Let's Get It On with Marvin!

Bonjour!

I am cream crackered, absolutely cream crackered ...!  Work is positively mad, we are so busy and all working overtime, everyone has headaches - literally.  My job role has also been changed so I've been training on different procedures, rules, calculations, I'll get there eventually (she says!) but at the moment my brain is ready to 'do one' I can tell you!  Kids events are picking up with the end of term coming up, don't even talk to me about housework (I should be ironing instead of typing this post!). Have had to force myself out of the house down to the gym after work and blogging has had to take a bit of a back seat - which is doing my head in - but you can't let the house go to wrack and ruin whilst you take blog photos (so many photos I need to take) and write posts ... or can you??

So ... tonight I need to stop juggling all those sodding plates just for a  few hours and chill out - with pizzas and salad and red wine (maybe the latter in large quantities) and a bit of our Marvin ...

Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On ... 

Oh my goodness, what a tune, what a tune ... can't you feel your shoulders dropping as (some) of the stress leaves your body, whilst you listen to Marvin getting it on? Can't help but sing along ... 'Don't you know how sweet and wonderful life can be?' - yes I definitely need to remember this as I sit at my desk at work in a perplexed state ...!

Are you chilling out tonight? What's your favourite relax track?

Jen x

NOTD - NYC - High Line Green

Bonjour!

Green is my favourite colour. Reminds me of fresh herbs - coriander, basil, parsley, mint - (can you tell I love my food?). So when I spotted this polish in Superdrug at £1.79 I had to have it!  In a New York Colour Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish in High Line Green.

Just the one coat (without topcoat) 

So - this polish promises 'a manicure that moves at the speed of Manhattan' and is described by the NYC website as a one coat formula that dries in less than 60 seconds.

Tried this out as a 'one-coater' at the weekend (with my usual base/top coat) and it did actually last pretty well before chipping - about two days - that may sound pretty rubbish to you lot but for a busy mum with all the cleaning, hands in soapy water, chopping, peeling, cooking (I tend to cook a lot over the weekend!) it's not too bad. I did find that the formula is slightly too thick for the brush, which is a bit too pliable and bendy (in my humble opinion) and it took a while to dry (being such a thick consistency I guess) but for £1.79 I can't complain.

Initially I did wonder whether this colour may be a tad 'out there' for a girl of my advanced years....what the hell - I love it, it's rich, glossy and a great Autumn colour I think. (Not sure my mum likes it though - she said the colour was hurting her eyes - sorry Mum!)

You can check out the colours available at Superdrug from their online store here or directly from the New York Colour website here.

What do you think of 'High Line Green'?  Have you tried out any of the NYC Quick Dry range?

Jen x

Jessica Phenomen Oil - Review

Bonjour!

This bottle of Jessica Phenomen Oil was included in the price of a manicure a couple of months ago at my local salon, as the product is worth around £9.00, (for this size of 7.4ml)  I thought this a pretty good deal. I'm not one to get my nails done on a regular basis, so I decided on this occasion to treat myself!

It was a pretty standard grey summer's day when I took these shots so apologies for the darkish images!

I've always been pretty bad with my cuticle and nail area, my nails are pretty hard but are prone to vertical ridges which can end up splitting on particular nails and my cuticles get dried out and flaky with all the handwashing etc (which you can no doubt see on some of my nail shots!).  It's something I meant to address but never got round to - what with all the daily/weekly madness that goes on in typical family life!

You'll be aware that Jessica Nailcare products are widely used in salons around the UK, they must therefore know their stuff when it comes to nails - right? Their website states -

Phenomen Oil is a healing and rehydrating cuticle oil to heal and nourish dry cuticles and promote strong nail growth.

I used this on and off before going on holiday but once I returned, decided to give it a good go.  As you can see, the product comes in a small bottle with a dropper tip so it's really easy to use and you only need the tiniest amount. One drop per hand, massaged into nails and cuticles, so I can imagine this bottle lasting for ages. The key ingredients include Sweet Almond Oil, Rice Oil, Jojoba and Vitamin E.  The smell reminds me of the Almond Essence my mum sometimes uses in her cakes!

So, for me, this product has certainly made a difference (should have done this years ago!).  My cuticles aren't perfect but as a busy mum with hands constantly in and out of water and cleaning products etc it's the best they've been in a while and my nails feel stronger and haven't as yet split.

This is something I would definitely consider re-purchasing in the future, however, I won't have to worry about this for a good while yet!

Full information directly from the Jessica Website can be found here.

What's your favourite product for manky nails/cuticles?

Jen x