Maybelline 3 for 2 Boots Haul

Last Monday, I popped into my local Boots whilst out shopping with my parents. I was determined to purchase one of Maybelline's new Color Elixirs but when I saw it was also 3 for 2 on all Maybelline products, I couldn't resist having a little spend up! That's the typical thing us beauty bloggers do when we go into Boots, right? We come out with way more than we originally needed! Due the the 2 for 2 deal, I have discovered two new products that I would have otherwise ignored, so I guess I can justify my spending more than I wanted to! After my splurge, I though it was only right that I shared what I bought with you guys on my blog. Let's get started!

Maybelline Color Elixir Creamy Lip Lacquer in Rose Redefined - £6.99
First up is the product that I actually wanted to purchase, one of the new Color Elixir lip lacquers. I have a lot of lipsticks and lip crayons in my make-up collection, so I thought it was about time that I bought a few more glossy formulas to add to my stash. I had heard nothing but good reviews about this product and I can confirm that everything I heard is true. The consistency of the lacquer is very smooth and not at all sticky or uncomfortable to wear. The doe foot applicator makes applying this product a breeze and not only this but the colour pay off is brilliant. It definitely has more pigmentation than a normal gloss does. The colour I chose is 'Rose Redefined,' which is gorgeous yet natural pink shade with a slight peachy tone to it too. I just love it and I definitely want to pick up another shade soon!

(Top: Maybelline Color Elixir in Rose Redefined - Bottom: Maybelline Color Drama Lipstick in Minimalist)

Maybelline Super Stay Gel Nail Colour in Deep Red - £4.99
Next up is a nail varnish that I have often overlooked because I do not tend to buy drugstore nail polishes anymore. This is because since I did my nail course last year, I have been buliding up my kit with more professional bands such as China Glaze. However, as I was doing the 3 for 2, I thought that I would give this gorgeous aptly named deep red colour a go. It's the perfect shade for autumn! The wide brush makes application incredibly easy and the colour comes out extremely opaque, it is definitely a two coat job. The only thing that I would say is that this formula does take quite a while to dry, so you need to make sure that you have enough time to sit around and wait for them to completely dry. However, once dried, this polish is incredible. I forgot to put on a top coat and it took 5 days for chips to appear (and they were only very small.) It gives you a glossy, gel-like finish that makes it look like you have been to the salon too. This is a must-have product!

Maybelline Color Drama Lipstick in Minimalist - £4.99
Last but not least, I spotted this lip pencil on a fellow beauty bloggers page recently in a berry colour and I knew I had to have it, but that shade is sold out in all of my local stores. So, I decided to try out the shade 'Minimalist' instead which is a neutral pink shade with lots of glitter running through it. I must admit that I am not a huge fan of the amount of glitter in it but it does look very pretty on the lips. It is a great daytime colour for when you don't want to go too overboard. When I first used this pencil, it was a little hard and was dragging my lips as I tried to apply it. However, I just rubbed the pencils tip between my hands a little to soften it and that worked a charm. I wouldn't say that this product is worth buying for the reasons I have stated above but it is pretty nonetheless and I will still wear it from time to time.

I hope that you have all enjoyed reading my Maybelline 3 for 2 Boots Haul. Overall, I am extremely happy with the Color Elixir lacquer and the Super Stay polish but I am slightly disappointed with the Color Drama lipstick pencil, although that was my free item. Without the 2 for 2 deal, I would have spent £16.97 but instead I was only £11.98 out of pocket! Have you tried one of the product above? Which one is your favourite? Please let me know by leaving a comment below!

My Recent Fashion and Beauty Purchases

Hi guys, today I thought that I would show you some bits and pieces that I have bought over the past month or so. I am on a slight spending ban right now, so all of the items (except one) that featured in this post are extremely purse-friendly - which is great news if any of you end up wanting to buy them too! You will also see quite a repetitive theme throughout the items too as I love patterns, especially anything floral. So, let's delve straight in and see what I've purchased.

Daisy Crop Top from H&M - £5.99
I absolutely adore this top! For ages now I have wanted a top with a daisy pattern on it and have seen plenty around, though I have refrained from buying them. They have lots of these tops on Forever 21, however their sizes do not fit me too well usually. I am so glad I found this little beauty in H&M as their sizing is perfect on me and for just £5.99, you really can't go wrong. I haven't seen any other patterns of this top just quite yet but if they release some, I will most definitely be snapping them up!

Dress from Primark - £5.00
Just this morning, my Mum popped into our local Primark and bought me back this dress as a little treat. I love bodycon style dresses as they suit my petite frame and do not overwhelm me too much. I think that this item is really versatile; I could wear it now with tights and ankle boots, or bare-legged with sandals as we transition into summer. The pinky/red colour is really lovely and I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of this dress.

Sinful Colours Nail Polish in Frenzy & Winterberry - £1.99 each

I bought these two nail polishes in Boots kind of impulsively on my way to the till but for £1.99 each, I just couldn't resist. 'Frenzy' is my favourite out of the two for obvious reasons - I just love glitter! The blue, purple and silver flecks of glitter create a lovely combination on the nails. On the other hand, 'Winterberry' is a lot more of a neutral colour which is pretty unusual for me. Despite it looking kind of horrible in the bottle, on the nail it is a slightly shimmery grey colour with mauve undertones. A perfect every day colour to go with any outfit whatsoever! 

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Standout - £7.99

I won't go into too much detail about this lip crayon as I am going to be featuring it in my monthly favourites, however, I couldn't wait any longer to mention it. I'm sure everybody and their mother has seen a review on this product by now but it's not surprising when it's this good. 'Standout' is a lovely red colour which is extremely flattering. Being a matte balm, you would expect it to be quite drying on the lips but to my surprise, it really isn't. This is without a doubt my go to lip product right now!

Floral Pyjamas from Primark - (top £3.50 and bottoms £6.00)

This pyjama set is the second half of the treat my Mum bought me earlier on today. I am a sucker for floral patterns and these pyjamas are super cute, I already can't wait to wear them tonight! I think we can all tell what colour Primark is loving at the moment by the dress above too! The top has some hidden support to keep everything in place and the bottoms are a slouchy leg fit. I love the lace detailing as it is really feminine.

I hope you all enjoyed reading about what I have bought over the past month or so. Please let me know what you think of the items, I love them. Plus, they're all cheap as chips! What bargains have you purchased recently? I'd love to know! Thank you :)

My Favourite Festive Nail Varnishes

The festive season is well and truly in full swing now and I absolutely love it! For me, my favourite thing about this time of year is all of the gorgeous decorations and lately, I have become obsessed with all things sparkly. So, I thought that I would share with you some of my favourite glittery nail varnishes that I will be wearing over the Christmas period. I have always been a hoarder of nail polish from a young age and now that I have recently acquired my nail qualification, (which you can read about here,) my collection is always increasing. Three of the polishes I will be talking about today are from a China Glaze Christmas set called 'Be Merry,' which I picked up from my local beauty supplier but you can also buy it from Beauty Bay. In my opinion, sparkly nails are a great edition to any outfit over the festive period and it really adds a little something extra. So, without any further ado, lets get started!

China Glaze Nail Polish in Santa Red My List

This magenta pink polish is the first from the aforementioned 'Be Merry' China Glaze Set and it is gorgeous. The glitter is very fine and is the most understated of the bunch, which is great if you only want a subtle shimmer as opposed to going the whole hog!

Barry M Nail Paint Limited Edition in 347
Next up is this extremely bright silver shade. I got this product free in Boots as I spent over £6 on Barry M cosmetics whilst picking up some little gifts for my friends Christmas goodie bags. The glitter in this polish reflects a whole bunch of colours and gives a really pretty, rainbow effect in certain lights.

China Glaze Nail Polish in Be Merry, Be Bright
This polish has both bright pink and violet/blue glitter running through it, which gives such a lovely effect. This is another one of the colours from the China Glaze set and it is definitely the most in-your-face of the bunch. This particular varnish would look great either as a built-up colour after a few layers or simply as a top coat over another polish.

China Glaze Nail Polish in Mingle With Kringle
'Mingle With Kringle' is a very traditional gold-coloured polish with an extremely fine glitter. This particular gold is quite bright and could be seen as a little garish, but I think it is perfect for this time of year as it really makes a statement!

Essie Luxe Effects Nail Polish in 'A Cut Above'
This polish was mentioned in my November Favourites post recently and I absolutely love it! The baby pink glitter is really pretty and as this varnish has the chunkiest glitter of the bunch, it doesn't chip and is very long-lasting. I highly recommend this product and there are a few colours in this range, so there is one to suit everybody's taste!

China Glaze Nail Polish in Put A Bow On It
The third and final polish from the 'Be Merry' China Glaze Set is my favourite of the bunch, as purple is my all time favourite colour. This varnish builds really quickly and so it is hassle-free in terms of application. This polish probably has the finest glitter of the bunch and it is very striking on the nails.

China Glaze Nail Polish in CG In The City
Last but not least is this beautiful charcoal-grey colour. The shade is actually a lot darker in real life, however, my camera didn't pick it up so well. I love wearing this nail varnish rather than black, as I think it looks a little too harsh on the hands. I love this product because it goes with every outfit and has just the right amount of shimmer in it.

I hope you have all enjoyed reading about my favourite festive, sparkly nail varnishes. I would love to know what your go-to nail varnishes are at the moment, so please do not hesitate to leave a comment below :) 

My Favourite Autumn/Winter Nail Varnishes

My taste in nail varnish differs a lot throughout the year depending on what season it is, which I'm sure is the same for many of you too. In spring and summer, I prefer to wear bright and fun colours on my nails. However, during the colder autumn and winter months, I much prefer to wear deeper and more vampy colours on my talons. Today, I thought I would share with you my top five favourite nail varnish shades that I will definitely be reaching for this season.

Jessica Nail Colour in Vamp
I got this varnish free in an issue of Company magazine a few months ago. I really adore this shade as I much prefer deep, wine coloured reds as opposed to the more bright and 'true' red colours. This varnish also has a slight shimmer to it, which I think would look lovely during the Christmas party season too.

No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Totally Teal 
Teal nails are an acquired taste but I think that these deep green colour is really sophisticated and is perfect for winter. The thing I love the most about this varnish is it's consistency. It glides on like a dream and as the colour is so opaque and dark, you need only apply one coat. 

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Blackberry 
I have a love/hate relationship with this nail polish but I cannot deny that I absolutely love the shade and the finish of the ever so popular Barry M Gelly Hi Shine formula. The only anything thing about this product is that it can stain your nails a little and tends to chip, so I would recommend that you use a base and top coat just to be safe.

No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Vivid Purple 
Purple is my favourite colour and it is also one of my favourite colours to wear on my fingernails, especially during autumn and winter. As this varnish is the same brand and formulation as the teal shade above, it again has a fantastic consistency. The only difference between the two shades is that the teal is a more solid colour, where as this purple has hints of glitter running through it - which adds a little extra something to this polish.

Barry M Nail Paint in Black 
Lastly, you can never go wrong with a coat of black nail varnish. Obviously, there is not much that you can say about a plain black polish but out of all the drugstore brands, Barry M does the best formula in my opinion. I also own Rimmel's 60 Second varnish in black but it is a lot less chip resistant than Barry M's version. It is a must have staple in any girls nail collection!

If any of you have tried any of the products mentioned above, I would love to know what you think of them. Also, I would love to know all of your favourite nail varnishes for this time of year, so please do not hesitate to leave a comment below!

Nifty Nails!

Hi guys. Earlier on this week, I had a major beauty spring clean - throwing out lots of make-up and nail varnishes that were either used up or old/broken and organising them in to various cosmetic bags and boxes. Whilst doing this, I came across my extensive nail varnish collection which has every colour and brand that you could ever think of. I think it's safe to say that I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to nail products! I have so many favourites and I thought that I should definitely do a review on some of my varnishes. Consequently, I went on to eBay in search of a nail varnish wheel and I picked up a pack of two for £1.99 and with free packaging - what a bargain! On each wheel is 18 individual nails which you can paint colours and designs on to. I realise that 18 polishes is a lot to review in one post, so I am only going to do a very brief overview of each one. I have also decided to break things down into colour categories to make it easier to read.

Reds, Pinks and Oranges

Jessica Custom Nail Colour in Company Vamp - My Mum picked up this polish at work a while back and we both love it. I had never heard of the brand 'Jessica' until Mum bought this home either. This deep red, shimmery colour is perfect for a vampy evening look. Plus, it is pretty chip resistant. I have a lipstick from Avon which is this exact colour and I love wearing both products together!

Max Factor Nailfinity in Red Passion - I bought this little nail varnish quite a while back, it is a classic bright red shade and looks great with a statement red lip too. The varnish tends to look a little pink upon first application but applying a second coat will cause the finish to look completely red. The name of this nail varnish on Max Factor's website has since been changed to 'Glossfinity' instead of 'Nailfinity.'

Nails Inc in It's Red, Babez - I absolutely love this colour. Again, it came free in In Style magazine and this colour is a really striking red with orange undertones and is the ultimate summer shade. The only down side to Nails Inc products is that the brushes are not great for painting with precision, so I always tidy up the edges with a cotton bud dipped in polish remover afterwards.

Models Own in Raspberry Crush - This raspberry pink shade really looks great with any skin tone; it is very bright and eye-catching, I always get compliments when I am wearing this particular varnish. I think that Models Own bottles are quite big, so they are excellent value for money. Unfortunately, this is the only Models Own product I own but I really want to try some of the neon Hed Kandi shades soon.

Sinful Colors Professional in Daredevil - I picked up this amazing neon shade in Superdrug the other day. I could not believe that this bottle was a mere £1.99! I believe that this nail varnish would look great with a tan, this is definitely the best neon varnish I have ever tried.

Avon Colortrend in Bikini - I seem to have purchased a lot of clothing with coral on lately, so this polish is perfect when I want my nails co-ordinated with my outfit. The bottle is rather small so I do not use this colour very often and I sometimes use a Barry M dupe instead.

Nails Inc in Atomic - I have never owned a bright orange nail varnish before and I am obsessed with this particular shade! I love Nails Inc's formulas as you can sometimes get away with only applying one coat depending on the colour that you are using, which is handy if you are in a rush or are impatient with letting multiple coats dry!

Barry M Nail Paint in Peach Melba - This neutral peach shade is really pretty and very feminine. Obviously, pastels are a great pick for summer and I recommend this shade to anybody that doesn't want a nail varnish colour that is too 'out there.'

Blues and Greens

L'Oreal Paris  Color Riche in Perle De Jade - I bought this product the other day after I bought an adorable mint-coloured cropped jumper from New Look and I wanted a varnish to match. I saw this L'Oreal one on special and the colour was spot on, yet another great pastel shade to add to my ever-growing collection!

Rimmel London 60 Seconds in Green With Envy - As mentioned in a previous post, I am in love with this varnish and it is probably one of my favourites of all time. The greeny-blue colour reminds me of the sea and mermaids. Every time I wear this colour, I always get compliments on it.

Rimmel London Lycra Pro in Aqua Cool - Rimmel's Lycra Pro formula is amazing. The varnish is just the right consistency with great colour pigmentation, meaning that you only need to apply one coat. This blue is really pretty and also matches my eyes (weird thing to notice, I know!)

Barry M Nail Paint in Cyan Blue - This cyan blue is one of the best Barry M shades I own. Due to it's strong pigmentation, you need only apply one coat of this gorgeous colour. I think that this varnish dries slightly darker than expected but nonetheless, I still love it!

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Blueberry - I recently purchased this gorgeous dark navy polish to go with a tie-dye dress I bought in New Look. I had never tried the hi-shine formulas until now but they are amazing. My nails looked so glossy, however, after one night out they were pretty chipped the next morning, so I might add a top coat next time anyway.

Purples and Glitters

Rimmel London Lycra Pro in Ultra Violet - This über pretty lilac shade looks great with my skin tone. Purple is my favourite colour and I love wearing this polish. As I've already mentioned, I love Rimmel's brushes as they are flatter than other brands which makes for a quick and usually a mistake-free paint job. 

Max Factor Max Effect in Fantasy Fire - This is yet another recent purchase of mine. I was browsing in Boots one day and this colour really intrigued me. As mentioned in a previous post, this purple varnish has a blue, metallic undertone with it and some pretty glitter too. The only downside to this product is that it is so thin and to get a bold colour, I had to apply a whopping total of FIVE coats (which was rather time consuming waiting for each layer to dry.)

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Scarlet Fever - This lovely magenta-like colour is one of the latest editions to my collection. I had never tried any Sally Hansen varnishes before but I can honestly say it is the best brand I have ever used. The wide brush allows for perfect application and it is just the right consistency. I will definitely be purchasing a few other colours asap. 

Nails Inc in Berwick Street - One Christmas, my Mum bought me a Nails Inc set that included this glittery silver colour. This varnish is perfect for parties and nights out, however, its texture is pretty rough so applying a top coat is definitely necessary. I usually apply two coats of this polish to ensure that it really stands out.

Rimmel London Precious Stones in Diamond Dust - Last but certainly not least, this deep silver/grey nail varnish is so eye-catching. I bought this at Christmas time to match a pair of glittery hotpants that I wanted to wear on a night out. There are only two problems with this polish; after a few uses, the remaining polish in the bottle starts to go a little gloopy. Secondly, the finish of this polish is rather disappointing. The glitter is really rough and so a really thick top coat needs to be applied so that specks of glitter do not flake off or chip.

I hope that you all enjoyed reading about my favourite nail varnishes in my ever-growing collection. As always, I would love to know your opinions if any of you have used these products yourself. I love reading your comments and getting feedback on my posts. Thank you for reading :)