is quite substantial now and the large majority of the polishes I own from them are glitter. I think that proves that they are definitely one of the best brands if you are looking for sparkly fingertips. In particular I really like the Hed Kandi range, so when I saw this new one I naturally had to pick it up. 'Sunset Chillout' is unlike any other glitter I own - an array of different shapes and colours of glitter suspended in an easy to apply clear polish. I love that the glitter is really packed into the formula so it applies as an even covering, rather than just giving you one or two pieces per application.

I think it goes really nicely with bright colours - this time I paired it with a neon orange from American Apparel which is another lovely polish (read my review here). What do you think of this combo? Do you have any favourite nail polishes for summer? xxx

P.S. I have recently set up a Facebook page for this blog as another way to follow me for you to receive updates on my blog and other beauty related things! Please 'like' it if you are a Facebook user - it's free :)! 

NOTD: Pastel Sparkles

Barry M 'Berry Ice cream' // Model's Own 'Blizzard'

This is a quick NOTD post which is perfect for Spring time. I've already done a post on this lovely pastel lilac, which is such a pretty colour on its own. However, sometimes I think it can get a bit boring and as I love a bit of sparkle I thought I would pair it with 'Blizzard' from Model's Own. I got this for Christmas from Matt along with the rest of the Wonderland collection and it is definitely my favourite. It has filled a glitter shaped whole in my stash as I don't have any glitter polishes like this. I can't wait to do a full post on it but as a quick over view it is jam packed with glitter and would suit just about any colour you pair it with. A winning combination in my eyes - its a shame the photo doesn't do it justice!

What are your Spring nail polish picks? xxx

October Favourites

Once again the lighting is horrendous and I'm struggling to take any decent photos for upcoming posts! On the plus side the festive season is creeping up on us and I bloody love it! I love everything about Autumn and Winter and am so excited to get ready for Christmas. The only downside is the ridiculous amount of work and deadlines I have for Uni around this time of year :( Now lets get on with this month's favourites...

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Kohl in 'Nude': A budget dupe for Mac's Chromographic pencil, this perks up my eyes when applied to the waterline. I've used it nearly every single day and it helps to make me look more awake on cold mornings.

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes in 'Extra Black': This makes my lashes look so nice with just one coat and gives a really natural looking definition and volume. I like to use it by itself when I'm having a 'no makeup' makeup day.

Lip butter in 'Raspberry Pie' and Topshop's 'Brighton Rock': Both these colours have been on my lips pretty much all month as I love bright lips at the moment and think that 'Raspberry pie' especially is a lovely colour for Autumn. You can see reviews for both here and here.

Christmas candles: I have quite a few more than the one pictured to represent them all. I love the smell of Autumn/Christmas candles and they have really got me into the festive spirit :)

Aussie Dual Personality Curl and Shine mousse: This is a new purchase of mine and I love it. My hair has a natural wave and this mousse boosts and holds this wave for longer. Unlike other curling mousses it doesn't leave your hair crunchy but instead leaves it lovely and soft. Expect a full review of this soon.

St Moriz Fake Tan Mousse: A different type of mousse now, this time for my body! I don't tend to fake tan on a daily basis but this is great for nights out. I prefer this type of formulation as it is easy to blend and the product leaves a lovely natural tan - I've never looked streaky or orange when I've used this.

Glitter nail varnishes: This is just a few from my collection that I've been wearing recently and loving. I like to layer them on top of other base colours to inject some sparkle into the darker days. Plus I just love glitter!

What do you think of my favourites? What are your favourites this month? xxx

NOTD: Princess Nails

No7 Stay Perfect in 'Pinky Pure' £5.50 // Barry M Glitter Nail Paint in 'Pink Iridescent' £2.99

At the moment I've been really into layering glitter over the top of my plain nail varnishes to make them a bit more interesting and brighten up the dull weather. In this NOTD I've started with a few coats of Stay Perfect by No7 in 'Pinky Pure' and then layered on Barry M's 'pink iridescent'. I really like the combination of the two as I think it looks girly while still being a little understated and elegant and that's why I named it princess nails :). I havn't included a picture of the No7 bottle as it is pretty grotty and old but you can see the glitter above. This combination lasted up to a week on my nails without any serious chips which I think is really good going. I never normally wear 'pinky pure' by itself as I think it can look a bit streaky, needing 3-4 coats to get an even and opaque finish, but with the glitter I get a lot of compliments on my nails and think it is a great combination for many occasions.

Have you tried any of these colours before? What would you recommend from both brands? xxx

OOTD: Little Black Dinner Dress

A couple of nights ago my boyfriend and I went out for dinner and drinks to celebrate some good news on our last night in Birmingham before heading down to Exeter. This is quite a simple outfit as it wasn't ultra dressy, but still was girly and suitable for the occasion. I love LBDs just because they are so easy to accessorize and you can wear them in so many different ways, especially this skater dress as it would be great for the day time too. I've also been waiting for an excuse to wear my new gold cuff  necklace which I have been wearing soo much ever since I purchased it. It's been such a great buy as it goes with smart or casual outfits. 

* Black Skater Dress from Topshop

* Shoes from Carvela 

* Tights from M&S

* Clutch bag from a friend

* Bracelet and Earrings from Forever 21

* Gold Cuff Necklace from H&M

*Friendship Bracelet from Turkey

I love wearing black as it means I can really diversify how I do my make up each time I wear the outfit as you can wear literally any colour. I chose to go with purple eyes and my nude Rimmel lipstick. I left my hair naturally wavy/curly underneath and added some curls on top.

L-R: 'Grifter' by UD, True Colour Eyeshadow in 'Midnight Plum' by Avon, Mac Pigment in 'Violet'

More true colour of Avon eyeshadow than first picture.

L-R: Collection Glam Crystals in 'Shake it Up' and Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick in 03

What do you think of this outfit and make up? xxx

NOTD: Essie | Turquoise & Caicos |

Previous to my little haul I did yesterday, my next nail colour of choice was going to be my new Barry M purple shade. However, considering my first NOTD was Barry M, I chose to go with this new Essie shade I picked up yesterday instead. 'Turquoise & Caicos' is my first ever Essie purchase and to be honest when I first put it on my nails I wasn't sure. This is my only turquoise/green shade I have as I am normally a pinky/purpley kinda girl, but I've been trying to get out of a beauty and fashion rut at the moment so am trying many new things. However, after finishing applying the colour it has really grown on me and its lovely to have something a bit different. The brush was great for application as it was quite big and wide, although I had to apply 3-4 thin coats in order to get a good opaque colour, but the varnish did dry quickly. From most of the reviews I've read, Essie polishes can vary on how good the wear is depending on which colour, so I will be interested to see how long this lasts. One of the plus points of Essie is the simple packaging. I love the clear raised name of the brand on the bottle and the little 'e' on the top of the brush.

I was also desperate to try out my new Models Own nail varnish so painted just my fourth finger on each hand to jazz it up a bit (I'm a sucker for a bit of sparkle!) I really liked this polish too and was so pleased it lived up to the hype! I think it will suit literally every shade of nail varnish there is so it was a good investment :)

What do you think of this shade? And what other Essie polishes do you recommend? xxx