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

Added Extras #1

(Sorry for the not so great picture!)

Since coming home for reading week I've come down with a nasty cold which I've been trying to keep at bay for weeks and just feel generally rubbish. I think the stress of third year is getting to me so I've been trying to chill out as much as possible. One of the best things about being at home is having my own bathroom and having a bath every evening, especially as the weather gets colder. Therefore, I've been taking the time to use this to my full advantage and treat myself a little to make me feel better. These products are something that I don't use every day and are therefore little 'added extras' when I want a bit of a pamper. 

I bought a few lush bath bits before coming back to treat myself and I've been enjoying using the Sunnyside bubble bar to make my bath time a bit more special and luxurious. At the moment the weather and my illness has made my skin look pretty crap - dull and dehydrated with a few blemishes to top it all off (you can tell I'm the picture of health...) so I've been adding some masks into my nighttime skin care routine to combat some of these problems. I began with the fab pore by Soap and Glory to give a deep clean and help reduce my pores, but the jury is still out on this one and I'm not sure if it lives up to my Origins Clear Improvements. I followed this up with Origins Out of Trouble mask which is great for calming down blemishes and leaves my skin lovely and smooth. I've run out of my Drink Up sample though to complete this 'triple threat facial' so will be purchasing this asap to rectify the dehydration issue. For my body I used my favourite scrub of the moment which is Soap and Glory's Flake Away which smells amazing and leaves my skin nourished and radiant.

Once out of the tub I completed my skin care routine and added my serum of choice - Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair into the mix. I received this as an extremely generous surprise present from Matt and boy am I glad! It evens out my skintone and injects radiance and moisture back into my skin. I then slathered on some of the Body Shop's Peppermint Cooling Foot Lotion before popping on some socks to put some moisture back into my feet. For the last step my nails got treated to O.P.I's 'Play The Peonies' with a layer of 'Disco Heaven' by Model's Own to inject a little winter sparkle.

What are your added extras for autumn? Do you have any product suggestions for dehydrated skin? 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

I Just Can't Help Myself...

Another week, another haul...I think I need to place a spending ban on myself! After reading many other blogs/watching youtube videos I couldn't help but purchase some of the stuff they had recommended. Of course more detailed reviews will be made in upcoming posts, but for now I will give you an overview...

Essie Nail Varnish in 39: My first Essie purchase ever! The choice was between this or 'Cute as a Button' but considering I have so many pink shades I decided to buy this one instead :) Really looking forward to trying this out.

Models Own Hed Kandi Nail Varnish in Disco and Ibiza: These were also a first for me as I don't have any other Models Own varnishes. I have wanted the Ibiza shade for sooo long, so was really pfleased when I saw that Boots stocked it! As it was 2 for £8 I also went for a gold glitter shade because I originally went in for the No 7 version with my £5 voucher after seeing Sprinkle of Glitter mention it, however they didn't have it in stock so got the Models Own one instead.

Gold Cuff Necklace: When it comes to fashion, I'm not much of an accessory person but I am trying to rectify this by buying some different kinds of high street jewelry. I only actually own 3 necklaces would you believe, and these are all delicate pieces, so when I saw Shirley wearing it in various posts and videos I thought I would go for it...and I love it! I'm really looking forward to testing it out with various outfits and looks.

Stud and Hoop Earrings: Not much to say about these purchases apart from the fact that I am a sucker for earrings! I don't normally buy much gold so these were good purchases for broadening my jewelry collection.

Lush Each Peach Massage Bar: After seeing Louise's video on her favourite lush products I had to try this out and was the main reason I popped into Lush. I have tried a few products in the past when they were bought as gifts including some bath bombs, the heart shaped chocolate massage bar and the cupcake face mask so thought I would go with something different. This smells lovely and melts really easily into the skin.

Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic Facemask: I really like the Lush facemasks although I think the pots are rather small :(! This is a version I havn't tried but suits my skin type. I have been trialing various face masks at the moment to try and find ones that really suit me and address certain issues I have with my skin. I saw this on Sophia's blog and I think also Estee's - as I trust both their opinions I thought this would be a good one to try.

Lush Tea Tree Toner Spray: This was much more of an impulse purchase (woopsie!) but recently I have been thinking about purchasing a new toner as the current one I'm using is feeling a bit too harsh (the fact you need to wear an added SPF with it highlights this!) plus I have been wanting to try out a spray toner since seeing lots of reviews for various brands of them recently. This is formulated for my skin type so am looking forward to trying it out - especially because of the novelty of the spray (I am that easily pleased!)

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of my haul? xxx