Poundland | Revlon Nail Varnish in Bewitching

Whenever I'm in town, I always try to make time to have a quick peek at the beauty products in Poundland. Admittedly, it is completely hit and miss, but it's beauties like this Revlon nail varnish that motivate me to keep having a look. 

Revlon | 620 Bewitching

I picked up a Revlon nail varnish in the most beautiful deep pinky-red berry colour, Bewitching. The picture doesn't do it justice; it is a little deeper and more striking in real life, and is my current favourite nail varnish. I couldn't have found a more perfect Autumn/Winter shade!  

What's your current go-to nail varnish shade?

Love, 

Jo xx

Polka Dot Nails | W7 10 & Revlon Rock

Quick nail art post for you today! I'm trying desperately to have a bit of fun with my nails before I start my new job as a radiographer on Monday (eek!). Obviously, working in a hospital I won't be able to wear nail varnish for infection control reasons so I've been applying new colours like there's no tomorrow!

This was just a really quick polka dot design I created using the gorgeous W7 pastel purple (which is just named '10' as far as I can see on the bottle) and a deeper purple Revlon shade called Rock. 

I thought the colours looked really cute together!

What do you think? 

What nail art have you been doing recently? 

Love, 

Jo xx

Calvin Klein | Mad Red

So I'm back from my 4 night stay in Alicante!
I had such an amazing, relaxing holiday, but all this morning I have been walking around with four layers of clothing on and I'm still freezing cold. I'm missing the 35 degree heat already!
We spent the whole holiday sunbathing, eating and drinking as to be honest there isn't much else to do there. However the beaches were just perfect; crystal clear, bright blue sea and palm trees galore.
A well deserved break, even if I say so myself!

Anyway I did schedule this post to go up on Wednesday (first and last time I will ever attempt to schedule a post!) but it seems Blogger didn't want to play along, so here we go!


I'd just like to start off by saying I have no clue why this nail varnish is called Mad Red. 

Mad Pink, maybe, but I certainly can't see a hint of red in this! 

Anyhow, this is one nail varnish I have been wearing to death recently. Calvin Klein's Mad Red is a lovely shade of pink which I would (maybe oddly) describe as a creamy coloured pink, with a teeny tiny hint of orange. 

It's a lovely bright, almost neon nail varnish, perfect for tanned skin and unlike any colour I've seen before.

What do you think of Mad Red?

Love, 

Jo xx

OPI | Atomic Orange

Now that we're well and truly into the summer period (whether or not the weather agrees with us), there's nothing I love more than a nail varnish so bright it's about as easy to miss as a punch  in the face.

For times like this, OPI's Atomic Orange has become an absolute favourite of mine.

 

 

Atomic Orange is a deeper, yet somehow brighter and much more beautiful orange than pictured but I'm afraid this swatch is the best representation I can get! Full appreciation can only be truly given in real life, but this would be perfect abroad with a tanned torso.

 

OPI Atomic Orange can be purchased from Amazon for £6.65 here.

 

What's your favourite OPI shade?

 

Love,

Jo xx

Daisy Summer Nail Art

I hope you've been making the most of this weekend's gorgeous weather here in the UK; it doesn't look like it'll be around for much longer so let's enjoy it while it lasts eh!

 

I'm just writing up a quick post to show you the nail art I have been sporting this weekend; this cute daisy pattern. It was literally so quick and simple to do (I wish in a rush so this was just what I needed), but I absolutely love the subtle effect of the pastel colours. I used a white Sally Hansen nail art pen to create the daisies which made the job even easier.

Yes, it's a little sloppy but the beauty of using such low contrast colours means you can so easily get away with rushing it, and it will still look great!

 

 

What have you been wearing on your nails this weekend?

Link me to any recent nail art you've been doing if you can, I love to have a nosey!

 

Love,

Jo xx

Andrea Fulerton Flip Flop French Nail Varnish Duos

So here we have another post regarding the Andrea Fulerton Nail Salon Kit Box I received as a gift! My previous posts can be found here (contents of the box) and here (Mock Croc nail varnish reviews).

Today I am going to be showing you the Andrea Fulerton Flip Flop French Duos. The box contained the shades Millie (orange plus a lilac/pink shimmer), Ruby (red plus a pink shimmer), Lianna (grey/blue glitter plus an ice blue shimmer), and Sadie (luminous green plus a dull green shimmer).

(L-R): Millie, Ruby, Sadie and Lianna.

Each nail varnish duo also comes with guidance stickers (pictured above the nail varnishes) so you don't end up with wobbly tips. I didn't actually use these (too lazy, oops), but next time I definitely will as my tips were slightly wobbly.

Anyhow, the idea of these nail varnishes is to use the bold colours (bottom row of the duos pictured above) to draw french tips onto your nails, wait for this to dry and then paint the shimmer layer over the top, using them like a french manicure.

Image on left: (l-r) Ruby, Sadie, Millie and Lianna

Image on right: Lianna, Millie, Sadie and Ruby

The image on the left shows the duos worn as is suggested.

However I have to admit I wasn't overly happy with how these looked. I love bold colours on my nails, so anything sheer or subtle (other than a traditional french manicure) I can never seem to really get on with.

I also felt that the tint of the shimmer seemed to highlight any slight imperfections and stains I had on my nails; you really do have to have your nails in tip top condition to  get away with this look.

Not one to give up easily, I decided to try the duos again; this time painting the bold shades across the whole of my nail, and repeating the shimmer top coat as before.

Personally, I thought this looked much nicer and it is something I could see myself wearing again. The only shade I'm not particularly fond of it Sadie, the luminous green colour.

It's quite an awkward one and I don't really think it matches my skin tone too well! I particularly like Lianna, although in hindsight for this blue I'd definitely do at least two darker base coats before applying the shimmer top coat, as it was still quite sheer with just the one base colour.

All in all, the duos are a nice change and different to any of the other polishes I own.

I know there will be split opinions on these shimmers so I'd love to know your thoughts!

The Andrea Fulerton Flip Flop French nail varnish duos can be purchased here from Superdrug, where they are currently reduced from £7.99 to £5.99.

What do you think?

Jo xx

Andrea Fulerton Mock Croc Nail Varnish

So you may remember the blog post I did a while back about the Andrea Fulerton Nail Salon Kit Box I received as a Christmas present? Then again, if your memory's as bad as mine you probably won't, so you can find said post here if you need a little refresher!

Anyways, I am going to start off with showing you the Mock Croc nail varnishes I received in the box, in the two shades Mi Mi and Chi Chi.

(L-R) Mi Mi and Chi Chi

To be perfectly honest, I really wasn't overly excited to see these in the box; the whole crackled nail trend seemed to lead a very brief existence a good few months ago. Having said that, I'm really surprised to say that I actually do like these nail varnishes a lot.

The metallic base shades are a lot nicer and more eye catching than any of the other metallic polishes I have in my collection, so I will definitely also be using these separately from the croc top coat as they are so pretty!

Chi Chi

The crackle coats themselves have come in really useful when I'm in a bit of a rush, as you can totally get away with a couple of smudges whilst looking like you've spent ages on your nails and no one would be any the wiser. Result! They're a great addition to my collection and something I'm positive I will get full use out of.

Mi Mi

Andrea Fulerton mock croc nail varnishes can be bought from Superdrug here, and are currently reduced from £7.99 to £5.99 each.

What do you think of these?

Are you still a fan of the crackled nail trend?

Jo xx

Andrea Fulerton Nail Salon Kit Box

So today I thought I'd show you the Andrea Fulerton nail art set I received from my auntie for Christmas.

I have to tell you, my eyes lit up when I opened this, and I'm sure you'll be able to see why...

 

...it's an absolute treasure trove of goodies!

 

I have decided to show you the original box of goodies in this post in bulk, then within the next few weeks the plan is to write a few mini reviews.

 

Andrea Fulerton is a brand I've never come across before (even though I've actually just discovered the contents of this box are individually sold on the Superdrug website), so I'm interested to see how the quality of the products compare with the rest of my nail varnish collection!
 

The set consists of:

2 x nail glossers

 2 x mock croc nail varnishes
2 x stripe and sparkle nail varnishes
4 x flip flop french nail varnishes
2 x pots of nail gems/studs
3 x packets of nail stickers
1 x nail buffer
2 x finger/toe separators
2 x nail files and carry case

Phew!

The nail stickers look gorgeous, I would definitely have picked these up myself if I'd seen them in store. I'm also really looking forward to trying the gem and studs, which come with their own cute glittery applicator!

Unfortunately I can't find this set anywhere online, but knowing my auntie it will have been a TK Maxx find!
As mentioned the individual Andrea Fulerton products can be found on the Superdrug website here.

Do you like the look of this set?

Jo xx

 

 

Quick and Simple Valentines Day Nail Art

I know myself that I am not the master of all nail art. Nor do I pretend to be.

My skills definitely leave something to be desired, but this doesn't stop me having a bit of a play every now and again (note extra emphasis on the 'bit').

As I didn't have much time on my hands to do this, I thought I'd do a quick and simple design for Valentine's Day for all you other nail art amateurs out there.

This image was taken a couple of days after painting my nails, hence the slightly chipped tips so I apologise for that

I used an OPI mini as the base colour, which is a gorgeous pink/red with an unusual orange sheen to it. It's a really firey colour which can only really be seen to its full potential in the daylight.

I then grabbed my black polish (I'm sorry but I don't even know what brand it is as it's worn off the bottle, but I do know I picked it up from Boots on the cheap years ago, and it's lasted me since!) and using my dotting tools, I drew three dots in a triangular shape and then joined them together to create the little hearts.

And voila, you have yourself some Valentines Day nails!

Have you done any Valentines Day nail art?

Please link me in the comments if you have, I'd love to see it!

Jo xx

Models Own | True Blue

So you may remember me winning Amy's giveaway on her blog a while back (you can find the post here) and amongst the goodies, I won my first ever Models Own nail varnish in True Blue!*

Although I admittedly wouldn't have chosen True Blue myself, I am actually really pleased with it! It is a lovely colour, and a lot deeper a shade than I expected it to be.

I also find this nail varnish such an easy consistency to work with.

I'm lusting after so many other models own shades now, particularly 'Thunder and Lightening' and 'Snowflakes'!

Models Own nail varnishes can be bought from the official website Models Own website here, or in Boots stores for £5 a bottle.

What are your favourite Models Own polishes?

Jo xx

Guest Post | Nails Inc in Motcomb Street

My latest guest post is from the lovely Tash at It's Simply Beauty!

I love nail polish! It's one of my favourite things in my beauty collection (apart from lipsticks) I'm always looking to find the next best shade of pink or reds, and i'm always looking for a great consistancy and a fab brush applicator!

So for my quest post i am going to be talking to you all about Nails Inc Motcomb Street.

This little beauty I picked up as a freebie in a magazine just over a month ago and it sure has become my newest favourite nail polish. Now there was 4 colour to choose from and you wondering why choose the dark colour, why not go for gold glitter? Well For a while now I have been hunting high and low for that perfect black/blue tone polish that shows both in different lighting and no matter what I could never find it. So I picked Motcomb Street up on a whim thinking this wont be my dream shade of black/blue but oh well its £2 for a magazine and polish when the nail polish alone costs £11 so I thought why the hell not.

I got home painted my nails and I squeaked like a little girl. I found that perfect shade.

Its the perfect contrast colour that in different lights you seen black and blue. Even people have come up to me and asked is that blue or is that black?

Why I never tried Nails Inc before just rattles my mind. The wond is amazing it is small but allows enough polish on the nails to coat it evenly. Don't you hate that when polish just goes on the nail all gloopy/runny and gets everywhere!?

The staying power is just incredible too. It lasts on my nails up for 3 days with out chipping! Now that is amazing..

Everything about this nail polish is perfect. Its a to dye for colour which every girl/woman should have in their nail collection. Since I have got this as a freebie I have used half the bottle already so this is a definiatly a one to go on the beauty list when it runs out!

Have you ever tried Nails Inc Motcomb Street?

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xx

Thanks again for this post Tash! This looks like a lovely shade for winter. I have a Nails Inc magazine freebie that I am yet to try; I think I might give it a go after this glowing review!

Make sure you check out Tash's blog, It's Simply Beauty!

Jo xx

Christmas and New Year Nail Art!

Hello all!

Blogging two days in a row; shock horror!

I hope you're all as excited as I am for tomorrow! It's unbelievable how quickly this year has flown by, next thing we know we'll all be 80-odd, rocking back and forth in our rocking chairs and blogging about our pensions and new pair of slippers!

Anyway, seeing as it's Christmas eve I thought I'd do another Christmas-related post. Be rude not to really!

Since finishing placement I have been having a bit of a fiddle around with Christmas nail art ideas so I thought I'd show you a couple of my very amateur attempts.

My favourite of the ideas I have come up with is surprisingly the most simple. Plain old glitter tips.

I figured seeing as my nails had got quite long recently I'd give it a go and I loved it; these are now

going to be both my Christmas day and New Years Eve nails!

Without flash | With flash

These looked much better in real life, I didn't realise how rubbish they actually look in the pictures but hey ho...
...To create this look, I used Sally Hansen's Maximum Growth and a couple of coats of Technic glitter nail varnish in Carnival; my favourite glitter nail varnish.

Now I did also attempt snowy nail art but the picture is so blurred it hurts your eyes, so instead I'll just have to show you the design I did on my sisters teeny tiny nails.

 Was quite proud of that design, not gonna lie...

...anyway that's it for now!
I  have a few more guest posts lined up for you after Christmas whilst I get my exams out of the way, then hopefully it'll be back to normal blogging-wise.

I am going out for lunch with a couple of the girls in an hour or so, so I'm really looking forward to having a proper catch up and gossip, as it'll be the first time I've seen them properly since September! Then I'll be doing a bit of last minute wrapping, drinking a bit of mulled wine and probably watching a Christmas film or two with the parents! I was quite tempted to go out tonight but I decided against it in the end. Just the thought that I might not have been able to eat my Christmas dinner due to being hungover knocked me sick. It's the best meal of the year!
I'm staying in, but fingers crossed for all you harcore lot that are going out, I really hope you make it through Christmas day without regretting it!

Hope you all have a really amazing Christmas and New Year, and that Santa brings you lots of goodies!

Lots of love and best wishes,
Jo xx



Guest Post | Christmas Tree Nail Art

My next guest post is a Christmas nail art tutorial from the gorgeous Sabina from Fashernably Late!

I've seen a lot of nail designs recently that have incorporated sellotape strips to block out parts of the nail, which are then peeled off to reveal the colour underneath to create a really cute design. Using this technique, I thought it was appropriate to create a design that was fun & festive, and what better way to decorate your nails with this easy nail design?

So, here's how its done:

1. To protect your nails from the polish, use a basecoat. This will help prevent breakage and discolouring of your nails.

2. Chose a base colour of your choice and apply two coats.

3. Wait until your base colour has completely dried. If you're impatient like me, stick your hands in the freezer for a minute or two, or run your fingertips under running cold water!

4. Take two pieces of sellotape and stick them down in a triangle shape, with the point of the Christmas tree being at the base of your nail.

5. Using some scissors, cut three (or more) thin strips and stick them at a slant down the nail.

6. Using a dark green (red also looks really good) paint over your nail, ensuring that all areas of the exposed nail are covered. You may want to use two coats depending on the polish you're using.

7. Wait for the polish to dry completely (the freezer technique could come in handy again here) before peeling off the sellotape.

8. Using a dotting tool, or a toothpick, add little gold dots to create 'baubles' on the tree.

9. Finish by adding a top coat to protect your design & to add a beautiful shine!

I hope you have lots of fun using this design, & an even better Christmas!
Love Sabina x

Thanks again for this Sabina, I absolutely love this design! It looks so simple yet really effective, I'll definitely be giving it a go before the big day (granted it won't look remotely like Sabina's).

Make sure you check out her lovely blog, Fashernably Late!

Jo xx

Guest Post | Barry M 'Black Multi Glitter'

So today we have my second guest post from the lovely Ellie over on ellie etc, enjoy!

Hiya lovelies! My name is Ellie from ellie etc, and I’m here to do a guest post for the gorgeous Jo!

Recently (on my lunch break to be precise) I nipped into Boots in need of some new nail varnish - this is where I found this beauty!

Such an original name, haha! But I love love love this Barry M concoction, glitter is always a winner for me. This shade is a bit more seasonally appropriate than my last nail colour, plus it looks like little stars in the night sky, which is so preeeeeettyy. The cover and quality is the standard from Barry M, but the glitter makes it a bit stronger so (hopefully) more chip resistant. On the downside, glitter nail varnish is a pain to get off, so I’m not looking forward to that! Anyway, available it Boots, Superdrug etc etc. under £3 too.

love ellie x

p.s. very sorry for my awful nail painting skills, not a great first impression I know! Also these pictures don't really do the glitter justice - my camera didn't pick it up very well!


Thank you so much again Ellie, absolutely in love with this shade it's gorgeous!
Happy belated blog birthday too, make sure you head over and check out Ellie etc!

Thanks for reading,
Jo xx

Kiko | Apple Blossom

So a few weeks ago whilst on placement I had the exciting pleasure of experiencing my first ever bout of 16 hour (yes, 16 hour) night shifts at the hospital. I have to say it was nowhere near as agonising as I expected it to be; the night flew by and after downing a couple of energy drinks before setting off on my hours drive home, I managed (just about) to stay awake until I was safely tucked up in bed.

Anyway, somewhere in the middle of the week whilst drowsily flicking through my emails, I was absolutely delighted to find that I was one of the winners of a giveaway hosted by the beautiful Mollie over at Mollie Muses. It was definitely the highlight of my week!

My prize was a Kiko nail varnish*, a brand that I had never really heard of before and so I was pretty excited to try it out! The shade I was lucky enough to win was Apple Blossom, a light pink colour.

The parcel came beautifully packaged in a gorgeous Paperchase gift box (which now holds my most used bracelets) and mounds of cute orange tissue paper!

It didn't take long until it was on my finger nails and I have to say...I love this pink. It's such a happy, summery shade, that I would describe as a lovely slightly-darker-than-pastel pink.

It's such a cheery colour!

Thanks again Mollie for my lovely prize!

You can buy Kiko Apple Blossom here for just £3.90

Have you tried any Kiko products before?

What colours would you recommend?

Thanks for reading,

Jo xx

Calvin Klein | Golden Honey

My first Nails of the Day post! Woo! *Has a little celebratory boogie*

So the nail varnishes I used to create this look are Calvin Klein in 208 Golden Honey, which I got in a TK Maxx gift set last Christmas (under 100 days until Christmas...just sayin'), and Saffron's colour 02 glitter polish.

I bought the glitter polish from this eBay seller a couple weeks ago having run out of my last glitter polish. I had never heard of Saffron before but I must say I am seriously impressed by the nail varnish, the seller, and best of all the teeny tiny £1.70 price tag. The glitter builds up really well and is a great consistency (although still as damned impossible to get off as any other glitter polish).

Golden Honey is officially my favourite nude polish. Ever. The colour is just perfect.

Enough said.

I couldn't find Golden Honey on the Calvin Klein site, but it can be bought from eBay here.

What do you think of this look?

Are you a fan of feature nails?

Thanks for reading,

Jo x