Caviar & Pistachio Ice Cream Nails!

Caviar & Pistachio Ice Cream Nails!

Monday, 29 April 2013

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Longtime no blog, I am so sorry about the prolonged silence I have been caught up in horrible assignments for uni that I haven't had time for anything else, but I'm back now (for the time being) and looking forward to catching up on some serious blogging.

As those of you who follow me on twitter will know last week I spent a ridiculous amount of money on nail varnish, and by ridiculous I mean somewhere in the region of £66.60 plus another £3 on a bottle of MUA Nail Constellations bringing my grand total to a whopping £69.60, wow that's a lot more money than I thought. No one tell my mum.

Anyway I bought a lot of nail varnish and today I decided that I wanted to try caviar nails, and they are amazing!

L-R: MUA Nail Constellations, MUA in Pistachio Ice Cream, O.P.I Nail Lacquer in Alpine Snow

I am loving that we are finally having some sunshine and what's more I am loving pastel colours at the moment. I decided to road test one of my new MUA polishes as I have never tried any MUA products before. I used Pistachio Ice Cream because it is just the prettiest pale green, that and the nail beads I bought were turquoise and green and I thought that would work really well.

O.P.I Nail Lacquer in Alpine Snow

On first application it was quite watery so I took it off and did two coats of O.P.I Nail Lacquer in Alpine Snow (see above.)

MUA in Pistachio Ice Cream

Before reapplying two coats of Pistachio Ice Cream and voila completely opaque. I thought the colour was totally gorgeous and was even tempted to leave it but I really wanted to try MUA's Nail Constellations.

Initially I was going to try caviar-ing (that's not a word but it really should be) all of my nails but after having tried one I decided against it. Too much would have been major overkill. While the paint on my ring finger was still wet I poured the beads onto my nail and gently pressed them into the polish with my finger. It is so ridiculously easy that I managed it without too many problems however it is so messy, I am still finding beads all over my bedroom and this was hours ago.

MUA in Pistachio Ice Cream & MUA Nail Constellations

The picture doesn't do justice to how awesome my nails looked BUT sadly it doesn't last long, a big concern for me, as a slowly rehabilitating nail biter, was that I would be tempted to chew it off the way I do with glitter polishes but it didn't last long enough for me to do that. I washed my hands once and most of the beads had gone which was a little bit disappointing. If I was doing my nails for a special occasion I would get up early (perish the thought) to do them that day and pray that I wouldn't chew it all off.

What do you think? Would you try Caviar Nails? Have you? And does anyone have any tips to stop nail biting? I'm slowly getting there but I’m still tempted. You can contact me on here or twitter, and while you’re there check me out on facebook, BlogLovin, instagram & pinterest.

 Love love love xxx

Lauren's Cold Survival Guide

Lauren's Cold Survival Guide

Wednesday, 10 April 2013

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I write to you from my sick bed. In typical Lauren fashion I have managed to survive over 6 months of winter without catching a single cold. But the minute, nay the second we get some much longed for sunshine and I am struck down with a cold. How annoying!

So I thought while I have some time off work I would share my tips on how I make myself feel better when frankly I feel like I have been chewed up and spat out by a mean giant, I look like it too, hating this!

How I Met Your Mother - Yes I have seen every episode like a million times and I still don't know who the mother is, which kind of drives me crazy but I love it so much that I almost don't want Ted to meet the mother because then it's over and I don't want it to be over. I love Lily and Marshall. I love MacLarens. I love New York. I just love HIMYM. Also from season 3 onwards Ted gets super hot!  Plus because I have seen it like a million times I can happily doze off and know exactly where I am when I wake up. That I think is vitally important with sick day viewing. I will also be watching a lot of Glee, New Girl and The Mindy Project until I have fully recovered. Which I hope will be soon!

Rescue Oil - Rescue Oil is a dupe of Bio Oil and literally the ONLY difference is about £8 in price. Now normally Rescue Oil is used for stretch marks and scars but I have been putting it on my nose to stop redness and chaffing and it is absolutely fabulous. I'm not going to show you a picture of my nose because I am not looking my best but trust me if  I wasn't using Rescue Oil people would be thinking that I was doing my best Rudolph impression and despite the never ending winter that seems to be (finally) ending (AT LAST!) Christmas is a long way off..  

Olay Beauty Fluid - When I'm sick my skin gets so dried out and horrible. I have been slathering this on every couple of hours and it just makes me feel better. My skin is literally drinking the stuff and it smells lovely.

The Body Shop Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist -Even though I have a severely blocked nose at the moment when I can breathe this pillow mist has the most deliciously soothing smell of jujubes (no I don't know what they are either) and camomile which sends me straight to sleep. I use it every night but I have been using it during the day so I can get some extra shut eye.

Eucalyptus Oil - This clears a blocked nose and should really be higher up on my list. Without it I would not be able to breathe. I have been putting a couple of drops into a cup of boiling water and breathing in the steam to clear my sinuses. The steam also makes my skin feel awesome and it's nice to be able to breathe through my nose.

Bayliss & Harding Moroccan Rose Body Milk - Normally I prefer showers to baths because I don't normally have the time but because I'm sick I am making luxurious hot bubble baths a daily thing until I'm better. Bayliss & Harding Moroccan Rose Bath Milk is amazing. It smells like what I imagine love smells like and makes the most amazing, frothy bubbles. It just makes me happy.

Cold Relief, Kleenex & My Basic Cold Survival Kit - I have been knocking back this knock off Lemsip to the point where I may have overdosed on it, that was fun couple of hours. And I have been using more Kleenex than I knew was possible. Colds are just the worst. I have also been taking a hot water bottle to bed in the hopes that I can sweat it out. Hot water bottles are the best. I am also drinking/eating lots of chicken soup and orange juice.

Knitting - I know, I know I'm a crazy cat lady in the making but I love knitting. It's relaxing and it makes me happy. At the moment I'm working on scarves for some of my friends and it's much nicer to have something to focus on other than feeling sorry for myself.

My Kindle - I love to read and all my favourite books are on my kindle. My kindle is one of my favourite things under normal, healthy circumstances. When I'm sick my love for my kindle increase exponentially. I'm currently re-reading The Girl In Times Square which is my favouritest book in the world. Plus kindles are really light so if I fall asleep whilst reading and drop my kindle on my face I don't wake up with a black eye, which has happened before. It was a Harry Potter book.

Funny Girl/ The Avengers - These movies have absolutely nothing in common. One tells the story of Fanny Bryce and her love for the infamous (and gorgeous) Nick Arnstein with some of the most beautiful songs ever written check out my favourites here, here & here.  And the other is The fricking Avengers featuring my favourite super hero of all time Iron Man, who coincidentally is played by my favourite actor of all time Robert Downey Jr, plus The Avengers also has Tom Hiddleston as Loki and I also love Tom Hiddleston, like a lot! So yeah these films have virtually nothing in common. In fact the only thing they do have in common is me and they are my favouite films to watch when I'm ill and when I'm not ill. Let's just say I watch them both a lot. A LOT!

Theodore J. Bear (Ted/Teddy) - Whilst I am curled up in bed feeling awful and wishing I was cuddled up wth Ted from HIMYM I am usually cuddled up with Theodore J. Bear or Ted. I have had him since I was really little and yes that is the name I gave him when I was 5. Sometimes, especially when you're ill, you just need a cuddle from an old friend and what's more Ted can't catch the cold off me!

That's it for today, I'm going to dose up on knock off Lemsip and have a snooze with Theodore J. Bear.

What makes you lot feel better when you're not feeling your best?

Until next time (when I'm better hopefully, fingers crossed)please check me out on twitter, facebook, BlogLovin, instagram & pinterest.

Lots of love xxxx

Sunshine nails

Sunshine nails

Monday, 1 April 2013

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Hello! It's been a while hasn't it? I should really start scheduling some blogging time into my day to day life because I do not do this nearly as much as I want too!

Anywho those of you who follow me on twitter will know that I like to go shopping and when I shop I tend to spend a sizeable chunk of my meagre earnings on beauty products so I thought I'd start by using some of my newly acquired fabulousness starting with... nail polish, specifically Rimmel London's I Heart Lasting Finish in Sunshine 280 (centre) and sharing the results with you lovely lot.

(L - R: Nails Inc in Glamour Glitter, Rimmel in Sunshine, O.P.I Nail Lacquer in Alpine Snow)

I was in Superdrug one miserable, drizzley day when I spotted this colour. In the past I have avoided yellow polishes because I have found them to be quite watery no matter how many coats you apply and this one is no exception. When I first used this particular colour it took 4 coats and it still wasn't completely opaque. However after following the advice of a friend I applied two coats of white nail polish before painting them yellow - I used O.P.I Nail Lacquer in Alpine Snow (top right.) I was sorely tempted to leave my nails this colour. How cool do they look?                                     

But then I decided that frankly I've had enough snow and I wanted to see if it actually worked or not and it does! I waited 15 minutes for the Alpine Snow to dry before I painted on two coats of Sunshine. Just 2 coats and it was completely opaque! I love it! The colour is absolutely gorgeous and just looking at my (stubby, little) nails with this colour on it totally brightens up my day, plus it’s called Sunshine which is something I sorely need – I feel like it’s been winter forever!

I then waited half an hour before I decided that whilst I loved my sunshine-y nails they could really use an accent nail and I had a bottle of Glamour Glitter by Nails Inc (top left) that I had been dying to try out for ages. Normally I don't use a lot of glitter polishes as I find it nearly impossible to resist peeling or chewing it off. But this one is really good, it's not so glittery that I want to pick it off my nails and the clear base is quite thick so it's like adding a top coat that just happens to sparkle, which is ideal for nail biters like me. However the downside to this is that it takes quite a few coats to build up a decent layer of glitter.

 I am so happy with the results! My nails look so cute! Despite their pathetic length. Does anyone have any tips to stop biting? I'm trying but failing.

Until next time please check me out on twitter, facebook, BlogLovin, instagram & pinterest.

 Love love love xxx