Matte Nail Paints by Barry M

I've been loving matte nails for a while now and usually add the Rimmel Matte Top Coat to my chosen colour of nail polish so I was excited to hear that Barry M where bringing out a matte range. Barry M are definitely one of my favourite drug store nail polishes with me being a big fan of the Gelly range, however these gorgeous colours have definitely taken over from them as my new favourites. I love neutral coloured nails so when I went into Superdrug the other week I couldn't decided between these 3 gorgeous shades so I went for all 3. The colours I picked up are; Vanilla, Caramel and Mocha (I love the names). 

The forumla of these nail polishes is amazing, it applies smoothly and dries quickly. It's fully opaque after 2 coats and to make it last longer I add my Rimmel Matte Top Coat again so I don't lose the matte finish. Vanilla is a gorgeous purple toned nude/grey colour which I love as it's not similar to any other colours I have in my collection. Caramel, which is what I'm wearing on my nails at the moment is the perfect light brown/nude in my opinion. Finally, Mocha, which I think is my favourite out of the three as it's really different and not a colour I'd usually go for on my nails as it's a cool toned brown. 

I am completely sold on these nail paints and I think they're the perfect shades for all year round. They also come in a black and a berry colour which I think will be great for the Autumn/Winter months. I can see these being on my nails constantly for the next while and willl possibly pick up the other two shades. The Barry M Matte nail paints cost £3.99 and you can buy them online or at Boots and Superdrug.

Are you a fan of matte nails and have you tried these nail paints yet?

Barry M Summer Gelly Nail Paints - Blue Grape & Mango

Ever since the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints launched I've been a big fan of them. I loved every single one of the Spring 2013 shades and when I saw some blog posts on the new Summer ones I knew I had to have them all. There are five new colours; Key Lime, Guava, Blue Grape, Passion Fruit and Mango but I was sensible and only picked up two. The two colours I chose (it was a hard decision) were Blue Grape and Mango.

Blue Grape is a bright Cobalt Blue colour which I've been wanting in my collection for a while now so this shade was top of my list. I've heard a few people say that this is a good dupe for Nails Inc Baker Street but in person it looks quite a bit darker, although I'd say it's definitely a great alternative if you don't want to pay Nails Inc prices. I got a lot of compliments when I wore this and I can definitely see me wearing it a lot during the Summer - it looks so glossy!

It took me a lot longer to decided on the second shade but I went for Mango which is a bright yellow-based orange. I always love an orange nail in the Summer and think this will look lovely with at tan. I do really like this colour but it's nothing special and I kind of wish I picked up Passion Fruit which is a pink/red instead.

I love the glossy formula of these nail paints but the only thing I'd say is that I'd prefer the brush to be thicker. To be honest I can't really comment on the longevity of the Gelly's because I change my nail colour every 2-3 days, they do last the 3 days though. I think the Barry M Gelly's have such a great range of colours for Summer I know I'll buy the other three shades at some point - at £3.99 it would be rude not to! Have you purchased any of the new Summer shades yet?

March Favourites

• Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub - I love all of the Soap & Glory products, but my favourite is 100% this one (closely followed by the Glow Getter tan), a body scrub that consists of little beads that give you silky smooth skin. It contains oat, Shea butter and sugar along with other lovely ingredients like almond and honey which makes it a must have skin care product for me. I use this a couple of times a week to buff off my tan and exfoliate my skin ready for another layer, it also has an amazing maple scent (smells good enough to eat). This is one product I always repurchase and if you haven't tried it I definitely recommend that you do.

• Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil - I did a review on this body oil at the start of March and have still been using it (almost) everyday. It's extra moisturising and has a lovely subtle scent, not to mention its so much more convenient than a lotion if you're lazy like me. If you want to read my full review on it you can here.

• VO5 Plump It Up Dry Backcomb Spray - I'm forever trying to get volume in my flat, limp hair and have tried loads of products that just don't seem to work. A couple of months ago I bought some products from the VO5 Plump It Up range and this one stood out to me the most. After using my Aussie Aussome Volume shampoo and conditioner and my Plump It Up mousse, I spray this onto my roots and backcomb my hair slightly to give it some extra volume. I've seen some negative reviews on this but it works fine for me, it's by no means a miracle product but it does give my hair a little more volume and texture than usual and I use it every day. 

• MAC Pink Nouveau - So far I have 12 MAC lipsticks in my collection and the one I've been reaching for the most this month is Pink Nouveau. It's a lovely medium pink with blue undertones and has a satin finish. It's not too bright so it's perfect for everyday wear and I've been loving pairing it with my Revlon ColorBurst lipgloss in Pink Ice. 

• Barry M Gelly Nail Paint Lychee - I'm a massive fan of nude nail polish and even dedicated a whole post to them here. Now I have a new favourite to add to my collection - Barry M Lychee. I already have a couple of the Gelly polishes, I love the finish of them and they are one of my favourites (Essie is still in the lead though). Lychee is a gorgeous Spring nude, a really pale creamy coffee colour and I've been wearing it constantly on my nails this month. I'll definitely buy it again when this one runs out - and it will!

• L'Oreal Super Liner - Another product I've been wearing every day is this pen liner. I posted about this in February and have been using it almost every day since then. It's so easy to use and the thin tip makes appplication super quick, especially when I'm running about for work in the morning. For now this has even replaced my beloved Maybelline gel liner but maybe I'll rekindle my love for it this month.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your March Favourites?

January Favourites

I've never done a monthly favourites post before but I've decided this year it's something I'm going to (try) do every month. I really love reading everyone else's and think it's a great way to find new products. I've narrowed my January favourites down to 7 (which was hard):

• MAC Blot Powder in Medium - So looking at this powder you'd think it had hardly been touched, right? Wrong! I've had this MAC powder since September last year. On a daily basis I use my Rimmel Stay Matte powder but since it isn't in a compact I find it easier to carry about my MAC blot powder. I've been using this to touch up my makeup almost every day since September but it's took me up until now to realise how much I love it. If I'm feeling a bit shiny I just use this little compact (it has a mirror which is an added bonus) and the shine is gone. The best thing about it is that it's really light and sheer so no matter how much you use you never looked caked in makeup. It costs £20 which I think is amazing considering how long it's lasted.

• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium - This is definitely the best drugstore concealer I've ever used, I use it every single day without fail. A lot of bloggers rave about this concealer and I'm 100% behind them. I use this under my eyes, on the corners of my nose and to cover up any blemishes I have and it covers them so well. The only thing that I don't like about it is the packaging, all the writing has came off. However, it's such a bargain at £4.19 that I'll definitely be repurchasing it.

• Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Cashew Beige - I've been using this foundation throughout January and it's now my new favourite (I even like it better than my Armani Luminous Silk). It gives the most gorgeous finish and the colour is perfect for me. I'm not going to say much about this as I've just did a review on it the other day. If you haven't seen it, you can read it here.

• MAC Lipstick in Diva - I bought this lipstick back in December after seeing it on Laura's blog. I love dark lips for winter and I've been wearing this colour so much this month. MAC lipsticks are my favourite, I love everything about them. I'm thinking about doing a full review on this lipstick so stay tuned. As you all probably know, MAC lipsticks cost £14.

• Korres Lip Butter in Plum - I got this lip butter off my Mum for Christmas and since then I've been using it almost every day. I love that it has a subtle hint of colour and it smells so good, it also really sorts out my dry lips in this horrible, cold weather. I did a post on this a few weeks ago if you want to have a read.

• Carino Miracle Oil - For ages I'd wanted to try the Moroccan oil but I just couldn't justify paying that much for a hair product. Then I saw this little dupe on Corrie's blog back in September which is from Aldi (random, I know!) and only costs £3.99! I've had this for months but only really started using it recently. I either use it when my hair is wet which makes it lovely and smooth or I use it to smooth down the ends once I've dried it so there's no need for me to use my straighteners (my hair has been looking a bit damaged lately). This has lasted me a while and I'd definitely buy it again.

• Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Blood Orange - I'm a big fan of Barry M nail paints, especially their new Gelly ones. I bought this one back in October but have been wearing it a lot this month. I think a read nail is so classic and such a wearable colour. I can't wait to get my hands on the new Spring Gelly nail paints, especially Lychee (I love a nude)! At £3.99 they're such good quality for being so cheap. I also did a post on this nail polish here. 

So there you go, the start of my monthly favourites! Have you tried any of these products? If you've done a January favourites post I'd love you to link me to it in the comments.

NOTD: Pink & Sparkles

Yesterday I picked up a few a lot of things from Boots and Superdrug and these two nail polishes were among them. I was looking at the Barry M stand for ages trying to decide which glitter to pick and decided to go for this gorgeous colour which is called 'Pink Silver Glitter.' I thought the glitter would look lovely as an accent nail so I picked up an MUA nail varnish for £1 to go with it.

The MUA varnish is a very pale pink called 'Natural Days.' I was really impressed with this for being only £1 as it only took two coats for it to look opaque which is quite difficult for such a pale colour. I also love how opaque the Barry M glitter nail paints are and there are so many other gorgeous colours to choose from. At £2.99 I think i'll be picking up a few more.

I think these colours look lovely together and I think the glitter will look great on its own at Christmas time. Have you tried any of the MUA nail varnishes or the Barry M Glitter Nail Paints?

My Lipstick Collection

I was sorting out all my makeup the other day and decided to look out all my lipsticks. I sat them all in a row to see what colours I had and decided it would make a great blog post to show you my collection. So if you have time, have a look at all the lipsticks I own. There doesn't seem to be a colour that I don't have so maybe I should stop buying lipsticks and move onto blushers now...

 The Purples

 (L-R) Kate Moss Rimmel #04//MAC Rebel//L'Oreal Colour Riche Plum Passion//MUA #2

The Reds

 (L-R) New CID Cosmetics Very Cherry//MAC Deeply Adored//MAC New York Apple//MAC Russian Red//Rimmel Lasting Finish Signature Red//L'Oreal Colour Rich Cheryl Cole Lipstick Red Passion//Topshop Mischief//MAC Lady Danger

The Oranges/Corals

 (L-R) Topshop Infrared//Rimmel Moisture Renew Coral Queen//YSL Rouge Volupte Rose Paris #27//Topshop Ohh La La//Look Beauty Tangerine Cream

The Pinks

 (L-R) MAC Girl About Town//Dior Rouge #565//Rimmel Lasting Finish Indulgence// MAC Impassioned//Louise Gray Topshop Legend//Barry M #62//FashionistA Baby Doll Pink

The Light Pinks/Nudes

(L-R) Rimmel Moisture Renew Vintage Pink//MAC Snob//MAC Angel//YSL Rouge Pur Couture Rose Bergamasque #6//YSL Rouge Volupte Sensual Silk #2

Are any of these lipsticks in your collection?

Melissa
xxx

Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint by Barry M: Blood Orange

While I was in Superdrug today I thought I'd pick up one of the new Barry M Gelly nail paints as I've seen them on a few blogs recently and can never resist trying a newly launched product, I also love the current Barry M nail paint range. The new Gelly range comes in 9 different colours - I decided to go for a red as it's a colour that seems to be missing from my current collection and it's such a classic. The colour is #234 and is called "Blood Orange." I love the colour, its such a timeless red and I'll be wearing it a lot this Autumn and Winter, especially at Christmas time.

I really love the formula of this polish and it applied so well. In the photo I'm wearing fake nails as mine are a mess at the moment and I've applied two coats. The 'gelly' formula is meant to give the look of a gel manicure, it's so glossy and has such amazing shine. You can definitely see the difference between these and the original nail paints. The Gelly nail paints cost £3.99 which I think is such a reasonable price for a nail polish these days. I'll definitely be stocking up on more colours and I really recommend these!

Have you tried these nail paints?

Melissa
xxx

Louise Gray for Topshop Lipstick: Legend

A while ago I posted a beauty haul and one of the products that I'd purchased was one of the Louise Gray for Topshop lipsticks. As soon as the Louise Gray collection came out, I was dying to buy something from it as the packaging was so gorgeous! So when I went in to Topshop, the bright pink lipstick 'Legend' caught my eye. I'm a big fan of Topshop lipsticks and pink lipsticks in general (incase you didn't know) so this was definitely the product for me.

How gorgeous is the lipstick packaging?! Pink and gold - right up my street! It also doesn't get as dirty as the original Topshop lipstick packaging which is an added bonus. Legend is a beautiful bright barbie pink colour, I do have the Barry M lipstick in number 62 which is quite similar but I don't like the consistency of it and it dries out my lips. This is completely the opposite to the Barry M one, it goes on so smooth, it's very moisturising and the consistency is so soft and creamy which I love. The only downside is because it's so moisturising it doesn't last very long on the lips, I'd say about two hours.

Overall, I think this is a great lipstick for day or night. It costs £10 which is £2 more than the original Topshop lipsticks, but again - look at the packaging! Have you tried any of the Louise Gray makeup range? I think I'd like to have another look at it and see what else I can pick up.

Melissa
xxx

OOTN 3

Top: H&M

Skirt: Therapy at House of Fraser

Shoes: New Look

Belt: New Look

Necklace: Primark

Hand Armour: Topshop

 MAC Studio Fix Fluid - NC30

UNE B.B Cream Concealer

Chanel Universal Bronzer

Chanel Universal Loose Powder

MAC Blush - Dolly Mix

Benefit High Beam

MAC Eye Shadow - Carbon

Barry M Dazzle Dust - Gold

Maybelline Gel Liner

Rimmel Kohl Liner - Jet Black

Dior Show New Look Mascara 

Primark Eyelashes

Barry M Lip Paint - 54

My friend Hazel did my hair and I loved it - she better do it every night in Ibiza!

On Saturday night I went out for my friends big sisters birthday and this is what I wore.
Hope you had a good weekend!
Melissa
xxxx

Photo Shoot Make Up

Hi Guys, Melissa again.
Just a quick post while I'm in bed not feeling too good!

A few weeks ago, I was asked to do the make-up for a promotional shoot for one of my friends beauty salons.When I posted the pictures on Facebook/Twitter a few people asked me what products I had used so I thought I'd write them down here. The client wanted a 'girly/barbie' look so I decided to go with smoky glitter eyes and bright pink lips! Here is a few of the pictures taken from my Blackberry.

                                                                                           Makebelieve Enhance Tinted Glow Moisturiser
                                                                                                         MAC Studio Fix - NW35
                                                                                                  Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer
                                                                                                         MAC Bush - Dolly Mix
                                                                                                NARS Highlighting Powder - Albatross
                                                                                            Benefit Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit - Dark
                                                                                                          MAC Shadow - White Frost
                                                                                                            MAC Shadow - Carbon
                                                                                                     Barry M Fine Glitter Dust - Silver
                                                                                                          Dior Show Mascara - Black
                                                                                                       2x Eylure Intense Lashes - 145
                                                                                                        Barry M Lip Paint - Shade 62
                                                                                                              MAC Lipglass - Clear

     

                       Here is a couple of the pictures from the finished shoot - hope you like them!
                                                                        Melissa
                                                                           xxx