5 Beauty Tips Vol.1

I have some tips and tricks with regards to make up, skin care, haircare, etc. that I've picked up either through practice of sorting myself out, or from magazines and interviews with make up artists, dermatologists, etc. So I thought whilst I'm struggling to get any decent content on this blog right now owing to technical problems, not being able to take decent photos as I don't know anyone artistic, or time constraints and MA deadlines, I would take the time to impart these with you. I hope you enjoy these posts over the next couple of weeks (maybe even months as I only plan on posting one of these posts a week and I have a fair amount I think might be useful!)

1. Hairstyles - We all want our carefully quaffed styles to last the day (or night!) but don't be tempted to spray enough hairspray on it to widen the hole in the O-Zone layer. Too much product can actually make hair look limp and affect the style over time- instead use a strong hairspray, such as VO5's Strong Hold Weather Resistant Hairspray, and keep it to three spritzes as this should do the trick.

2. Split-End Quick Fix - If you're a poor student like me and want to try to hold off cutting those split-ends for as long as possible, massage three tablespoons of warm olive oil onto dry hair and wrap in a warm towel for 30 minutes, then shampoo as usual. This should seal the ends temporarily.

3. Instant Lip-Plumper -If you have small lips, you might want to steer clear of darker lipstick shades as this can make your lips look narrower. Instead use lighter shades and use a gloss which should help to make them look plumper.

4. Foundation Match - Most beauty bloggers will have heard this one, but I'm including it just in case! Instead of testing the shade of a foundation on the back of your hand, try it on your neck or chin as hands can be a different shade to our faces, especially if, like me, you use creams with SPF or Sun Screen daily on your face, but not always on your hands (you should, by the way!). If the colour blends in well with the skin on your chin or neck and it's hard to tell where you applied it after a few minutes, then it should be right for you.

5. Moisture Surge - If you are suffering from dry patches, or just general dry skin, then consider using a body oil instead of a normal body lotion as it should be more moisturising, especially if applied when still wet/damp from the shower. I swear by body oils and this method in the winter months!

Hope this was helpful!

Nicole x

Chewing the Fat

Today I want to talk about something that most people will roll their eyes at as it's been done to death. "Chubby blogger decries the lack of fat girls in the fashion industry". However, it's not as simple as that. I've been all sizes between an 8 and a 22 (UK) and I am currently a size 12/14 (mostly 16 in dresses as I've a natural 36FF/G bust); I know I look fatter, but that's the truth.  I look much bigger because I've got massive boobs and tops tend to hang down from them, my widest point, and I have a chubby face (if I put on 1lb, I swear it goes straight to my jawline). Also, I am only 5ft 2" so any excess weight looks wrong on me. I know I carry excess weight. I make no excuses other than I love food and being a Masters student my life is spent reading academic books and writing, my portion sizes are too large and I don't exercise enough. I am currently trying to lose half a stone to get within my ideal weight range for my height.

I want to start by saying I am not condoning the use of models at the extreme ends of the scale - by that I mean super thin and morbidly obese. It is incredibly unhealthy to be either of those things and I do not want young girls/women to think it's okay to aspire to either of those ideals, because it isn't. The one thing I always stress is to be healthy. I feel Look magazine has triumphed in its use of models that are more representative of their readership. I appreciate looking at the models that are more like me and seeing the cut of the clothes on them; what's the point in me looking at size 8 girls with no boobs? Simply put, the clothes would not look as good on me. It doesn't make sense that I'm often made to stare at girls whose shape is nothing like my own and expected to be inspired enough to buy that item of clothing; if anything it just makes me feel like as a bigger girl, I don't deserve to own such beautiful clothing. 

I love to look at fashion blogs and be inspired by the beautiful clothes, yet rarely do I find a popular blog that's run by a girl who isn't a clothes horse - wasp-waisted, small-footed, with a nicely proportioned bust.  I can't help but feel sometimes that if I looked differently, I'd have more readers - be that smaller or bigger (I'm not small enough for the fashionistas to welcome me into their clique, not large enough for the curvy girls to embrace as one of their own). I know there are some popular bloggers who aren't minuscule or massive, yet I feel they are few and far between. Us mere mortals who rely on average cameras, a boyfriend that doesn't know how to take the sort of photos I want, a tiny budget (or none at all in my current case), and a witty anecdote to reel people in because we aren't a 'bright young thing' or a 'bubbly smiler', get nowhere. I'm in a weird category; not big enough to shop in Evans or the Curve collection on ASOS, and yet most shops whose clothes are meant to fit me, don't actually fit very well as they won't accommodate a large-busted, small-hipped, bloated-tummied, flat-bottomed woman. Jeans are a nightmare as I need them to fit my stomach, where I hold most of my weight and excess skin from losing too much weight too fast, but then they bag around my crotch (due to aforementioned small hips and bum) and make me look like I'm harbouring a willy when I stand a certain way. Not a good look, I assure you. 

All I'm trying to say is, if you are an "In-Betweener" like me, please don't lose heart. Not all of us that are into fashion are very small or very large. I don't get many views on my fashion/outfit posts and I know deep down, that it's likely that people think I have an awful dress sense and I have absolutely no charisma in textual form. Nevertheless, I keep this blog going because I want the rare girl who is like me to see my blog and think, "She's rounded and she likes fashion, so I can do it too". I want the fashion blogging world to be more colourful and have more shapes in it; there is room for everyone. Yes, I have more clothing restrictions than a smaller girl as I just can't wear certain clothes, but do I not have the right to a voice or to show you photos? Am I not entitled to have fashion bloggers who are In-Betweeners like me to draw outfit inspiration from? I love looking at fashion blogs full stop as I'm fashion mad, but sometimes I wish I could garner inspiration from someone whose size is similar to my own...preferably near to my budget too! Thank you for your time.

Nicole x

Photo Perfect

Today I thought I would share some of my photography with you. I'm not a professional, nor have I had any official training, so go easy on me! I just thought you might like to see some of the stuff I love to photograph. I adore photographing people too, but rarely will anyone give me permission to snap them. I am surrounded by camera-shy folk. I would really love to perfect my portrait photography skills, but for aforementioned reason this is proving difficult. Also, I need someone who can take good photo's of me - the bf, whilst having done a photography course, isn't into photographing me for the blog! Wish I could have an outer body experience to take flattering and pretty photo's of myself for you to see. Alas, that will have to wait until I have more time to experiment with my camera settings and tripod. Enjoy!

Chinese Maple in the garden

Bumble bee on some lavender in garden

My step sister-in-law's wedding

Photograph of wedding table and bridesmaids bouquet

NB - I did take photographs of the bride and groom that included their faces, but I have left them off the blog in case my future step sister-in-law (possibly, I'm not engaged to the bf as yet!) didn't want me to share them with you.

Pleased to meet you

Here is today's nails, face and outfit of the day! I am working on the picture quality for my blog posts, so please bear with me as I'm still getting used to editing etc. Onto the look!

Make up:
Face: Bourjois Healthy Mix with serum foundation (51 Light Vanilla), MAC Studio Fix conealer in NW15, e.l.f. Mineral Eye Brightener, e.l.f. High Definition Powder, Becca Creme Blush in Geranium.
Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion, Clinique palette (free with two purchases ages ago). I used a light pink matte skintone shade all over the lid and a matte medium brown in the crease. Rimmel Lash Accelorator mascara.
Brows: Benefit Browzings in Light and e.l.f. Lock and Seal.
Lips: Lined and filled in with The Body Shop lipliner in Rosy Red with Ruby and Millie lipstick in Orange Creme over the top.
Nails: Ciaté nail polish in Mistress.

Outfit:
Hat: £5 local market, Shirt: £14.99 H&M, Black tank top: £4 Dorothy Perkins (plain, worn underneath), Velvet Trousers: From ASOS about 2 years ago! Shoes: Primark last summer.

Festive Nails

Today I am rocking these purple-pink and glittery nails! I fancied a bit of bling, but not on each nail as I was too tired from essay writing to wait for it to dry. The majority of my nails are just painted with the Barry M Base Coat, Nails Inc. polish in Paris and then the Barry M Top Coat. My ring finger is painted with a base of the Paris colour, just with an O.P.I. glitter polish on top. I'm afraid it came as part of a mini Alice in Wonderland set and it has no name on the bottle, so I can't tell you what it's called. In the flesh it is a multi-coloured glitter with green, purple-pink like the Nails Inc. polish, and silver. Shame my camera only picks up the silver! Also, please excuse the different lengths of my nails, so many have broken over the past week! They were all the same gorgeous length and then I started essay writing...which means subconsciously sucking my nails...which leads to breakages!

If you've created some festive nails, please feel free to leave links to your blog posts featuring them in the comments below. I'm sure we would all love to see each other's creations.

Review: Móa rescue healing balm

I was sent the Móa 'Green Balm' with my September 2011 Glossybox and whilst I was intrigued by the fact that this product is organic, I hadn't heard of it before and I wasn't really expecting a great deal from it. I didn't use it right away, but once I opened the pot and caught a whiff of the clean tee-tree smell of this glorious little balm, I had to use it.

What are the balms uses? Móa says this:

• soothe dry and itchy skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis
  
• treat cold sores and chapped lips
• apply to sore, red nostrils when you have the sniffles
• mix with a little hot water and gargle to soothe a sore throat
• calm sun-burnt or weathered skin ailments; even mild frostbite, so they say
• help heal minor cuts, sores, bruises and burns
• use on minor burns from the camp fire
• use on rope burns and blisters and avoid scarring
• zap those pesky insect bites and stings
• use between the toes to help combat athlete's foot; it's a ramblers dream-cream!

I haven't used it for all of these ailments/conditions/circumstances. However, I can personally state that it is great for soothing itchy insect bites, chapped lips (it conditioned my dry and cracked lips wonderfully), and certainly does help with dry skin patches/cleansing. I mentioned that there is a tee-tree smell, although it is worth noting that the smell is incredibly subtle and not overpowering at all. The balm is colourless and the consistency is interesting. It is greasy in a sense as it has natural oils to help condition the skin, but it isn't unpleasant and it sinks in relatively quickly, leaving skin soft and nourished, not greasy to the touch (at least not in my experience).

So what is in this wonder balm?

"Each pot of moa the green balm is crammed with organic Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) a herb renowned for its nourishing and healing properties. Combined with tea tree oil, nature's powerful antiseptic, yarrow creates a miraculous healing synergy with endless therapeutic properties. Finally beeswax, coconut, sweet almond and soya bean oils help to soften, nourish and protect the skin, so you will be soft as a baby's bottom! We do NOT test our ingredients on our furry little friends."

How much is it?

They sell a "mini Móa" which contains 15ml of product for £4.99 or a 50ml tub for £9.99.

Is it worth it?

In my personal opinion, yes. Okay, so vaseline may be cheaper and claims to do the same sort of thing, however this brand is known to be cruelty free, uses organic ingredients, and is a small business. I personally enjoy supporting brands such as this, and frankly vaseline does nothing for the condition of my lips or dry skin. It just feels yucky and greasy, whereas this balm is like a little high-end luxury treatment to compare.

Will it suit my skin type?

I don't see why not, but don't sue me if you react to it! As it's made with all natural ingredients, and it doesn't irritate my sensitive skin, I think most people should be fine. I have combination skin and it nourished the dry areas without making a noticeable difference to my greasy areas (as in, it didn't make these greasier! I didn't expect it to stop my oily t-zone problem).

Overall I give this product an 8.5/10. I cannot comment on the customer service of the company itself as I received a sample through Glossybox. This review is based purely on the sample I received and is unbiased.

Festive Face of the Day

Today I was feeling somewhat festive after seeing Arthur Christmas at the weekend (amazing film; it's so funny and I highly recommend it. The humour in it is so wonderfully British). Anyway, glittery/shimmery eyes were not really an option as I was doing history research for most of the day, then I had a meeting with one of my lecturers to discuss my first postgraduate essay. On a side note it still feels utterly unreal that I'm a postgraduate student; it's like a dream come true! I love historical writing and I really hope to continue it alongside beauty writing and a 'real' job :)

So, as a result of not being able to rock dramatic festive eyes today, I decided to go for a disco-ball shiny, deep red lip. I rarely wear glossy-finish lips as followers of this blog will know; I find them too high maintenance and impractical for everyday wear. However I really enjoyed wearing this lip today for a change. People kept staring at my mouth, but I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing! I paired it with bold brows because a) I like bold brows and b) I felt I needed something to balance my face out as my lips are not my best feature, so putting all of the attention on them (and not my eyes), is not something I'm massively comfortable with. I am also self-conscious of my teeth as they are less than perfect!

What's your go-to festive look?

The Peridot and the Purple

Hi guys!

I've been a bad blogger and I've been neglecting you all! Naughty Nicole! *shamed face* I have been so busy with my Masters guys and I apologise but obviously that has to come first because hopefully one day that is what will pay the bills (after all, this little blog is unlikely to make me any money). Anyway, enough lamenting and excusing myself and onto the good stuff...NAILS! I have rocked many different looks since my last nails of the day post, but here are some of my favourites over the last few weeks to get you all up to speed!

This lovely little combination is No.7's 'Vivid Violet' for the purple base and the tips are Chanel's 'Peridot' (possibly one of the most divine nail polishes in existence. Seriously, I always get people asking me where I got it from and then they say 'Chanel? Oh no...'). The pictures don't do these nails justice; they were so shimmery and the duo-chrome nature of Peridot really leant itself to the No.7 polish. I am proud of this one!

I was feeling festive when I created these glittery nails and I had seen an Illamasqua promo video where they used black and glitter polishes from their newest collection to create gorgeous glitter gradient nails. I didn't do the best job of this, but I did my best and it isn't bad for a first try, I don't think. I used a polish which was 99p in Tesco for the Black base and e.l.f.'s 'Silver Madness' polish from last Christmas's collection. These lasted pretty well actually, I was quite impressed. As per usual, the glitter was a bit of a pain to remove, however!



So, that's it for my nails right now. I will do my best to keep you updated from now on. I am going to make a concerted effort, even if it's basic pictures and stuff as I really want this blog to run against my YouTube channel. If you haven't visited my channel yet, please do by clicking here and subscribe to me as I will love you forever if you do ;)

Nicole x

Halloween's Alright by Me

SpOoOoOoOoky! I actually sported these nails last week, but no one saw them as I didn't leave the house as I had a horrid cold. However, I have uploaded them today as it's Hallowe'en! My rather dodgy version of Frankenstein is on my nails (I've seen this design on many blogs and YouTube videos and don't know who did it originally. Please feel free to link your Frankenstein nails below!) and the rest of the nails were meant to be rotten zombie-like flesh. Quick and easy! Also, my mother-in-law found the rotten flesh nails gross, but loved the little Frankenstein's. Hope you like them! I am sadly not doing anything tonight and I didn't dress up at all this year, however below is a picture of the make up I wore last Hallowe'en to my friends party. My boyfriend and I (whose make up I also did but he doesn't really want me putting pictures of him on my blog) went as a couple who had killed each other in a fit of passion after prom and come back as zombies...yes it was my idea as we could utilise clothing we already had! Ever an economical person. Anyway, HAPPY HALLOWE'EN!

Venetian Clown Inspiration

So in my newest YouTube video I promised I would share with you the inspiration photo behind my newest tutorial for Halloween, hence this post. To the left is the photo (I cannot credit it as I took it off the official Venetian Carnival site and there's no credit given there, so please accept my apologies). I tried to replicate it to the best of my abilities and I just wanted to give you some simple ideas of what you could do, especially if it was a last minute party or such.

Link to the tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOVMQVBCfH8

My take on the make up from the above photo, which you can see a step-by-step guide to in my video :)

What are you wearing for Halloween?

Nicole x

Review: Collection 2000 Eye Definition Eyeliner

Many women covet high-end eyeliners and swear that their elevated price tags are worth it for the smoothness of application or it's staying-power. However I have never been able to make this claim with any real sense of conviction. The reason for this is because I have hooded eyes and a tendency towards greasy eyelids on which even eyeshadows with the claim of being "crease-free" slide, crease, and look downright hideous after a couple of hours. Every single eyeliner I have ever tested thus far has tranferred into my crease within an hour (sometimes in minutes) of me applying them, be it The Body Shop or any other drugstore brand. The result being, I am scared of buying a high-end eyeliner for a fairly extortionate fee, only to find that it smudges and looks terrible after minutes of wear.

If you share my problem (as I have never encountered anyone else with this problem and it makes me feel like a freak, so please comment if you do!) then there is hope...although possibly only if you live in the UK (sorry about that). The Collection 2000 eyeliner is an absolute gem of a product; it's affordable as it's from the "drugstore", it's super black, has a thin applicator allowing for precise application and it LASTS! No flaking, no smudging, just perfect eyeliner for hours. I have been using this for abour three years now and I swear by it. Okay, so it's not fancy, the packaging is basic and it's not super-glossy, but it does the job I need it to do...which is not look rubbish after 10 minutes on my lids. Verdict? BUY IT! Especially if you suffer as I do.

This is a photo of me literally right after I had applied the eyeliner.


This is after I'd been wearing it for around 8 hours. Ignoring how shattered I look, the eyeliner is intact!


The applicator

Price: £2.99
Amount: 6ml
Colours: Just black I believe in this eyeliner type but they do colours and glitter ones too.
Consistency: Not thick and gloopy but not runny either. Comes out fairly opaque on first swipe.
Applicator: Incredibly thin, some might think too thin but I like it.
Buy From: Boots (I think in store, but not on the website). Superdrug: http://www.superdrug.com/eye-liner/collection-2000-eye-definition-liquid-eyeliner-1-ebony/invt/228788/

Starry-Nailed

Okay, so it would likely seem to you all that I'm obsessed with nail polish...the truth it I am. I must go to Nail Polish Anonymous. I literally feel yuck if I don't have polish on my nails. I at least like a thin layer of clear polish. I think this is because the first thing I ever did to make myself seem grown up and "pretty" was to apply my mum's polish to my nails!

Anyway, I wanted to give my Monster plate (I think that's what you call it!) a try as I received it from Alison a while ago now. The finger nails are as a result of me playing with that plate. It was my first attempt so it isn't great, but I think it looks fairly decent! I love the combination of monotone and stars as it's a look that's been all over the high street this season, from bags to pussybow blouses. I recently bought a dress in this design, which I shall be sporting if the sun makes a vague appearance for my lecture tomorrow! So, without further ado, some pictures of my work!


White base coat is Rimmel Cloudy Skies and the Black stars are done with Konad's black special polish that I also received from Alison.

I haven't ever shown you guys my feet (I have ugly feet!) as normally they just mirror, or are a simplified version of, what I have on my finger nails. However I received some monotone Rebel Nails with a Glossybox a few months ago and until now I hadn't thought about how I could ever wear them, but I thought as they were monotone I could get away with them...not that anyone can see my toes right now as it's too cold to wear open-toed shoes here now (I cannot wear my feet out once it gets cold...I have such cold feet already!). Anyway, I am sharing them with you lovely lot :) Enjoy!

Nicole x

My face...again!

Yes, another face of the day. In my defence, I don't think my make up is exactly the same in any of my photos as I always try to show you new looks, even if it is only a different blush or lipstick as day-to-day I can't wear mad make up looks. Such is the life of a female historian trying to be taken seriously in her fledgling career!

Anyway, I digress. Here is another picture of my face, which I'm sure you are pretty fed up of seeing by now. That and my nails! Alas, I have no PR contacts so that I can share up and coming brands/products with you. Sorry about that but this little blog isn't big enough for that.



So, today I was ill but had to go with my boyfriend Ben to an interview he was attending around a 45 minute drive from our house. He's a nervous driver so he takes me to navigate for him. As a result of feeling drawn and tired I wasn't after heavy make up and wanted something light and easy so that I didn't feel over done and didn't feel 'bleurgh' either. I was quite happy with the result, even if it isn't spectacular.

Face: Garnier BB Cream in light, e.l.f. Tone Correcting Concealer.
Cheeks: Illamasqua blush, sadly the name has worn off!
Eyes: Rimmel Lash Accelorator.
Eyebrows: roughly filled in with Benefit Browzings in Light.
Lips: Max Factor lipstick in 825 Pink Brandy.

Glittertastic

Yep, the title gave it away, another nails of the day post! I hope you guys like these? Let me know your thoughts. I am no nail art pro, but I do like to switch it up a bit and experiment so I hope you find these posts useful. I am planning on using some Konad stuff soon that the lovely Alison (her youtube) kindly gave to me when I won a little competition she ran :) I just haven't had time to sit and play as I've been so insanely busy, but I will once I take this polish design off.

Without further ado, here are my nails!


So I used Barry M's Base and Topcoat (for base and topcoat, obviously), the dark base colour is an Avon Speed Dry Polish in Twilight Blue and the glitter on top contains varying sizes of silver glitter and I love it! It's by a brand called Saffron that I have personally never heard of before but I bought it in Swansea Market (Swansea is in Wales, in the UK for those of you not from this country!) and it was in a bargain bin of 2 polishes for £1.50, or thereabouts. So worth it! Just wish I'd got the gold glitter one now too. Hope you like it =) Share your nails of the day posts with me in a comment below. I'd love to see your blogs and nail art!

Violetta on my Face-a

How do you do? I hope all is well with you. Yes, YOU! Below is a picture of my face. It features MAC's 'Violetta' lipstick, which is a pretty bold colour. It will likely be one of those shades that you either love or hate. Of course, you are welcome to your opinions but I'm sort of in love with it. I bought it as I follow the gorgeous blogger Viola and as she's pale and it suits her, I figured I would give it a go.

Also, I have lion's mane hair today as that's what I was feeling. I'm not a hair person to be honest. I'm awful at styling my hair and I can't do much with mine as its so unruly. Considering chopping it all off, but it's my security blanket!! Without further ado, the photo followed by a run-down of the products used. Enjoy!



Face: Garnier Under-Eye Roll on, e.l.f. Tone Correcting Concealer, Garnier BB Cream in Light, Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Shell (on areas where I was blotchy due to central heating so needed more coverage!), e.l.f. Mineral Booster, e.l.f. Colour Correcting Powder.
Cheeks: MAC Creme Blush in Lady Blush (discontinued I believe), Benefit High Beam (highlight), Benefit Hoola (contour).
Eyes: Naked and Virgin eyeshadow (from Urban Decay Naked palette), Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara in Brown/Black.
Brows: Benefit Browzings in Light and Collection 2000 clear mascara (to keep in place).
Lips: MAC Violetta

Galaxy Nails (not chcolate)

Well hello there star-lovers!

There has been a bit of an obsession with galaxy nail art on YouTube and blogs of late and whilst I'm not always one to freely follow trends, I couldn't resist how gorgeous the nail art looked! I gave this a go for the first time yesterday and I think it was a fair attempt considering I'm not a gifted artist by any means. I think a cardboard box has more artistic flair then me to be honest, so if I can do this, you can too! Should you wish to, of course.

So, to the left is a picture of my supernova-bedecked nails and I hope you like them as much as I do. I did forget to use a dark blue to fade the yellow into the black, but I think considering I was entranced by the film Insidious at the time, I can be forgiven for this oversight. Just make sure you do that step as I feel it would be worth it. So, I used Rimmel 'Black Out' polish for the base, Rimmel 'Sunshine' for the yellow, Rimmel 'London Clouds' for the bigger white stars, and the glitter polish over the top made to look like tiny stars is e.l.f.'s 'Glitter Glam'. What do you think of galaxy nails? Would you wear them?

Review: Murine Bright and Moist Eye Drops

Hello all!

I was sent a bottle of Murine Bright and Moist Eye Drops around three or so weeks ago for review purposes. I have been using them off and on since then (as they are not intended for daily use and once opened you must discard them after 28 days, so do bear this in mind when you purchase them). I feel like this is enough time to give a fair review on them.

What Murine says: "MURINE Bright & Moist Eyes is formulated with a brightener to give super-white, bright eyes and two moisturisers helping to refresh and soothe - one of the few products on the market to meet both needs in one. Another USP is that the product comes in a liquid gel which helps the drops to stay in the eye for longer."

I do suffer with tired eyes that can sometimes feel fairly dry, so I was very interested to give this product a try and I would consider repurchasing them. A 15ml bottle costs £4.07 and you can get it from Boots here in the UK (sorry non-UK readers!). On days when my eyes have felt sore or tired, these drops have been good to have around as they instantly soothe. Obviously, they can cause temporary blurred vision and if applied when wearing make up, it could cause that to smudge. I tend to use them in the morning, before make up, and in the evening, before bed. You can use 1-2 drops up to four times a day, but you should not use them every day without a break, as previously stated. The solution did not sting my eyes, which are sensitive, but soothed them and certainly made my red veins look less noticeable (I have naturally very veiny/bloodshot eyes). So, all in all, I would recommend these to anyone that suffers with tired, veiny eyes or if you just want something that will make tired eyes feel more moist. I feel it is important to state that after using these for just over three weeks, there has been no noticeable difference to my eyesight, for better OR worse.

Thanks for reading!
Nicole x

Choca Mocha on my Nails

Thought I would share with you all the nails I am sporting at the moment; a taupe base with black semi-circles at the base of the nails. The taupe shade is by Nails Inc. and it's the shade 'Mink'. The black is Rimmel London polish in 'Black Out'. I did this design entirely by hand, hence why it is less than perfect. I'm still learning how best to do nail art as it's new to me, and I'm not massively artistic; I have ideas, but not the skills to execute them! Hope you like this!

I am hoping to have a new video up on my YouTube channel shortly. If you haven't visited it yet, please go over there and take a look at it, as I would like to interact with you all there! http://www.youtube.com/user/MakeupbyNix

Nicole x

Sky Blue

Hello!

Here's what I'm wearing on my nails today...in fact I've been wearing this for nearly a week now! I love this polish as it's such an unusual colour and lasts pretty well with a top coat (although does show scuffs up more than darker polishes). This is a polish I picked up in Next, a UK clothes retailer which has started selling the odd make up item since Christmas here in North Wales. It's simply called 'Blue' from their 'Get The Look' collection. For those of you who can't get hold of this exact polish, I would say that it is very similar to Barry M's 'Blue Moon' shade.

Short and sweet! Hope you're all well =) What polish are YOU loving at the moment? I'd love to hear from you.

Nicole x