SpaRitual Nail Polish In The Post!

I've been quite longing for these, after seeing so many nice colours on The Nailphile's blog. One was out of stock and hopefully will be arriving soonish, the others look very nice, the bottles are lovely with the same rubbery grip the Bloom bottle has, which I loved :) I will be swatching these as soon as I get tired of "Isla", which could to be fair be a while... :D

NOTD - Bloom "Isla"

Wow, this bright and cheery purple creme beauty from Australian cosmetics company Bloom is a true stunner. I walked into Superdrug, saw it in the display and immidiately knew I had to have it. It retails for a whopping £8, so not your average drugstore brand price!!

This is the blurb that they give about the polishes on the Bloom website: "With pigments sourced from around the world, a professional two-coat formula and an incredible 330-strand brush, our nail polish will hold its colour and shine for days."

So, in reality, how was it for me? I love the bottle top, its rubbery and smooth, providing excellent grip. Bottle is standard ColorClub-ish looking thing but logo is funky. Application for this polish is good, not awesome, but good. With the spiel on the website of "300-strand brush" I guess I kind of expected a religious experience :) Two coats gives a nice opaque coverage. Drying time is a bit longer than I have the patience for so I slapped on a coat of Seche Vite (holy frijoles, I love that stuff). The end result is amazing. I frickin' love this polish!! I can see myself wearing it a lot, especially in the summer. The colour in the photo seems more pink than purple, but I just couldn't get it right for some reason. Stupid cameras!

There was only 8 colours in the shop (of which one was out of stock) but they appear to have a large selection on their website, including some intriguing blues and greens. "Isla" is not as dark in real life as it is on the website, in fact it looks like a little bit of a cross between OPI "Can you dig it?" and Zoya "Juicy".

Bloom also had a great looking range of eye creams and such which I am a sucker for but they were too pricey just to buy-to-try, but Bloom is a brand I will need to investigate more! :)

Bloom Cosmetics

NOTD - Cèlè "Cherry Liqueur"

I've not really seen any Cèlè nail polishes before, but by googling a bit, I that they are likely to be a discontinued line of polishes from Grafton International Ltd. Which is a shame cause this is a really good polish!! It goes on smooth and streak free and is nice and opaque in 2 coats (there is white glare on the nails from the tiles in my bathroom as there really doesn't ever seem to be sunny to take my pics). Probably not 3-free or anything and looks slightly cheap but you know what, its a great polish :)

The colour on this photo is lighter and more red than the actual colour. The bathroom spotlights isn't a good light source. The actual colour is a smooth shimmery cherry red.

I also got a dark blue shimmer called "Cobolt" and a shimmery pumpkin colour called "Horizon". Can't wait to try them all :) If you see these polishes it's worth buying them!

Battle Of The Handcreams

Contenders:

• Avojuice Pear Juicie
• Seche Silk
• Vaseline Intensive Rescue Soothing Hand Cream
• Body Shop Coconut Body Butter
• Molton Brown Rose Granati hand lotion

Avojuice Pear Juicie 3 of 5 stars
+ Smells nice and juicy, non-sticky velvet feel
- Doesn't actually feel or look very moisturised, pricey

Seche Silk 4 of 5 stars
+ Gorgeous natural aromatherapy lotion, non-sticky, soothing lavender smell, cuticles doesn't look so dry
- Pricey, hard to source

Vaseline Intensive Rescue Soothing Hand Cream 5 of 5 stars
+ Feels moisturised for longer, purse-friendly price, easily come by, non-sticky and quickly sinks into skin
- Slight chemical non-perfumed smell

Body Shop Coconut Body Butter 4 of 5 stars
+ Gorgeous coconutty smell, very rich so good moisturisation and cuticle work
- Takes a while to sink into the skin so better for night time

Molton Brown Rose Granati hand lotion 2 of 5 stars
+ Nice smell of fruity roses
- Severely overpriced, takes about 10 mins to sink into the skin

Wow! :D

I ordered some Cele nail polishes from an eBay shop on Friday. They looked really awesome so thought I'd give it a try. This is what my parcel looked like! So lovely! :) What can I say, its eBaying the way it's supposed to be. The wrapping paper is colour coordinated to the colour of the polish inside!! :) 5 of 5 stars for Jenni and Jane at Funky Akita Shop. You're a credit to the eBay community ladies!

Of course, I will be swatching these beauties and road testing them for wear this week, so stay tuned :)

NOTD: Zoya "Colbie"

This is a naughty blackened deep blood red shimmer. Just the thing you need for the dark autumn days :) It has a good opaque coverage in 2 coats.

However, I had a dodgy brush on this one. I've got quite a few Zoya polishes but on this one the brush is a splayed and overloads with polish.

Coolest Instruction Label Ever!

I've become a bit obsessed with Japan lately. It's really fascinating culture, so very different to the Western culture which I am born into. This is the wrapping on the lid of the Shu Uemura Depsea Water. I guess it means something like "twist this way to open" :) If you know what it says, you have to tell me!

NOTD: Jessica "Expresso"

I had this as my spa manicure. I really digged this sparkly bronze coffee colour, but it didn't go with any of my outfits over the weekend in London :)

Cristmas Presents #1: IsaDora "Hot Stuff" Nail Colours

The name is ridiculous (like Sexy Sport from China Glaze.. ahem) but I want all 3. Right now. So Mum, if you're listening, please find them now :)

Check out the awesome shades in the the Swedish NOTD blog by Sara here.

Review - Shu Uemura High Performance Cleansing Oil "Fresh"

This is awesome stuff. I got my second bottle of this elixir of loveliness in the airport duty free yesterday. OMG, I still remember the depression that set in as the last bottle became empty. I tried another cleansing oil, I think it was from DHC but it just wasn't the same. Next time (at Christmas, most likely) I am in the airport I will buy a giganto size 450ml one of these babies.

This is a beauty product where you need instruction. This is how to cleanse, Shu-style:

• Pour nice tepid water into your sink


• Dry your hands


• Make sure your face is dry


• Put 3-4 pumps of oil in your hand, smooth it over you face (I use it around the eye area also)


• Dip you hands quickly in the water in the sink


• Lather up the oil on your face


• If it's a bit stubborn, use a tiny bit more water

This is a makeup remover as well as a deep cleanser. The Fresh oil is for oily/combination skin and it also works well for acne prone skin, according to the Shu Uemura website. You might find it contradictory to use an oil on oily skin, but I find that my skin becomes less oily when I use this cleansing oil as it balances the sebum production and doesn't overdry the skin.

The smell is very very mild, which I like, slight sweet hint of cherry. This product is worth its pricetag (although the price is far sweeter in the tax free shop!). 5 of 5 stars!

Also try not to get the bottle wet - i.e. don't put it in your shower! The water reacts with the oil to emulsify and will become cloudy and the product will not be as good if you get water inside the bottle.

London Weekend Part 1

This weekend I went to London to see my friend and do some shopping and go to a day spa. It was exciting and fun but also quite exhausting! :) Below is a pic of my beauty product haul for the weekend. I love going to the big department stores and just get made over and try all the products. I will review all these products over the week, so keep an eye out :)

From left: Bobbi Brown Concealer Kit, Bobbi Brown Corrector, some foundation samples from Bobbi Brown, OPI Crystal File, Nails Inc Ltd Ed "Hanover Street" and Caviar 45sec top coat (me thinks, tomorrows NOTD), MAC Lipglass "Russian Red", Chanel Inimitable mascara "Noir", on top Nails Inc "Aspen", then "Friendly Selfridges" ltd ed colour, Shu Uemura Depsea Water "Mint", Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Fresh.

LOTD - Maybelline Superstay PowerGloss "Radiant Ruby #550"

The lips of the day is here! :D I am into my red lips at the moment, so I will start to post some LOTD or Lips Of The Day here. First out is the new lip gloss combo from Maybelline Superstay PowerGloss. I chose a shade of red that is quite flat and boring in the tube but really comes to life on the lips. And it's not supershimmery or glittery so you look like you've been eating Christmas tree baubles.. At first I was a bit disappointed about the colour as you see on my lips here:


I basically dotted it on and worked it into the lip. Don't think that was very successful, as the colour was very light. But look at that gorgeous gloss! The next day I applied it as it was supposed to be applied; gloop it on! Then slick the gloss extender on. Yowser! I like :) Red glossy goodness but not porn star red! So technically, you could go more or less colourful by working it into the lip before you put the gloss extender on.

It lasted 1 grande latte, 1 yogurt, 2 slices of buttered toast, 1 bag of carrot sticks and houmous and a cinnamon bun. That is a grand total of nice, glossy lips even past 3 o'clock in the afternoon! It takes a lot to impress me with lippy. I am not usually a lips person (I hate when my hair gets stuck to it). But wow. I am impressed! This baby gets 5 of 5 stars for colour, wear and wow-factor :)

I found this video on youTube, shows you how is supposed to go on - real thick, then gloop on the gloss :)

NOTD - Zoya "Irene"

I *love* this polish! Its' a shimmery mossy green colour. Reminds me of chilly autumn days in the forest where you'd get your hands wet and cold on the glistening, dew-laden moss while picking chanterelle mushrooms :)

The application is OK, but the formula is on the sheer and thin side so it tends to streak if you're not careful. But like with "Juicy" the end result is totally worth the hassle. This is 3 coats of polish and Seche Vite on top. My nails are in a state at the moment and peeling a lot so thats why it may look a bit uneven in places.

Hair Detox?

I like to get a bit of a beauty routine detox going spring and autumn. I don't use a tremendous lot of hair product, mostly my fave Tigi BedHead Superstar Thermal Blowdrying Lotion to get that hippie mane more glamourous and a bit of Elnett hair spray on days when I just need to get all that glamourous hair out of my face! But shampoos + conditioners also leave a residue on you hair. So I decided to detox my hair.

I originally intended to get Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo but it was outrageously expensive for something you use once a week (it retails for about £15), so I cheaped out and got Pantene Clarifying shampoo instead (a bargain at £1.89 in Boots). I thought since I don't really use a lot of products maybe this will do the trick. I also got my fave hair mask, John Frieda Frizz-Ease Miraculous Recovery. Then off into the shower! The shampoo really strips your hair - I don't recommend this treatment if you have coloured hair!! It turns squeaky clean. Then I applied the hair mask and left it one while I got on with my shower, for about 3-5 mins. Hair is full of life, shiny as a diamond and frizz-free :) I definitely recommend this detox if your hair is feeling dull and dry, just don't do it if you have coloured hair!

Review - MOP Pear Body Wash

I've been obsessing about fruit lately. I am very promiscuous when it comes to beauty products but I have bought the MOP Pear shampoo and detangler a couple of times, and actually used the whole bottles! That's saying something in terms of the greatness of beauty products :)

I recently discovered that they do a Pear body wash as well! I purchased myself a bottle, of course, after debating the price. These retail for £8.45 a bottle, so it isn't your bog standard soap.

It has a yummy, sweet yet slightly astringent pear smell that really appeals to me. The texture is a thick gel, and it lathers up nicely into a sweet foam that hasn't left my upper arms flaky, which usually happens.

I like this :) Very much. Just the thing for winter if your skin gets drier and more sensitive in the colder months. I now also wish they did a Pear body lotion! I give this 4 stars out of 5, mainly because it is very pricey.

NOTD - Urban Decay "Brick House"

This is one of my old time fave brands because of its cool packaging and crazy colours. Unfortunately, Urban Decay discontinued their entire nail polish line some years ago. But WHY??? The polishes are amazing. They dry quickly, apply easily and the colours are awesome.

If you can find these, buy them. My favourite ever nail polish is "ID", a golden-pinky jelly polish. I just got "Brick House" on eBay. Its a vampirically dark blood red jelly creme, with supershiny finish; this pic is without a top coat. I love these polishes.

Urban Decay, if you're listening,

all will be forgiven if you just start making these polishes again!!

Review - Tend Skin Part 2

Well, it's been a week and a half since I started using Tend Skin to free some ingrown hairs. Today, waxing day. It's painful, uncomfortable and expensive, so why do we do it??? Well, everyone has their reasons. It says you can apply Tend Skin shortly after waxing. So I did. Ouch. Stiiiiiiings!!! And the smell still bothers me. But, the wax bumps are gone after an hour :) Now, I will have to see if it prevents new ingrown hairs forming... Watch this space for the results in another week and a half..

Pimp my pony?

I like cruising the technology news, as I am a bit of a *cough* geek. Today, I came across this article on, well, equestrian items and technology. Nothing to do with beauty, but I thought it was interesting as "back in the day" when I was doing cross-country riding, let just say you were lucky if your mum got ya a pair of safety stirrups!! :)

Pimp my pony

NOTD - OPI "Baby it's coal outside"

Recently I've been quite taken with OPI. The new Designer Series shades are stunners and there are some really nice, innovative shades in the recent collections. I must have learned to use the Prowide brush as well, as I don't find it so much of a hassle any more. That's not to say that I like the Prowide brush but..

Onto my NOTD. I bought this a couple of weeks ago but I got Emerald Sparkle at the same time so I never put it on. I should have. This is lovely. It applies amazingly well, dries quickly and is ready to rock n' roll in just two coats (some of my OPI are sheer city - you have to apply and apply to get a good colour). I used a coat of Seche Vite on top to enhance the sparkle of the polish. It is a lovely colour. "Baby it's coal outside" is a charcoal with a supersparkly silver glitter/shimmer to it. I am not sure what to compare it to. None of my photos came out well, because it's too dark to take them. I will take a photo tomorrow, as I have just the outfit to go with it as well - my purple and grey tartan dress :)

Review - TangleTeezer

I was quite late to discover this mighty hair gadget. I saw it on Rocketqueen's blog and decided that I might want to try it. I have very dry and fragile, frizz-ridden naturally blonde hair that is most unwilling to be brushed, especially after blowdrying. I bought the pink version (OK I am a sucker for pink items) online at the manufacturer and official stockist. It comes in at £9.99 + P&P each. When it arrived and I proudly showed it to my brother, he thought it was a dog or a horse grooming brush!!

It claimed on the website that you could brush your hair in one sweep. Rubbish. This must be just marketing talk. I tried it, expecting tears. No tears. No tearing. Just the hedgehog brush gliding through my windswept, knotty hair! Amazing!! That's never happened before! :) It glides equally well through my wet, freshly washed hair :)

I started using this just after I got my hair cut. That was 4 weeks ago. I still have no split ends :) Usually by now my hair is a frizzy mess. I can get used to this :) Maybe now I will once again try and grow my hair longer :)

I am a convert. There are no other brushes in my house anymore. Buy one, you will never regret it. I just wish my mum had this when I was young and she was brushing my hair :( There was a reason I always had short hair before...

Also, if you have a long-haired pet dog, I am sure this brush will also be a treat to use on them :)

NOTD - Zoya "Juicy"

I caved in to my urge to get Zoya "Juicy" even though I had decided not to after Scrangie's review. I just had to have it. The colour I eventually got was a super-shiny jelly magenta. The photo doesn't do it justice.

But be warned, "Juicy" is a royal PITA to apply. I had to use 5 coats to get it to an acceptable opaque finish, and even then in the photo you can still see the nail in places because it drags away the previous layer of colour if you're not careful! I finished with a thick layer of Seche Vite. I am currently using Sally Hansen Miracle Cure as a base coat (more on that later on in the week), but I am not sure this is the cause of the application problems.

Appplication issues and all, I am glad I bought it. With a bit of preserverence, the end result is awesome! I also bought Zoya's "Irene" and "Kotori" but I have yet to try these on so I don't know if their application is any better.