Trying The White Based Nail Trend With Essence*

Look in any magazine or at any catwalk show, and one nail trend has probably stood out more than any other in 2015. No I'm not talking about stiletto nails (yuck IMO) I'm talking about nail polishes with a white base. From white based pastels, to white tinged nudes and out and out tippex whites, pale polish has been one of the the nail trends of the year.

Despite it's popularity within the fashion and the beauty industry I think plain white nails are a hard look for most of us to carry off. Your nails need to be decent, in my opinion this look doesn't work on painfully short, ragged nails, and the application needs to be perfect. 

If you want that white based look though, the easiest thing to do it to go for a colour that has that white undertone. Not only will it be more flattering but it will probably be more forgiving. I've shown you a few white based pastels lately but this one is more of a perfect,winter nude shade.

Essence I ♥ Trends The Nudes in 05 Pure Soul is a shade that gives you that super pale white based look but without the harshness or starkness of a pure white.

It's a bit difficult to subscribe but Pure Soul is more of a pale Ivory or creamy tone, it definitely has a bit more warmth to it than a pure white and it's also shot through with a tiny touch of pink shimmer, The shimmer isn't that visible in most lights but it definitely adds a bit of depth and warmth to this shade.

Colours like this are notoriously difficult to apply, and on coat number one, this one was no exception. It streaked and it was really uneven, but when you left it to dry and applied a second coat, it seemed to even itself out and whilst it was still quite sheer you could potentially wear just the two coats, as you can can see below, as part of a cream toned French manicure base.

For me though this colour should really be worn as a full coverage pale, nude and whilst you can still slightly see my nails tips here, this is 3 coats.

I'm going to be honest wear time wasn't amazing including a base coat I had 4 layers on here which does mean you've got quite a lot of polish on your nails and the thicker the polish the less well it wears. Although it would mean adding another layer a good top coat would definitely improve the wear time as well as adding a little bit of extra gloss.

When I first saw this polish my hopes weren't high, my nails were quite short and it just looked a bit too pale for my skin tone. Fast forward a few months though, and my nails have grown a bit and I actually think that I can get away with this colour after all. This isn't a stark, harsh white, and whilst it's pale the cream shade, and the tiniest smattering of pink shimmer, gives this colour the warmth that it needs. It's also a lot more versatile then I originally thought, as well as using it as a plain, block colour, you could also use it as a nice base for nail art and of course by only applying a coat or two it makes a good French manicure shade. Essence I ♥ Trends The Nudes in 05 Pure Soul retails at just £1.80 for an 8ml bottle, from Essence stand alone stores, and from Wilko and Wilko online so most people can afford to experiment or try something new. Are you a fan of white based nail polish shades? Let me know x I love reading what you have to say x 

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A Little Primark Haul And A Video

Last week I braved the half term hoards and headed to the Metro Centre for a little shopping trip with Mummy Lou. Thankfully we went early enough to avoid the worst of the crowds but Primark predictably was crammed.

I didn't buy a lot in Primark and in fact I had one of those frustrating visits that you get every now and then. Lots of things caught my eye but the size selection was awful, pretty much everything I picked up was only available in size 8 or a size 12! It was so disheartening and it certainly does nothing for your self confidence :( It always seems to be the same when the schools or off so I'm planning to a return trip next week, when hopefully I'll have a bit more luck size wise

Enough of the whinging though I still managed to pick up a few things - I only got one real clothing item though which was this jumper

I love polo and roll necks at this time of year, and this burgundy, wine coloured number was only £6. It came in a few different colours, and the skinny rib knit is really stretchy. It's warm enough on it's own but it will also made a great layering piece under either a cardigan, a poncho or a cape.

Sticking with winter warmers I also picked up some tights. Black opaque tights are a real wardrobe staple for me, and I was stock up when I find some that I like. I normally a George at Asda devotee but I thought I'd give these ones a try. You get a 3 Pack of  80 Denier Black Opaques for just £3.90, they feel soft and quite thick so they were well worth trying.

I had a little look the hats and scarves and although I was pretty tempted by the new tartan scarves I managed to stay strong - Mummy Lou however did not and bought a lovely pale pink, cable knit bobble hat for just £2.50! I couldn't persuade her to model it for me so Jake kindly stepped in :)

How cute is he :) I love his markings and how it looks as though he's wearing a necklace :) Alas us humans don't have built in necklaces so we have to buy them and I couldn't resist this zodiac necklace duo.

I tend to take horoscopes with a pinch of salt, but characteristically I am a typical Taurus, I'm greedy, jealous and really stubborn, so this set of necklaces were a must have. One fine gold chains, one necklace comes with a gold tone disc with the Taurus zodiac symbol on it, and the other one contains a square, faux marble type pink stone. This necklace set comes in all the star signs and it's just £2, and they also sell the matching earrings.

From jewellery to home wear and as you know I'm a huge fan of Primarks home selection, and it just keeps getting better and better. The Metro Centre store doesn't have the biggest home selection but I usually manage to pick up a few bits and this visit was no exception.

Coat hangers - we all need coat hangers, but I hate the plastic hangers, that you normally get in shops, and as nice as they look padded and wooden hangers are just too bulky. Many moons ago I first discovered these velour covered, slim, non slip hangers on QVC (read my very, very, early post here) - I tried them and I loved them. The clothes stay put, and because of the slim width you can fit more of them in your wardrobe. The one drawback was the price but thankfully though this amazing idea is now available at a more budget friendly price.

You can normally pick up a pack of 3, black or grey ones in Poundland or Poundworld, but if you can get yourself to Primark. They do a wide variety of colours for around £3.80 for a set of 10, however if you have a look in the sale containers you can sometimes pick up a bargain and this set of Primark Home Hang In There 10 Non Slip Hangers was just £2. The pink shades seem to be the only ones that were reduced strangely enough but I was happy to pick up a bargain.

The next thing I got is technically a Christmas decoration but I think you could easily have this little guy out all year round.

This cute ceramic Christmas Reindeer Tea light Holder, was just £1.50 and it even comes with a white, wax tea light x I think he's adorable and he's going to be living in my bedroom. There was also a sweet little Santa option too.

The final two things that I got were both beauty related - I stocked up on my usual Oil Balancing Face wipes, and I picked up another one of these.

I have mixed feelings about these polish remover pots but this P.S. Love Your Nails Nail Polish Twist Pot is pretty good for the £1 price tag. It's quick, it doesn't smell too bad, it's non drying and it takes the polish off with ease. I think that these are a real time saver, and they're great if just mess up the one nail -  you can just remove it without taking off the rest of your polish. I still love my favourite Superdrug remover but this little pot has definitely made it's way into my regular manicure routine.

Not the biggest Primark haul I know but I've picked up a few essentials and a couple of things that I love, so it wasn't all bad. Another trip is definitely on the cards in the near future but in the meantime why not watch the accompanying You Tube video below or you can watch it here x



Have you been to Primark recently? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you got x

Getting Your Shimmer On With Madara Flower Dust Shimmer Moisturiser*

Although I'm most definitely not a party girl, when the festive season arrives I normally make an exception and I don't need any excuse to dress up to the nines, and sparkle the night away. In the summer it makes perfect sense to care for our skin because it's going to be on show but come winter time we often forget and it's a mad dash, to primp and preen ourselves in time for that New Years Eve party. Over the last month  or so though, I've been trying out a product from My Pure that promises to make your skin look amazing no matter what the season.

I've tried a few products from award winning, Latvian brand, Madara now and bar a couple of minor quirks I've been pretty impressed; Up until recently though I'd only tried  some of their skincare products, one of their new editions though give me the opportunity to branch out into their body care range

The Madara Flower Dust Lotion Shimmering Moisturiser like all of the products in the Madara range is certified organic, and 100 percent of the ingredients are natural in origin.Their products are also suitable for vegans and they aren't tested on animals. This body lotion contains a host of natural ingredients including sunflower seed oil, cocoa butter, rose hip and algae extracts, and something called titanium dioxide, but more on that later.

This lotion comes boxed and it comes in a pump action airtight bottle. It takes a couple of pumps to prime the bottle but after that the product comes out easily. I found the one pump was more than enough for both arms as a little goes a long way, making this product both hygienic and economical.

Although it's described as a lotion this actually has a lovely, rich and creamy texture, Just dispense a little bit of this lotion into your hand and you can see what makes it so special.

It's crammed full of titanium dioxide, and other natural minerals, this isn't just a normal body lotion, it is in fact a shimmering body lotion. It's not that easy to see in most of these pictures but this lotion leaves a beautiful golden, shimmery glow on the skin.

This isn't a chunky glitter by any means, it's a fine subtle shimmer that is perfect for when you want to show a bit of skin. Apply a little bit to your arms, legs and your collar bones and you're party ready in an instant. It goes without saying that this product would look beautiful on tanned and darker skin tones, but even if you're pale and pasty, this will definitely give your skin a bit of warmth and a healthier appearance.

The shimmery aspect is without a doubt this products biggest selling point, but this isn't just a cosmetic or make up product, this is a serious body lotion, with lots of natural oils and butters to smooth and care for the skin. It takes a little while to absorb but it leaves the skin feeling smooth, soothed, and looking fabulous.

I absolutely love this product and I think it's a real must have for the festive season, it adds a subtle sparkle to the skin, and it adds a good dose of moisture when the skin needs it most. The only tiny drawback could be the the scent ,it has the same distinctive very green fragrance that the Tinting Fluid has - I think that this is probably a love / hate scent, but if this doesn't sound very you, don't worry, in this case it doesn't linger and it definitely won't interfere with your perfume. If you have a party to go to this winter then you need this lotion in your life, even if you're not planning on flashing any flesh, I'm sure a tiny little bit applied to the cheek bones would give you that party feel even if you're just wearing your Christmas jumper. The Madara Flower Dust Lotion Shimmering Moisturiser retails at £19 for 150ml from My Pure. If you have any questions please let me know x  Thanks for reading x

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Trimming My Stash October 2015 Edition - Empties, Updates And Mini Reviews

A nip and a punch for the first of the month and welcome to November! It's quite a scary thought but there are only about 8 weeks left of 2015 - argh where has this year gone! My life is passing me by Never mind the start of November means that we're one step closer to my favourite holiday - Christmas! 

I'm trying not to get too excited just yet - there is a lot of water under the bridge between now and then, and I'm just trying to focus on the here and now with my imminent oral surgery (sobs) and a few home renovations. It seems as though we've been changing decor and furniture for nearly all of 2015 and it looks as though it's going to continue to the very last moment, so it's going to be a mad dash to get everything tidy and organised ahead of the big day.

I'm trying to focus on a couple of rooms, my bedroom and my office / craft room and just when I think I've made a dent in my beauty stash I find another box of goodies. I'm doing my best to use things up as quickly as possible but sometimes it seems like such a slow process.

Prada Candy Florale Eau De Toilette -30ml
Collection Limited Edition Mardi Gras Lip Balm - 1 Green Apple
Mal All In One Body Wash Cedarwood And Fig - 150ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipe For Combination Skin x 25 Wipes
Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash - Rebalancing Green Tea & Jasmine - 200ml
Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 30g
Decleor Systeme Corps Moisturising Body Milk - 75ml
Madara Multi Action Micellar Water - 100ml
Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover - 150ml
Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara -001 Black - 7ml
Total - 10 Items

That said in October I did manage to finish 10 beauty products, equalling my best monthly performance of the year. I still have a long way to go to get my stash at an even vaguely manageable level but every little helps, and over the last month I've managed to finish a good variety of products.

1. Prada Candy Florale Eau De Toilette - 30ml

When Prada first started making perfumes, I have to say I was disappointed. Fragrance is such a personal thing and up until this one, nothing appealed. Prada Candy Florale is the most recent additions to the popular Prada Candy line, and whilst it has some of the caramel, candy sweetness of the original, it has something else that made it more me -both fresh and floral notes. I'm useless at describing fragrance but I'm lead to believe that the notes that are appealing to me are peonies and limoncello :) My sense of smell is a little awry at the minute so this is smelling a little strange to me but this is easily in my top 3 fragrances now. I love it and since I have a 50ml bottle and a roller ball to use up, so happily this fragrance is going to remain in my collection for quite some time to come.

2. Collection Limited Edition Mardi Gras Lip Balm - 1 - Green Apple

This pocket money friendly lip balm was originally released as a Limited Edition but it's now being integrated into the permanent collection line, all be it though in different packaging. This is a traditional, twist up, stick style lip balm, with an apple, melon, like fruity taste. It's very moisturising, on the lips, and seems to absorb without being too sticky or tacky. This lip balm comes in a few different flavours and it retails at a very budget friendly £1.99.

3. Mal All In One Body Wash Cedarwood And Fig - 150ml

This was a product that I received in a goodie bag quite a while ago now, at the Newcastle Meet Up At The Mal event (read my post here). The body wash is one of the complimentary products that you will find in your bathroom if your lucky enough to stay in a Malmaison hotel. Sometimes the products that you find in hotel bathrooms aren't up to much but this was decent. A little went a long way and it had a pleasant warming woody, fruity aroma. If you stay in a Malmaison hotel make sure that you take this one home with you x

4. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipe For Combination Skin x 25 Wipes

You must be sick to death of seeing pictures of these on my blog but I really do buy them and use them up. As I've said about 100 times now I don't tend to use wipes on my face so these are really just for emergency or lazy person use but I do use them to freshen up my hands and for cleaning up swatches. They have a light tea tree aroma and of course they have the antibacterial properties that tea brings. I buy these pretty much every time I'm in Primark, and for the price, they are a really useful item to have have in your beauty stash. These wipes retail at just £1 for 2 packs so they are definitely worth a try.

5. Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash - Rebalancing Green Tea & Jasmine - 200ml

This was a produce that I was sent for review purposes and you can read my full review here x I really enjoyed using this, I'm a huge lover of shower foams, as they seem to add a bit of indulgence to the pretty basic showering experience. This one had a lovely fresh, slightly floral scent, and it lasted for ages. There are a few different fragrances to try, so your bound to find something that you like.

6. Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 30g

This is something that I'm planning to review in the future for you so I'll try and keep this one brief. This is a melting, balm cleanser, that's packed full of essential oils and good skincare ingredients, add a bit of water to it and it transforms to a creamy milk that dissolves the heaviest make up in an instant, leaving the skin soft and hydrated. I like this but I don't love it, but I have a super size which I'll happily use up, and if it came in a kit I would use it again, It's good but I personally prefer the Emma Hardie Moringa Balm.

7. Decleor Systeme Corps Moisturising Body Milk - 75ml

This wasn't the hugest bottle of body lotion but it was something that I found in one of my long forgotten and ignored beauty piles. From French brand Decelor this is described as a body milk but that makes me think of something runny and watering, this has more of a thick, lotion consistency. It has a nice gentle, neutral fragrance, and it leaves the skin, silky soft and hydrates. This isn't the cheapest of products but a little goes along way and I would definitely consider a repurchase, if I didn't already own the worlds body lotion mountain.

8. Madara Multi Action Micellar Water - 100ml

This product was one of my regular My Pure and it was something I only reviewed a couple of months ago (read my review here). After finishing the bottle the same thing still applies, I'm still not sure about the smell, but it does the job and removes make up, and even eye make up, without drying or stinging. My only issue is the size of the bottle and the price, and that's what puts me off making a repurchase.

9. Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover - 150ml

Get the violins ready, the tissues and the sad music! It's not often that finishing a product makes me sad but this one has. The original Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover was my holy grail eye make up remover. I bought bottle after bottle of it, it removed my eye make up in a couple of swipes, and it didn't sting. The new reformulated version however did sting my eyes like crazy so I bought it once and never again. I've found a couple of replacements but this original product still holds a special place in this beauty lovers heart x  You can read a full review of this here x

10. Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara - 001 Black - 7ml

Yeah a make up item! I know mascaras are normally the quickest thing that we finish but I normally have about 3 on the go at once so it can take a while. This was a pretty decent, drugstore brand mascara, I personally found it a bit fluid, and it did have a tendency to gloop and to travel but it made the lashes look long and pretty decent. As well as being a lengthening mascara this one also contains lash conditioners, and claims to help the lashes to grow longer, unfortunately I didn't see any real difference in the length of my lashes in the the long term but this was still an okay mascara but I probably wouldn't repurchase.

I'm pretty pleased with this little last, I tried really hard and it definitely paid off. Another 10 items will be a hard target to reach in November but I'm going to do the best that I can to up my yearly total. I'm aiming for a few hair products, maybe a skincare item, some shower products, and maybe a make up product or two but who knows - Make sure your following my blog to see how I get on and if you have any questions please leave me a comment x

Essie - Braziliant And A Bit Of Halloween Nail Art

Happy Halloween x I hope you've had a thoroughly spooky day whatever you've been doing and I hope that tonight it equally scary - I'm planning to snuggle on the sofa and watch some scary films and eat a lovely bowl of Delia Smith's Pumpkin And Toasted Sweetcorn Soup - Yummy! My pumpkin this year was a bit of a fail - he had a bit of a sunken head but hey at least I tried!

To coincide with the bright orange of Mr Pumpkin Head I decided to match my nails to his bright orange exterior with Essie - Braziliant

This picture is probably one of the best for showing off the real colour -. I've found it nigh on impossible to capture it's true colour but it's a true bright, bright orange shot through with a touch of shimmer, that just seems to be reflecting on my flash and making it look quite a bit redder.

Like a lot of Essie polishes, Braziliant was pretty easy to apply. This one has a wide brush and the formulation is quite thick, so with careful application you could probably get away with one coat but here I've used two.

I love, love, love this shade and whilst it would amazing with a tan or on the beach, I think orange is a real autumnal colour and it looks really nice with some of the browns, tans and rust shades that are around at the moment.

Seeing as it's All Hallows Ever though I decided to give this polish a bit of a Halloween twist. There are so many amazing Halloween nail art tutorials out there but I've gone for the cheats option and used some really easy nail stickers.

This set that I got from Top Shop isn't particularly scary or complicated but black cats are most definitely associated with Halloween. Black cats definitely have a bad rep but I love them and so I thought I'd add some black cat face stickers on to both my thumb and my middle finger to create an accent nail look.


Nail stickers are the easiest was of playing with a bit of nail art and creating an accent nail. I just use a pair of tweezers or a hoof stick to peel the sticker off the sheet, and then you just place it on top of a dry, polished nail, press it down and put on a layer or two of top coat to hold it all in place.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and the lovely bright, cheeriness of Essie - Braziliant on such a dark and spooky night x Happy Halloween x

Skin Blossom Cleanse & Nourish Body Wash - A Review For My Pure*

When you're as big a bath fan as I am, embracing the whole of Autumn and Winter with only a shower for company, is not a comforting prospect. I love a bath and the warmth and comfort that it brings but for the first time this year I'm having to embrace the cold and dark days before Christmas with an all be it very nice, power shower.

Despite that though ,I'm coming around very slowly to the whole idea of showering and whether it's down to a whole change of heart or necessity, I'm starting to love the ease, speed and convenience that a hot shower brings.

At this time of year I normally shake up my bath and shower routine and swap my summer fruit and floral fragrances. for warmer, food and spice aromas. I don't think I'm quite ready yet though, and like my bright nails I want to embrace the idea of summer for just a little bit longer so for one of Octobers My Pure reviews I decided to try a more summery feeling body wash.

I've already tried the lavender scented Skin Blossom Therapeutic Bath Soak and loved it so I thought I'd branch out and try another product from the brand, the Skin Blossom Cleanse & Nourish Body Wash.

Made of 76% organic ingredients, this Soil Association approved product is free from from SLS and SLES, parabens, silicone's and artificial colours, and fragrances. Skin Blossom are a UK company and this product is also suitable for vegans. It contains Aloe Vera, and glycerin to soften and nourish the skin, and orange extract, Palmarosa and rose geranium.

It comes in a pump action bottle, it's clear in colour with just a hint of orange and it has quite a thick gel like texture. As you would expect from the colour and the ingredients this body wash has a beautiful orange, citrus aroma with slight floral and herbal notes. It's refreshing but it's quite gentle and not as zingy or fresh as some citrus fragrances can be.

A little of the product goes a long way, and just a small amount produces a thick, creamy foam that gently cleanses the skin, and rinses away easily. The product felt very soothing, and calming on the skin, and after rinsing the skin didn't feel tight, or dry.  Body washes and shower gels can often be quite stripping but this one definitely gave the skin a moisture boost thanks to the inclusion of the vegetable glycerin and the Aloe Vera. I personally still used a body lotion after using it but if you're in a rush or you have an oilier skin it might not be necessary.

SLS free body washes can be disappointing and produce a watery foam but products with strong foaming agents can often be drying - At times you can't win but with this body wash you can win - Not only is this product free from harsh foaming agents but it produces a lovely creamy foam that leaves the skin cleansed and nourished. This isn't just my opinion though this is Mummy Lou's too, I left this in the shower and she loved it too, on her more mature, drier skin.

We also loved the scent, and although this more gentle herbal tinged citrus is quite a summery fragrance, it's definitely something that you could use all year round for a comforting and refreshing yet calming shower. The Skin Blossom Cleanse and Nourish Body Wash comes in a 300ml bottle and normally retails at £6.95 from My Pure but it's currently on special offer at just £5.91. If you have any questions please let me know x Thanks for reading.

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