Jack Skeleton Nightmare Before Christmas Nails

The Nightmare Before Christmas used to be my favourite film ever. I used to watch it over and over when I was younger, I think I may have been going through a phase haha. I loved Jack, so when I came across this YouTube tutorial by CutePolish, I had to have a go at it myself.

These nails are perfect for today, Halloween and I love them!

What nails are you sporting this Halloween?

Gem x

Avon Advanced Techniques Moroccan Aragan Oil Leave-in Treatment Review

I love Avon, but I don't really read much about their products on other blogs. I bought this hair oil when it was on an introductory offer. I had it for £3, which I think is a bargain.  I also got the masque and shampoo & conditioner so keep an eye out for those reviews coming soon.

Firstly, a little background on my hair type...

I have thick and straight shoulder length hair. It is highlighted, and I have been doing so since I was 13, so that is over 10 years! My hair isn't in too bad condition considering, but it is not shiny or soft by any stretch of the imagination. I would say it is borderline dry, and slightly heat damaged from my straighteners and blow drying on a high heat.

The Review...

The oil comes nicely packaged in a pump-style bottle, which pumps out just the right amount of product. The amount you get (30mls) is a not a lot, but as you only need a small amount, it will last you a long time.

I have tried a few hair oils now (thanks Glossybox) and this one is on the thicker side of things, so I rub it in my hands to warm it up and then distribute through my hair, concentrating on the ends. I use two pumps for my hair as it is thick, with normal hair I think you could get away with one.

The product smells amazing, and the scent sticks around on my hair for a while too. The results are great, my hair is smoother and much less frizzy. Used with the shampoo and conditioner the results are even better.

I also use this oil as a pre-shampoo treatment and it is absolutely great for this. I just applied a liberal amount to dry, unwashed hair and left for 30 minutes. I then washed and conditioned my hair as usual and then applied a small amount more to my towel dried hair. Well, the results were amazing. My hair has never looked in better condition! I definitely recommend trying this, if like me your hair needs a little TLC.

Another way I use this oil is to create a sleek pony tail. I just use a small amount through the hair in the pony and it leaves it looking really smooth and sleek. It really is multi-purpose!

Overall, a great hair oil for people on a budget. I have not tried the original Moroccan Oil, so I cant compare the two unfortunately  but this one works great for me. I see no need to spend £30+ when I can get great results for a fiver!

You can order this oil from Avons website or through a representative (like I did). It is usually £5.50, but is currently £3.50 on offer.

Have you tried this?

Gem x

NOTD: Glitter Chevron Tips

I came across this lovely nail art tutorial over on Company Magazines website. They look really cute and effective, and are so simple to create. I decided to bling mine up a little and use glitter instead of another colour nail polish. I used about 3 coats of glitter polish to get this opacity.

They looked better in real life. I think I need to invest in a better camera as this seems to be the same for all my nail art pictures.

Are you currently sporting any nail art at the moment, or have you come across any cute turorials? I need some more inspo :)


Gem x

Halloween Nail Art: Cute Frankenstein

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know of my love for cute nail art. So, why should my Halloween nails be any different?

 I was thinking of doing gory nails, like the ones that look like dripping blood, but I am such a wimp these probably would have freaked me out! I was browsing Halloween nail art ideas on Google and came across a few blogs who had done these cute Frankenstein design on all the nails, but I decided to do two franks and the rest of my nails like stitches.

I love them and I love Frank, he's really cute! I will definitely be sporting these nails come Halloween, there's no doubt!

What are you painting your nails like for Halloween?

Gem x

Vivo Cosmetics Matte Lipstick - WOW Pink Review

Vivo cosmetics are a budget cosmetics line that is quite similar to MUA. They are in Tesco stores and also online, and provide quality make-up at a great price.

I love going into the large Tesco near me and having a browse around their beauty department and the VIVO stand is one I usually head to first. I spotted that they had a new lipstick shades out and that they were matte. There are three new matte shades, a bright pink, a very deep plum and a neutral colour. I chose the bright pink as it was just amazing.

Its called WOW pink and is a bright blue toned pink. It applies brilliantly and the colour is very opaque. I find that if you do not blot, the finish is not truly matte. However once you have blotted, it is matte.

My pictures do not do this colour justice, I highly recommend you go and check out this colour in Tesco for yourself. I am in love with it, its just so pretty :)

As it is a matte formula, it is also long lasting. It even survived a meal and only required a small touch up!

Have you tried this yet?

Gem x

NOTD: Wild Cherry - Bargain Autumnal Nails!

Before I started beauty blogging, I had always been wary of dark nail polish and steered clear, opting for more neutral shades. I have become a lot braver with colour recently, I have been sporting darker lips and now nails.

I love these nail polishes from Tesco. They are mini and priced at 99p each, but the quality is actually great and they last longer on me than some high end brands. This colour caught my eye as it looked a little like Essie 'Bahama Mama' that I have been lusting over. Bahama mama is more of a plum whereas this is more a burgundy. It has a slight metallic sheen to it but it inst too noticeable.

The formula is great, I used two coats but you could even get away with one. It lasts great on my nails and when sealed with a top coat it is even better.

All About Nails is Tescos own brand nail polish, so is only available in stores, and costs only 99p


Gem x

Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer - Review

I got this primer a few months ago when it was a freebie in Glamour Magazine. I loved it and I ended up with three of the little samples.

I don't tend to use a primer everyday, I would rather have 5 more minutes in bed than spend 5 minutes longer on my make-up and have doing my make-up in 5 minutes down to a tee. I use this primer when I am having a dull skin day, usually after a really bad night sleep due to a teething toddler.

It really does brighten my complexion and give the illusion that I have had a little more than 4 hours sleep. I really love Benefit products for a tired day, Eye bright is another great product. 

A small amount of this pink, strawberry scented cream is all you need to create a lovely glowing base for your foundation. It would also work great alone, I need a foundation as my skin is terrible at the moment.

I find my foundation goes on a lot smoother and more even with this underneath, and my skin has a healthy glow look to it, even with foundation on top. I don't think it makes too much of a difference to the lasting power of my foundation and I wouldn't think it would be great for those with very oily skin. The Porefessional would be a better choice there. 

The application is more like a moisturiser and feels lovely on the skin, much more enjoyable than the Porefessional which I find feels slightly uncomfortable on application.

Overall this is an amazing primer for when your skin needs a little pick me up. It would be great for people with dry skin as well as normal skin. I found it does not react with my sensitive skin, which is a huge bonus.

I really want to buy the full size of this, so will be saving up my pennies and hopefully I will be the proud owner of this soon :) 

Gem x

NOTD: Ice Cream Nails

Hello, a quick nail post from me today :)

These Ice Cream inspired nails are so simple to do. I painted my nails in ice cream colours and let them dry. Then I used a dark brown polish and a hair grip to create dots and then joined them all up to look like melted chocolate/chocolate sauce. I used a small paint brush to create the dots to look like sprinkles! I think they look pretty cute.

Gem x

OSIS+ #RoughVSmooth

Immediate PR is running a competition with Schwarzkopf OSIS+ called #RoughVSmooth and I was lucky enough to get the chance to take part.

I am one of the 12 lucky bloggers who are creating a rough look using the Schwarzkopf Rough rubber paste (There are another 12 who are creating a smooth look using OSIS+ Dry Conditioner). It is a texture paste, which gives your hair a subtle matte effect and strong control. The paste smells amazing, and is easy to work with. At first touch it does actually feel like rubber but once you scoop out a small amount and warm it up a little with your hands it turns into the more familiar paste.

The prize: two VIP tickets to go see Nicki Minaj at the O2. Amazing, right? When it comes to her fashion, makeup and hair, Nicki Minaj never plays it safe and always has a more out-there look. With that in mind I chose to do a messy up do, which for me is out of my comfort zone a little as I usually like to play it very safe when it 

So here is my look:

The do is really easy to achieve, heres how I did it:

1. I curled my hair using my Babyliss Pearl curling wand
2. I parted my hair into two sections and added about a pea size amount of OSIS+ Rough Rubber to each side. I scrunched and tousled my hair until I got messy, beachy type curls. My hair ended up looking like the picture above.
3. Using a clear rubber hair band I put my hair into a side pony.
4. I pulled a little hair out of the front to frame my face and add to the messy look
5. Then, using hair pins I pinned my hair into the messy up do. There is no science to where you place the hair as the messier the better, do what you think looks good.
6. For the final touch add a bit more OSIS+ Rough Rubber to the pinned hair and scrunch.

I love the finished look and will definitely be creating it again. It is perfect for the upcoming party season and would look great jazzed up with the addition of a diamante hair clip. I found the Rough Rubber to hold my hair amazingly well, and even after two days my curls were still present. A first for me as my hair doesn’t hold a curl very well at all!

P.S the lipstick I am wearing in the pictures is of course, MAC Viva Glam Nicki Minaj :)

Gem x

September Favourites

I know I say this every month but....Wow, how quickly did the last month go? I cant believe we are now in October. I am looking forward to Halloween, expect a few Halloween related nails and make up on the blog! Also bonfire night and Disneyland Paris at the beginning of November.

So here are my Favourite products for the month of September;

Denman Strawberry Scented Brush: I won this brush in a giveaway over on http://www.alaurentoherself.com/ and have been using it everyday since I got it. I was using a brush from Primark before this one and there is a huge difference. I leaves my hair smoother and tangle free in less strokes. The best thing about this brush though is the smell. It smells amazing, like strawberries and Cream. 

Bourjois Flower Perfection Foundation: Over the summer I have been loving Garnier's oil free BB cream but now that the weather is a little colder I have been favouring more full coverage for my base. I love this foundation as its matte, yellow toned and lasts pretty well on my slightly oily skin. I don't need to wear a powder with this so its great for my 5 minute face routine in the mornings. 

Amie Radiant Dawn Exfoliating Daily Wash: I really enjoy using this scrub. It does exactly what it says on the tin and leaves my skin looking really radiant and lovely and smooth. I love the fact that they only use few ingredients and it is suitable for sensitive skin types like myself. However it is scented, luckily I didn't react to it but it is something to bear in mind if your skin does. It also has a great price point retailing at only £5.75

Amie Skin Shield Daily Moisturiser SPF15: As with the Exfoliating wash, I love the fact it is suitable for sensitive skin and it has a purse friendly price. I love the scent of this moisturiser and it leaves my skin with just the right amount of moisture.

Stila Dry Shampoo: This shampoo is a lifesaver in between washes. I like to wash my hair every other day so this is great to revive second day hair. I find the scent lovely and the powder is finely milled so it blends into the hair really nicely. 

So there are my favourites, what products have you been loving this month?

Gem x

MUA Eyebrow Palette Review

I love MUA cosmetics. Their products are so affordable and great quality and I cant recommend them enough. I was so excited to see that they had brought out an eyebrow kit I just knew I had to get it.

My eyebrows are not my best asset. They are sparse and quite thin, I would love gorgeous thick brows. I like to fill my eyebrows in, and before I bought this kit I was using a light brown eye shadow to fill them.

The kit comes with a dark brown, a light brown, a highlight and a brow wax. It also includes a little double ended angled brush and a mini tweezers. So handy!

Since my hair is blonde, I use the lightest colour to fill my brows. The powder is a good match for me and lasts pretty much all day. I think the dark brown will come to use as an eye shadow for me.

The highlight shade is a bit of a fail for me. It is matte and has an orangey tone to it. I am quite pale so it would look really strange on me if I used it as a highlight. It may work better for those of you with a darker skin tone than me.

My eyebrows are quite sparse so aren't unruly in the slightest. I did try using the wax and I found that it didn't really do anything for my brows except make the shadow on them appear darker. I think it could work well for someone who has unruly brows though.

I love the packaging and the size of the mirror inside the compact is great. I love the little brush and tweezers. I find they work great for me although when I am at home I will be using my Too Faced angled brush with the kit as it is such an amazing brush for eyebrows.

Overall, this is a great eyebrow kit and a great price. I would recommned this to everyone. Even if you are not dark brunette or blonde. You can mix all the colours together to get your perfect brow shade.

The Palette retails for £3.50 and is available from Superdrug and MUA cosmetics website.

Gem x