Autumn/Winter Nails ... Deeps

Bonjour!

As we're now officially in the last month of Winter (hurray!) I thought I'd shop my nail polish stash ... can't see the weather turning any time soon so the deeper hues will be with me for a while longer ...

Shot on location in the freezing cold back garden - got to get the right ambiance ... even if my fingers felt like frostbite was setting in ...!

From left to right ...

Barry M Matte Nail Paint in Crush - love the smooth finish of this polish - great for a grungy looking change from high gloss!

Marks & Spencer Limited Collection Quick Dry Nail Polish in Storm - my newest addition, you can see my NOTD here.

Maybelline Forever Strong in Dark Denim - had this one for ages, forgotten how much I like it -should use it more often before it dries up! 

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Watermelon - not the easiest to apply (I find) and not the most long lasting but I love the colour - so does my daughter, she keeps pinching it from me!

Nails Inc Polish in Hanover Square - a freebie with good ol' Glamour magazine - lovely rich colour, reminds me of a shiny aubergine!

Will you be rocking the 'deeps' for a while yet or are you champing at the bit to bring out the Spring pastels?

Jen x

2014 Favourites!

Bonjour!

So ... 2014 favourites here - been trying to get this post out for most of last week and didn't even do overtime one day so I could finish it off but then got embroiled in that thing called 'housework'.  Did four loads of washing, various cleaning tasks and the food shop ... you know when you're on a roll, forget that you're no spring chicken and just keep going ... then wonder why you ache to the bone like a 'mother' in the evening?  Think I'd have been better off sat on my backside at work!   Anyway ... 2014 favourites ... I did intend splitting into different categories but ended up lumping the whole lot together ... I've sneaked in one or two products in that could be classed as 'December Favourites' if we're splitting hairs ... nobody minds ... right?   Some I have reviewed but some I've not got round to yet ... but I will (famous last words)!  Best get started then ...

Mandara Spa 'Amber Heaven' Nourishing Miracle Oil  -  I bought this ages ago as part of a set and decided I need to make a dent in my stash so cracked it open last month - I guess this is classed as a December favourite then!  It's a multi-purpose oil which can be used to moisturise, massage or as a hair treatment.  I've only used as a moisturiser after bath/shower and oh my goodness, the scent ... I'm in love ... it's so warm and musky, perfect for this time of year and it lingers on the skin for hours afterwards ... like I said ... it's love!

No 7 Stay Perfect Superlight Foundation in Deeply Beige - great natural looking foundation which I've been using for the past few months.  I have to say I've become quite attached to it and there will be a full review up shortly!

La Roche Posay Lipikar Xerand Hand Repair Cream - the Lipikar range works to replenish dry, excema prone skin which is just what I need.  I use most nights as an overnight treatment cream - some hand creams can sting when my hands are having a 'sore phase' but this is completely soothing and hydrating and seems to have kept my hands in check over the last few months and changing seasons ... I took it away on holiday in the summer and then got myself another when that ran out. At £5/50ml (mine were both cheaper though as they were on offer on the Escentual website) it's something I'll continue to repurchase. Definitely give it a go if you're prone to sore,chapped hands!

Dove Youthful Vitality Thickening Essence - I've been using this for a good few months over the top of my Charles Worthington Strength and Repair Milk. Just spray -  mostly around the crown area, smoosh into the hair with your fingers and blow dry.  Should really have done a full review but basically it does what it says on the can. Leaves hair with body and bounce with no sticky/greasy feeling. I'll be repurchasing as it's become a favourite - although I may not need to for a while as this bottle seems to be lasting forever!

Charles Worthington Strength and Repair Pro-Heat Milk - love this and have repurchased - my go-to hair protector.  I'm not going to waffle as there's a full review here.
   

OGX Hydrating Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner - I always reach for this when my hair feels in need of some TLC and it never disappoints.  Full review here.

Philosophy Amazing Grace Eau de Toilette - this has a pleasant scent, clean and fresh and floral all in one go. It's not the strongest or even most long lasting spray that I own but there's something about it that I just can't resist.

Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top and Base Coat - I've just repurchased this duo.  It's been the best base/topcoat I've tried so far - dries in a jiffy with a good glossy finish and whilst we're not talking a whole week or anything, it definitely gives me an extra day's worth of longevity (always welcome) and tends to chip off at the ends with most polishes rather than peel off in one go - which is good because if I know it can peel then I will peel - such a bad habit!

Cloud Nine Original Iron - I bought this a few months ago after some a lot of deliberation and I'm so glad I did!  I straighten the ends and fringe of my barnet most days and really feel that these beauties have played an integral part in minimising damage.  They have a variable temperature control and literally glide through the hair with no dragging or friction. Not sure whether to do a full review on these so if you want one let me know!

Make-Up Revolution Ultra Blush Palette in Hot Spice - ok so I've swatched this quite a while ago and use it most days - a mixture of warm peachy tones - it's love! . Full review on it's way!

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade - my favourite brow product of the year! Practise definitely makes perfect with this one but I've nailed it and never looked back! Full review here. 

Mally Perfect Prep Under Eye Brightener - love this product!  I use every morning to counteract dark circles - it's so hydrating and does a great job with my dark circles.  Full review to follow

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream - a proper cult classic - can't believe I've only just discovered how good this is! It's a sample from an old beauty box,  I dug it out last month and stuck in my work make-up bag. It's an all round skin protectant that can be used for dry, chapped bits and cuticles etc. I love it as a lip balm - it feels so hydrating and soothing and sticks around without being sticky (sorry!). I need a full size sharpish!

Phew ... maybe I should have split into categories ... sorry I've gone on so long and congratulations if you made it this far!

What have been your favourites from 2014?

Jen x

Autumn/Winter Nails ... Neutrals

Bonjour!

I don't know about you but when it comes to nail polish I try to hang onto my Summer brights for as long as possible and since we were lucky enough to have that bit of Indian Summer not too long ago they stuck around for that bit longer than usual!  I tend to ease myself into the new season gradually (and somewhat reluctantly since I'm a proper 'Summer lover'!) moving onto neutral polishes,  and eventually the deeps!  Of course, you can obviously wear whatever the hell you want on your nails throughout any season and depending on your mood but this is just how I tend to roll ... generally!

So here's what I've picked out from my current stash - different depths here but I consider all these to be in the 'neutral zone' ...

From left to right...

Nails Inc - Basil Street
Maybelline Forever Strong - Taupe Couture
Leighton Denny - Supermodel
Barry M Matte Nail Paint - Mocha
M&S Limited Collection Nail Polish - Putty

And here they are on ... as always a rushed paint job (on a Sunday and I had to get a chicken in the oven shortly after - as you do!) ... but you get the general picture ...

Basil Street is the palest and reminds me of Baileys Irish Cream - usually need three coats with this one.  Haven't used Taupe Couture for ages and it's a deeper shade than I remembered but still has that flat brown/neutral vibe.  Supermodel is quite new and one of the thinnest polishes  I've tried but very easy to apply.  Mocha is unfortunately the least long lasting but I still love the matte effect.  Putty is my newest edition (you can see my NOTD here).

Must invest in a couple of those 'nail wheel' contraptions I know some of you use for these types of posts - would certainly make things easier when there's a Sunday dinner to cook!

What are your favourite Autumn nail polishes?  Do you cross over with neutrals or dip straight into the deeps?

Jen x

Nails Inc with June Instyle ...!

Bonjour!

I have been so very good with magazine freebies lately ... 'pfft' I hear you say .. no really I have! And ... even when I realised that Nails Inc had teamed up with Instyle for their June issue I still hesitated - until I spotted a Sainsburys voucher on the kitchen side for £2 off an Instyle magazine ... after that it was a proper no brainer ... !

There are three colours available as below ... after much indecision I went for the pink ... Sugarloaf Sunset!

Ignoring the fact that my hand looks really weird in this pic -what a gorgeous pop of vivid pink!  I love it and can see Sugarloaf  Sunset getting plenty of usage over the coming months. Am trying it out with my new Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top and Base Coat so will report back in due course. Unfortunately, or fortunately (whichever way you look at it) I've also heard that Instyle mag is selling for £2.50 in Tesco - the question is will I be able to resist popping in to pick up another colour?

Can you resist a magazine freebie?  Which of these Nails Inc shades is your favourite?

Jen x

A Few Beauty Buys ...!

Bonjour!

So over the last month or so I've been picking up a few bits and bobs, here and there ... as you do ...

Actually the first two products aren't 'buys' as such but thought I'd add them in as recent acquisitions!
Pixi Lash Line Ink in Black Silk - I won this in a Twitter comp a while ago - have swatched but not had a proper go yet - to be rectified shortly!
Bobbi Brown Blush in Tawny - a belated Christmas pressie from my brother (chosen by myself of course!) - my first Bobbi Brown product - thanks bro!

Picked up the following items when Boots had their recent 3 for 2 offer on a couple of weeks ago ...
Avene Hydrance Optimale Light Hydrating Cream - couldn't get hold of my usual Vichy Aqualia Thermal Light so thought I'd give this a go and first impressions are favourable!
Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top and Base Coat Duo - my current Sally Hansen Instadri has gone rather gloopy so thought I'd give this duo a bash.
Max Factor CC in Tanned - this is one of those products that you grab in a rush - when you're faffing around in Boots - trying to choose the third item in a 3 for 2 offer - and running out of time! I wanted a CC - actually the Bourjois CC but couldn't get hold of a suitable colour so ended up with this one - I think it's going to be too light for me having now tried it although it's the darkest of shades available!

Soap & Glory Endless Glove 2in1 Moisture Mask & Hand Cream - I had a Boots voucher to get £3 worth of points on a S&G purchase - my hands need all the moisture they can get at the moment and you can never have too many hand creams right?
Dove Refresh and Care Dry Shampoo - on offer with a third off in Sainsburys - I can't live without dry shampoo (or rather my hair can't) so thought I'd give this a whirl as a change from my usual brands.

And last but not least I took advantage of the current offer of a No7 Pink Blossom Box with 2 No7 products...
No7 Instant Radiance Foundation in Warm Beige - I was recently colour matched and given a sample of this and a couple of other foundations to try by the nice No7 lady - Instant Radiance won the vote and I used my £3 off voucher!
No7 Natural Blush Tint Powder in Coral Flush -  actually wanted the No7 Brush Cleaner as my 2nd product but it was sold out and I was running out of time (again) in my lunch break.  I have an ongoing blusher addiction so this seemed like an obvious choice!
Inside the 'Blossom Box' were sample sizes of No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara, High Shine Lip Crayon, Skin Illuminator and Stay Perfect Eye Shadow - I've not tried any of this lot so all welcome!

So that's that for a while - I definitely need to start 'shopping my stash'! I've had to physically restrain myself from going for the current Bourjois offer in Boots of spend £12 on Bourjois and get a free blush or eyeshadow  - I need  help ... help me please ...!

What have you been tempted by recently?

Jen x

NOTD - Nails Inc - Basil Street

Bonjour!

The last couple of weeks before Easter were particularly hectic and I was too busy in the day and too tired at night to indulge in any nail painting activities...!  Anyway - things slowed down over the Easter weekend and I just fancied a bit of Nails Inc Basil Street ...

I've had this polish for ages - think it was a Glamour freebie (good old Glamour freebies!) many moons ago...

I know my cuticles need attention but just ignore 'em for now!

So this is a polish for those 'subtle nail' days I guess when you don't want your nails 'in your face' but just want to dress them up a little!  It's a neutral which goes with anything really - a soft nude/fleshy/beigey colour  with no grey undertones - described on the Nails Inc website as 'a chic pale toffee shade' (much better than my description!).  It actually matches my skin tone so from a distance it blends in!  As with all Nails Inc polishes I've tried it goes on fine - I only have two coats on here - could maybe have done with three to be totally opaque but didn't have time.  Lasts a good couple of days with topcoat and even when it chips a little you can't really tell that much - shouldn't admit to leaving my chipped nail polish on should I - ah well...!

I know spring/summer will hopefully be here shortly and the brights will be out in full force but we all feel like a nude now and again don't we? I really fancy this little lot - the Nails Inc Happy Nude Year Collection -  contains Bruton Street - Porchester Square - Holland Park Avenue - Convent Garden Ballet, unfortunately it's only available on waitlist at the moment - (probably as it's £22.75 + p&p which I think is pretty good value) so will have to keep an eye on it!

If you were in a 'nude mood' which polish would you be reaching for?

Jen x

Glossybox - March

Morning!

Time's marching on (no pun intended there) and this month's Glossybox is here ...  includes 'My little Travelling Book' - a cute little Glossy City guide with tips and stickers etc - my daughter has already pinched it!

Quick rundown of the products ...

Tresemme Salon Finish Extra Hold Hairspray 100ml Full Size £4.69/500ml - always good to have a few travel size hairsprays knocking around - this one contains 24 hour climate control/humidity resistance. Hope it's suitable as Tresemme products are so well priced.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant Fragrance Free 7ml Full Size £25.00/50ml - my friend has raved about this iconic cream for years. Never got round to trying it so now is the time (I'm sure there's a song title in there)!

Nails Inc Bruton St 4ml Full Size £11.00/10ml  - can't really go wrong with a Nails Inc polish in my book - wearable soft pink - think I also received this sample in another beauty box months ago and gave it to my daughter - I'm keeping this one!

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush Full Size £12.00/2.5g - a 'juicy lip stain and moisturiser in one' - can't see what colour this is known as (am I just being stupid?).

Juicy Couture - Couture La La Sample Full Size £63.00 - this is my kind of fragrance - it really is a gorgeous juicy summery scent. If this was ever on offer I'd snap it up!

So that's March's box ... it's not mind-blowing but it's not too bad I guess. What did you think of this month's Glossybox?

Jen x

Glossybox - November

Bonjour or should I say Bonsoir!

November's Glossybox arrived at the end of last week...the 'Stocking Fillers' box ...presumably filled with 'stocking filler' type things then? Here it is...

Burberry Body Eau de Parfum 4.5ml Orig Product £75/85ml
Gorgeous little weighty 'cut-glass' type bottle - and the stuff inside smells good too. I'm useless at describing fragrance but it smells musky and of vanilla to me - lovely for this time of year. I'll enjoy this if I keep it for myself because I'll not afford the £75 for the full size...!

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant 13g Orig Product £38.50/75g
I'm a newbie to Dermalogica products - a pretty good sample size to start off with - looking forward to trying it out as this is well-liked by Claire over at Another New Day Blog- you can check out her review here.  Don't think this will end up in anyone's stocking!

Alison Claire Natural Beauty Mango Body Butter 50ml Orig Product £15/200ml
I love mangoes and butter so this body butter from 'new brand' Alison Claire is right up my street, an ideal travel size,  not that I travel many places on a regular (or even irregular) basis mind! Smells good too!

Wei Beauty Royal Ming Firming and Hydrating Cream 4ml Orig Product £74/50ml
A small sample of a very luxurious face cream! It sounds fantastic - purifies, energises and replenishes - what more could a girl want? Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to pay the £74 for the full size - may give this to my mum - although she couldn't afford it either!

Nails Inc Notting Hill Gate 4ml Orig Product £11.00/10ml

Cute little Nails Inc Polish - lovely bright neon pink - a good one for summertime (may put this in my little girl's Xmas stocking - on the understanding that no nail-painting is allowed in her bedroom - more to come on that subject in due course!).

So that's the 'Stocking Fillers' Box for this month. A good one I think - looking forward to December's box! You can check out Glossybox subscription details over here if you fancy a nosey?

What did you think of November's Glossybox? Will you be filling up stockings or keeping the goodies for yourself?


Jen x

Glamour/Nails Inc Offer!

Bonjour!

Couldn't resist a quick post on the latest Glamour offer of a free Nails Inc Polish worth £11.00! Thanks to Sasha over at Ramblings of a Beauty Bird who reminded me in her blog post last week - I'd totally forgotten!

I don't buy magazines too often but now and again I can't resist when there's a good offer on and Glamour mag usually comes up trumps! Plus - you can't go wrong with a Nails Inc Polish now can you?

There are four 'hot-right-now' (love that tune!) colours to choose from. I imagine a complete nail-polish junkie may well end up with all four options.  I just went for the one on this occasion - St James - a classic 'pillarbox' red.

Strictly speaking I don't really suit 'classic' nails.  Much prefer the quirky thing - be it clothing, footwear, make-up or manicures!  However, I was completely drawn to this colour over all the others, just thought it would be nice to try out a smart red polish with my usual un-polished (no pun intended!) attire, just to mix things up a little.

And here are the old painted nails - still in my usual haphazard fashion with cuticles all over the place I'm afraid! That aside - I really like the colour, it's easily opaque after two coats (although if needs be one coat would do). It's glossy and vibrant and just makes a nice change for me -  fitting for this time of year too and a complete bargain!

Did you pick up any Glamour mags? Which Nails Inc polish did you go for?

Jen x

She Said Beauty Box - August!

Bonjour!

A belated She Said box post this month as I was on holiday when it arrived so sorry about that!  Just a quick gander of the August box then!

White Glo Professional Choice 24g - Full Size £4.07/150g

Apparently this is 'Australia's No.1 whitening toothpaste' which 'gently lifts stains and discolouration from teeth.' Had my teeth whitened a few years ago but you need to keep it up every so often (which I haven't recently) so will be interested to try this out.

Nails Inc Polish 4ml - Full Size £11.00/10ml               

Love Nail Inc Polishes. This one is Bruton Street, a lovely soft lilac colour. Good little sample.

Redken Color Extend 30ml - Full size £19.99/170ml (Introductory Offer)

What a shame I didn't have this to take on holiday, have a feeling it would have been ideal! This apparently 'combines the richness of a nourishing lotion with the lightness of a spray to provide 10 essential benefits...'. Looking forward to using this.

Balance Me Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve Full Size £12.00

I very nearly went for this when it was offered as one of the recent Glamour freebies but opted for the Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash instead (which I've yet to try). Lovely product, leaves lips soft and nourished and smells like Turkish delight!

Papier Poudre Rachel Powdered Paper 20 Sheets 
6 Booklets -20 leaf/£7.95

I do suffer from an oily t-zone, this is meant to 'freshen and cleanse'. I'll take these into work with me as the air-conditioning in our office usually sets the old oil-production off (don't get me started on our air-conditioning system)!

4711 Eau De Cologne 3ml - Full Size £17.00/100ml 

Seriously...how long has this cologne been around for? I can remember my friend buying this years and years ago!  Still the same fresh, crisp (almost aftershave-like) scent, my hubby will probably nick this!


Not a bad box then? The Balance Me Lip Salve and Redken Color Extend have grabbed me initially!

Anyone interested in subscribing to She Said Beauty can check out the details here.

What did you think of this month's box?

Jen x