Polka-dot and Roses Nail Tutorial!

Hey lovely's, i've got a new nail tutorial to share with you. I no everyones starting to get into the feel of autumn with all the new season trends but i love summer and want to drag it out as long as possible, so i've done a pretty summery nail design. I thought i would try and do some roses and then i decided to mix it up a bit and add some polka-dots as well for a fun cute look. 

What i used-

White base- BarryM, matt white,

Green base- Topshop, Gone fishing (sorry forgot to put in pic)

Pink rose colour- Essie, Maddison ave-hue,

Rose detail- Models own pen in Pastel purple,

Leaves- Models own pen in Pastel green,

Top coat- Nails Inc, Kennington caviar.

Nail dotters (could also use rubber end of a pencil, end of a hair grip or end of a make up brush to make dots)

If you don't own any nail art pens you can get the same effect using a toothpick dipped in nail polish to do some of the rose detail and the leaves.

Step one-

Paint two coats of the white polish on the middle and ring finger, paint the rest with two coats of the green polish.

Step two- 

Using the large sized end of a nail dotter, dot white nail varnish onto the nails with the green base.

Step three-

To make the rose shape use the brush or a nail dotter to make blobs on the nail where you want the flowers they don't have to be neat circles slightly odd shapes will look more realistic.

Step four-

Using the smaller end of a nail dotter (could also use a toothpick) dipped into the white polish make small swirly c shapes inside the roses to look like petals.

Step five-

Using the purple nail art pen do the same thing again, make a few smaller swirly c shapes inside the rose.

Step six-

To draw the leaves on use the green nail art pen to draw a couple of triangles coming out of the roses. 

When the nails are dry add a topcoat and ta da, the look is complete!

The finished look...

I hope you like this tutorial, the roses are really simple to do when you brake it down into steps. I hope it inspires you to have a go for yourself these are just the colours i fancied but it would look great with all sorts of colours, and remember if you don't have a nail dotter or any nail pens, things you can find around the house such as toothpicks and ends of make up brushes will work just as well. 

Zoe 

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Sleep-IN Rollers!

Hello lovely's, i finally picked myself up a set of Sleep-IN rollers after wanting them for some time. I have heard good things about them and seen numerous pictures off celebrities wearing them so was dying to give them a go. I am just going put this out there right away and say i am COMPLETELY useless when its comes to hair!! I am pretty low maintenance and the thought of just putting in a few rollers before bed and waking up with beautiful bouncy hair is something that massively appeals to me! 

What you get-

2x Packs of velcro rollers,

A drawstring bag to keep them in.

I picked mine up from boots for £19.50, you can get them cheaper online (mine was just a spur of them moment have to have them right now purchase!)

How to use them-

Step 1- For best results use on clean and dry hair.

Step 2- Section off your hair, as if you would with your usual rollers.

Step 3- Roll your hair in the direction of the desired affect, for big bouncy hair roll clockwise, for the flicked effect roll anti-clockwise, always roll the crown off your hair downwards.

Step 4- Secure your rollers with clips.

Step 5- Relax and have a great nights sleep. 

So before using them for the first time i had washed my hair earlier that day and let it dry naturally, i also filled a spray bottle with water so i could give my hair a quick spritz while i was putting them in to help set the hair. I first sectioned off the top and put in a few rollers pinning each roller in place with a hair grip, i rolled the front fringe part forward instead of backwards like the rest, i then put rollers into the side sections, and the back sections. You get twenty rollers but i only managed to fit in 12 (two top, two each side section, three each back section) like i said i am not very good with hair and this was my first try but that was all i could fit in.

Looking sexy rollers in ready for bed!

The result........

My thoughts-
I was concerned with how well i was going to be able to sleep in them as although they are made of foam designed to flatten when you sleep, when i first put my head onto the pillow my first thought was i am never going to sleep in these! I felt a bit like they were pulling at my hair but i was determined to properly test them out and give them a chance, after a LOT of fidgeting and trying to find a comfortable position i did get to sleep. I am a very light sleeper and was expecting to keep waking up but luckily i didn't. I was excited to take them out in the morning to see how well they worked and i wasn't disappointed. I was impressed with how much body and volume they gave my usually very flat lifeless hair, my hair didn't curl a great deal but they did give me lovely bouncy ends. My hair was slightly frizzy i don't no if thats down to the rollers or me fidgeting in my sleep, i also had a funny kink at the front but i expect that could be sorted with a bit more practice of where to put the rollers.
Overall i liked how they made my hair look and i will definitely use them again, i love the fact that they give the look of styled hair without having to use any heat. I think with a bit more practice i will learn how to put them in better so i don't get any kinks, there not the most comfortable thing to sleep in, but they don't have to just be used at night i imagine i will stick them in in the daytime before a night out to give a bit of body to my hair.
Has anyone else tried Sleep-IN Rollers? What did you think?

Zoe

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Fake Tan Review, ST. Tropez vs ST. Moriz!

Hello lovely's, i have been using the same fake tan for years now, my all faithful L'oreal Sublime Bronze tanning gel. I had stuck with it for so long as it's pretty fool proof, doesn't streak and gives a nice colour, however lately like we all do i felt like a change. I decided it was about time i tried the most well known off all fake tans, the award winning ST Tropez, i had been put off from buying it previously due to the price, as a large bottle is about £30.00 which if i didn't like it would be an expensive mistake. I ended up picking a small 50ml bottle to try which you can get for about £10.00. Another fake tan i had heard about and was interested in trying was ST Moriz which is a sort of dupe for ST Tropez but at only £4.99 for a 200ml bottle its £25.00 cheaper!!! So i decided to pick up a bottle to test out and compare the two to see if St Tropez really is the holy grail of fake tan and is worth the expensive price tag, or if this much cheaper dupe can compete and show that cheaper fake tans can work just as well. 

                             

Left ST Tropez    Right ST Moriz

Pro's and Con's-

St Tropez- 

Smells nice, Dries quickly, no shimmer, not sticky, nice natural tan colour, expensive, hard to apply, slightly streaky, colour not instant, colour long lasting, more of a brown toned colour. 

ST Moriz- 

Fake tan smell, instant colour, slight shimmer, a lot easier to apply, darker colour, a lot cheaper, takes longer to dry and feels a bit sticky, colour has a slight red/orange tone to it.  

I really like the colour ST Tropez gives, its very natural looking for a fake tan with no shimmer. I found it hard to apply evenly as the fact that there's no instant colour made it difficult to see where to apply it so i ended up with a slightly streaky tan. I thought the colour was lighter than i was expecting so i would have to use more to get a darker colour, which i don't really want to do as its expensive. I think this is one of the only fake tans that i actually like the smell off so i wouldn't worry about putting this on in the day, it also dries really quickly which i liked, as no one likes to stand around starkers flapping around to get dry....

I found ST Moriz so much easier to apply as it gives you instant colour so i could see the patches i have missed so i got a much better even result. I also was really impressed with the colour it gave, a much darker tan colour with a slight shimmer that i don't mind. It does take longer to dry and is slightly sticky until it does so maybe not the tan for people who want to apply, throw your clothes on and run out the door.
Since testing them both out i have found the one i've found myself using has been the ST Moriz! For me the colour is more what i'm after and i like a tan thats gives you instant colour, also i just think for the price it just cant be beaten. As much as i loved the natural looking tan ST Tropez gives i don't see myself buying the full size, in my opinion it is over hyped and overpriced, ST Moriz on the other hand i shall definitely be repurchasing.
Have you tried these fake tans? What was your favorite?

Zoe 

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OOTD, Topshop Candy Stripe Shorts!

Hello lovely's, i was lucky enough to have sunshine on my day off  yesterday so i made the most of the weather by going to the beach and for a walk around the beautiful coastline around where i live.  

Shorts- Topshop

Top- Dorothy Perkins

Sandals River Island

Bangles- Primark

I wore these cute lilac candy stripe shorts from Topshop, I thought i'd get my legs out and try and get a bit of colour on them that hasn't come out of a bottle for a change. I really like the fit of these shorts there high wasted, and the vertical stripes make your legs look longer. I just tucked in a white lace top and added some sandals for a casual summery look.
I hope you like my outfit, thanks for reading.

Zoe

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Dissapointing Product, Topshop Matt Nails!

Hello lovely's todays post is a first for me, its the first time i am writing about a product that has disappointed me! As much as i would love my blog to be purely a place for positivity and amazing products, i think if i am disappointed in a product i need to share that with you too. 

I was excited when i picked up Topshops matt nails in Drink Pink, i've been loving the look of matt nails and am usually a big fan of Topshop nail polishes. I painted on two coats of the polish and waited for it to dry, to me it looks nothing like i would expect from a matt polish, as you can see from the picture above it even has a slight shine to it, which in my opinion is not a matt finish. The colour of the polish is a lovely bright raspberry pink but thats the only good thing i have to say about it. Along with the finish being disappointing i found that it was a very thin formula and chipped really easily i removed it after about a day or two. The Polish was £6.00 and i feel a complete waste of money i expected more as i am a massive fan of Topshops makeup. If your looking for a great product for matt nails i  would recommend spending a few pounds more and purchasing Essies matt topcoat which gives a brilliant matt finish to whatever polish you put it on top off. 

I hope this review had been helpful and that you don't mind the negative vibe too much! Has anyone else tried the Topshop matt nails? What did you think?

Zoe 

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Beauty Haul //2

Hello lovely's, i thought i would share with you a few beauty goodies i've purchased over the last month.

St Mortiz Tanning Mouse in Medium-
I had been wanting to try this fake tan for a while as its supposably a dupe of St Tropez, but at only £4.99 its a LOT cheaper! I spotted it in Boots and decided to give it a go i think for the price its  defiantly worth trying.

Vichy Dermablend in Nude-
This is another thing that i had really been wanting to try, i had heard a lot of good things about it being a great full coverage foundation with good staying power which is exactly what i want out of a foundation. This was £15.50 also from Boots.

Sleep IN Rollers-
The Sleep in Rollers were the last thing i picked up in Boots, i wasn't planning on getting them that day i was trying not to go to mad, however i spotted them and they just jumped into my hand and refused to be put back..... (hate it when that happens) I am so excited to properly test these out! They were £19.50.

Essie matte about you-

I looked for this in Boots but it had sold out (sad face) I thought Essie was only stocked in Boots but then spotted this in Superdrug and literally snatched it off the shelf, yay! I have seen videos and pictures of this being used and it looked so good i had to try it, got to keep up with the nail trends! This was £8.99.

Topshop Matte nails in Drink Pink-

Sticking with my whole new obsession with the matte nail trend i picked up this Topshop nail polish, it was £6.00.

Topshop Bronzer in Sandcastle-

I hadn't seen this bronzer before so i don't no if its new or they didn't stock it before in that Topshop, I had been on the lookout for a matt bronzer as i usually use shimmery ones and fancied something different. This bronzer comes in two shades i got the lighter shade Sandcastle and it was £9.00. 

Topshop Matt finish Lipstick in Whimsical-

I seem to have a problem when it comes to Topshop lipsticks and cant seem to leave the shop without a new one. I just tell myself that a girl can never have to many! I really do like this colour its a lovely nude peachy shade thats super wearable. Love it!! It was £8.00. 

So thats everything i have treated myself to on my latest shopping trip. I didn't realize till i typed this post up that every bit of make up i bought is a matt finish...i clearly have a new obsession i was unaware off! Thanks for reading, has anyone tried any of these products what did you think?

Zoe

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August Glossybox!

Glossybox August 2013 Highflyers

Hello lovely's i thought i would do a post to share with you what i received in this months glossybox!
The theme for this months Highflyers box is products from around the world perfect for a girl on the go.
This is what i got in my box-

Juicy Couture, Viva la Juicy Noir (USA)
"Viva la Juicy Noir is for the woman who is daring and leaves a lasting impression. She's the life of the party- not afraid to show off and get noticed. Viva la Juicy Noir highlights the succulent ripe berry notes and gourmand accents, while adding a juicy touch of honeysuckle and a sultry hint of sandalwood. Dab on your wrists, behind your ears and anywhere else you want to be kissed"
I am not usually overly excited with perfume samples but i really love the smell of this one and am really happy i received  it in my box, the only thing I'm not so happy about is the £63.00 i will now have to part with to purchase the full size version.

Jelly Pong Pong, 2-in-1 Shadow Liner (UK)
"The perfect multi tasker for traveling, this creamy 2-in-1 crayon can be used to line the eyes as well as smudged and blended as eyeshadow. Line as closely as possible to the lashline as eyeliner or smudge outwards to use as eyeshadow"
I love getting makeup in the glossyboxes, i was excited to get this in my box until i saw the colour i got, a very dark green colour that looks almost black and its not really a colour i would wear, shame!

Emite Make up, Eyelash Curler (Sweden)
"Developed with professional makeup artists for there requirements, the professional Eyelash Curler has a special curved design to suit all eye shapes, without touching your makeup base. Insert lashes close to the lash line and press to curl. Use before applying mascara"
This is the first box that i have received a beauty tool, i wasn't overly excited because i don't tend to bother with eyelash curlers, i will test them out,  and there worth £20 so hopefully they will give me good results and be the curlers that convert me!

Tresemme, Platinum Strength Concentrated Treatment Shot (USA)
"Platiunum strength Instant Rescue Shot will change your hair in a way your never thought possible. Apply once a week to damaged parts of shampooed and rinsed hair avoideing roots. Leave to work for 60 seconds and rinse well.
I already have one of these but i haven't tried it yet so i don't no how good it is. Hopefully i will try it and love it and be very happy i have another one!

Oceane, Makeup Remover pen (Brazil)
"This pen delivers the mobile, mess- and fuss- free makeup touch up/ removal solution we have always wanted when stuck on planes, trains and automobiles, LOVE! Shake before removal of excess makeup around your eyes, lips and those corners that smear everytime you apply makeup"
This i was quite excited about receiving! I usually use a cotton bud or the corner of a makeup wipe to try and sort out any makeup smudges, but particularly when i'm trying to tidy up liquid liner on my top lashes i end up smudging the rest of the eye makeup so i think this will be great at stopping that from happening.

I would say overall i'm not as impressed with this box as i have been with others, it has got some good products but it didn't leave me feeling really excited to try the products like i was with last months box for example.
Does anyone get Glossybox? What did you think of the August box?

Zoe 

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How To Style, My Missguided Summer Picks!

Hey lovely's, i love getting dressed in the summer, my favorite things to wear are pretty summer dresses and playsuits. I had been wanting to add a few new bits to my summer wardrobe, especially as i have a holiday coming up soon with my friends, i've been loving missguided's summer collection they have some amazing clothes in right now perfect for my holiday wardrobe. I bought a few new bits which I'm so in love with i cant wait till i wear them all to show you in my normal outfit of the day posts so i thought i would do something different and do a sort of mini summer Missguided lookbook to show you how i would style each piece. 

Dress- Missguided, Daria loose shift dress in fuchsia £19.99

Shoes- New Look, black sandals

Necklace- Primark

I love this simple yet stand out dress, the colour is so bold i think it would be perfect to wear out in the evening on holiday for dinner and drinks, and i thought black and gold accessories would look good for a more night time look. 

Dress- Missguided, Francina crochet detail swing dress in lilac £19.99

Headband- Missguided, Clauddie flower headband in pink £3.99

Shoes- Topshop silver glitter sandals

Necklace- Primark

This dress is the perfect summer dress its just so pretty and girlie, i love the swing style and the cute crochet details on the sides. I went a bit OTT with the whole super girlie look and added a flower headband, necklace and glittery sandals. 

Playsuit- Missguided, Mique strappy tie playsuit in mint £24.99 

Shoes- New Look nude sandals

Necklace- Primark

My obsession with mint continues! I thought this playsuit was a bit different with the sort of wrap around looking style, i think its really figure flattering as you can draw it in at the waist, it is short but i think its acceptable to flash a bit more flesh on holiday (thats what I'm telling myself anyway) I thought the mint colour would look good with nude and gold sandals and i added a bit of a colour clash with the orange and gold necklace. 

I hope you enjoyed this post, i had fun styling the clothes and thought it was a fun way to show them to you. The clothes are all still available here www.missguided.co.uk 

Zoe 

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BBB Beauty Box!

Hello lovelies, last month i was lucky enough to be one of the 500 people to get there hands on this amazing beauty box! I was scanning my twitter feed on a sunday morning when i spotted this amazing box and ordered it right away, never have i been so happy to be up that early on a sunday! The beauty box has been lovingly put together by Jane Cunningham otherwise known as the British Beauty Blogger and is a collection of some of her favorite beauty products. 

This is what the box contained-

• B. Mascara (Full size)-

Lengthening and defining mascara.

• Benefit Professional (7.5ml)-

Pore minimizing primer.

• Bio effect Serum (2.5ml)-

Anti aging serum.

• Bourjois Cream blush (full size)-

Cream to powder blusher.

• CND Solar Oil (3.7ml)

Nail oil.

• Elmis Tri Enzyme Face Mask (15ml)

Skin Resurfacing mask.

• Illamasqua Liquid Metal Eye Shadow in Electrum (full size)

Metallic cream suitable for eyes, face and body.

• Jo Loves Pomelo Fragrance-

Jo Malone Perfume.

• Lanolips Lip Balm (full size)

Lip ointment with colour in rhubarb SPF 15.

• Melvita Body Balm (15ml)-

Ultra moisturizing body balm.

• Melvita Extraordinary Water (28ml)

Orange Blossom floral water.

• Neom Luxury Hand Cream in complete (50ml)

Luxury hand cream with the scent of Moroccan Blush Rose.

• Philosophy Purity Cleanser (90ml)

3-in-1 facial cleanser.

• Trilogy Rosehip Face Oil (full size)

Nourishing and repairing face oil.

• With the box you also receive discount codes from some of the product brands and a free sample from lanolips of there Natures Wonder Moisturizer 101 Ointment. 

I  have had the box for about a month now, so i've had the chance to test out the products and I'm really impressed. My personal stand out favorites have got to be the Trilogy face oil, this is now part of my nightly skin care routine i love how it makes my skin look and feel the next morning. The Elemis Tri Enzyme Mask, i am in love with this mask it makes my skin amazingly smooth and fresh, and also i'm really enjoying using the Neom hand cream it smells amazing and makes my hands really soft. I also really loved the Lanolips 101 Ointment sample i preferred it to the Lip balm it really moisturized my lips well and left them really soft. I think the box is a bargain at £15 for fourteen products with an approximate value of £125!!!! I think Jane has done a great job with this box,  i have heard that she may be bringing out another box later this year, which will definitely be worth looking out for. 

Did anyone else manage to get a box? What were your favorite products?

Zoe

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Outfit of the day, Tie-dye Midi!

Dress- Primark

Shoes- New Look

Necklace- Primark

Hello lovely's, I spent yesterday engaging in one of my favorite activities, SHOPPING!!! If i want to go for a decent shopping trip its about an hours journey away by train so it's basically an all day thing. When I'm planning my shopping outfit i think of a couple of main points, it needs to be comfortable as there will be a LOT of walking around, and also best to be something thats pretty easy to whip off in the changing room! I went with this grey tie-dye midi from Primark as it ticks both boxes, its really comfortable loose and easy to move around in just a nice casual day dress. As much as i would love to wear heels and look super glam I'm a bit of a a manic shopper so to save my feet actually dropping off by the end of the day flats are a must, i wore my flat black New Look sandals and picked a gold and coral/orange necklace for a bit of colour. 

Hope you like my outfit!

Zoe

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July Favourites!

                                

Hello lovelys, its the start of the month, and that means its time for me to share with you my favorite make up and beauty products from the previous month.

Bioderma H20 Michelle Solution-

Technically this is not just a july favorite, however i haven't mentioned it yet and it definitely deserves a mention. This is my fourth bottle of Bioderma, i first became aware of it from watching a few you-tubers fleur de force and zoella and hearing them rave about it, before then i hadn't really heard of cleansing waters like this. Since i first decided to try it i haven't looked back, i am now a Bioderma addict! I use it at night to take my make up off and cleanse my skin, and it really does get it all off even stubborn mascara and it's just so gentle, i can imagine this will stay a firm favorite of mine for the foreseeable future. 

Topshop Full on Lashes Mascara-

I mentioned this mascara in my Topshop beauty haul post last week, and declared my love for it. I am so impressed with this mascara i feel it deserves a place in my favorites too! I love the way it makes my lashes look full of volume, it also does a good job at lengthening them too. It has a bristle brush applicator not a plastic one which i prefer with mascara's, and its a very black black colour. 

Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil-

I received this oil in my British Beauty Blogger beauty box last month (post about this soon) and i have used it everyday since. I put it on on my face every night before bed so it has plenty of time to sink into my skin and when i get up my skin is glowing. 

Vera Wang Pink Princess-

I am so massively in love with this perfume, head over heels in fact! I first tried the original Princess version and loved that too, and when this one was released with its amazing pink sparkly bottle i was drawn to it like a moth to a very pretty flame! It is a very girly sweet scent and i just want to wear it all the time. 

Benefit World Famous Neutrals kit-

I love this amazing little box of wonders! The two shades of creaseless cream shadows are just amazing. I have found over the last month this been my go to kit for a bronzed glowing eye look, my naked two palette hasn't even had a look in! 

Garnier BB cream combination/oily in light-

I rediscovered this bb cream last month and i have really been enjoying using it again, i think i stopped using it for a while because although it is the light shade i find it is slightly too dark for me unless i have a bit of a tan, so as i have a bit of colour to my skin at the minute it matches really well. I do like to let my skin breath a bit in the summer and this is perfect for days when i don't want to wear foundation.

Maybelline Dream Matt Mouse in 020 Cameo-

Can you believe i only tried and this foundation for the first time last month?! I really have no idea why it took me so long, but since trying it i haven't used any of my other foundations. I really like how this foundation feels and looks on my skin, i can finally join in with the Dream Matt Mouse lovers hype! Better late then never! 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my favorite beauty products from july, i love reading your comments and would love to know what your favorites from last month are. 

Zoe

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How to, Aztec nails Tutorial!

Hello lovelies, i wasn't planning on doing a nail post today however i had a bit of free time this afternoon so i grabbed my nail bits and my camera and decided to have a little play with my nails. This is the first time i have attempted an aztec print so it was a bit of an experiment for me, the finished result isn't perfect but i am still pretty happy with the way its turned out, its eyecatching, bright and summery.

What i used-
Base colour- BarryM Gelly nail paint in Greenberry,
Models Own nail art pen in Black,
Models Own nail art pen in White,
Topcoat- Nails Inc caviar topcoat.
Nail dotter.

Step one-

I applied two coats of my base colour Greenberry. 

Step two-
Using the striper in the white nail art pen i drew three lines across each nail, i tried to make them all different sizes, i went over the top line to make it  the widest.

Step three-

Using the striper in the black nail art pen i outlined the widest white line at the top of the nail and drew a line above the top of the bottom white line.

Step four-

Using the pen nib of the black nail art pen, i drew little up and down lines over the widest white line at the top of the nail, to make little triangle shapes. 

Step five-

To finish the design, i used the black and white nail art pens to add dots and dashes to fill in the remaining spaces over the nail, i did black dots inside the triangles, white dots along the bottom black line, with black dashes coming up from that line. I then used a nail dotter to do a line of bigger white dots across the remaining space in the middle. When the design was dry i applied my topcoat. 

I hope you like my aztec nails, definitely give them a go they would look so good in all sorts of different colours and patterns. 

Zoe

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