Jelly Pong Pong Fairy Lashes Mascara

In May’s Glossybox came a full size mascara from a brand I had never heard of before. I love trying out new mascaras, especially as my eyelashes are so long but not curly at all. The mascara in question is called Fairy Lashes and it comes from the brand Jelly Pong Pong. Although I got this in my Glossybox, it retails at £15 so definitely not a cheap product.

The mascara comes in a wonderful looking light blue box. This is slightly bigger than the mascara itself but quite a lot wider. The front of the box gives the Jelly Pong Pong logo, the name of the product and the website address. The side of the box gives a description of the mascara and instructions on how to use the product. As mascara packaging goes, this is definitely one of the nicer boxes. Some mascaras don’t even come with a box at all so this was a big plus to begin with. If I were to see this on a shelf, it would definitely catch my eye.

Inside the middle of the box sits the mascara which can be pulled out easily. I was expecting this to be a similar colour to the box but instead, it is housed in a lovely, dark purple tube. The tube has the Jelly Pong Pong logo on it as well as the name of the mascara printed in a lighter purple so it contrasts nicely and is easy to see. After unscrewing the lid, I was extremely happy to see a regular application wand. I hate those new plastic applicator wands so my first impressions of this product were great.

However, while the packaging and wand were impressive, not much else was. This mascara has a combination of both blue and black pigments in order to give an intense black colour to your lashes and after application, my lashes were extremely dark. Unfortunately though, my lashes looked terrible. The mascara comes out really thickly after pulling the wand out of the tube and even after wiping some off before applying, my lashes looked extremely clumpy and stuck together. It took me a lot of work with an eyelash brush and a clean mascara wand to fix the mess that this mascara made. Jelly Pong Pong claim that this mascara makes eyelashes thicker and curvier but still keeping them light and soft but I cannot say at all that this is true. My eyelashes were extremely clumpy and heavy and it barely curled them at all.

Even though I wasn’t completely happy with how my eyelashes looked, I still went to work with this mascara on as I just didn’t have time to reapply everything and start over but I couldn’t wait to get it off once I got home. This mascara is also water resistant which makes it an absolute pain to remove. Even by using face wipes, this came off in massive clumps that stuck to my face and were really annoying to get rid of. It took me a good 10-15 minutes to get the mascara off compared to the usual couple of minutes it takes with my normal No. 7 mascara.

With a hefty £15 price tag, this mascara just isn’t worth the money, especially as it doesn’t live up to the claims it makes. 

Headline Colors Nail Polish - Spotlight

In my first Glossybox (a monthly subscription for beauty products), I received a Headline Colors Nail Polish. Headline isn’t a brand I had heard of before but probably because it is so new. At the minute, 2 collections are available to buy which consist of The Spring/ Summer 13 Catwalk collection and the 12/13 Autumn/ Collection.

Each nail polish costs £9 and can be bought from: http://headlinecolors.com/shop/

As I got this product through Glossybox, I had no choice over the colour I received but I did get the Spotlight colour. The nail polish comes in a small, square glass bottle which is see through. The bottom of the bottle has the Headline Colours logo but nothing else which makes the packaging quite plain. The lid is made from black plastic which is a nice contrast with the clear glass.

The colour I received is a silvery purple kind of shade which can be seen easily in the bottle. After taking off the lid and revealing the brush, it quickly became clear that this nail polish was quite thin in consistency. However, Headline advise to ‘Apply two thin coats to clean nails’. As I painted on the first coat, I could instantly see just how thin the liquid was. The first coat was extremely streaky and at this point I was not at all impressed with how it looked on my nails.

Luckily, the second coat looked a lot better. Instead of the thin, streaky colour that I had before, the second coat gave my nails a wonderfully shiny metallic finish. I have never had a nail polish that is so different from one coat to the next but I was really pleased to see that the finish had improved a great deal. I also really liked the finished colour. Although the nail polish looks more silver in the bottle, it ends up more of a metallic lilac after the final coat.

While I really like the colour of this nail polish, I cannot say that it is worth the hefty £9 price tag. I painted my nails at about 8 or 9pm at night but by 10am the next morning, they were chipped… a lot. My nails looked terrible and I hadn’t done anything particularly harsh in order to cause the chipping. None of my other nail polishes chip this easily and they are all a lot cheaper than £9. The nail polish is also really easily removed, which is a good thing in this case. I couldn’t wait to get it off after it looked so bad.

Unfortunately, while this new range does do some fantastic colours, I just cannot recommend it due to it not lasting even 24 hours. 

L'Oreal Elvive Triple Resist Conditioner

After trying the L'Oreal Elvive Triple Resist Shampoo, I wanted to try the conditioner as well to see if it strengthened the results. The Triple Resist range from L’Oreal aims to reinforce and nourish broken or brittle hair, making it appear healthier and to help prevent breakage. For a 400ml bottle, you can expect to pay roughly £3.99 depending on where you buy the product from. When I bought my bottle, it was on offer in Wilkos for £2.99.  

What I love about this range of L’Oreal is the packaging. Instead of a boring conditioner bottle, this one comes in black and bright pink. The packaging instantly stood out to me on the shelf in the shop and it is far more attractive than others I have on the shelf in my bathroom. The bottle has text giving the name of the product and what is does printed in white although some is highlighted by the pink. The bottle states that this shampoo is for fine and fragile hair and Loreal explain that ‘you put your hair through daily torture and sometimes it can lack essential nourishment. Weakened, your hair has a tendency to break and fall out.’

The opening of the bottle is at the bottom, like with most conditioners and is a pink flip cap. The cap opens really easily and the bottle only needs a gentle squeeze in order for the white conditioner to come out. The conditioner is quite thick in consistency but not so much that you cannot smooth it over your hair easily. This also has the same scent as the shampoo from the same range, which is quite floral and girly.

When applying the conditioner, I did so only to the ends and the middle of my hair. I never put conditioner on my roots as it tends to make my hair greasy and besides, this one aims to helps broken ends which is exactly what I needed. While the conditioner is quite thick, you don’t need to use too much of it. I have hair that goes half way down my back but I only used a small blob of conditioner. This means that the 400ml bottle will last quite a long time, and even longer for those with short hair.

When just using the shampoo, my hair felt great after a shower but with the addition of the matching conditioner, I couldn’t believe the results. My hair was instantly a lot softer and smoother than it would normally have been at this point, especially when wet. I could comb through my hair with complete easy and no time was spent getting those horrible knots out. After blow drying, my hair felt thicker than normal, soft and it also smelt fantastic. I love how the scent of the conditioner sticks to hair after rinsing it out and drying it. The scent also lasts really well, which is something I don’t get from many other hair products.

Combined with the shampoo, this conditioner works exceptionally well. I have noticed that my hair falls out and breaks so much less than it did before I started using these products so it’s nice to not find random hairs all over my clothes and my flat.

Sanctuary Body Wash

Since being bought a big Sanctuary gift set for my birthday, I have fallen in love with the brand. Everything I have used so far has been great. This review is for the Sanctuary Body Wash which is available from Boots and the Sanctuary Spa. It costs £5.50 for a 250ml bottle.

The body wash comes in a clear plastic bottle which has a frosted pull off cap. The bottle has the Sanctuary Spa name and logo printed on the front as well as a small description of the product. The bottle is nice enough but it is a little plain. If it wasn’t for being able to see the product inside, it would be extremely boring. The actual body wash is a wonderful light orange colour which also has capsules of sesame oil and jojoba inside and these are a darker orange. I think that these small capsules are what help to make the body wash look so attractive. It breaks up the monotony of a one colour body wash and it looks a bit different from anything else I have in my bathroom.

When using the body wash, it has the consistency of a thick gel. However, due to the added capsules, it is not the smoothest of gels but instead has a bitty texture to it. Now, this body wash doesn’t later up very well so you do actually only need to use one dollop of it. To begin with, I thought I wasn’t using enough as it didn’t lather up well but after trying out different measures of the body wash, I’ve realised that it doesn’t matter how much you use because you get the same results regardless. Although this body wash doesn’t lather up well, it does feel fantastic on the skin. The small lather feels very soft and silky and luxurious on the skin. When washing, you can feel the small capsules on your body but they don’t hurt or rub at all and they wash away easily instead of ending up being stuck in the bottom of the bath or shower like scrubs do.

Sanctuary use a mix of spices in their products which gives them a quite unusual scent to them. I do like the smell of Sanctuary products though and this one especially. Hot water added to the body wash makes the bathroom fill with the rich, spicy fragrance and it is extremely refreshing. This body wash has a scent different from any other brand I know and it definitely stands out to me.

After using this, my skin feels incredibly soft and smooth but the scent does not last. Not too long after getting out of the bath or shower I notice that my skin doesn’t really smell of anything much at all. I really love how this smells in the shower but it is such a shame that my skin doesn’t get to smell of it afterwards. For the hefty price tag of £5.50 a bottle, I want more than just a nice smelling shower. So, because of that, I am not completely impressed with this product.

Palmolive Soft & Gentle Aroma Therapy Sensual Antiperspirant Deodorant

I have tried many deodorants in the past and I generally tend to buy them depending on the price, not the brand. At the time of purchase (which was a while ago now) the Palmolive Soft & Gentle Aroma Therapy Sensual Antiperspirant Deodorant cost only £1 and was on offer in Wilkos. The actual fragrance of this product is Wild Rose and Vanilla.

The deodorant comes in your average canister for this kind of product. The colours on the canister are mostly pink and white, with the bottom being a bright pink with white covering the top two thirds. The pop off lid matches the bright pink colour at the bottom of the canister. The words Soft & Gentle are printed on in large letting which makes the product stand out on a shelf. There are also pictures of flowers which makes it appear feminine.

Once the pink cap is off, it reveals a push down white spray nozzle. With a first, hard press, the nozzle releases the deodorant. It is advised that you spray this roughly 15-30cm away from the body. The deodorant comes out quickly once the nozzle is pressed in a white spray form. One thing I dislike about this deodorant is how thick the spray is. My flat is pretty small and the bathroom has no ventilation so if I use this product in there, the room fills up and makes it hard to breathe. Instantly though, you can smell vanilla with the hints of rose coming out slowly. The vanilla is by far the strongest of the two scents but I don’t mind this at all as I love the smell of vanilla.

Palmolive claim that this product is ‘specially formulated to battle unwanted wetness and unpleasant odours throughout the day.’ They also claim that it has a 24 hour formula which can keep you fresh and dry. I do find that this deodorant lasts for a good few hours, helping to keep away sweat and any unpleasant smells that this can cause. However, there is no way it lasts anywhere near 24 hours. I don’t even think it really lasts for 6. Maybe the whole 24 hour thing is for people who barely sweat at all and not normal people.

While this deodorant has a lovely scent, it just doesn’t last which is a shame. This is one of the few deodorants which doesn’t leave horrible white marks but it also doesn’t do what I need it to do. For £1 though, I guess I can’t complain too much. 

Schwarzkopf Gliss Liquid Silk Gloss Conditioner

My lovely mother in-law bought me a bag full of Schwarzkopf hair goodies for my birthday. Schwarzkopf Gliss isn’t a brand I had ever used before and I was looking forward to using something a bit different from what I would normally buy. The Schwarzkopf Gliss Liquid Silk Gloss Conditioner claims that it can repair hair cells to give 130% more shine.

The bottle of conditioner comes in a wonderfully girly bottle. The colour of the bottle is a light, sugary pink with a silver flip cap at the bottom which is also how the bottle stands up. The bottle has the Schwarzkopf logo right at the top with Gliss printed in large, bold letters underneath it. It also states that this is a hair repair conditioner and aimed at people with brittle or dull hair. Compared to the packaging of other hair products in my bathroom, I do like this one more. The colour is brighter, the bottle sleeker and it generally just looks nicer.

As my hair is pretty long and very fine, it doesn’t look very full or healthy most of the time. I get split ends extremely easily and blow drying and straightening doesn’t help this. I like my hair to look as nice as possible though and have been looking for a shampoo/ conditioner that makes it look healthier for a long time. This conditioner claims that it contains proteins that are identical to those in actual hair which makes it able to repair deep inside the hair. This sounded like a pretty good claim to me but was it true?

After shampooing my hair, I used a dollop of the conditioner (probably a bit more than most people would) and covered my hair with it. After leaving the conditioner on for a couple of minutes, I rinsed it out and covered my hair with a towel straight after getting out of the shower. Even before combing through my hair I could feel that my split ends were not nearly as dry as normal. Once combed through, my hair felt so much more healthy than I had been used to. The comb glided through my hair instead of me having to take a long time to get through it.

After blow drying, I could see the effects rather than just feeling them.  My hair is softer, smoother and definitely shinier after using this conditioner and it also smells really nice too. My boyfriend regularly comments on how nice my hair smells now since using this. Also, as I do have fine hair, I find some conditioners too harsh to use every single day and I generally have to change up what I use. However, this one does not weigh down my hair at all but instead, it feels soft every single day.

I absolutely love this conditioner and it is now my new favourite. A 200ml bottle of this conditioner will currently set you back £2.49 from Superdrug.

Asda Moda Feather Print T-Shirt

White is a colour that doesn’t generally see the inside of my wardrobe. Although it is not all black in there, I do like to wear darker coloured tops but this year I felt like a bit of a change. When I saw the Moda Feather Print T-Shirt in Asda, I had to have it. This t-shirt is available in sizes 10-22 but right now, it is sold out online, showing how popular it has been but it would normally cost £10.

This top is not completely white, which is why it stood out to me. Printed on the front is a feather design which is made up of pink, black, white and tiny bits of green. The feathers begin on each shoulder, facing inwards and getting slightly thinner the further down the top it goes. To me, this looks like the opposite of angel wings because if you inverted the design, that is what it would look like. The feather design is absolutely beautiful, with the feathers being outlined in black and showing the pink, white and green in the middles. Also, the large white parts of the top have a slightly darker, burnt out white spotted print on them as well which again, breaks up the monotony of the colour without making it look too cluttered or busy.

This t-shirt only has tiny sleeves which is another design detail that I really like. The cut of the t-shirt is very relaxed but very modern too. The front is straight while the back is slightly longer and curved at the bottom. The style and cut of this t-shirt makes it look very casual but the design is what makes it that little bit more special. Due to the colours mixed in with the white, this top is colourful but not over the top. Being made out of 100% polyester, this isn’t made from the best material but it is lightweight and breathable. The fit also isn’t skin tight which makes it a really nice fit for the summer.

This is by far one of my favourite t-shirts right now and it was a fantastic price so great value for money.

Veet Easy Wax Electrical Roll On Kit

What you get in the kit

I recently signed up to a site called Bzzagent, where you get to trial products and spread the word about them. My first campaign was for the Veet Easy Wax Electrical Roll On Kit. Inside my pack was the main roll on kit, which consisted of the heating device, a 50ml refill for legs and arms, 12 waxing strips, 4 wipes and instructions. I also got a refill pack for bikini lines and underarms. The retail price for the main, big kit is £29.99 and refills are roughly £9.99. (They are a lot cheaper on Amazon though)

I have never waxed before having always used razors so I was a little wary about what using this would be like. However, Veet claim that this product uses the same ingredients as salons and can give salon waxing finishes at home. I do get bored of shaving my legs at least once a week but have always been too scared of the pain of waxing. Before using this product, Veet recommend exfoliating the day before you intend to wax and for hair to be between 2 and 5mm long.

The device

So having exfoliated the day before, I got ready to be in some serious pain. The heating device is easy to assemble. All you need to do it plug it in to the mains, the other end plugged into the device and then pop it into the base stand. The refill pack slots into the device easily. Once the heating system is on, there is a little red light at the bottom which indicated it is heating. The heating device is quite plain as it is mostly white with a bright pink cap and pink sides which are made from rubber. This makes it easier to hold in the hand and less likely to slip.

On the top of the refill is a roller, which is what is used to put the wax on your legs.  

First use

The device with heated wax

Veet say that the device should take around 20 minutes to heat up properly. This can be tested by moving the roller on the top of the device. If the device is heated properly, the roller will move freely but if it doesn’t, just leave it to heat up for a bit longer. Mine took quite a bit longer than 20 minutes to heat up enough to be able to use the product though. After 20 minutes I couldn’t move the roller at all. After 30 it moved a little bit but it wasn’t until after 45 minutes that I could move it enough that wax showed.

At this point, I was getting bored of waiting and just wanted it to be over. I had my waxing strips all laid out on the table in front of me ready for use as well as the wipes to get rid of any excess wax. I must say at this point that this wax does not come off with water so the wipes provided must be used. So, once the device had heated up enough to use, I slowly rolled the wax on to the middle of my leg in the direction of my hair growth. With the right pressure, the peach/ pink coloured wax provides an even line on the skin. At this point, I immediately applied the waxing strip and got ready to rip it off.

The ripping of the strip was by far the scariest part of this whole process. Veet advise to hold the skin down taut before ripping it off for better results. The sound of the wax strip being ripped off was far worse sounding than it actually felt. While I cannot say that it didn’t hurt at all, it wasn’t nearly as painful as I had imagined it to be. Instead of actual pain, I would describe the feeling as slight discomfort more than anything but I think I would get used to this quickly if I were to keep on using the wax.

However, on one part of my leg I did end up using too much wax and removing this did hurt like hell. You only need to use one roll of the wax – do not go over it more than once and this is where I went wrong. The wax was too thick and the strip did not rip off easily. Instead, I had to do it slowly which is why it hurt so much. Lesson learned though.

How well does it work?

My leg after use

While the pain was minimal, I wasn’t completely impressed with this product. For the price, I wanted my legs to be completely hair free but this wasn’t what I got. Although I made sure to wax on lines right next to each other, covering everywhere with hair, I was left with small bits of hair on both of my legs. Considering the hair left on the waxing strips, I thought I had got it all but apparently not. The hair on my legs wasn’t too long, maybe only 2-3mm so it wasn’t too short nor too long compared to what Veet recommended.

After waxing, my legs were left feeling quite tingly and extremely sticky. Veet supply for wipes for use after waxing due to the wax not being able to be removed with water. The wipes come in small foil packets and are extremely oily to the touch. These removed the residue wax on my legs really well but my legs were left feeling very oily afterwards. Luckily I was having a shower after waxing so I didn’t mind this too much.

Due to the wax not removing all of the hair, I had to go over parts of my legs with a razor. This kind of defeats the point of waxing in my eyes but maybe as it was my first time, I didn’t do it as well as I should have. I also ended up using the whole 12 waxing strips so to use this again, I need to purchase some more.

Overall

Due to the price of the starting pack, I am not as impressed with this product as I could have been. Although I was left with random hair on my legs, that parts that were waxed properly were extremely smooth and felt wonderful. The refill pack has enough wax in it for 4 uses on legs so I will buy some more strips so that I can use it again. It seems silly to waste something so expensive. 

July Glossybox

July's Glossybox has finally arrived!! I'm not sure why this month's box came so late into the month but I was still excited when it turned up. This month's Glossybox is titled 'Seaside Splash' and contains summer must haves for face, lips, hair and nails. 

This month, we get something a little different from the usual pretty pink box and instead, the box is a lovely turquoise colour with coral and starfish pictures on. I really like this box even though it doesn't match the others now but it is bright and cheerful. 

This is what my box included this month:

1. Ciate London Paint Pot (Full Size 13.5ml £9)
2. Anatomicals Spray Misty For Me Facial Spritz (Full Size 100ml £6)
3. Pukka Ayurveda Radiance Serum (Sample 10ml worth £6.40)
4. Alterna Haircare Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist (Sample 25ml worth £4.60)
5. Coola Mineral Face SPF 20 Rose Essence Tint (Sample 7ml. Full size 50ml is £29.99)

Overall, I'm pretty happy with this month's box. The only thing I'm not so sure of is the Coola sample. It is supposed to be applied every 2 hours while in the sun and as the sample is only 7ml, it won't really last long enough for me to decide if I really like it or not. I think I'd be lucky to get one day out of the sample. Other than that though, I'm quite excited to try a new nail polish and especially the facial spray as I work somewhere that gets extremely hot during the day. 

How is everyone else liking their boxes this month?

Nail Polishes for 99p

Fragrance Direct isn't a site I have ever used before but after recently having a quick look, I realised that it may just be becoming one of my new favourites. Nail polishes can be quite expensive if you like having loads of colours like I do and a good collection can cost a fortune. However, Fragrance Direct have a fantastic range of extremely cheap nail polishes. 

One particular range that I won't pay full price for is from Revlon. While the colours are great, I just think £6.50 is too much. But, Fragrance Direct have a whole load of colours available for just 99p. I bought myself Classy (281), Blue Lagoon (092) and Minted (85). All are lovely pastel colours which are perfect for summer and I can't wait to use these. 

Not only are Revlon polishes available but you can get Rimmel 60 Second nail polishes as well for 99p. I really love the 60 Second range especially for when I don't have the time to wait for my nails to try. I only bought two of these and they were At Ease (520) and Coral Crush (409). I also bought a quick drying top coat from Cutex for £1.50

There are so many other colours available and I can't wait to make another order next time I get paid. Have you used this website before and if so, what else have you been buying!?

Hugo Boss Deep Red Shower Gel

Hugo Boss Deep Red is one of my all-time favourite perfumes so I was delighted when my Mum bought me a tube of the shower gel for my birthday back in March. You can buy the perfume in a set and get this product with it but it can also be bought separately for as little as £3.99 on Amazon for a 150ml tube.

The shower gel comes in a dark red tube, which matches the colour of the perfume bottle in this range. I love the colour and packaging of this shower gel as it looks a bit sexier than most shower gels I own. The tube is wider at the top, thinning out towards the silver screw cap at the bottom. The tube, although it has a wonderful colour, is quite plain. Printed on the front is the Hugo/ Hugo Boss logo along with the fact that this is in the Deep Red range, as well as how much product there is and what the product is. I do like the simplicity of the packaging though because it does what it needs to while looking nice at the same time.

As much as I love the perfume in this brand, I was worried the shower gel would not smell the same. However, once opening the cap, the familiar scent came right back to me. The Deep Red scent has a floral top note consisting of blackcurrant, pear, tangerine and blood orange, which gives it a wonderfully feminine scent. The middle notes include ginger and freesia while the end notes include more woody fragrances such as sandalwood, cedar, musk and vanilla. I love the mix of fragrances within this shower gel as they create such a unique scent.

The shower gel itself is a coppery orange colour which can be seen as soon as you begin to squeeze the tube. The shower gel also lathers up extremely well, which I would expect of a product of such a well-known brand. I only need to use one dollop of shower gel on a fluff ball in order for it to go into a nice, thick lather. Once hot water hits the shower gel, the scent is magnified, filling my bathroom with a fantastic floral but woody fragrance. I absolutely adore the smell of this shower gel and cannot get enough of it.

However, it does have a downfall. The scent, once on your body and out of the shower, does not last very long. The perfume lasts for hours but I find that the shower gel barely lasts a couple of hours. This shower gel would be a perfect product for me if it lasted longer than it does. However, I love the smell of it whilst in the shower so that wouldn’t stop me from buying it. 

Skechers Women's Bikers Proposal Ballerina

When it comes to shoes for work, I have to have something extremely comfortable. When I worked in a shoe shop in Toronto, I was introduced to Skechers which I had never worn before. Since then (2007/8) I have worn nothing but Skechers for work during the warmer months and I doubt I will be buying anything else for a while. One of my favourite pairs is the Skechers Women's Bikers Proposal Ballerina.

Skechers don’t seem to have a UK website although I know Barratts stock the brand. However, I buy my Skechers from Amazon. The pair in question cost £39.99 and are available in white, beige and black. As I have been wearing black trousers for work, I chose to buy the black shoes so that they would match.

This particular pair of Skechers is in the style of a Mary Jane but with a more athletic look. The shoe is made from both leather and mesh, which makes it a robust shoe with the ability to breath at the same time. The sole, front and heel of the shoe is made from black leather which is quite stiff but does soften up as you wear these in. The sides and part of the front is made from mesh, which allows the feet to breathe and also gives the shoe a more sporty look. I really love the design of these shoes which is why I keep going back to Skechers. I hate to admit it but in other shoes, my feet can get quite sweaty at work but they don’t in these. I even wear them with socks quite a lot of the time and still my feet remain nice and dry.

These are also not a basic slip on shoe. These have one continuous strap which criss-crosses over the top of the foot. The straps make the shoes stay on my feet really well which I don’t think they would do otherwise. The straps have a velcro fastening which means you are able to have these straps as tight or loose as you need them. Everyone has different shaped feet so I think this aspect of the shoe is really clever, as it means everyone can wear them.

What I love most about this particular pair of shoes is how comfortable they are. Unlike many other pairs of shoes, there is no need to wear these in. From the first time I put these on, they were as comfortable as they are today. Never have they ever rubbed at the heels or the sides of my feet. Skechers make it possible to buy a pair of shoes and wear them immediately without having to worry about pain or blisters. I can’t say that I have had this with any other pair of shoes that I own.

While I do wear these mostly with work trousers, they can also be worn on a more casual basis. These shoes look fantastic with jeans and even more casual looking skirts. They are a great pair of shoes for the summer as they keep my feel really cool and dry. I cannot recommend these shoes enough. 

Multicoloured Barry M Nails

I'm generally quite boring when it comes to my nails and I'm not very creative with colours and designs. I blame being unsteady when trying to paint my right hand nails. I can never paint my right hand any where near as well as my left and I always thought I wouldn't be able to do anything fun. However, the other week I saw a post on another blog (and I feel terrible because I can't remember which blog now) about using nail tape to help create designs. 

As soon as I finished reading the post, I headed over to ebay to order myself some. I managed to get 20 rolls of metallic nail art striping tape for the bargain price of £2.99 (99p delivery). If you're interested in the exact product purchased, you can find it here! This tape can be used to mark out actual designs on your nails and for it to stay there but that isn't what I wanted it for. I wanted to be able to mark out different colour sections in order for me to be able to paint them neatly. Also, as I put these on my nails to mark out blocks, I realised they didn't actually stick down too well on their own. Maybe with a top coat on they would stay but I can imagine them to peel off quite easily. 

Anyway, wanting to try out something quite simple at first, I chose to do a two colour design, with diagonal colour blocks. Barry M do one of my absolute favourite colours which is Raspberry so I wanted to use that and I used Bright Purple. Now, I was silly and forgot to take pictures of the masking part of this process so you don't get to see that unfortunately. I will still describe the process though. 

To start with, I cut off enough pieces of tape and stuck them down diagonally across my nails. Firstly, I painted the bottom sections in Raspberry, quickly putting one coat on after the other. The tape itself needs to be pulled off quite quickly otherwise you end up with sticky nail polish all over the place and lines which are far from neat. After the bottom halves of my nails were dry, I then painted the tops in purple. This part requires a pretty steady hand so that you don't mess up the lines. I did, however, end up with nail polish on my fingers due to it being a bit tricky but that's nothing a cotton bud and nail polish remover won't fix. 

I wasn't sure the colours were going to match but I think the final result is pretty good and you can see it below!

That is a picture of my left hand and I'll honestly say, the right hand didn't look quite as neat but it was good enough for me, especially for a first attempt at doing something different. In total, this look took me about 30 minutes from start to finish but I imagine I will get quicker with practice. 

I will definitely be trying out new designs in the future and I think the tape will be really good for creating a multicoloured manicure look!

Barry M Textured Nail Effects Nail Paint

I am a massive lover of nail polishes in general but one of my absolute favourite brands in Barry M. I have barely ever been disappointed with a nail colour from this brand and love to try the new things they come out with. Something I wasn’t so sure of though was the Barry M Textured Nail Effects but luckily my flatmate Kate bought all four shades available so obviously, I gave them a go.

This range consists of four different colours, each named after famous places where Barry Mero began his career. Colours available are all in pastels for a spring/ summer look and are pink, yellow, green and blue. This product is available in Boots and Superdrug (often with offers on) or the Barry M website and they have a RRP of £3.99.

Each nail polish in this range comes in the signature Barry M glass bottle which is rectangular in shape. The glass bottle is see through so you are able to see the colour clearly inside. The bottom of the bottle states the shade and colour of the nail polish inside while the back of the bottle gives instructions for use. The black lid twists out to reveal the applicator brush. The lid also has a speckled effect to it and a white band stating this is a textured product so you know that you are not buying a normal nail polish. As the bottles from Barry M are rectangular, I find that they line up much better on a shelf than round bottles which is something I really like about the brand.

Unlike regular nail polishes, this one gives a textured effect which is why I was unsure about it to begin with. I like my nails looking smooth and well-manicured so I didn’t quite know what I was going to think of the effect once on my nails. Barry M describe this nail polish as giving a ‘grainy, matte formula creates a unique textured effect for a grunge-chic look.’

Upon pulling on the brush with nail polish on the end, you can immediately see that this is not a smooth polish. The brush provided is quite thin but to cover my nails, it generally only takes three strokes to cover a nail. For the first coat, I was surprised at how bad the colour looked. I decided to give each colour a try all at once so this review covers each colour in the range. The colour was extremely weak and thin looking but there was quite a lot of texture on my nail although quite spread out. The only way I can think to describe the texture is to compare it to sandpaper, but the smoothest kind you can buy.  

Not being happy with only one coat, I applied a second, hoping that it wouldn’t take more than this. Luckily, two coats really does the trick and the results are great. The colour looks much bright and thicker after a second coat and the texture was also covering my nail more. After the polish was dry, I ran my fingers over my nails to try to decide what I thought of the texture. I actually really liked it and I wasn’t expecting to at all. The texture is quite rough but I think it gives it an industrial feel to nails and it is also really different. Once I had put a top coat on my nails, the texture wasn’t quite as rough so if you don’t like it to begin with, try a top coat to see if it makes a difference for you.

I was also surprised at how long this nail polish lasted. Due to working with a keyboard, the tips of my nails tend to chip easily and quickly but this lasted a whole week before there was any chipping at all. The textured effect does make this nail polish slightly harder to remove than a regular polish, much like anything with glitter in it. I find that a nail polish remover with acetone is the best thing for this kind of product. With this, you won’t end up scrubbing your nails for ages in order to remove it all.

I absolutely love this nail polish and I wasn’t expecting to at all. Now I just need to get some for myself! 

New Look Strap Back Vest

For a more basic look this summer, I wanted a few tops that would go with pretty much everything. However, I get bored of the same old strappy vest tops but wanted something similar. New Look have a fantastic range of strappy tops which are a bit different from what you can normally get. I decided to go with the Strap Back Vest which cost £5.99. Although I bought mine in black (and white) it also comes in cream, purple, pink and blue.

The vest top is made from 100% cotton which makes it a great item for a summer wardrobe. Although I do wear my black vest more than the white version, it is surprisingly cool to wear. The vest is quite loose fitting which is another reason I like this one so much. I hate wearing tops that are skin tight especially in the summer and I don’t want any wobbly bits on show. The cut and style of this vest top is very flattering and would suit all sizes and shapes.

The vest has a round scoop neckline although it is not too low cut that it reveals more than it should do. However, what makes this vest top different is the detailing on the back. In the middle of the scoop back are three large straps made from elastic. The straps are about an inch in width so they do cover quite a large amount of skin on the back. I do tend to wear my hair down most of the time as it is long so the straps are covered up most of the time. If I do have my hair up though, it shows off the straps nicely and it transforms this basic vest top into something a bit different.

This is a top that can be dressed both up and down. While it does suit the daytime better due to its casual style, I find that with the right bottoms or skirt, and some great accessories, it can be dressed up quite easily. I wear this with my tie dye maxi skirt from Asda as it means I can wear it during the day and then at night with only a few small changes to my outfit. For £5.99, this is a very versatile top which is extremely comfortable and easy to wear. 

George Tie Dye Maxi Skirt

When shopping for some holiday clothes, Asda is a great place to visit as they have wonderful options for great prices. I wanted something I could wear during the day and also at night so that I could cut down on what I need to pack for my holiday. Something that stood out to me was the selection of maxi skirts. I have many maxi dresses but never thought of buying a skirt. I decided on the George Tie Dye Maxi Skirt which cost £12.

Like a maxi dress, this skirt is very long. The actual length of the skirt is roughly 38 inches / 96.5 cm and as I am 5’5, it is slightly too long for me. However, this is the style of these kinds of skirts and it doesn’t drag along the floor too much while wearing flat shoes. With a pair of heels or wedges, this skirt is just the right length for me but I think taller ladies will struggle with the length if they want to dress it up with heeled shoes.

Not only is the skirt long but it flows wonderfully and looks extremely feminine. I chose this particular maxi skirt due to the design, which is a blue tie dye effect. There is a range of different blues within the material of the skirt as well as white which breaks up the blue nicely. Each of the tie dye sections are different in width which is also nice because it doesn’t look boring. The top tie dye layer of the skirt is made from a see through material but as this is fully lined, it doesn’t matter at all. The lining is dark blue so it goes really nicely with the other colours on the skirt. The lining is made from cotton whereas the top layer is made from polyester.

Due to the lining being made from cotton, this skirt has a great, lightweight feel to it but it also doesn’t cling to the legs at all. I like this fact a lot because I plan to take the skirt to Florida with me and I definitely do not want this sticking to my legs all day long. As well as being cool to wear, the skirt is also extremely comfortable. The long, flowy design makes this a perfect skirt for summer. It hides a multitude of sins as it does cover the whole leg area and sits quite high on the waist so to not create any unattractive lines.

This is by far one of my favourite items bought for this summer as it is so comfortable and easy to wear. I will definitely be getting my £12 worth out of this.