Showing posts with label Nude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nude. Show all posts

Thursday, 7 February 2019

Nails Of The Day - Nails Inc - Elizabeth Street

If there is one thing that I probably don't need any more of it's nail polishes, I probably have enough to stock several nail salons, but throwing all logic out of the window it's something that I can't seem to stop buying, throw Christmas into the equation and I've probably acquired about 15 nails polishes in the last 2 months alone - I think I have a problem!

So I guess it makes some sort of sense that I've decided (natural nails depending that is) to start sharing regular nails of the days with you again, What probably is a little bit stranger though is that the polish in my previous NOTD post (Nails Inc - Victoria - read it here if you haven't already) and the polish in this post are almost vintage models!

This is another one of my original Nails Inc polishes - Elizabeth Street, like Victoria has pretty much been around since Day 1, and again it's easy to see why it's probably as popular now as it ever was.


Elizabeth Street is a perfect creamy, natural nude shade. If you've been lucky enough to have a French Manicure at one of Nails Inc's many nails bars, then this is one of the shades, that they could have used. Team it up with a shade like Whitehall for a full on French look or wear it on it's own for a clean, fresh, classic natural nail look.

If you're a Nails Inc historian or aficionado then you'll know that again this is one of their very early bottles, so no wide, curved brush here. The original Nails Inc polishes had quite a thin brush, it takes a little bit longer to paint with admittedly but if your nails are shorter,  then it does make it a tiny bit neater, especially if like me you aren't the best nail painter!

After the first coat it was a bit streaky and you could definitely still see the colour of my nail bed and nail tip through the polish. Apply one coat really well though and you would a very natural nude pink shade, aka your own nails but better, build it up like I have though and you get more of the true, cream, nude shade. The density and coverage improves with every coat, so depending on how well you apply it and your nails, it could take 3 or more coats for full blank out coverage. As you long as you apply thin coats though it should dry quite quickly, and  even given the age of my bottle I didn't have too many problems with drying time.


For speed in theses photographs I'm only wearing two coats, but to be honest on some nails I probably could have done with 3 coats because it does look a bit streaky. This is one of those colours that in theory should be easy to paint but as you can see it's not! I'm going to hold me hands up and say that this isn't the neatest manicure that I've ever done, but I do think that the pale colour has at least a little bit to do with it, for some reason it seems to show up every imperfection especially around the cuticle area - all I can say is just don't look too close ;) Never mind at least it made up for it's less than perfect finish with wear time, because you can't really see any chips I managed to get nearly a week out of this without a top coat, which is almost completely unheard of for me, 



Despite the odd flaw here and there this is a really easy to wear colour, it's a proper neutral, that's perfect for any nail length, it is a true classic, and there is literally nowhere that you couldn't wear this colour. As I say it's perfect on its own and as part of a French Manicure but given its very neutral tone, and its ability to almost white out / blank out your nails, it like Victoria, makes the perfect base for all of those fabulous glittery, holographic, and iridescent top coats. If you read my Nails Inc INC.redible Cosmic Girl post before Christmas (check it out here x), then you may have already seen this shade topped with the fabulous colour shifting Cosmic Girl, to give it an amazing transformation from safe, classic, neutral, to sparkly wonderfulness!


Elizabeth Street is one of those must have shades, and even if you think it's a bit boring, and a bit safe, get it and have a play with it, it's such a versatile colour that you won't be disappointed - look even Tallulah likes it! Nails Inc - Elizabeth Street in it's new and funky packaging is readily available at Nails Inc concessions, nails bars, and online x 

Tuesday, 9 February 2016

The Balm Nude Dude Eyeshadow Palette - Review And Giveaway - CLOSED

When I first got into make up I was a compulsive experimenter when it came to eyeshadow I used to play with colour and texture pretty much every time I did my make up. As I've got older though and more experienced with make up, on a daily basis I tend to stick to what I know suits me and I save experimentation and play for special occasions.

So what does suit me? well at the risk of being boring - a nude brown or a smokey eye. It's quick and easy to do and you can use a nude eyeshadow palette to create everything from a simple day look, to a full on smokey, evening look. 

One nude eyeshadow palette would in theory probably fulfil most of my eyeshadow needs, but being the beauty junkie that I am, I have a huge collection of nude, and neutral eyeshadow palettes and singles. What can I say I love choice! I normally alternate my shadows but at the moment I seem to be using  just one palette over and over again.


I received The Balm Nude Dude Volume 2 Nude Eyeshadow Palette, for Christmas and it was love at first sight. 


Like most of the products in The Balm range this palette comes in cardboard packaging with an invisible magnetic fastening. As you  know cardboard packaging isn't always my favourite but in this case I'll make an exception. In my experience they scuff easily and they can look a bit scratty even after only a few uses but this ones comes complete with a removable cardboard sleeve which should keep it a little bit more protected. 


Open the palette up and your greeted with a large mirror, 12 eyeshadow colours and a small double ended shadow / liner brush.


So yeah all of the shadows are supposed to resemble naked men but we'll gloss over that ;) colour wise this is the perfect nude palette, that will take you from to night x 


The shadows themselves range from a beautiful creamy ivory, to golds, coppers, bronzes and pink nudes, to dark chocolate browns and a gorgeous dark, black, grey crammed full of sparkle. There are a couple of matte shades but the majority have a little bit of shimmer or even glitter shot through them. So what do they look like...

Top row from left to right - Fearless, Flawless, Firm, Flirty, Friendly, and Fierce




Bottom row from left to right - Fabulous, Faithful, Fit, Feisty, Funny and Fine.

I've read a few reviews of the first Nude Tude palette and a couple of them talk about chalky shadows and poor pigmentation but that's definitely something that you can't say about this palette. The shadows are velvety soft, and the pigmentation is superb on even the palest, and the matte shades. and they blend together like a dream. There is a little bit of fall out on some of the sparkly and shimmery colours but I can live with that, after all that's what a fan brush is for.


Speaking of brushes this palette also comes with a little double ended shadow and liner brush. Although it's not a full sized brush, it certainly isn't a throw away or an afterthought. The hairs are soft and smooth, and whilst it's soft enough to blend shadows, it's firm enough to use as a liner brush.

I haven't worn a lot of make up over the last month or so but when I have this is the shadow palette that I've reached for. The colours are really wearable and the quality of the shadows makes them quick and easy to use. If you love your nude eyeshadows then this is definitely a palette worth considering. The Balm Nude Dude Eyeshadow Palette retails at around £29.99 and available from the likes of Superdrug, and Debenhams.

Do you love this palette as much as I do? Well on Friday 12th February my blog is 9 years old! Yes I've blogging for nearly 9 years now! More on my blogging journey on Friday but to celebrate my blogging birthday I'm giving one of you the opportunity to win your very own The Balm Nude Dude Eyeshadow Palette. Yeah! aren't I a nice person! All you need to do is fill in the Rafflecopter form below before 6th March 2015 for a chance to win. 


Remember the more times and ways you enter the better chance you have of winning. This giveaway is open worldwide and it's open to followers only so make sure you are following in the way you say because I will be checking. I would also appreciate it if you don't share this giveaway on competition sites or on giveaway message boards. I would love a genuine blog reader to win this giveaway if possible x Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please let me know, oh and good luck x 

Saturday, 9 January 2010

Smashbox and MAC Lip Liner Swatches

The other day I had a little chat on twitter with one of my lovely followers Glam Gemini / Layna about lip liners - i must admit I got through phases of using lip liner, and phases of completely ignoring it but I do have a few nice ones which she was interested in seeing

From Left To Right - Smashbox The Nude Lip Pencil - Fair, MAC Lip Pencil in Oak, Smashbox The Nude Lip Pencil - Light

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Hope this helps - In my opinion the Smashbox ones have a far superior, creamier texture to the MAC ones and Fair is probably the most wearable shade for most MAC nudes

I bought my Smashbox pencils from Just Beauty Direct and they are around £10.58 each - MAC lip liner in Oak is available from all MAC outlets priced at £10.00

Any questions please let me know xxx