Posts Tagged ‘OPI’

21
Jun
2015

Welcoming Winter with Kick-Ass Nails | OPI

7 OPI shades to wear in winter (or just all year round)

Is it sad when your favourite thing about a season is the change in nail polish shades? I hope not (asking for a friend). On this freezing cold Sunday, I’ll share my favourite OPI shades for the season. Another post will go up soon to share a few other brands for fairness sake. OPI are one of my favourite nail polish brands, as I find them consistently superior in terms of beautiful colours, varieties of finishes (even if I only ever buy one) and excellent formulas. They are also pretty affordable, after the fairly recent decrease in price. I think they are $18 each at Farmers, with pretty frequent specials.

When I think winter, for some reason my mind goes straight to rich, jewel toned cremes, luckily this is a colour family that OPI excel at. For interests sake I threw in the only glitter I consider fussing about with, you can thank me later. A heads up, nail polish is a bitch to capture in photos, and although these all look stunning they tend to look a little brighter in the photos than real life. Imagine them a smidgen darker and dirtier (in a good way?). All the OPI cremes below have a really similar formula, smooth and easy to apply, opaque in two coats (that’s part of why I love them so much).

L-R: The Living Daylights, Tickle My France-y, Skyfall

The Living Daylights – This glitter was released with the James Bond collection and I have no idea whether its part of the normal line, but its such a perfect winter/autumnal option. It features chunky little hexagons in blue, copper and silver and I haven’t seen anything else like it. Its almost worth the gruelling removal process. I love to layer this over other shades, pretty much any of the cremes in this post look even better with a couple of accent fingers (I don’t care if these are still in trend or not, I love them). If you want this one alone, be prepared to do a fair few coats to get an even coverage.

Tickle My France-y – Everyone needs a good nude/my nails but better shade and this one is my choice for this time of the year. Unlike the photo above, its a darker muted pink with a touch of brown. Its a really flattering shade and the perfect palette cleanser after wearing dark shades for weeks on end.

Skyfall – Another James Bond feature, and possibly my favourite out of them all, this dark blood red is pure winter perfection. Again, a touch of brown just to make it a little different, and its just the ultimate accessory to a put-together outfit (also looks real nice with pyjamas, lets be honest).

L-R: Miami Beet, Skating on the Ice-Land, Jade is the New Black, Dark Side of the Mood

Miami beet – A beautiful rich berry shade, in-between a purple and a red (and not as pink as it looks). This one I love because its dark and subdued in the shade/indoors but in the sunshine the bright tones come to life. Adds a pop of colour to my usually rather dreary clothing/attitude. This one has been a staple for years now.

Skating on the Ice-land – One of my new buys, this beautiful purple shade is from last years Nordic collection. This is described a blackened cherry purple (there’s a hint of red, but mostly its just a dark, rich plum shade). Its dark on the nails but not one of those shades that looks black except for when you stick your fingers directly under a lamp. Its a nice alternative to my usual winter navy shades.

Jade is the New Black – This doesn’t need much introduction, it’s one of the cult favourites for OPI, and for good reason. This is a ridiculously flattering green creme, dark but still colourful, green without being too weird or unusual. Nowhere near as bright as the photo, but its just a beautiful dulled dark shade. I love it.

Dark Side of the Mood – I know we are all supposed to hate anything 50 shade related, but I love a good grey polish, and its one I have been missing from my slightly extensive collection. Plus, the name kind of sold it. This is definitely as dark as a grey can get without just looking straight-up black on the nails. I really like this, its classy and looks amazing on shorter nails (as do most of the darker shades). It has a ridiculously subtle shimmer, but just pretend its not there because you’ll never see it.

Do you own any of these shades? Let me know what you tend to gravitate towards around this time of year!

01
Jul
2013

June Beauty Favorites

categories: Beauty Favorites, Uncategorized

Hi All!
Well its that time of the month where I hastily round up my favorites and let you know what has been on my radar for the month of June. June was a pretty good month for me with lots of socializing, work and time with loved ones. I also found a couple of truly incredible makeup products that will most likely be a core part of my makeup routine for the foreseeable(that word looks rather strange written down but less strange when I say it…) future. So here are a few favorites for June!

1. Benefit Brow zings eyebrow kit.
When I was at the Benefit blogging launch here in Auckland I was lucky enough to test out this eyebrow kit and it was love at first sight! I am notoriously avoidant when it comes to my eye brows…Love them on others but completely ignore them on my own face. After a couple of terrible experiences with eye brown pencils I was thoroughly terrified of anything to do with brows. Fast forward and here comes this small box of eye brown heaven and now I do them nearly every day (just not on those days when I wake up two minutes before my bus is due to arrive). I love this kit for so many reasons so I think a full on review should be arriving soon but for now just get yourself down to a Benefit counter so you can try one too! I bought this for $57 from the Benefit counter at Smith and Caughey’s in Auckland and it was worth every dollar.

2. Australia Curve Ink Eyeliner.
Yet another incredible yet this time very affordable makeup staple is this recently released curved liquid eye liner from Australis. Australis are just an incredible brand full stop. Their products are amazing and yet everything is relatively affordable when compared to the astronomical prices of most makeup here in NZ. After falling in love with their lipsticks and many other products I was in no way surprised when this eye liner turned out to be a winner. Pigmented, easy to use and SO long lasting. Not that I ever sleep with my makeup on….but if I did this would not fade AT ALL. That’s all I’m saying…hypothetically. I don’t know if I will bother shelling out for any other eye liner for quite a while. I think this was $19 from a pharmacy but I received it free on a promo after spending $25 on other goodies.

3. Benefit The Porefessional.

I don’t have oily skin so I tend to be lazy and ignore primers without much adverse effect. However when I received this as a gift from the Benefit blogging event a couple of months ago I thought I would try it and then maybe pass it on to someone without my very dry, sensitive skin. I think I can confidently say this will never happen. This primer has a gorgeous formula, silky smooth and so nice to use! I love that this primer has some pigment to it and quite often I will wear this either alone to just even out my skin tone and make my skin look nice and smooth, or I use it with a light BB cream for a light weight yet flawless and long lasting finish. A little goes a long way (which is important for these more expensive products) and I truly have never tried anything like it before.

4. Dr Lewinn’s Anti-Ageing Eye Cream

This is an old favorite that I haven’t mentioned before and that came back out of the depths of my cupboards last month. This ranks as one of my favorite eye creams as it is super moisturizing (and my eye area can get especially dry during winter). I find it soothing and calming when my skin feels a little irritated which is a big plus as often eye creams can just make it feel worse. A staple for my night time routine and something I will continue to buy until I find something better.

5. Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic

Red lips have been pretty big this month for me, being a great way to transition from a day look at work to an evening look in the space of 1 minute. One of this month’s red lip features was a kissable balm stain in Romantic which is a glossy, medium red. I love the balm stains which is probably clear by now and if I had to choose one category of lip products they would be it so I wasn’t surprised to enjoy this buildable red balm. The colour is vibrant and long lasting yet still fun and creamy. Perfect for dry lip days where a matte red lip is no go zone and I need something more hydrating but still with a punch of colour.

6. OPI Uh-Oh Roll Down the Window

Let me start by saying that I dislike the name of this polish….however the colour is one I had been wanting for ages and found really hard to find. For autumn/winter I was desperate for a khaki/murky green colour as I was completely lacking anything like it. When I finally came across this one I was very pleased to get it and adorn my finger tips with this slightly strange colour. Not a “pretty” nail polish but one that looks very chic and modern on the nails, especially in this season. As per usual with OPI the formula of this creme polish is a dream to work with, needing two thin coats to give a glossy, creme finish.

So there are 6 beauty products for June that I have (obviously) being loving.

Come back tomorrow for some random favorites featuring a tv show that kind of broke my heart.

What have you been loving this month?

06
Jun
2013

A Bunch of May Favourites

categories: Beauty Favorites, Favorites

Hi All!

So its that time of the month for some very overdue favourites! Today’s post will include both my makeup/beauty favourites as well as a few random other bits and pieces that have made May enjoyable.

1. Lush Flying Fox Shower Gel
This was a gift from my lovely friend Karen (she knows I have a slight obsession with Foxes…) and I saved this for the colder weather due to its rich, jasmine and honey scent. Lately I have been loving lathering up with this shower gel and although the scent is strong, the lingering honey smell is rather divine and luscious.

2. Covergirl Nature Luxe in Hibiscus
I picked up this product at a makeup clearance last month for a very small amount of money and somehow it ended up being what I wore most days. I hadn’t heard of this range before but it says it is a gloss balm and I find it to be similar to a Revlon Lip Butter in that it is moisturizing, glossy with a buildable pigmentation. Hibiscus is a nice berry toned pink that comes across as a my lips but better type of shade for me. Easy to apply, easy to wear and perfect for everyday work routines.

3. Rimmel Powder Blush in Autumn Catwalk
Another purchase from the makeup sale was this new blush that I thought could work well for Autumn. It isn’t the best blush in the world but I have enjoyed using this, sometimes in combination with other basic blushes. This one by Rimmel is a combination of a matte pink, a shimmery pink and a darker brown-toned pink. Together it creates a warm-toned pink shade that is sheer but buildable and adds only a small amount of shimmer that looks quite natural on the cheeks.

4. Garnier BB Cream in Light
This is a big favorite for last month has been this BB cream that receives rather mixed reviews. For me this formula works really well as it isn’t drying on my skin, has buildable coverage yet looks natural. I already have a backup for this nearly empty tube and feel it will continue to be a staple in my everyday makeup routine when I can’t be bothered wearing proper foundation (which is 90% of the time).

5. OPI Nail Polish in Malaga Wine
This is a classic favourite of mine that I pulled out for the autumn/winter months. This rich burgundy is dark but still vibrant and has a gorgeous formula that makes application a dream. For more autumn nail polish check out some other favourites.

Other favourites include this new tea involving Strawberry pavlovas (need I say more? Sweet enough to feel like a real treat), home made dahl on cold nights, the 2 hour finale of My Kitchen Rules that felt a little like the end of an era, the new App from A beautiful mess that is all the rage right now it seems and big, warm burgundy coloured scarves that keep me warm on early morning walks to the bus.

What have you been loving lately?

16
Apr
2013

Tuesday’s Top 10 … Nail Polishes for Autumn

categories: Nail Polish, Tuesday's Top Ten

Foxes just happen to be very Autumn appropriate. How handy!

Hi all!

Today I am starting a new blog series called Tuesday’s Top 10 that will most likely occur weekly (on a Tuesday, in case that wasn’t self-explanatory ._.). It’s a chance for me to share random lists that are makeup/beauty related, movie/book related or any other random lists that I feel like sharing. I am one of those ~~crazy~~ normal people who is always making lists, in fact I find it hard to function or be productive without them (a.k.a. I do nothing…all day. Not even exaggerating.).

Anyway, today I am posting my Top 10 nail polishes for Autumn as Summer has finally abandoned us and left a rather depressing, wet season in its place. Luckily for me I love Autumn nail polish and so I was excited to go through my collection and pull out some vampy, edgy favorites that will be on heavy rotation this season. Let me add, before I get started, that I don’t think seasons should limit our nail polish options and I am often seen with bright nails in the dead of winter yet I do tend to darken up the colours I wear and certain seasonal trends sometimes appeal. Here are 10 favorites (in no particular order)!

1. OPI The Living Daylights: My glitter choice for Autumn is this amazing hexagonal glitter released in OPI’s Jame’s Bond collection. Its a very unique mix of teal, silver and copper glitter that seems to work with the majority of Autumn cream shades that I wear, lending itself to a sophisticated accent finger or topcoat.

2. Essie Merino Cool: This cream polish by Essie is a gorgeous mauve toned taupe shade that oozes elegance. I love nudes in Autumn for those times when I am over the dark, vampy shades and need a beautiful palette cleanser with a cleaner, more subtle shade like this one.

3. Essie Go Overboard: A favorite for Autumn is this amazing deep teal from Essie. A gorgeous blue/green cream (have you noticed how much I love a good cream polish) that is different and stands out. Dark without being black this colour is my alternative to a navy and will be very busy this Autumn.

4. Revlon Colorstay in Blue Slate: This is a relatively new purchase for me and my first from the Colorstay range. Blue Slate is an interesting and unique blue with a dusty, edgy quality to it. Another polish that falls into my obsessions with blues all year round but the subdued tonr makes this very Autumn appropriate.

5. Essie Very Structured: Another classic colour for me in Autumn is a brown, usually a super dark, vampy brown but this year a lighter, chocolate brown by Essie caught my eye. A slightly odd nail polish (which means I LOVE it) with a classic Essie cream formula that makes application a breeze.

6. OPI Warm and Fozzie: An oldie from the Muppets collection but an Autumn staple for me is this amazing shimmer/glitter polish. The variety of colours in this complex shade (from browns to coppers and burnt pink/oranges) are the perfect representation of Autumn’s changing leaves (one of my favorite things about the season).

7. Maxfactor Glossfinity in Burgundy Crush: Berry toned reds are a vibrant addition to any Autumn outfit and pair well with my favorite berry lipsticks so this new deep berry/burgundy addition to my collection is perfection in a gorgeous cream formula. Shiny, opaque and really does last for forever. I love how this colour is both bright and yet sultry. The reasonable prices of this range also appeals…

8. OPI Skyfall: I am never very current with the trends but one recent trend in Fall fashion that I love is oxblood! The off-putting name (referring to the deep rust colour of oxygenated blood) doesn’t do this trend justice and I love how classy and yet edgy at the same time it is. This gorgeous burnt red from the Skyfall collection is my current favorite oxblood nail polish.

9. A England Dragon: In order to convince you that I don’t only wear creme nail polishes this beautiful green creation from Adina at A England had to be included! This stunner is an amazing mid-green shimmer/holographic nail polish that lives up to its name (in that it looks like dragon scales…or rather how I would imagine dragon scales to look..you have to see it).

10. OPI Every month is Okoberfest: Number 10 is my absolute favorite (I guess it shouldn’t have been left until last) that I loved during Summer (despite it being the opposite of what I normally wear in Summer) andis a perfect Autumn colour with its red/purple/copper tones and deep, vampy shimmer. This chameleon is a stunner and should be experienced by everyone.

What are your go-to autumn nail polish shades? For more ideas and inspiration this season check out my Guest Post I did a few weeks ago on the fall/autumn nail polish trends for 2013 or alternatively go look back at last years Autumn/Winter nail polish post!

03
Jan
2013

December Beauty Favorites

categories: Beauty, Beauty Favorites, Favorites, Uncategorized

Hi All! So in November my favorites kind of got lost in the chaos of life so although these are my December favorites these products have been ones I also used a lot in November.

1. Palmer’s Olive Butter Formula Body Lotion
So this has been my hands down favorite body moisturizer for two months now. For only $12 (if memory serves correctly) this giant sized product is a great moisturizer, has a lovely fresh scent (not sure if it smells particularly like olives or not…) and doesn’t irritate my sensitive pain in the ass skin. Great product that I see becoming a central part of my moisturizing routine year round as it isn’t too heavy and greasy.

2. Elizabeth Arden: Green Tree Tropical Perfume
I picked this up a while ago as it was on a great special for like $30 and had a nice fresh and fruity scent which I thought would be useful in Summer. Well I was right and I have worn it almost every day this month. Not a super strong scent which I quite like at this time of year. Smells a little floral to me but more so tropical in the fruity sense of the word. Still pining after the Green Tea with Cherry Blossom scent that has been on my wishlist for ages

3. Maybelline MegaPlush Volume Express Mascara
My lovely Mum bought me a bunch of beauty related products a while ago and this is my favorite of the bunch! When I first started using it I was a little underwhelmed but after using it more regularly it has grown on me a lot. First off, the volume is there but not incredibly so. I have pathetic lashes so it isn’t an easy job I should add. Instead of volume I notice more so the definition it brings to my lashes as it never clumps for me. The thing I love most about this mascara is the formula. It’s a bit wet but I have no issues with application and the best thing is that it feels like I’m not wearing any product on my lashes. This makes it so much easier to apply any extra coats without clumping or incredibly caked on lashes.

4. Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
I talked previously about another favorite in this line (Bold Gold) and this is another favorite that I reach for a lot! This neutral bronze colour is an easy eyelid fix when I can’t be bothered putting much makeup on and also provides the perfect base to a neutral smokey eye. Lasts for ages on my eyes (for example it’s still there in the morning if I forget to remove makeup before bed *bad lizzy*!) and helps my other eyeshadows last longer without moving around or creasing.

5. MUA Lipstick in Shade 01
I posted an intial review/haul of my MUA products and this lipstick is probably one of my favorites of the bunch. A beautiful wine red colour that feels moisturizing and lasts a decent amount of time. Best thing about it is that it cost 1 pound.

6. MOA Green Balm
I received this in my first SampleBar box back in November and was also very kindly scent a second one from my lovely friend Karen from BalmainBeauty. The product is a balm with oils like tea tree oil and melaleuca which I use on the lips, cuticles, hands, any sores or scratches and where ever needs a little moisture.

7. OPI The Spy Who Loved Me
Edd very kindly bought this for me at Christmas so technically I have only had it a little while but it was such a great christmas red that I had to include it! A stunning bright red (perfect for the NZ summer) that is full of golden shimmer. The gold isn’t as incredible as it looks in the bottle but still creates a lit from within red that I will reach for again and again.

So there are my favorites for this month and last! I hope everyone had a great end to 2012!

19
Dec
2012

12 Nail Polishes for Summer!

categories: Makeup and Beauty, Nail Polish

Hi All!

I always get excited when a new season arrives as I love searching through my nail polish and picking out the ones I think are well suited! Summer is my favorite nail polish season as I am a sucker for bright creams and tan-improving shimmer shades. This month I couldn’t help but also include a few neons as they have been a raging favorite this summer and although I normally don’t wear any neon at all I do enjoy a pop of it on my nails So here are 12 of my favorite colours for summer

Butter London: Slapper and OPI: Fly

First up is my favorite shade to wear in summer – a beautiful bright teal that makes my skin look tanned (not an easy feat may I add) and is bright but also a little bit different. I know these both look identical but they aren’t and I honestly couldn’t choose just one! It’s a problem, I know 😉 Slapper has more green than fly which is a tad dustier and more blue toned. Both are stunning colours year round but even more so in summer with floral dresses and beachy hair waves. It always makes me feel a little bohemian chic (my favorite style especially for summer). Both have great formulas that are perfection in two quick-drying coats.

OPI: A Roll in the Hague and Butter London: Macbeth

These are two of my favorite brights that I have been looking forward to sporting for the summer. A Roll in the Hague has been a favorite all year and is an ideal bright orange for summer. It is the right colour and tone to avoid looking halloweeny or clashing with my skin tone. Macbeth is a gorgeous pink-toned bright red (much more of a bright red than the picture would suggest). I admit I mainly got this for the name (so sue me, I’m strange) but it is a gorgeous red for summer and looks lovely on the toes!

Essie: Fiji, Essie: Knockout Pout and OPI: Kiss Me On My Tulips

Aside from teal blues which are my go to colour shade I love a nice pink polish during the summer and here are 3 I see myself using a lot this summer. Fiji is a beautiful pale pink that is great for a more demure and polished look. This pale shade again does wonders for my pale skin. Knockout Pout is a beautiful salmon pink that has a touch of coral. Not a neon but still bright and beautiful. Lastly Kiss Me On My Tulips is the hot pink of the bunch! I love this, especially on the toes, and it feels very summery to me (although it did hail from a spring collection). All of these are beautiful and formula applications are easy for Knockout Pout and Kiss Me On My Tulips whilst Fiji (being such a pale shade) is a little fussy that requires a few careful coats to get the beautiful, even pink colour. It’s worth it though

Essie: Beach Bum Blu and OPI: Cozu-Melted in the Sun

I am a cream girl when it comes to nail polish but I do love a good shimmer every now and then. Beach Bum Blu is a beautiful light blue shimmer that creates a foil-like effect and is rather mesmerizing in the sun. The OPI is a beautiful bronze/peach/rose-pink shimmer metallic that looks gorgeous with a tan and comes to life in the summer sun. Both of these are pretty sheer and require a few coats to get an opaque colour however the Essie is fairly easy. The OPI on the other hand I find slightly harder to apply nicely as it is very watery and doesn’t want to stay on my nails

Orly: Glowstick, Kleancolor: Neon Orange and L.A. Girl: Hyper

So last up here are my 3 favorite neon nail polishes for the summer. Orly Glowstick is one that was released this year and creates an eye-searing yellow highlighter shade when applied (2 sheer coats) over a nice, opaque white polish. This is my favorite of the neons as the yellow is a perfect, bright shade. Kleancolour is a great, affordable brand here in NZ with a lot of shops selling their shades for around $3 so when I saw this neon orange I picked it up straight away! If you can put up with the notorious smell of these nail polishes from Kleancolour the colour is great and the neon is satisfyingly crazy bright. These polishes consistently impress me with their opaque formulas and despite being a neon this was no exception with two coats (no white base coat) providing the perfect neon orange. Last up is the L.A. Girl neon pink. This is the least neon of the 3 which although VERY bright, doesn’t quite have the same painfully luminescent quality that the others do. The thing I adore about this polish however is that in ONE coat it is opaque. Super easy to get neon (ish) pink nails and no fussing around with a white base coat which I like.

So there are my 12 nail polish picks for Summer here in NZ! Hope you are all enjoying the last month of 2012 (no matter what the season). Please leave any of your summer essential nail polish colours in the comments as I love hearing what other people reach for this time of year The only question for me is which should I wear first?

10
Nov
2012

Little Monsters and Other Manicures…

categories: Nail Polish

Hi All!

So I am a self-diagnosed nail polish addict but to my horror for the last 6 months or so my hands have been suffering from eczema and general stress induced bad health and so I was far too embarrassed to take photos of the gorgeous nail polish I had been wearing (woe is me! First world problem I know :-/). Luckily my hands have recently got to a state where they aren’t completely unbearable and so I have jumped at the chance to start sharing some of my recent manicures. Please, in advance, forgive my hands not looking totally perfect. They are by no means completely recovered and my nail polish application/photo taking skills are obviously in need of improvement

These are all from the last couple of weeks.

First up I have my monster nails that I did for something easy for Halloween. I saw a photo on this blog here and basically just copied that design because I thought it was totally cute! They didn’t come out perfect but I think they were quite sweet! The colours I used were all by OPI: Did it on ’em, A Grape Fit, A Roll in the Hague (next is Did it on ’em again) and Short’s Story (left to right). The black and white were OPI Black Onyx and Alpine Snow. Tool wise I used a dotting tool to do the dots and a black striper for the lines.

OPI: Pedal Faster Suzi
This is a light, shimmery pink that I didn’t think I would ever really wear but once on I fell in love just a tiny bit. An absolutely gorgeous colour however it did feel super girly which was nice but also a bit weird haha. I normally prefer brighter/darker/weirder colours. Application was easy too, this was two coats on top of OPI Ridge Filler with Orly Polish shield as a Top Coat.

OPI: Every Month is Oktoberfest
This is my absolute favorite at the moment! This is a must have polish in my opinion (if you are a tad crazy like me). Looking at the bottle this looks like a fairly normal but pretty copper shimmer and yet it totally transforms on the nail with a purple/blue tone that came out in the above photo more than the orange/red copper shimmer. Heaps of dimension and one of those that shifts colour in the sun, making driving rather dangerous and distracting. Application again was great with two easy coats. Definitely one of those gorgeous lit from within nail polishes.

OPI: Thanks a Windmillon plus Revlon: Sparkling on Thumb and Ring finger
One of my favorite combos is this sage/sea green with rose gold glitter as an accent! Seems a bit strange but reminds me of those succulent plants that are a dusty green and have a pink sheen to them in the light. Thanks a Windmillion is a great OPI formula, only needed a couple of butter smooth coats. The Revlon glitter isn’t perfect and I do tend to do a little dabbing to ensure a more even application but its such a gorgeous glitter that’s fine with me!

OPI: Dating a Royal with OPI: Last Friday Night on Accent Fingers
Terrible terrible instagram photo, I know! I was planning to retake the photos of this the next day then I woke up with some sheet marks and tip wear ugh! So this will have to do Dating a Royal is a favorite of mine, beautiful royal blue, opaque in two coats. Last Friday Night is a gorgeous glitter full of blue, green and other colours suspended in a light blue jelly base. Beautiful on top of the royal blue.

OPI: Mod About You
Last up is this gorgeous pale pale white pink. I am not a huge pink person at all, not that you would guess that based on this post, but this pink is my favorite along with the very similar Butter London Teddy Girl because it’s so pale. Although its a bit girly it still feels a bit different and unusual. The formula on this isn’t perfect but two careful coats gives opacity, I just sometimes have a bit of difficulty getting a nice even result. I recommend using over a ridge filler as it will help achieve opacity and will also give a more even appearance.

Let me know if this kind of post is interesting to any of you, I love reading nail polish blogs so I thought I would try bringing some of my nail polish hobby into my blog Somehow these all ended up being OPI but I promise a bit more of a range in the future!

02
Nov
2012

Foxy Favorites for October

categories: Beauty, Beauty Favorites

Hi All!

October favorites are a bit late just due to exams and whatnot but here they are! Somehow I didn’t end up with many favorites which was a bit of surprise but I think study has stolen my inspiration and so I just went with a few basics I have been using throughout the month and loving.

Body Shop Fragrance in Indian Night Jasmine

First up here is my favorite fragrance for this month: Indian Night Jasmine from The Body Shop. I was lucky enough to win this and wasn’t expecting to use it that much as it is quite a strong, musky scent but after a few times the sultry scent of jasmine really grew on me. The “heaviness” of such a musky scent is less noticeable than I expected and the floral jasmine notes are rather delightful. Definitely a slightly more grown up scent and great for nights out (although I also use this during the day). The lasting time is good but not amazing but one spray is all you need to get a good fragrance that isn’t too overwhelming so having to reapply isn’t much of an issue.

Chi Chi Viva La Diva Matte Lipstick in Boy Magnet

Next up is one of my two favorite lipsticks! I have a few of these ChiChi lipsticks and I am seriously impressed! I chose Boy Magnet to show you because I was so happy to find a great matte red that looks amazing and lasts forever! Bimbo would be the other amazing shade which is a matte hot pink. Definitely check out the ChiChi range of lipsticks if they’re available.

Nivea Hand Cream: Pure and Natural (Protection)

This hand cream with argan oil from Nivea is my new favorite! It’s very affordable (I believe I got this for around $4 on special at the supermarket) and has a good level of moisture without leaving any greasy feeling behind. There are definitely hand creams that are more moisturizing but I like using this in the day when I’m on the go. The scent is lovely too, normally I stick to unscented hand creams just due to sensitive skin but the fragrance is fresh and subtle, and I haven’t experienced any skin irritations.

Covergirl Exact Eyelights for Blue eyes (#710)

I don’t often wear a lot of eye makeup if any at all (besides mascara) but this quad palette from Covergirl is one that I constantly reach for if I want to wear something a little different. I love the green sage shade in the crease and the highlight shade the most. All the shades have fairly good pigmentation except for the blue. Whether it works well in brightening my eyes or not, I have no idea but all in all an easy to work with set of shades.

Maybelline Coloursensational in Pink Me Up (045)

I have had this for ages but it got lost in the bright pinks and reds for a while but lately I have been reaching for it a lot. This shade is a beautiful light warm pink that comes off as a soft nude pink on my lips. Very easy to wear and although it doesn’t last much more than a couple of hours its a breeze to reapply and isn’t very noticeable while it fades. I wear this all the time when I don’t feel like keeping a bright lip maintained throughout the day.

Burt’s Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate oil

I have so many lip balms it’s actually ridiculous so when I first tried the original Burt’s Bees lip balms and not liking it at all I was disappointing and a bit confused after hearing so many people rave about it. I gave the brand another chance when I tried this replenishing lip balm and I absolutely love it. The red balm gives a very slight tint to the lips but I mainly love it because it is incredibly moisturizing and leaves my lips feeling hydrated for ages! Has a slight scent but its not at all unpleasant. Sorry for its rather rough condition, this is one of those lip balms I just chuck in my bag each day.

OPI: Every Month is Ocktoberfest

Last up here is my nail polish favorite. This is the only nail polish from the Germany collection that I got but I absolutely adore it! It looked a bit average in the bottle but once on the nail its complex mix of mesmerizing burgundy/copper shimmer (which is obvious in the bottle shot) and a beautiful purple in the light (which is kind of captured in the second shot). Once I’m in the sun I can’t stop looking at it. Seriously, it gets pretty embarrassing. A beautiful colour especially for autumn/winter but as usual I can’t stop wearing it regardless of the weather.

There you go! My beauty favorites for the month of October. Keep an eye out for some random favorites which will be up tomorrow

Hope you all had a great month and that next month is even better.

29
Sep
2012

September Beauty Favorites

categories: Beauty Favorites, Favorites, Nail Polish

Hi All!

So September has come around way way too quick for my liking and the fact that I now need to do my favorites has made me realize the impossible amount of work and planning I have to do. Someone pause the clock for me so I can actually catch up with life! Anywho, as usual there are a few products that have been used almost every day this month and that I thought I would share with all you lovely people!

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06
Sep
2012

My 10 Spring Nail Polish Picks!

categories: Favorites, Nail Polish, Uncategorized

Hi All!

Seeing as it is now the beginning of Spring here in New Zealand I thought I would share 10 of my Spring nail polishes that are in my collection. I love spring colours! The mints, lilacs and peaches make my heart sing! I try to include a variety of nail polish brands and colours but am limited by what my collection includes. Please leave a comment if you have any other recommendations or favorites to share! I love hearing what other people think and love, especially when it comes to nail polish!!

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