Beautifully Black

Hi ladies!

I haven't done a nails post in a while, and really wanted to show you this little baby, which I put on for the meal I posted about here.

It's from No7 and is 'Beautifully Black' (number 70). It's the first No7 nail varnish I've ever owned because I normally stick to the slightly cheaper brands such as 17, Rimmel and Barry M. If I'm totally honest I only got it because I had one of those £5 No7 vouchers they regularly give out at Boots, so I thought I would try it out!

Here's the same image, with and without flash, to hopefully show the shade off in its most realistic light.

I used two coats. One would have probably been ok, but I wanted two just to ensure I had full coverage. I have to say that it did exactly as it says on the tin - speed dry. After only a minute or two I was ready to rock and roll.

I hope you can see from the pictures the lovely glittery effect this nail varnish gives. The glitter is very subtle and just gives a gorgeous sheen. It's not like many glitter nail varnishes that are really thick and give a coarse finish that you can tell will be difficult to get off - it still has a super smooth finish. From a distance it almost looks just plain black, as you get a bit closer you can see the lovely sparkling effect.

I was very impressed and will definitely be wearing this again when I want a modern yet sophisticated look.

The reason I have waited a few days to post this review is that I wanted to wait to see how it would fare after being worn for a longer period of time. It's now two days since I painted my nails, and I have to say it's not doing too well. Although some nails are still intact, I do have a lot of chips. However, I have been swimming twice and done a lot of sorting in my room, so maybe this has had something to do with it.

If I were to sum it up I would say it's an absolutely gorgeous nail varnish for an event or evening out which I will definitely be using again, but I wouldn't recommend it for daily wear as I found it did chip quite easily.

What are your favourite nail varnishes at the moment? I find it hard to find darker shades that I really like - has anyone got any recommendations?

xx

A Nail Revolution!

As I've said on here many times before, I'm no beauty expert. I love getting all dressed up, but I lack a bit of confidence in the make up area and so tend to stick to the same routine on a daily basis. The one thing I do like to play around with is nail varnish, because that seems far less scary to me and I figure you can't go too far wrong :-)

I own quite a lot of nail varnishes and tend to buy a new one and wear it religiously for a couple of weeks. However, the nail varnish I bought recently has to be one of my favourite ever nail purchases - I've just never seen anything like it.

I'm sure you've read many reviews on different blogs about Barry M's Nail Effects so I won't bore you too much with the details, but basically, for those of you that don't know, the idea is that you paint your nails a base colour of your choice (it doesn't have to be a Barry M polish), let it dry, and then over the top paint the Nail Effects black polish. Then, before your very eyes, it dries and starts to crack, leaving a really cool finish.

I've tried it out with a few different base colours, and so far my favourite has to be Toasted Almond by 17. I think it looks really good with the black Nail Effects over the top, and almost gives a bit of a leopard print feel.

I've had so many compliments since I've been wearing it, and I telling people all about it who haven't heard of it yet - I feel very 'in the know'! One random thing I really like about it (and I probably shouldn't admit this!) is that when your nails start to chip you don't really notice it so much, so you can keep hanging on for those extra few days! There's a lazy girl's review for you!

Overall, this is one of my very favourite new products ever and I'm a total convert :-)

Good one Barry M - you've really excelled yourselves with this little baby! xx

Feelin' Fruity!

Evenin' all!

I'm a wee bit late with this post, but thought better late than never... (I always say that when I'm trying to convince myself that my questionable timing is not a problem)...

Anyway, a few weeks ago I was lucky enough to enter and win a Rimmel competition, and as a result was sent a bundle of Rimmel goodies as a prize :-)

On Twitter, Rimmel (@rimmelondonbuzz) challenged their followers to send a picture of themselves and the make up look they were sporting that day, from which they'd choose a favourite who would win a goodie bag. As I was feeling creative and had the time on my hands (one of the benefits of having a long summer before finishing uni and starting work) I created a look based on Rimmel's Twitter logo. Now, as I've said on here before, I am no expert with make up at all, but I though't I'd give it a whirl, and even if I didn't win I enjoyed doing it. Rather than just sending a picture of my finished face, I created this little collage below which I sent to them (maybe I should change 'have time on my hands' to 'have WAY TOO MUCH time on my hands!)...

Despite having some other great entries, Rimmel must have liked it as they announced I was the winner!! They messaged to say they would send me some goodies and so I was mucho excited when a few days later Mr Postman came a-knockin'!

The gang at Rimmel Towers were extremely generous and sent me a great selection of products...

The products are...

- I Love Fruities Lasting Finish Nail Polish - 053 Apricot Punch

- Glam'Eyes Eye Shadow - 200 Spicy Bronze

- Glam'Eyes Eye Shadow - 500 Posh Peacock

- Vinyl Gloss - 330 Snog

- Stay Matte Pressed Powder - 004 Sandstorm

- Volume Flash x10 Waterproof Mascara - 001 Black

- Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer - 240 Aqua

If anyone is interested I can review any of these products in more detail, but for now let's just say I've tried them out and they're amazing. I'm particularly in love with the eyeshadows, and although not an obvious combination, I've found that if blended well the two colours actually look really good together (trust me!).

I have got some pictures of the nail varnish though, as I've just applied it ready for my day out in London for my birthday tomorrow (yay!). I'm not normally a fan of orange (not just in nail varnish but generally in life!) but because this is more on the coral side than red side I really like it. Also, the lid claims that when dried the varnish would smell of apricots, and I was highly doubtful this would be true (sorry, I'm a naturally cynical person, what can I say?!), but it actually does! I can't stop smelling my nails, which may look slightly strange to passers-by, but it just smells so good! Looks good and smells good - what more could you want?! I love it!

That's all for now folks - I'm off to get sorted for my birthday trip :-) Hopefully I'll have lots of nice photos to post on Sunday. Until then, hope you have a fantabulous weekend (and why not start following @rimmelondonbuzz on Twitter if you don't already, and look out for any future comps).

Kisses.

xx

Livin' Life on the Wild Side!

I've been a very lucky lady recently, as the day after winning an item of Tesco's gorgeous couture range on a Twitter competition (see previous post), I won a Wild Curls mascara from 17 at Boots :-) Cue cheesy photo!...

Before I review the mascara, let me show you how I won it. On Twitter, 17 (@Official17) asked their followers to tweet a picture of them with 'fierce eyes', from which they would pick their 10 favourites to win. As I wasn't really doing much that day, I had a bit of a play around. Here's what I came up with... (please ignore the rest of my face which I didn't do at all- I only did my eyes)...

I know some bloggers are brilliant with make up, but I'm actually quite a novice and actually don't really own that much. However, I really enjoyed experimenting and was pretty pleased with the look I created. Here's a close-up of my 'fierce' peepers!...

And closed...

The products I used to create the look were:

17 Eyes Trio - Pretty In Pink (on brow bone)

17 Eyes Trio - Smoky Quartz (on eyelids)

Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Liner

NYC 'Show Time' Volumizing Mascara

What do you think? I was pretty pleased with myself and it made me what to experiment a lot more :-)

Anyway, the lovely team at 17 sent me a Wild Curls mascara really quickly and I couldn't wait to try it out. Firstly, the all important packaging!

Let me just say that I categorically LOVE leopard print, so the shiny gold and leopard print packaging is right up my street! Also, when you do the lid up, it clicks gently into place as it closes. I know this is only a very little touch, but it just makes it seem a lot more expensive than it actually is, as I believe it's on sale for only £5.99.

Here's a couple of before and after pictures so you can see the difference it made (I don't have any other make up on here, so you can really see the effect it had clearly)...

These pictures are both with two coats, and as you can see it really gave my eye lashes a great curl. Also, the size and shape of the brush, which is straight and not too fat, meant I was able to get into the corners of my eyes really easily and it did not clump at all.

The packaging claims that Wild Curls 'holds for up to 10 hours'. If I'm honest I didn't have it on for 10 hours, but I must have had it on for about 5 or 6 and it didn't run at all - I was very impressed :-)

So overall, what do I make of it? Well, in three words, I love it! I recommend you give it a go, and if you get to boots quickly you might still be able to get an awesome freebie when you buy one - a Wild Curls Eye Kit, which contains tweezers, curlers and eyeliner. Can't ask for much more than that!

Have any of you tried 'Wild Curls' yet? If you have, what do you think of it?

(Oh, and they also sent me a nail varnish as a little extra which made me smile! It's called 'Amaretto' and is part of their Lasting Fix range. It's a gorgeous deep maroony kinda colour which I haven't had time to try out yet, but it looks lovely and will be particularly cute in the winter)

Thanks 17!

xx

Hoola Hoop Your Heart Out

So I'm addicted to nail varnish if you hadn't noticed and my latest fave is this little beauty by Collection 2000. It's number 34 and is called 'Hoola Hoop':

The picture on Collection 2000's website looks a lot more purpley that it really is, which is quite strange...

All I can say is that it is proper pink!! Unquestionably, unsubtly, most definitely pink! I have two coats on in this picture, but one would have probably done, and it dried really quickly.

On Saturday I'm off to a Hen Party and the dress code is pink and black. As my outfit is mostly black I think I'm gonna wear this on my nails to make sure I adhere to the rules!

I'm still loving my cute little birdie ring which I got in the TopShop sale for £2.50 (I spoke about it in my first ever YouTube video that you can see in the post below if you fancy a laugh at my expense!).

What are your favourite nail varnishes at the moment? I usually stick to Collection 2000 and 17, so I think I need to try some other brands...

xx

End of an Era

I have a rather special OOTD to share with you all today so I really hope you like it!

Last night was my Graduation Ball held at the beautiful Botanical Gardens in Birmingham and it was (I know I use this word a lot) amazing!

For those of you that have been following my blog you will know that I have been panicking so much about finding a dress over the last few weeks but, lo and behold, I managed to find one eventually! So please forgive my self-indulgence, as this post contains a lot of photos, but I had such a great night and as I don't get dressed up like this very often I figure I might as well make the most of it.

Here's the dress I finally went for...

I love it so much. I got it from a Karen Millen outlet where it was reduced from £200 to £55, which I don't think is too bad at all. I have tried so many on over the last few weeks, and I know that in most of them I would have had to have breathed in all night or kept pulling them up, and I really didn't want that. This one was great because it was floaty it I didn't have to worry about any of that. I also love the dress because of the colour. The orange is really eye catching and the gold detailing (sequins, beads and chains) around the top adds a bit of interest. I think I was one of only a couple of people out of 800 wearing orange, so I felt different which is what I really wanted. I thought maybe the dress wouldn't be 'ball-y' enough, but as it was, dresses ranged from simple summer dresses to full on ball gowns, so I fitted in just fine!

I planned on selling the dress on ebay after I'd worn it, but I enjoyed wearing it so much that I think I'm going to hang on to it for a while!

I had my make up done for free at the Clinique counter in Boots. I only really went in for them to try out foundation on me, but the lady ended up doing the whole thing! I really loved the foundation she used. The 'Superbalanced Make Up' covered up all my blemishes and gave a really even finish, but still felt really light and my skin could breathe. I loved the look at a whole, because it was really fresh and pretty, and still subtle (I'm not really a fan of garish make up).

Here's a close up of my eyes. The lady filled in my eyebrows, which I have never done before but it made such a big difference, I will definitely do it again. She used mainly bronze colours, but a hint of 'Indigo Quickliner' on my bottom eyelid. When she first suggested indigo I was horrified, but I actually think it looked really good, and brought out the blue of my eyes.

Here you can see my eyelids better. Look at my eyelashes - they've never been so long!

I wasn't sure what colour nails to go for so I asked my boyfriend who suggested grey, and I have to say it was an inspired choice! (Not that there was any real thought behind his suggestion - I know he just guesses and hopes for the best). I used Collection 2000 Hot Looks nail varnish in 'Wham!' It gave quite a matt finish and I think it went really well with the orange of my dress, although I would probably have never thought of it myself (Erin 0, Boyfriend 1).

Because my dress was pretty bright, I kept things simple jewellery-wise. I just wore a bracelet I got in the Miss Selfridge sale for £2 which has a pearl, gold heart and black bow, and my mum's old engagement ring which she gave to me which I think is gorgeous and only wear on really special occasions.

So that's pretty much my whole outfit! What do you guys think? What are you planning on wearing for any balls / proms / parties you've got coming up this summer?

I have to say I loved my whole outfit sooooooo much! It was one of those rare occasions that I really felt good in what I was wearing and wanted lots of photos taken! I've put a few more pics below just in case you fancy taking a look at what my friends were wearing and what the place was like. As I've already said the Botanical Gardens were really beautiful, with so much to explore and great backgrounds for photos!

Here's me and my boyfriend. I think he looks rather dapper!

This is me with 3 of my best girl friends who I think all looked really pretty. How well does my friend Dani on the right's bag match her dress?! (And it was from Primark - bargain! - but sssshhh, don't tell anyone!)

The boys found a play area! They may have nearly graduated but they are still little boys at heart!

I have loads of photos from last night and know that in years to come they'll bring back such great memories. I'm starting to get a little bit emotional just thinking about it! The night finished off with a beautiful fireworks display as the class of 2010 made their way home.

All in all a crazy, emotional, funny night out (with a nice outfit) - what more could you ask for?!

xx

Celebrate good times

So, after a 4-year slog... or to be more honest 3 years of averagely difficult work and 1 year of work so hard at times I wanted to kill myself... (ok, that was a little bit dramatic)... last night it was finally time to celebrate!

The university had hired out a bar in the Arcadian in Birmingham for all the final years to party. I wanted a new outfit for the occasion, but because I didn't know what other people would be wearing, having never gone there before, I wasn't really sure what to go for.

I traipsed round the shops for ages and eventually settled for an outfit that was mostly from New Look. I thought it would be fine as if people were dressed quite casually I wouldn't look too OTT, but it would be dressy enough if people had glammed-up for the occasion. As it were, there was a whole range of outfits from the rest of the final years so I fitted in just fine.

(I apologise for the state of me in this picture - I forgot to take one before I went out, so this was taken at 4.30am after a rather heavy night!)

I loved the outfit, and had quite a few comments from people who thought it was 'cute'.

The shorts were my favourite item, new from New Look for £20. They are lilac and look kind of like a skirt but are actually the loose fitting shorts that seem to be everywhere at the moment. They have a bow at the front which is stitched in place so you don't have to think about tying it nicely. I have to say though that they did crease very easily, but they were so comfy and will be very versatile, so I think it's a small price to pay.

The top is just a simple white strappy top with some embroidery and silver stitching, again from New Look for £8. It is really useful and I think I will wear it a lot this summer.

The cardigan is also from New Look and they have it in loads of colours. Wearing this over the top and shorts gave the outfit the casual, summery look I was going for.

Finally the shoes are my old personal favourites, tan heels from Dorothy Perkins. Perfect as they are quite high but really comfy.

I kept my nails 'Sherbet Lemon' and wore my new ring from Miss Selfridge, as well as an older blue heart ring also from Miss Selfridge. I think that adding chunky, clashing rings to this outfit helped make it look a lot more eclectic and less 'put together', which was good as it avoided me looking too matchy matchy, which I could easily have done with the lilac shorts and cardigan.

All in all, a brilliant time was had by all! Drinks were flowing, sun was shining and music was pumping - what more could you want?!

Next stop is to find an outfit for my Graduation Ball which is in less than 2 weeks. I don't just want to go to somewhere on the high street as I will probably end up in the same dress as someone else, but on the other hand I don't have too much money floating around at the moment! Any ideas?!

xx

Degree Over...Life Back

My finals are over, and not only does this mean freedom, but it also means I can get back to shopping!

I hit the shops straight after my final exam and it was a beautiful day so I was after some summer clothes to put me in the mood.

As is always the way though, when I wanted to spend some money to treat myself after a hard month or two of revision, nothing seemed to fit and I couldn't find anything that caught my eye (in my price range anyway!).

However, I did pick up this gorgeous ring in the Miss Selfridge sale, reduced from £6 to £2. It's really chunky with a gold finish, and the disk on top is peach with a pink flower. I think it should finish off any summer outfit pretty nicely...

The nail varnish I'm wearing is 'Mint Choc Chip' by 17 which I am still loving since I reviewed it below back in March.

Please also notice MASSIVE lump on finger from all the writing I have been doing in my exams - proof that a degree doesn't come easy!

By the way, this picture was taken with the 'Hipstamatic' app on the iPhone. The app costs £1.19 and allows you to try out all different kinds of cool tints, styles and lenses. I'll be playing around with it for a while so expect lots of my future photos to be somewhat arty!

xx

Feeling Minty!

So, another new week, another new nail varnish!

I picked up a new varnish in town yesterday and I LOVE it!

I went for 'Mint Choc Chip' by 17 at Boots. It's part of their new 'Candy Collection' range, which also includes Orange Soda, Fairy cake, Parma Violet and Sherbet Lemon.

It's a good consistency and went on really well. Two coats were definitely required, but it's lasting really well and has yet to chip at all. the colour is fresh and gorgeous.

The bottle cost just £2.99 and, even better, all the 'Lasting fix' varnishes are currently on offer for 2 for £5, both in store and online.

So I say get down to Boots and check out the Candy Collection. The pastel shades and long lasting formula is a winning combination, just in time for spring!

xx

Bank account says...no

It's always a depressing day when your bank statement arrives as a student, and this month was no exception.

I got mine yesterday and it was even worse than expected, which means major shopping should really be off the cards for me for a while. Saying that, I know I won't be able to avoid the shops entirely, so I'm just going to have to hunt out bargains instead of splashing the cash.

I know exactly what's going to happen now that I have no money - when I go into town I'll just want EVERYTHING I see! Why does this always happen?! When you actually have money to spend and need to buy something, you can never find anything anywhere, but as soon as your money runs out, hello, you love everything!!

Saying that I've been good for the first 24 hours at least(!) buying just another new varnish.

I went for 'Polyester Pink' by NYC which cost about £2. It's proper Barbie-style pink - very girly almost like bubblegum. It goes on well and so far it's a lot more longer-lasting that the Collection 2000 one I bought at the weekend, and hasn't chipped at all with two coats.

I'll post up anymore bargains I find over the next few weeks while I'm keeping a close eye on the finances. Wish me luck!

xx

Best quick, cheap fix

When you're feeling you need to freshen your look, nail varnish has got to be the best quick, cheap fix you can get.

After a rather stressful day at uni, I felt like I needed cheering up and typically turned to the shops to do it. Although a whole new outfit, complete with bag, shoes and jewellery would have been the perfect antidote, unfortunately I'm living on a student budget. So instead I went for new nail varnish. Strange choice you might think, but I think it's perfect for just making you feel that little bit better.

The colour I went for was 'BMX Bandit' by Collection 2000. I'm normally a black, purple, deep red kinda girl, but thought this was the perfect colour for this time of year- fresh and vibrant for the start of spring, without being too summery (we're not there quite yet!). It's a great colour for any situation- funky enough for the evening, yet not too garish for daytime.

For just £1.79 it really cheered me up- I genuinely smiled when I noticed my nails when typing on the keyboard earlier!

There's certain things that I think it's important to spend a decent amount of money on to get good quality. However, I think with nail varnish, unless it's a particularly special occasion or you need it to be particularly chip-resistant for any reason, then cheap will do. If you're only paying a couple of pounds a bottle you can afford to experiment, trying out new colours without worrying you might not like them and never use them again.

Nail varnish adds a finishing touch to your look, and might even make you feel that little bit happier. And all for just a couple of pounds!

xx