Nails of the Week - A French Manicure with a Difference: Nude Nails with Blue Tips

We had a friend's wedding last weekend and this is the mani that I decided to do for the occasion. I don't know what possessed me to try this as I wasn't wearing anything even remotely blue but sometimes I just like to try something different for a change.

This nail look was done using one coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Nail Colour in Petal Pusher as a base and then two coats of Revlon Perfumed Nail Enamel in Mint Fizz.

I really like this combination and the fun look of the blue tips. Now I'm inspired to try this again with all manner of colour combinations!

What do you think? Is this a look you would try yourself?

Have a great weekend.

Michelle xx

L'Oreal Shine Caresse Lip Colour in 501: Bonnie

So I know that these have been out for a while now but I only recently decided to bite the bullet and get myself one. I have seen so many different reviews about these that are both positive and negative but last time I was out I couldn't help but have a bit of a swatch-fest and just buy one.

I ended up getting shade No. 501 Bonnie as it's a shade that I normally don't lean towards. I have so many pink shades at home that for once I went a bit out of my comfort zone and tried something different in this peachy shade.

Surprisingly I have found this shade very versatile and it goes so well with a very minimum makeup look on days when I don't have time to do much or am just not feeling like putting too much colour on my face. It gives off such a lovely shine when applied and this is one thing that I really do love.

Here is a little bit about the Shine Caresse lip colours from the L'Oreal website:

'The next generation lip colour, that combines the texture & shine of a gloss with the long wear of a stain. Delivering a lasting colour with a subtle glossy shine. 

The unique formula comprised of 30% water and 60% oil provides an exceptionally high level of moisture, allowing for 6hr hydration.
Concentrated soluble colour pigments create a subtle wet look with a weightless feeling on lips.'

I find this gloss is very sticky to start with when it's first applied but it does dry fairly fast and not leave too much of a sticky residue once that happens. It feels quite comfortable on the lips which really surprises me as my poor lips and stain products normally don't get along very well as I always find them too drying. I don't seem to have this problem with the Shine Caresse gloss which is great.

It has a very fruity scent that reminds me a bit like boiled lollies but it doesn't seem to have much of a taste that I can detect. The doe-foot applicator is a very convenient shape to apply the gloss but I usually wipe off quite a bit of product before applying or it can get a bit messy and difficult to spread around evenly before it starts to set.

L'Oreal Shine Caresse in No. 501: Bonnie - with flash

L'Oreal Shine Caresse in No. 501: Bonnie - without flash

The only problem I sometimes have with this lip product is that it tends to wear off the centre of my lips in a short amount of time and I find I can get a bit of a ring around my lips because of the stain component. I am a bit of a lip licker though when I am thinking alot so this might not be an issue for most people.

Overall I am really happy that I decided to try one of these for myself and will most likely pick up one in another shade next time I am out and about.
 
Has anyone else tried one of these yet? I'd love to know what other shade I should try next.

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Michelle xx

February 2014 Empties

Yes, yes, I know it's almost halfway through March now but I've seriously not had five minutes to myself lately to do this post any earlier. I know I decided a little while ago not to do empties posts anymore but I guess I kind of missed them.

Anyway, here is what I used up in February:

1) Polished London Dry Shampoo Bonny Blonde - I really didn't like this dry shampoo at all and don't really have much nice to say about it unfortunately. I wasn't a fan of the smell and it seemed to make my hair feel greasier when it was sprayed in rather than cleaner. Definitely not a product I will be buying again but unfortunately I have another one to use up because I went and bought two of them at Priceline for some reason last time I was there!

2) Flower by Kenzo Eau De Parfum - This is one of my most favourite perfumes and I am really sorry to see this go. Somehow it got knocked over on my vanity and ended up leaking out without me realising so no more perfume is left now. On the bright side my wooden vanity has absorbed all the leak and now smells really pretty every time I walk past!

3) Puretopia Pure Nutrition Essential Facial Serum - I loved this serum and really noticed a difference in my skin when using it. It felt softer, less irritated and always seemed a bit brighter. I always planned on doing a proper review but just never got around to it. It has a roller ball head that is supposed to help massage the serum into your skin but truthfully I never bothered using that and preferred to just smooth it on with my fingers.  This is definitely something I would buy again.

4) Puretopia Pert & Plump Lip Cream - This cream is supposed to plump up your lips and smooth over fine lines but I really didn't notice much of a difference in my lips after using it. I have a lot of fine lines around my lip area and unfortunately I didn't see any difference in them at all. I don't think I would bother buying this again.

5) Ultraceuticals CC Cream - This was a sample I was sent in the Medium shade which is just way too dark for my skin. I used it a couple of times when I knew I was going to be home all day but have decided to throw it out without finishing it. I feel too much like an extra on Jersey Shores when wearing it. The cream itself still felt really nice and gave good coverage so I might try and buy the light shade one day to see if that is any better.

6) Nivea Visage Cleansing Wipes - I just love all Nivea products and the smell of these wipes always takes me back to when I was little and my mum used the classic face cream at night and I could always smell it on her. Such a great scent that I hope they never change. These are a product that i buy quite often.

So that's it for this month. I've been trying to use up some more full size products lately so am not having so many empties to deal with at the moment.

I hope everyone has a lovely week!

Michellexx

Nails of the Week - Revlon Top Speed Nail Enamel in Wind Fall

I realised the other day that I haven't done a nail post in such a long time so I thought I'd share a shade that I have been wearing an awful lot this summer due to it just being what I think is a 'happy' sort of shade. It's also obviously a green shade which means I was just destined to love it because I have a tendency to be a little bit obsessed with anything I can get my hands on that is green.

This shade is one of the Top Speed range from Revlon and is called Wind Fall. It's a hard green to describe (something I'm normally pretty shocking with anyway) but it's kind of a cross between a green and an aqua to me.

I've always been a big fan of Revlon polishes and have quite a few of them now because they seem to always be a consistent formula that applies well, have a nice shine and last for days. I never seem to have much trouble with Revlon polishes bubbling or streaking either and usually only need to apply two coats to get great coverage.

I personally just love this shade because it's a bit quirky and makes me smile when I look at it. I know it's not a shade that would appeal to everyone but where would the fun be if we were all the same, right?

What polish shades have you been loving lately? 

Michelle xx 

Model Co Cheek & Lip Tint in Rosy Red - A Hot Pink Mess!

So. without beating around the bush today, this product has pretty much confirmed in concrete my absolute hate for stains.

I received this in one of the monthly subscription boxes a while ago and I really have tried and tried to get to like it but alas, it just isn't meant to be.

Frankly, I've never been a fan of stains. They pretty much terrify me as there is such a fine line between great application and having clown cheeks. Also, any that have been made for use on lips always seem to be terribly drying on me.

This Model Co Cheek & Lip Tint comes in a tube where you have to squeeze the product out and that is its first downfall. There doesn't seem to be any sweet medium with getting this product out. You either get nothing or suddenly a huge blob comes out. It really needs to have an applicator of some description built into the top to make it easier to get out the small amount that you actually need.

Secondly is the fact that it stains almost instantly. You have to be a super blending machine to get this stuff onto the cheeks and blended out or you have some lovely pink racing stripes going on. I just can't seem to do it and I really don't like the fact that I then have to have bright pink fingertips for the rest of the day no matter how many times I wash my hands.

Thirdly is that it is so awfully drying whenever I've tried to use it as a lip tint. I've tried applying some lip balm first but then the stain seems to just slip off the lips and bleed into all the fine lines around them so yet again, it just seems all too hard.

As you can see in the above picture, it is a very, very bright stain which leaves absolutely no room for error. Unfortunately, I mustn't be dextrous enough to use products like this and I really don't have the time to keep trying with products that take too much effort these days.  


Has anyone else used this and been successful? If anyone has any insider tips on using stains I'd love to know!

Have a great week!

Michelle xx