Nails Nails Nails

NAILS NAILS NAILS

Do you feel more powerful with polished nails? OK...neither do I but a few of you have asked me to do a mini nail polish blog. So I have done a quick BRAND review and SNAPSHOT view after one application of a very random selection from my collection.



Quick BRAND review

Nails Inc - I am impressed with Nails Inc as a whole - their brushes allow the application to be really smooth. The polish consistency is perfectly balanced avoiding splodges, streaks and clumps, which I often fail to do, with other brands. I love the names (jermyn street, montrose palace) which gives them an edge to buying more than just a nail polish. Definitely on the higher end of the pricing scale but I've picked all my collection up, in sales and online.


Barry M - right up my street. There are loads of colours (including the LOUD mint green to softer pastel colorus). I am never disappointed with their collection and love the gold caps! Reasonably priced and always on offer.

Boots No 7 - so far disappointed. The colours always look wonderful but need more than one application to come close to what the bottle shows. I also think the polish consistency is imperfect causing streaks, lumps and just general mess around nail! I'm usually impressed with their make up collection so I have hope this is their own work in progress.

Naturals Collection - fantastic little buys for the price and a bonus they are fair trade compliant. The polish consistencies aren't perfect (can be a bit cloggy) but will do and last fairly long before drying out. They offer a wide variety of colours including some colours that I haven't seen with other ranges.









SNAPSHOTS- ONE APPLICATION

1) Nails Inc - Drury Lane(Coral)  


This is a beautiful colour and looks really pretty as a  set. It certainly sets a spring/summer mood regardless of the weather.





2) Barry M Nail Paint - Pink, Limited Edition 030
 

 I am wearing this right now!. It's possibly one of my favourites at the moment as it's not too loud (for the office) but still adds a bit of colour to an outfit and my day!
                   

3) Revlon Deep Pink

A classic colour and definitely a great brand. Application is perfect.

4) Marks and Spencer, Dusty Apricot 

 

Not a big fan of the application as it can be a bit streaky but

I love the subtle colour and this definitely gets a prize for

having the best name 'dusty apricot' - tick!

5) Barry M - Mint Green 006
  We all have vices and this is mine.Yes it's loud but it's so refreshing...I definitely get looks/shocks of horror when I wear this but my nails my colours!






6) Natural Collection - Topaz

 Simple and sublte, with a slight shimmer. So easy to apply too.

 7) No 7 Totally Teal 115

I am not a fan of this particular polish it comes out quite runny 

and it takes a number of applications before you see a decent colour. 

I was hoping for as rich a green as the bottle colour but no luck.



 8) Nails Inc - Jermyn Street
This is my favourite Nails inc polish to date.
I adore this very unique colour that only NI seem to have perfected.








So what are your favourite nail polishes or do you have a preferred brand?




Thanks for reading


SallySarah x

Rituals - reviews

Rituals Haul

Following on from a previous Rituals blog (click here to read it), I have received a variety of Rituals products to review. In order to diversify the content of this review, I  have requisitioned the assistance of 2 reliable friends who have no link to the beauty blogging world, which is why I am keen to tap into their thoughts and views and compare them with mine.

Claire aka Chutcherella. 

• She is in her 20s and originally from Wigan, England. 
• She has a real flair in the world of make up and fashion. 
• I've given her the Wu Wei, Organise White Lotus & Green Tea Calming Cream Bath  

 

• Denise also known as Denny 
• She is also in her 20s and is from Ireland
• She is an Irish rose with a quirky fashion sense
• I love her cheekbones
• I've given her the Qi Chinese Mint & Yi Yi Ren stress relief serum
  

So there they are....if you have tried these products - please let me know what you think. Otherwise, watch this space for their reviews...!

Sallysarah x

40 Beauty Questions

I've been tagged to answer the 40 beauty questions so here it is:-


Skincare:

• How many times do you wash your face daily?

I wash my face with cold water in the morning when I wake up. I then cleanse, tone and moisturise. In the evening, I will wash and remove make up and apply a light moisturiser.

• What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)

Dry - I'm lucky enough that spots/breakouts are a rarity.

• What is your current facial wash?

 
I rarely use any products or chemicals on my face. I simply remove make up and then use cold water to wash my face so it's pure as possible.

• Do you exfoliate?

 
Kind of - I have a face scrub which I use once a week - currently using the soap and glory one.

• What brand do you use?

Soap & Glory

• What moisturizer do you use?

At the moment, Rituals Awareness Intensive Moisturiser.

• Do you have freckles?

Yes quite light ones.  

• Do you use eye cream?

If I'm very tired, I use the SIMPLE soothing eye balm, which is very light and not too creamy.

• Do you or did you have acne prone skin?

No - I must have done something right.

• Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?

No. I've never tried it. 

MAKE-UP:

• What foundation do you use?

Revlon Colorstay in number 008 Golden Beige.

• How about concealer?

No.

• Do you know your undertone color?

I think it's a warm olive tone - on a good day!!
 

•  What do you think of fake eyelashes? -I have never wore them but tempted to invest in some outer eyelashes.

• Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?

I thought the expiry was 6 months but mine go well before the 3 months mark anyway.

• What brand of mascara do you use?

I have too many and this is an ongoing concern at the moment ( see my post here) but they are YSL and Boots No7 at the moment.

• Sephora or MAC?

There isn't a sephora near me so I'm MAC - it is the foundation to any girl's beauty collection

• Do you have a MAC Pro-card?

No.

• What makeup tools do you use in make up application?

  Foundation - MAC 190 brush. Bobbi Brown eyeliner brush. Flatbed eyeshadow and blender by Linda.

• Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?

No ever since I used Photoready have never needed a base. I tested Urban Decay primer for the eyes but saw no real results.

• What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?

Benefit trio brown eye palette and gold metallic stars roller shadow by rimmel - love a slight shimmer.

• Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?

Recently bought Bobbi Brown long gel eyeliner which I absolutely love - so gel. but prior to that it was the liquid eyeliner on top but if i used it on the lower lid, i would use the pen/crayon. The YSL pen is one of the best in terms of applying but just wish it was darker.

• How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?

Haha many times. Stingggg!

• What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?

I have never used them.

• Do you use mineral makeup?

Over Colorstay I will use a true match minerals by L'Oreal which is perfect.
 

• What is your favorite lipstick?

No 7 Nude - amazing. I am still on the look out though.

• How about lipgloss?

Body Shop Coconut Lip Butter is amazing on its own or applied over lipstick (see here for a post on this).
 

• What is your favorite blush to use?

NARS Angelika 407 and Benefit Sugarbomb

• Do you buy your makeup on ebay?

I have bought a couple of things from ebay but prefer getting them in shops.

• Do you like drugstore makeup?

I tend to shop in places like Boots and John Lewis rather than in pharmacists ;-)

• Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)

No but I am going to one next weekened near to me.
 

• Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?

I have subscribed to a night of it with a friend who owns a salon.

• Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?

Depends what mood I'm in - I am happy to go out without make up on if my face needs a break.

• Name a makeup crime that you hate?

Badly applied foundation - not rubbed in properly - not blended on the side of the face, or the neck. Lipstick on teeth. Sloppy fake tan. Chipped nail polish. People who put make up on over make up.

• Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?

Colour and creativity make the world go around

• Which celebrity always has great make up?

Kim Khardasian - classic.

• If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?

gel eyeliner, although I'm still in the 'i love you period'
 

• Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?

Yes. I do a lot on the weekends. As long as I'm showered and my teeth are brushed I feel good about myself.

• Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?

Beauty is all about the skin but make up gives me a slight boost of confidence.
 

• In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?

Benefit have never let me down. Constantly impressed by them particular Sugarbomb blusher, Benetint and Beneglow.

• What do you think of Makeup??

I love it - talking about it, looking at it, buying it, applying it, writing about it. 

a hunt for the perfect mascara

Mascara mascara o where for art thou

I love everything about mascara - the packaging, the exxagerated advertising, the innovatively designed brushes, the smell of the mascara and that first application where I hopefully think, yes...this is the one!

But then I get sceptical- do my eyelashes ACTUALLY look longer, more voluminous and really stand out? is the quirky design of the brush actually doing anything? has it dried out already? or I am the victim of my own consumerism?

In the search for my perfect mascara, I thought I'd share with you a selection of those I have tried...

 1) Yves Saint Laurent - Mascara Volume effet faux cils 
(Voluminous Mascara with false eyelash effect)

Well this is number 1 for reasons other than for it's price at £21.50! I discovered this back in University from a glamorous blonde friend, Zoe, who always had beautiful thick and long eyelashes. It's definitely been brought into my make up collection several times since. Oh the packaging is stubbornly the best out there. A golden tube with the YSL insignia engraved upon. The wand is thick and the brush comes out slowly soaking up as much of the lotion of 'seduction' as it can. In terms of the brush style, YSL are one of the few brands who have not digressed to different shapes, sizes and angles. Their brush style is classic - thick and straight.

The first few applications are wonderful - slink, soft eyelashes that are lengthy and have the wow factor. But after a couple of weeks any more than one application, my eyelashes begin to look clogged and stiff. The dreaded spider look entails and there is very little I can do to separate them. Where has the effet faux look gone? The brush and mascara itself feel dry. The inner leaflet suggests washing the brush to reignite the mascara but this then makes it a lot more clumpy and never has that silk style. I always get disappointed with YSL as it has such potential but sadly disappoints too early which is unacceptable for being on the highest end of the price scale.


2) No 7 Exceptional Definition
 I have been impressed by Boot's No 7 range in particular and used one of their vouchers to get my hands on their No 7 Exceptional Definition.


I was interested by this one in particular because of the triple functional brush:-

• one side as the normal mascara brush
• another side to remove any clumps
• and the tip for the corners of the eye

Overall this was a great mascara - the design of the brush is very clever and worked perfectly without involving too much hassle. Each part had a noticeable effect. I also found by twisting the brush whilst applying, it gave my lashes a boosted curl, which is a definite thumbs up. My only gripe with this is that despite a number of application, the volume is just not enough and the lashes still felt thin and failed to satisfy my search for the wow factor. I know Boots have a range of No 7 mascaras which I need to now explore.






3) Rimmel 1 2 3

This was a random and quick purchase but I liked the idea of there being 3 types of effect.

• turn up to 1 - 3 times more volume
• turn up to 2 - 5 times more volume
• turn up to 3 - 10 times more volume

Although there is clearly volume, there really is just nothing else to it. It comes out like glue and cloggy and goes on exactly like that, prone to smudging and just generally difficult to tame. This is a definite let down.

Have you found the perfect mascara?

Sallysarah x

What's in my bag

5 THINGS IN MY HANDBAG

I love reading other people's blogs as to what is in their bag and their favourite items so here are mine (in order of priority).

1) Phone and cute cover

I love my blackberry and would be lost without it. I've recently got this funky cover for it too which although looks of a material texture it's hard plastic which keeps the phone well-protected.

2) Purse  
I was given this as a Christmas present a few years ago and have absolutely loved Radley purses and bags ever since. The leather is so soft and it is a classic piece that I will keep forever. I really want to add to my radley collection (hint hint).

3) Umberella  
I've put this on the list because I have only just bought it and know that it will be put to good use in the UK. I like the pink  polka dot style and it reminds me of some the radley ones even though this is a bargain for £4.50 from tesco!

4)  Notepad

I always carry a pencil and notepad so I can jot anything 
that comes up during my day, which is totally non-work 
related. I bought a load of these beautiful mini leather 
bound notebooks from a market in Delhi for about 80p each. 
I love their feel and anything that brings me back to roaming 
the streetsof Delhi shopping puts me in the right mood for 
my doodles and scribbles.

5) Bodyshop Lip Butter

I absolutely love this bodyshop lip butter and go through it very quickly. 

It's soft creamy and smells of wonderful coconuts. I love the nude effect look it holds by itself and it can add a slinky gloss to any lipstick...without my hair sticking to my lips. Wonderful!

So those are my top 5 items and of course, my Mischa Barton bag I am using at the moment, which my lovely sister bought me for Christmas! I'm still not sick of it, which shows how much I love it!

What's in your bag....???