Wednesday 26 August 2015

NOTD and mini-review!


I decided that I wanted a blazing pink for Wednesday so this is it - Depend #427. This is one of Depend's new O2 polishes, it's meant to be a more breathable nail polish, maybe? Love it! It's like a tropical beach in a nail polish :) I did 2 coats here and topped it with Seche Vite. It is a jelly glitter so it's a bit sheer but for me that's not an issue as I have very short nails.

I went into Superdrug today and found some new items from Collection! Among them was this chubby crayon highlighter which I picked up immediately; for £2.66 you can't argue! The colour is called "1 Pearl Sheen". It is a cool champagne colour and should work on most light complexions. It goes on smooth and wears quite well so far althought it does fade to a slightly more shimmery finish than it goes on with. This is my second bargain from Collection this week, the other being the Matt Lip Butter which I will review at the weekend when I've worn it for a week! Still loving my Collection products, maybe I need to do a brand focus?? :)



Sunday 23 August 2015

NOTD: H&M "Argent Lilac"


I think this polish will easy make it into my Top Ten of 2015! It is just one of those polishes you think looks OK in the bottle but you're not sure how well it will translate onto the nail... I loved it so much I did a matching pedicure for the last few weeks of open toed shoes :)

"Argent Lilac" is a metallic one-coater. I did ONE coat here. Just one. It dries to a satin finish which is nice but I knocked it up a notch with Seche Vite. WoW! I absolutely love this polish. For £3.99 this is my last days of summer dreams come true! :)

If you are pernickety about streaks or have very ridged nails, you may need a really good ridge filling base coat. Also be careful to let your base coat dry properly before you apply the polish or you may find it smears the base coat into the polish and makes an unattractive bald patch. I think metallics always work best over a glossy base coat, with a bit of 'slip'.

Yep, definitely a Top Ten of 2015! You can find many of the polishes online on H&M now, but they are launching in stores across the UK soon. In Sweden, the nail polish stands are massive, there must be at least 50 colours? I can't wait til they make it to the H&Ms in Aberdeen! :)

You can see my previous new H&M manicure of "December Dawn" here!


REMEMBER my links are not 'sponsored links' or anything like that, I don't get paid to put them on,
I just like to make it easy for my readers to find awesome stuff...

Saturday 22 August 2015

I'm back from holiday!

I had an awesome time on holiday in my native Sweden, it was roasting hot and sunny the whole time :) I did mostly wildlife walks on the craggy hillsides in shorts and tank top (which has imbued me with a caramel tan) but I also managed to squeeze in a trip or two to score some Swedish beauty products!

From L to R: OPI Color Paints 'Pen & Pink', OPI Hawaii Collection Minis, Depend #426,
Depend #427, H&M 'Argent Lilac' and 'Green Machine'.
We went through Copenhagen airport for our connecting flight going to Sweden - it has an amazing tax free shopping experience!! I purchased a travel exclusive OPI Hawaii Collection set on a "I'm on holiday" whim. Haven't tried any yet, that just goes to show how good my holiday was :)

I also scored one of the new OPI Color Paint's polishes in Kicks (a makeup shop) - these are layering jellies. I used it on holiday over a silver polish and it looks amazing, but perfect application will require practice and should not be done in your sun lounger like I did... If they hadn't been so expensive I would have got the green as well. Supposedly these also look awesome without the silver base coat.

As usual I also scored some Depend nail polishes - these are usually really nice and a cheap holiday treat at 25SEK (about £1.90) and most of the time they have deals on them like 3 for 2. They are also easy to pack...

In Sweden, all the H&Ms I went into already stock the new beauty stuff *heaven*. I had bought some online before ("December Dawn" NOTD here) I went but now I had a chance to look at all the stock. I can't wait for the products to hit the UK shops, the nail polishes and body care is to die for. Here are some of the polishes I scored so far, I have also bought the 'Urban Verve' body wash and body lotion. The scent is fresh and a bit citrusy, and lingers nicely. The lotion is very nice on my dry, post-holiday tan :)

From L to R: Argent Lilac, Green Machine, Russet Pearl, December Dawn, Peacock
I will do some more in-depth reviews of these when I actually wear them. Now I'm off to catch up on Great British Bake Off whilst Husband cooks dinner!

And yes, it was definitely hot enough for wild swimming!!

Tuesday 11 August 2015

NOTD: Barry M Boots Xmas Limited Edition 2014

Just a quick NOTD while I wait for my flight in the airport!  :) this is one of the limited editions from Barry M last xmas. I used 2 thin coats here and a slick of Seche Vite. It's super sparkly and will do me nicely for the first part of my holiday! :)

Monday 10 August 2015

What's in my summer vacation wash bag??

So I'm off back to Sweden for a 'summer' holiday! I will mostly be out and about in the woods chasing photo opportunities of plants and animals with some wild swimming hopefully! :) I wanted to show you what's in my wash/makeup bag when I go on a 10 day trip...

Are you also a light packer, or a 'pay oversized luggage fees' kinda girl?!


Witch Doctor gel - best all-round healing gel there is for spots, cuts and grazes and insect bites. A must in my travel bag!
Nivea Soft - I use this as all-round cream for face, body and hands when I am away.
Piz Buin Dry Touch Face Fluid - a beautifully light face sunblock, works very well for me when I'm out and about for work and play as it's sweat and water resistant!
Simple Moisturising Face Wash - great for travel as it's gentle on skin but removes stubborn makeup and dirt.
Tony Moly Intense Care Dual Effect Sleeping Pack - I use these once a week, replumps the skin like magic, definitely need this if I am going to be out and about in the woods all day :)
No7 Total Renewal face scrub (discontinued) - I use this once a week religiously but now it's been replaced by the Botanics Radiant Youth Microdermabrasion Polish which is actually better! But I still have some left in this gift size tube.
Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Mask - I used a bit of this on my lengths after my 2in1 shampoo to detangle properly.
Aussie Aussome Volume 2in1 shampoo - the best 2in1 there is!
Nivea After Sun Lotion - my husband is 'secretly ginger' so he's prone to reddening in the sun, hence need this. Works well on heat rash too along with Piriton antihistamines.
Nivea Sun Pure and Sensitive Sun Cream (discontinued?) - I like this because it agrees better with my skin than your usual sun cream, but I think they don't sell it anymore?
Blink eye drops
Gillette ladies razor
Colgate toothpaste (and toothbrush, clearly)

And in terms of makeup, I am equally frugal:

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue - a miracle for my slightly ageing, dry skin; it also has a high SPF!
Seventeen Doll'd Up mascara - the best for all-day curl and volume :)
Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadow cream in 'Pink Gold' - a fantastic neutral for every day glamour
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - nothing to say other than it's the best ever concealer.
Collection Love your lips SPF 15 lip gloss (discontinued) - why did you stop making this lip gloss, Collection?? *cry* Gorgeously non-sticky with a nice shine and the all important SPF.
bareMinerals mini kabuki - got this with a sample of the Ready foundation I believe, works great to buff foundation/concealer after you've applied it with fingers!

And things I forgot to put in the photo ...

Bar of soap!
Botanics Radiant Youth Super Serum - my must have serum!
Weleda Skin Food - super moisturising for anywhere on your body

Wednesday 5 August 2015

NOTD: H&M "December Dawn"


When the new H&M catalog hit my mail box I was quick to order myself a snazzy pair of outdoor trousers, and some of their new beauty range! :) I got 3 polishes, and a body wash with matching body lotion. I decided to try the polish I bought on a whim first - a white duochrome shimmer.

Overall I am very pleased with the new polishes - loads of colours, the brush is very easy to work with, the bottle is well designed, the coverage is also good. The price is £3.99. I think for that price, you get a great polish! But they need to get some better photos on the website - one of the polishes I bought I thought was a duchrome teal shimmer. Not so - "Peacock" is a dark teal creme... But still nice but not what I thought it would be.

This is 2 coats of "December Dawn". It is a bit sheer as these polishes tend to be, but that's not a bad thing for me. It would go beautifully over a black polish!

I will let you know how it wears! :) Now I'm off to watch the Great British Bake Off woohoo!!