Seche Fast Dry One Coat NOTD - Signature

If you are a nail polish enthusiasts, you are bound to know about Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. If not, please familiarise yourself because it is one of the bestselling top coats on the market. Now it was really only a matter of time until Seche would enter the world of nail colour. And, ta-da, in October 2012 Seche launched their very own collection of Seche Nail Lacquers in 33 beautiful colour options. The Fast Dry One Coat polishes promise to deliver full colour opacity in just one coat and to dry quickly and down to a naturally shiny finish.

Lucky me received aSeche - The Fast Dry One Coat nail polish in the shade Signature as part of my December Glossybox. Here is my recent NOTD:

Signature is described as a True Red Crème - £9.95 (14ml). I really liked the formula of this nail polish, smooth and it did dry quite fast. It definitely leaves a nice shiny finish which meant I skipped on a top coat – easy peasy! :) The shade is very much a true red which is vibrant yet classic and elegant.

Have you tried one of the Seche - Fast Dry One Coat Nail Lacquers yet?

Keeping warm with my Etre iPhone gloves!

One little fact you probably don't know about me is that I can't handle the cold very well. Now, I know that no one really enjoys being cold but for me cold weather can actually be quite painful. Ever since I was young I have suffered from Raynaud's disease. Now that sounds all very serious but it just means that I have a condition that causes some areas of my body (mainly my hands and feet) to feel numb and in pain in response to cold temperatures or emotional stress, caused by a problem with the blood supply to the skin. The condition occurs because your blood vessels go into a temporary spasm which blocks the flow of blood. This causes the affected area to change colour to white, then blue and then finally red as the blood flow returns. Raynaud's is not a serious threat to my health but it can be quite annoying to live with.

Anyway this means I am always trying to keep my hands as warm as possible because even the slightest moment of coldness can tricker an attack. I have a large supply of toasty warm gloves for the autumn and winter time but because we all have smart-phones these days, I was finding that my fingers would still trigger attacks when I removed my gloves to call or txt (or just to look at google maps to find my way around London haha).  So I decided to hunt around for the perfect pair of iPhone gloves. In my search I came across a few brands but the one that stood out to me most was Etre Touchy! This is a British company that started a sensation back in 2007 with their Etre Touchy Gloves, which have missing thumb and index fingertips to provide you with the freedom to use your smartphone, iPod, iPad, camera or other electronic devices.

I love the look of these striped (surprise, surprise haha...) Etre Touchy gloves for example!

But unfortunately for me the missing finger tips solution is a no-go! I need all my fingers covered at all time to ensure they stay warm. Luckily the clever people at Etre also design the Etre fivepoint wool gloves! They have special contactwoven fingertips, that do what other gloves don't: they let you use touchscreens without having to take them off! Woop woop :)



They come in various colours but I got the classic black ones with charchoal tips - £40 (link)

Before buying these, as they are a bit pricer than other versions you can find online or in technical stores, I did do my research and found these were truly the warmest ones on the market. Other gloves are often made with synthetic fibers which means they work perfectly with your smartphone but don't do such a good job at keeping your hands warm. The Etre Fivepoint gloves however are high quality and made with 95% virgin lamb wool. I absolutely love these gloves and can't live without them anymore! So don't let the cold get between you and your facebook or twitter updates this winter ;)

Etre Touchy or Fivepoint gloves are available from their very own online store, Etre Shop, and other selected stockists worldwide. How do you keep your hands nice and toasty during the cold winter months? 

2012 - My beauty year in review >

Wow I can't believe how this year has flown by! With 2012 coming to a close I thought I would outline some of my favourite beauty looks/posts/products that featured on the blog this year. Here we go...

♥ Way to Glow - Loving this glowing look (link)

♥ Chanel Les 4 Ombres Palette in Mystic Eyes - I now use this regularly (link)

♥ Dermablend Vichy Ultra Corrective Stick. (link)

I found out about this product through GlossyBox and it is now one of my favourite concealers.

♥ Grey smokey eye and product love for Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow all over Radiance Crème (link)

♥ Burberry Lipcover in Rosewood - a regular lippy for workdays (link)

♥ Argan Oil has been my Holy Grail hair product discovery this year (link)

♥ Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation. My all time favourite drugstore foundation this year! (link)

♥ MAC Melba blush - to create the perfect peach touch of colour to your cheeks (link)

♥ Summer statement lips with MAC So Chaud lipstick (link) Love how it makes my eyes POP!

♥ I fell in love with Shellac Nails this year (link & link)

♥ Pretty glittery FOTN. Reflects antique gold pigment is a must have MAC product for me! (link)

♥ Clinique bottom lash mascara. How did I live without this for so long? (link)

♥ Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Polish remover made cleaning my nails a breeze! (link)

♥ Summer was all about bronzer! Some of my favourites in 2012: link & link

♥ Bridal makeup for my best friend. Was a bit scared at first but she looked amazing, phew! (link)

♥ A cheapie but a goodie! I love the Sleek Brow Kit (link)

♥ Top coat love for Essie - Shine of the Times (link)

♥ Bright pink lips + MAC Tan pigment on my eyes = perfect beauty combo! (link)

What were some of your favourite beauty finds, looks or products this year - I'd love to hear!

I can't wait to see what 2013 will bring me! This year has been seen my blog grow a lot and am so thankful for all my readers out there. All your comments and support means the world to me. I have many looks, posts and product reviews lined up for the blog in 2013 so I hope you will continue to follow me next year! Happy New Year :) xoxo

Christmas Party - 1920s Inspired Makeup

December is always a month full of parties and events which is great because it often gives you an excuse to dress up or sparkle in your best outfits! A few weeks ago we had my office Christmas party and this year it was 1920’s themed. It wasn’t meant to be a very strict theme but it encouraged everyone to make an effort to look old school glamorous! Most people straight away started planning ‘what to wear’ but as a typical beauty blogger my main focus was on how I wanted my makeup to look for this party. After googling for 1920’s beauty inspiration I came across this image (link) of Charlize Theron which I absolutely loved so I decided to go for a very dark berry lip with a nude/rustic look for my eyes.

This is my finished look of the night:

Products used: 

MAC studio finish concealer NC20 

Clinique stay matte foundation – Shade 9, Neutral (link) 

MAC bronzer in Golden 

The Body Shop – cheek colour in Sweet Nutmeg, an oldie but a goodie! (link) 

MAC Mineralize blush in Warm Soul (as seen here) applied as highlight on cheekbones 

MAC Pigment in Vanilla applied to tear duct & brow bone 

Urban Decay NAKED palette – eye shadow Virgin (all over lid)

Urban Decay NAKED palette – eye shadow Naked (blended into crease area) 

MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow (Duo) - Play on Plums (as seen here)

Applied the plum/burgundy shade along my lower lash line. I really love this limited edition eyeshadow duo and am gutted it is running on empty; can anyone recommend a good dupe for the plum/burgundy shade? 

L’Oreal Super Liner in Black – my current favourite liquid liner pen! (link)

NARS NARS Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara (as seen here)

On my lips I'm wearing Berry Vamp by LookBeauty from their Loud Lips range. The packaging of this lipstick is a bit cheap but the colour is really stunning and the fomula is smooth, highly pigmented and long lasting. Not bad for only £7 (link) I have changed from being more of a sheer lip gloss girl to quite loving a darker lip – what do you think of this lip shade?

Jewellery wise I kept it simple and wore these vintage clip-on earrings that used to belong to my grandmother! My hair was done by the lovely Jess from Powder Puff & Pin Curls, who specializes in vintage hair-do's! She came to our office and did the hair of about ten ladies to get us all looking in style for the 1920's party. I will post some more photos of the party in another post :)

Dress wise; I couldn't seem to make up my mind and with December being so busy, I just hadn't had time to find the perfect outfit! Until last minute that was,  because the night before the party I saw this dress in Zara and it was love at first sight! I didn't own a long black evening dress yet so I felt it was a much needed addition to my wardrobe ;) The dress is part of the new collection by ZARA as seen here in their Woman Lookbook Twelve. I adore this recent collection by Zara, it is so classic and elegant.

 ZARA Combined Lace Dress - £69.99 (link)

The dress falls beautifully and the fabric is very soft and pretty. I love how the added touch of the lace in the back makes it that little bit sexier whilst remaining classy. For me, it was the perfect Christmas party dress and I really liked my slightly different to usual look! What do you think of my 1920s inspired look?

Deborah Lippmann - Razzle Dazzle NOTD

Christmas is just around the corner and every part of me is getting in the festive spirit...even my nails!
Nothing screams Christmas to me like glitters so I decided to add a bit of sparkle to my look with this recent nail of the day.


I got this Deborah Lippmann polish as part of last years December Glossybox. Razzle Dazzle contains lots of cranberry coloured glitters in a blackened raspberry jelly base. The base is quite sheer which did mean it took three coats to achieve full opacity. The varnish applied smoothly and drying time is super quick but when the polish dried it was a little grainy so I added a layer of Seche Vite topcoat to smooth it out.

Above photo is with flash. It was hard to properly capture the glitter and how they catch the light in these photos but I have to say I loved rocking these festive sparkly nails. Overall I really liked Razzle Dazzle and I am now very keen try some more Deboral Lipmann nail polishes.

For example check out these two lovely limited edition 2012 holiday sets!

ROCK THIS TOWN set which includes: Moon Dance (deep lavender swirl glimmer), Chain Reaction (dirty brass glimmer) and Phoenix Rising (foxy copper glimmer).

SHE'S ALWAYS A WOMAN mini set which includes: Putty in your hands (putty taupe creme), Raspberry Beret (flecked berry) and My Prerogative (royal blue creme)

Deborah Lippmann nail polishes retail at £14 each sold in House of Fraser online and in selected stores. 

Have you tried any Deborah Lippmann nail polishes before?

How and why to use an eyelash curler

One of my can't-live-without beauty products would have to be an eyelash curler. I am always recommending my friends to buy one because I think they are such little miracle workers! My lashes are naturally quite flat and don't have much of a curl to them so using a curler makes all the difference to really open up my my eyes and give me a more doll-eyed look.

Over the years I have tried several brands and two of my favourites would have to be the Shu Uemera curler (review here) and the MAC full lash curler. I recently lost my Shu Uemera one that I'd had for quite some time so I decided to repurchase my MAC trusty old favourite!

About their Full Lash Curler MAC cosmetics says "Curls lashes. Adds all natural glam! An artist essential: a pro-quality tool. Shapes and curves lashes into all-natural curl. Primes them for mascara or false lashes. Use it pre-lash and pre-mascara. Easy to use. Designed to curve gently round the lash line. Works with a simple squeeze and release motion! Totally tearproof!"

Here some before and after pictures to show you the difference...

A lot of people always joke and say it looks a bit like a tool of torture but I promise you it doesn't hurt at all and they are very simple to use. Trust me there is no need to fear the curler ;) 

Here is how to use them:

• Always use your eyelash curlers on clean eyelashes. Never curl lashes after you apply mascara because as the mascara dries, lashes can stick to the curler & be torn from the roots; damaging your lashes. If necessary, use eye makeup remover to remove old mascara.
• Next, simply spread the handles of the curler and center your upper lashes in between the upper and lower pads. Place the curler at the base of the upper lash line, as close to the roots as possible, without pinching your lid. Now squeeze gently! Hold for five to ten seconds and release. Once you feel more comfortable with your new tool, try walking the curler out to the end of the lashes as opposed to just clamping it down. This will give your lashes a more natural, and less harsh looking curl. Repeat on the other eye and don't use the curler on your bottom lashes.

Left eye curled - right eye au naturel! See the difference?

Now that your lashes are all lovely and curled just apply 2 to 3 coats of your favorite mascara, wiggling the wand from root to tip.

I'm currently loving the Clinique high impact extreme volume mascara - £17

And voila! Spidery long lashes in a snap!

For even longer lasting curled lashes here a little tip; with your blowdryer on low heat, blow air on your curler for no more than 5 seconds. Touch the metal. If it's hot, let it cool for a few seconds. You don't want to burn your eyelid. Now just continue to use your curlers as per the above steps. Heating is not necessary to use an eyelash curler; however, the heat will make a noticeable difference in curling your lashes.

MAC Full Lash Curlers retail at £14/$20/€23.50 and are available online or at your local MAC counter.

Do you use an eyelash curler to give your lashes more POW?!

ESSIE - Mamba NOTD

Mamba by Essie is one of the nail polishes I picked up when I was in New York but have to say I am still a bit undecided about this shade. Part of their 2011 Spring collection, Essie describes Mamba as a “shimmering café au lait” but I personally think it is more of a warm peachy nude colour with a brown undertone. The polish has a very slight shimmer and the formula is creamy and goes opaque in two coats.

Mamba is a great natural polish that is suitable for every season and appropriate with work or casual wear. However as the shade is quite peachy and a bit similar to my skin-colour I actually think Mamba would look best on people with either really fair or darker skin tones. Overall I’d say it is a good every day nude polish but at the moment OPI’s Tickle my France-y remains my holy grail nude nail polish!

What do you think – do you like the look of Mamba?