November' s BOUDOIR PRIVE box

So it FINALLY arrived, the November 2011 Boudoir Prive box. This was my first box, so I haven't got any to compare with. I am glad I got the red shade of lipstick - I've seen online that some subscribers got a shimmery nude - REALLY not my colour! But red is totally me :)

I was a bit disappointed to see sachets in the box, but looking at the full price of these products in the little leaflet, it's clear it's still a good deal for the £10 you spend!

I am yet to try the shampoos and conditioner, but the other products are really nice on. Unfortunately I've got a mega-cold so I can't comment on any fragrances... I especially like the face mask, it feels very luxurious. I will let you know once I've tried the products for a week to see how they stand up :)

In my box this month was:

1) Dead Sea Spa Magic Silky Smooth Body Lotion
2) Korres Wild Rose 24 hour Moisturiser
3) Rahua Voluminous Shampoo and Conditioner (2 x sachet of each)
4) Vinies Ayurveda's Soul Luminous Skin Mask
5) Studiomakeup Rich Hydration Lipstick (full-size product)

XMAS GIFT GUIDE: Age-Defying Lingerie anyone?

Debenhams Age-Defying T-Shirt Bra, £20

So let this be the first instalment of the Official Pretty Perfect Beauty XMAS Gift Guide 2011 - anti-ageing lingerie. Pushes up your bosom in the right places to give you a more youthful look! Well, why spend all that money on anti wrinkle creams for your face if your cleavage then betrays your years??

Available exclusively at your Debenhams department store.

NOTD: NYX Girls "Woman"

I have officially started on the red glitters, so what else is there to say other than "It's 31 days til Xmas!"

This is 2 coats of polish over base coat with a slick of Sally Hansen MegaShine top coat on the top. After seeing it dry and how the polish has "eaten" the top coat, I may slick on another coat tomorrow morning to bring back the shine.

This polish glows like embers :) I have a couple of more NYX Girls polishes for you in the next few weeks that should be real corkers on the nails!

And look what I found for £1.50 in Boots??? I wanted this compact when it came out (I believe it was Spring 2011?) but didn't want to pay full price. I love the different pastels, I hope I can try some of these over the coming couple weeks for you to see.

NOTD: Depend "186"

And check out my camoflaged Hermit Crab, it's like she thinks she's a Navy S.E.A.L or something... :)

I put on Zoya "Irene" yesterday but I had  to take it off as it had produced the most horrific shrinkage when I woke up this morning. May I just say how addictive pure acetone is to remove polish?... It's just so.. strong! Melts through glitter and deep colours. Not like the slow-ass usual non-acetone remover I use. But no more pure acetone. It's lethal to the nails. Must stop using it.

Anyway onto today's NOTD, Depend "186". This is 1 coat. That's right, 1 coat. And a slick of MegaShine. Perfect formula, glides on like a penguin on ice. It may be a dark brown creme but it's gorgeous! I may have to get a back-up bottle of this when I go home to Sweden for Xmas :)

NOTD: Nail Rock for BBC Children In Need

Elvis the Cat is moderately excited by my 'Pudsey' nails...

Every year, the BBC hosts a giant spectacle called Children In Need to raise money for just that! This year, Nail Rock did two sets of designer nail wraps of which 25% of the price goes to Children In Need. I saw them by fluke in Boots and I am very glad I bought them! I just love the spotty pattern. There was this white version and also a black version with coloured spots. The pack contains 16 nail wraps and I still have six bits left to do maybe two sets of pedicures and a feature nail :)

Nail Rocks do not require heat to put on or remove from your nails, other than that they apply pretty much like Minx or Kooky Nails. I have a very strong C-curve on my nails so nail wraps are very tricky to fit, especially when you are doing it on yourself... Hence I have wrinkles on them. I have not tried Nail Rock before so I will let you know how they wear!

EDIT: I had to take these off after about 24 hrs as they were starting to peel off and wrinkle up. With patience, they come off easy and without nail damage. The trick is to pick it up gently at a corner and GENTLY and SLOWLY peel the sticker off the nail.

REVIEW: UNE Skin-Matt Foundation

UNE Skin-Matt Foundation

I am starting to get back into my makeup routine now so I thought I'd review some of my latest finds. I have had my eye out for UNE foundations since the brand launched but they seem so expensive (£12.99 RRP) for a high street brand. However, I discovered I had A LOT of Boots Advantage Card points so I thought, why not treat myself?? And I am glad I did!

I normally have a major issue with foundations - they irritate my skin. So that's why I thought that the UNE range might be ok as it it more natural and contains organic ingredients. The colour I chose was M05, it seemed the closest to my current skin colour after my summer tan has faded. It looks like the range has a large-ish range of colours from very pale to dark but I am not sure how the colours would work for really dark skin, as the range doesn't seem to stretch that far.

The consistency of this foundation makes it a bit tricky to apply. I found I squirted out far too much product the first time. Also you have to be fairly quick to blend it in and it has a 'dry' texture. Once you have mastered the texture you are onto a winner, however. It dries to a semi-matte finish that stayed put until the late afternoon to me. The finish is a light to medium coverage, which is fine with me as I don't have a lot of spots or other imperfections to hide. It doesn't seem to smell a lot; supposedly the perfume is 'natural lotus flower fragrance', whatever that is...

I've no outbreaks of spots from this yet. It doesn't state the ingredients on the UNE website but other sites have a detailed breakdown and there appears to be no silicones in it. That may be why my skin seems ok with this foundation!

I am not sure I should have picked a matte finish for winter though, so I might have to take my Boots Advantage Card out again to get the UNE Skin-Glow foundation as I still have loads of points! :)

You can read more about the UNE range here.

Has anyone else tried anything from UNE? What did you try, and did you like it?

NOTD: Holo layering

I think I should call this layering 'Galaxy' or something :)

One of my rescued Red Claw Crabs!

It's so hard to photograph the holo glitter - it's mega-sparkly but it only hints to it in the photo! This is Essie's "Carnival" over the black polish from Fearne 'Midnight Manicure' Christmas box set (BEST box set ever!!). I don't know why I fancied this combo but I did, just like I don't know why I love "Terra Nova" TV series, I just do!

I am hoping to review some new makeup later in the week, I went on a spree with my Boots points :)

NOTD: Barry M Instant Nail Effects "Silver Foil"

It's become unusal for me to do my nails at the weekend but I couldn't stand the Models Own any more... And judging by the comments on my previous post, I am not alone in being mega-disappointed :(

Anyway, back to today's NOTD. This is only 1 coat with MegaShine. It's very very foily :) The formula is a bit tricky however, it is runny and can streak if you are not careful. It's flooded my cuticles quite a bit. I actually got this polish when it first came out but I tidied it away in a safe place and only just found it today!

I have acquired a really bad case of acute neck and shoulder pain, it's very sore, so I am lying comfortably watching Jaws 2 (completely dire movie)... I am glad I found this post at Nailtastic - I have pre-booked my bottle with my Mum!!!  One look at these photos makes me wish I still lived in Sweden!

NOTD: Models Own "Purple Blue" from the Beetlejuice collection

I hate to say it but once again I am disappointed in the opacity and formula of Models Own polishes. This may be the last one I ever buy from this brand. This is 3 coats and a slick of MegaShine top coat.

This collection of duochromes was very hyped but - I don't like it. I can't actually get it to shift in colour, just a dirty purple... I will see if daylight will make a difference tomorrow.

If you are tempted by these, forget about them and save your money for xmas shopping...

NOTD: 2True Crystal Polish "Shade 04"

I have started a love affair with purple lately. I had a long phase of purple in my youth before pink, and now green, took over. A certain old pal of mine called me 'Lady Lilac'! :) Anyway, moving on. I saw this £1.99 beauty in Superdrug (this brand is exclusive to Superdrug I believe) and couldn't resist! There was also a cool blue one. This is 2 coats with a slick of MegaShine. The glitter seems a bit dull in the photo, the camera just isn't able to translate the glitteriness.

Now I have to admit I actually chose this polish over the Models Own "Purple Blue" from their Beetle Juice collection... I know. It's sickening really. But I just really wanted to try this purple out instead :)

NOTD: Orly "It's up to blue"

Man I love the colour of this polish! And I hate how it never photographs right :( It's not actually as blue as it appears in the photo - it has a luminous green duochrome flash to it. My old swatch is slightly better. I had also forgotten how much I really do hate the formula :( this is 3 coats, with a slick of MegaShine.

Anyway I spotted the advert for the new Orly GelFX soak off gel polish in the November 'Scratch' magazine - and hence my desire to put on "It's up to blue"! I will have to get myself one of these manis!

Look at the green flash in this photo - that's what this colour looks like in real life!!

Unknown mushrooms in my garden!

I needed a dark manicure today after digging around in the garden all day. It's now ready for winter. And winter is here. Last night temperature dropped to below 2C, and while I was out it was only about 5C even though it was clear blue sky and sunny. Good thing I finally found a winter jacket I like this week :)

My baby is a calendar girl! :)

I love my wee critters, and today I found out one of my hermit crabs has been chosen to appear in an exotic pets 2012 calendar :D I entered the photo in this post, and it's been chosen! I have pre-ordered a desktop calendar so of course I will have to show it to you when it arrives!

Hermione is burrowed down to moult at the moment or I could have treated her to a nice bit of food :)

NOTD: Dior Addict "Rose Ellipse"

Dior Addict "Rose Ellipse"

Nanoblur cream on the right hand side of my hand! Can you spot the difference?...

This polish has been sitting untried for, eh, 7 years, or more?.. My dad bought it for me in tax free some years back but I have always put it aside for more enticing shades! No longer! This is 2 coats with a slick of MegaShine for quick-dry finish. It is a whitish nude with gold shimmer, very subtle and fresh!

I also tried a bit of Nanoblur cream on my hand at lunchtime. Haven't heard? It's the latest thing! It is an optical cream that blurs out imperfections. I've read several reviews of it, the debate rages on whether you love or loathe it. It doesn't seem to work with liquid foundations at all, however I do not usually wear liquid foundation so I might have to spend some Booths points on this tomorrow... I ran a 'blind test' with my colleagues and it seems we all agree - you can see a difference. Forgive the rubbish photo off my phone!